Job name = 001

Make = Gateway
Model = mx3231
PC/Laptop = Laptop
CPU = 1.5 GHz Intel Celeron M
RAM = 448 MB PC2-4200 DDR2 SODIMM 200pin Memory expandable to 1G/1 slot
HDD = 51.2 GB

Symptoms = Very slow boot time, around 5 minutes to load desktop. Immediate adware pop ups warning of virus infection. Pop up windows could not be closed. All options lead to further pop ups. Applications were disabled preventing proper scanning and virus detection. Windows explorer functions did not work. This prevented the salvage and movement of existing customer data.
DVD-ROM functionality was compromised due to the lack of resources caused by the pop up generating application. This rendered the DVD-ROM useless.
Start time 8:30 pm 9/22/09

Solution = Obtain all disks for this machine. These include XP disk + product key; Gateway OS re-install disk and a few various PC tools that are pretty much useless.
Infection prevented me from properly extracting files such as documents and images. I determined the best attempt a restoring this laptop to optimal performance was to completely wipe the HDD, partition and reinstall the OS. Good thing I have the Gateway OS install disk and a copy of XP sp2 with the product key provided by the owner.
First I tried the Gateway disk method. I powered down the laptop with the disk in the drive the powered the system back on. The disk ran through a few screens then threw an error regarding a missing windows file. I quickly scrapped the Gateway disk method and opted for the customary windows install with the good ole orange sticker.

Format a new partition and install windows on it and I’m in business, right? Well, there are still a few loose ends to tie up after this install. My first instinct tells me to check hardware that may not be working properly. Many people will rush to establish a network connection and install important OS updates. I’m working from a bottom up approach. I want to establish self contained functionality before I worry about the functionality of larger systems, such as wireless networking, internet connectivity and non-system applications. For this reason, I look to device manager for any hardware components that may be signaling issues.
Within device manager I notice that most devices are working properly. I do however notice five devices that display an “!” symbol within a yellow circle. This indicated that there is an issue with the particular piece of hardware and it should be addresses for the system to function at full capacity. In this case I notice an issue with the Ethernet controller, the mass storage controller, the multimedia controller, PCI simple communications controller and a VGA compatible video controller. The indications usually signify improperly installed or missing drivers. So my next logical step is to locate the drivers for this system, re-install, verify the fix and move on to bigger problems.
Past experience with laptops and desktops tells me that manufacturer websites usually provide a package that contains the drivers needed for new instillations. The leg work involves navigating the manufacturer website to determine the appropriate driver package to download and install. Since the customers PC is not yet connected to any network I will search for and download these files from an alternative laptop.
I obtained the network adapter and sound controller drivers and installed them manually then restarted the laptop. I noticed that this system threw a non systems disk error when the jump drive was plugged in and the system was booting up. I should check the boot order and move booting from USB lower on the priority list.
Network and sound driver install success. Also, and added bonus comes the wireless network drivers in the same step. Three more!’s to address then the hardware within the laptop in functioning properly. Instillation of these files from the C:\Cabs folder is strait forward when you use Start-> run -> c:\Cabs\then the part number. This path can easily be copied from the read me txt file and then pasted into the run command box.
After installing all the drivers recommended on the gateway support site all my !’s were gone. The system was good to go and nagging me to connect to the newly found wireless network. I next saved all the downloaded driver files to the recovery partition that was emptied due to corrupt and missing files.
The next step is to establish an internet connection and get the OS up to snuff. Off to find my wireless encryption code. Ah, luckily it was within arms reach.
Off to windows update and the needed updates are downloaded, installed and the pc restarts a few times then were all done. According to Microsoft they have done all they can for me without a monetary fee like “windows live one care”. One care is another product I would like to try further, I do enjoy the initial trial period. It’s a very long trial and the application runs very smooth on vista.
End Time 12:00 am 9/23/09

Hours Sub Total 3.5 Hours
Resume time 4:30pm 9/23/09
The next red flag is an indication from windows security center notifying me that I lack anti-virus protection. Since this is a laptop being fixed on a shoestring budget, I once again look to free services. My favorite free anti-virus software should be no surprise, AVG. I have been really happy with its performance and I almost always recommend it to my customers, which in turn leads me to also performing the instillation. This resource allows me to provide a valuable service to my consumers that serve as a gateway to more involved security applications. The instillation of AVG went as smooth as always and I no longer see that pesky windows notification, great. Were getting to the finish line but there are still a few more points of interest to consider before I am comfortable handing this unit back over to the owner with my stamp of approval.

There are millions of applications available that people download and use every day. There is a great number that are common and sometimes exist without the user knowing they are actually utilizing the application. Many of these programs come in the form of media players, text readers and applets.

A good place to start is adobe flash player to correctly display many popular web pages, adobe reader to view “.pdf” files and java runtime environment to facilitate common web applets. Caution; watch out for those automatically checked boxes that also install useless toolbars. I wonder how many shiny pennies adobe gets when some user accidentally forgets to un-click the box and installs the toolbar, just to un-install in ten minutes once he realizes. I installed flash, reader and java without a hitch.
My final touches include disk clean up, defragmentation and error checking. These functions take some time but I feel a sense of satisfaction when I hand over a system that I know has been thoroughly inspected for major and even minor problems that can cause the user anguish in the future.

