Patrick Shaw’s Weblog

One of the most expensive (both for customers and for NPower Seattle!) types of help are those “quick fixes” that are neither quick nor a fix, or the “I don’t know what happened - the screen turned off” kinds of projects that can sometimes feel like a black hole.  

As a provider of service - we really want to limit the costs for our customers whenever possible - and since there are fewer and fewer agencies providing ad-hoc support, we’ve developed some tools to help make it less expensive for all concerned.  

There are a handful of things that YOU can do to make it less expensive for you when you must have a consultant come onsite:  

1. Know your hardware. How old is it, who made it, is it under warranty, and what software is running on it? (Belarc has offered NPower Seattle customers a free tool that will inventory your computer - but you have to do it BEFORE you get in trouble!)  

2. Set your financial limits. In today’s seemingly throw away society - hearing that it is cheaper to buy new rather than repair brings about visions of crowded landfills. Unfortunately, sometimes the most affordable option IS starting with a new machine - and you can keep your old one out of the landfill by donating to Interconnection. Here’s a great rule of thumb: If it will take more than 4-6 hours of troubleshooting - a new machine is likely in your best interest.  

3. Store all of your data in one spot! Bonus if that spot is on a server or an external drive of some sort that is secure and is backed up regularly. But if you can’t get all of your data on one of those devices, you CAN store all of your important data in a single folder on your hard drive. Don’t forget your Outlook data (it’s usually a .pst file), your QuickBooks file, and anything else that might be stored somewhere besides “my documents”.  

4. Check your expectations about what you’ll get during troubleshooting. You should have a clear take away - but it might not be a machine that works the way it used to. Instead, your take away might be a better understanding of your hardware and software, or a roadmap for next steps, or a solid recommendation for purchasing a new machine. It’s a little like going to the doctor when you have a lingering cold - you may not LIKE hearing that you have to wait it out - but at least you know what to do next.  

5. Schedule in advance! Most hardware will give you some early warnings. Machines that are three to four years old need extra attention - those parts might be at risk for wearing out. Ditto for older software that may or may not be supported by a vendor. If you aren’t sure about how to troubleshoot or maintain on your own, ask for assistance early to avoid the inevitable loss of productivity when something goes awry.