Welcome to the Computer Repair Shop!

           

Hi, I'm Dale Atchison, your host and proprietor: . I thought when I moved to Clearwater, FL in 2000 that I would mainly be replacing failed PC hardware: . While I occasionally get to replace a network card, power supply, cooling fan, hard drive, memory stick, even the occasional modem, the bulk of my work seems to be correcting my clients' — shall we say, 'adjustments'? — to the way their computers work.

I've written a brief Windows tutorial. It covers mouse conventions, window controls, the taskbar and system tray, and Cut/Copy/Paste operations. Just click on the button that says WINDOWS 101 .

I used to recommend a suite of free utilities that made your PC or laptop faster and safer. But all of those programs gradually evolved into 'landmines'... they kept popping up ads and fake warnings about problems that didn't really exist, all just to trick you into upgrading to the paid versions of the programs or installing additional software... most of it written in Beijing.

Nowadays, I've replaced all the third-party software with only utilities supplied by Microsoft, most of it included with your initial Windows installation. The shortcuts and instructions will appear on MY DOWNLOADS PAGE as soon as I can rewrite and reformat the page... so check back often.

Please feel free to EMAIL ME for guidance on any computer-related subject. If I don't know the answer, I'll steal someone else's solution, paraphrase it into language the average user can understand, and pretend I figured it out all by myself.

But I have a favor to ask in return:  if you ask for my help, and I send you a reply (and so far, I've replied to every request), please write back one last time and tell me if my instructions or suggestions fixed your problem. I truly believe I've given everyone who wrote me the correct and appropriate advice, but if I'm wrong on any part of it, I'd appreciate knowing it BEFORE I publish my mistakes for the world to see.

I edited a computer club newsletter for a couple of years. Now that I've given that up, I've created an archive of my old columns, articles, and miscellaneous ramblings, and posted it here: MY ARCHIVE PAGE . I'll be adding new columns and articles as time permits, as well as my occasional newsletters

DaLe aTchiSon

* Note #1:  With all the ransomware attacks in the news lately, regular backups are more inportant than ever. If you need help setting them up, call to make a service call appointment, or email for free help.

* Note #2:  Some service calls will incur a trip charge, some won't. If money is super tight, and the trip charge would be a deal breaker, say so when you call; I'll plug your address into Google Maps, and tell you in advance if there will be a trip charge. An informed customer is (slightly) less likely to be a dissatisfied customer.

* Note #3:  I let this website go dark in July 2021; just got it back mid-August 2023. If some of the links or advice seem dated... that's because they are! Please be patient; I'll read every page and update all the links... eventually.


Disclaimer:

My advice is offered at no cost, so I can assume no liability: . Whatever you do to your computer, whether you're following my explicit instructions to the letter, or 'trying a slight variation', is at your own risk: . I've tested every suggestion I make several times before sharing it — even though I don't know you, I wouldn't take chances with your stuff: . If you're unsure of your ability to type commands verbatim and follow the on-screen prompts, please call or write, and we'll arrange to have you ship the computer to me for repair, at my usual low rates: . Or, if there's a decent computer club nearby, you might want to show them your question and my answer, and see if they'll apply my suggested fixes for you.

And this should go without saying, but let's be quite thorough:  all emails sent to me for free advice become my property, to do with as I please: . I'll protect the anonymity of all who write me for help, but I tell you up front that I will publish the question and answer if I get the chance, and I won't be able to pay royalties to the people who asked the questions: . They get free computer help, and hopefully I can make a buck down the road because of it.

Sounds fair to me...

           

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