Disk defragmentation and clean up took an exceptionally short time to complete. I have the fresh format/install to thank for that. With 85% of the drive free I’m home sailing, that is, after I pass the ever crucial physical disk consistency check, that is to check the disk itself for errors and bad sectors and fix them when possible. This check can make or break the projected dependability of a hard disk drive. I am confident that this particular hard drive will pass these tests with little issues. There has been no previous indication that there may be any issues related to physical devices such as hard disk drives and this has been confirmed by a lengthy but successful check.
I was given no specific detail on application that are a must have on this system so I estimated the household usage and prepared the system for that scenario. Any additional application should be left to the discretion of the owner. However, I am more than willing to provide my services in the instillation and configuration of such applications.

I know this family consists of users who have broadband access and use it for tasks such as internet surfing, emailing, online education, word processing and limited gaming. For this reason, I installed only applications that contributed to these functions. The obvious first selection was Microsoft office. This suite contributes to education, word processing and emailing. The owner of the lap top happened to have an unused educational copy of office 2007 with the product key. Since she is a student and paid for the application I saw no harm in installing it for her. This also allows other members in the family to use the software for educational needs and I knew that at least two others were also required to have this application but did not. Their only means of access to Microsoft office was at the completely unappealing computer labs at school. “Three birds with one application suite; can’t beat that”.

Next, I had to make sure the web browser supported the users’ demands. I know frequent online classes and homework submissions and taking place from this very laptop, I wanted to ensure that these encounters went smoothly. The first location to check is the browser itself. After windows updates, Internet Explorer 8 was installed. IE8 is a modern browser now on this aging machine. My common sense tells me that this browser may consume more resources. This is the opportunity to evaluate common system resources, determine their current levels and maybe increase them to add performance.

Additional RAM chips will usually add some performance to any laptop or PC that is not currently at its’ maximum capacity. Oddly enough this system is displaying 488MB of available RAM but the internal module is labeled 512MB. This is usually the case; RAM often comes in increments divisible by 8; such as 256, 512, and 1024. When in fact the actual storage capacity of a device may slightly vary. The listed maximum capacity of this system is listed as 1GB which will most likely be accomplished by a RAM chip listed with a capacity of 1024. I would recommend and facilitate the purchase of this upgrade. I feel this is a wise decision when trying to extend the life out of an already aging laptop.

My overall recommendations to this customer is to upgrade where possible, monitor anti-virus application in order to learn threats and defenses and maintain regular backups to safeguard important files and settings. I believe with follow up I can easily complete any applications instillations needed, configure this system for their home network and provide additional support for items such as printers, scanners and cameras.
Remaining problems= Three keys on the keyboard are previously broken, broken or missing. The “M” key was broken but not unusable. Salvaged parts from the completely broken “Space Bar” were used to repair the functionality of the “M” key. The pause/break key is completely missing leaving only the connective linkage used to bind the key and the board.

The overall condition of the keyboard on this system is of poor quality. Buildup beneath the keys which I have attempted to remove is preventing fluid motion while using the keypad. Also, the complete absence of the space bar leaves users scratching their heads in many situations; especially online. The damage to the keyboard and the incomplete functionality lead me to recommend a replacement keypad for this system if it is within their budget and available. Otherwise this system may become the slave to the ball and chain of an additional keyboard and pointing device, giving it a swift kick to the “mobile” genitals.

This system would benefit most with the addition of 1GB RAM. Increasing demands through applications and web pages will continue to challenge this laptop. Preparation comes in the form of upgrading the system to its complete potential in order to reduce any lack of system resources. Other upgrades such as video cards, processors can prove to be difficult and expensive. The most practical solution, RAM, is easily accomplished and usually provides significant results.

One final issue of note is moderate damage to the power cord used to charge the battery and run the system using a standard wall outlet. This damage appears to have been generated by an animal; like a small dog chewing on the wire. There are a few cuts in the coating and a few spots where significant amounts of metal wire are exposed and protruding from the coating. I would recommend the purchase of a new power cord/charger in the event that the damage somehow becomes significant enough to disable the system.

Conclusion= I am confident that this gateway laptop is performing at top condition considering the lack of upgrade. This performance can be sustained through constant anti-virus monitoring in conjunction with social networking experience on the part of the owner. A PC represents your personal workspace. It is important to know the space and know where to store your items. It is a delicate filing system that can easily become disorganized. Imagine leaving important papers all across your desk at home and in file cabinets at work and even a few at a friend’s house in his desk drawer. The same holds true for your PC a desktop, an internal hard drive and a network drive. They act in the same manner; various locations where YOUR files are located. Many home PCs, this one included, display chaotic file organization. Until users develop useful systems of organization within a digital office environment it remains difficult to understand the more complicated applications of personal PC use, maintenance and security.

End Time 9:30 pm 9/23/09
Hours Sub Total 5 Hours
Hours Total 8.5 Hours

Suggested upgrades
• Replace keyboard/Keys

• Upgrade Ram

• Replace power cord/charger