HP Media centre PC (and Yellow pages)

Client calls wanting some help setting up a HP media centre PC into his home theatre. My number was given to him indirectly via my yellow pages listing.

I won’t say exactly how, because:

a “competitor” might be reading
this might lead to an increase in high income customers being directed towards Computer Aid.

The yellow pages were distributed only a few weeks ago, & I chose just the minimum free ad, since the category is swamped with large colour ads.

But I will purchase a larger image ad in the local area Yellow pages (due out in about 4 months time).

Anyway, I setup the Media centre software. The client is computer savvy, & learns enough that he is happy to “play” with the system over the weekend & learn its full capabilities.

He also wants me to help with a printer problem on another PC upstairs: He has 2 PC networked (an IBM, and a Dell laptop with a printer), but the IBM cannot print… I do the usual ping tests (all fine), do a windows “find computer” but the laptop doesn’t show up when the IBM searches….but the IBM shows up when the laptop searches…. hmmm.

I look at the laptop more closely, & notice that its quite slow… I check the background processes & see a lot of spyware running… Given that it has Norton running, I assume that 1 or 2 malware infections have slipped through, so I disable most from starting, but after a reboot, there are still some popups & printer doesn’t work.

Client agrees I can take the laptop for a careful cleanup & tuneup.