Whether it’s my own computers or somebody who comes to me looking to fix their computer, i tend to just format the hard drive & reinstall windows (anyone with a non windows operating system doesn’t need help!). Could stuff be saved? Yes. But it’s just too much hassle…
User error
Let’s face it, 99% problems are caused by the user. The user doesn’t want to hear that, but that’s the reality. Unless it’s hardware related, user doesn’t usually have a leg to stand on. But that’s cool, sometimes i’ll mess up my own systems accidentally or intentionally… i know enough to put things right. I also know exactly what i was doing when things went wrong which is the important bit because that makes problem solving easier.
One solution for all problems
If i hear virus, or ‘slow’, i’ll just ask whether or not there’s anything essential on it or anything that needs to be backed up. If not, the hard drive is formatted, windows is reinstalled and it’s problem solved. The reality is it’s just far too time consuming to scan through millions of files & folders / google problems, look for solutions or potential solutions and then try to narrow problems down and solve them, test things are all back in order. Most of the time it’s just easier to wipe the slate clean.
Who’d be a technician
I hate this type of work though… it’s boring, frustrating and the problem is ultimately a lack of interest in IT on the user’s behalf. The vast majority of problems i’ve ever encountered or still encounter, i’ve never seen before and don’t know how to solve. I don’t want to learn how to solve them, i just want them solved but in order to solve them i know i must learn how… so off i go to google or if it’s a hardware problem, i might take stuff apart and fiddle with wires or check nothing is plugged out. Because i now have a degree in IT, that doesn’t make me an expert… i was doing this same stuff long before i went near college. I, nor anyone else that goes near a computer doesn’t need a degree to reinstall windows yet that’s usually the easiest way to solve *most* problems in my own experience.