what are the basic courses id have to do?
Hardware courses (if you don’t know much about the insides of a computer)
Finally the A++ certification (from a microsoft certified institution) is basically an exam to give the license
and how long will this take roughly
Most employers want CompTia A+ certification from their entry-level repair techs. http://www.comptia.org/certifications/listed/a.aspx
Some employers don’t require any certification but those also tend not to pay as well. Some require or prefer at least an associates degree but those jobs usually extend beyond repairs into lower-level network and systems administration functions too.
How long it takes depends entirely on whether you’re a novice or are experienced in computer repair. People with strong experience that also study well can get an A+ certification exam study guide and pass the exam just fine with no classes at all.
Rank beginners that have never seen the inside of a computer and don’t know an ATX from an ETX might need a lot more time.
If you go with the community college degree/certificate route then there are more profitable ways to spend two years than becoming a repair tech (aka bench technician) such as certifying in network admin or systems security.
A degree is usually required for advancement in the IT industry at all levels above CSR/bench tech/help-desk.
what do they use to repair your pc etc if it has a virus/spyware? Do they use hardware that they attach to the computer? Can someone please explain this in "Simple" terms for me - I am not a computer whizz I know basic computing but that is as far as it goes.
Also how can you tell if you have spyware or keylogging software on your computer? And how does it get there in the first place?
I do everything manually through regedit and explorer. Most of my technicians use MalwareBytes, http://www.malwarebytes.org and HiJackThis, http://majorgeeks.com/HijackThis_d3155.html
Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing that we can plug into the machine that will automatically fix things for us. There are no exotic software tools, and no secret fixes.
Occasionally, we use boot disks such as http://www.ultimatebootcd.com or a Linux live cd.
The symptoms of an infection vary from unusual popups and program activity, general slowness, and any number of unexpected errors.
It gets there by exploiting browser and operating system vulnerabilities, or by being installed by the user unknowingly. THe best defense is to ensure that your browser and operating system are completly updated, configure them properly, and run a reliable anti malware application such as Avast or Avira. If you can afford the $40 per year, get Eset Nod32 instead of the free solutions.
EDIT: In 11 years of doing this professionally, I have never once had to reinstall Windows on a personal computer. Corporate machines are a different story. Domain accounts and standardized desktops mean you can re-image the machine before you’d even be able to figure out what it was infected with.
i am nearly at the end of school and need to decide what to do next. i want to go into pc repairs but don’t know how to get there?
any idea?
thanx, sturg
you’ll have to go to a community college.
I am concerned about #1. can they copy things while working on the problem?
#2. can they get my passwords?
#3. Is this a good idea to use someone like this?
well i let them repair my PC and have a deep look to see what needs to be done. BUT i make sure my ’sensitive’ information like pin number for credit cards etc are erased and i put all my ‘ sensitive’ documents on a CD or pen drive and erase them from my computer. that way they do not have much info to copy if they try and I’m at ease. same goes for bookmarks, sites visited. etc
What are some good books that focus in the field of computer repair, so far i have the "PC Technician Street Smarts, Updated for the 2009 Exam: A Real World Guide to CompTIA A+ Skills", i am currently studying so in a few years i can get a job in that field until i go to college and expand on the concept even more, so any books you can post will be very helpful and please review them, thanks
You can look for slightly older books for most aspects of basic computer knowledge are constant.
In fact, the slightly older books which you can acquire at quite a discount can do well to help
you understand the basic PC hardware and software, the Microsoft Windows operating systems
and their now distant predecessors of DOS. You probably need to work from material up to at
least 2007 which is the year Windows Vista was introduced. The new Windows 7 is essentially
Vista with some tweaks such as the elimination of Outlook Express/Windows Mail .
The basics of PC hardware have been the same for years. Some important details have changed
for example the PCI Express bus has become the dominant video card when for years, the
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) at speeds from 2X to 8X was the dominant video bus.
USB standards have upgraded from USB 1.0 at 12 megabits/second to USB 2.0 at 480 megabits
per second and I think a USB 3.0 specification is understudy if not yet approved.
Processors are more complicated, I probably need to see a recent CompTia write up about
processors for they reached a speed limit of about 3.8 gigahertz and improvements went to
widening their busses, increasing the speed of the busses, increasing the number of parallel cores
processing information, increasing the size of their onboard primary cache and now onboard secondary cache.
I would search Yahoo! search, Amazon.com, Ebay and half.com, Craigslist.
Moreover I would look for free sources of A+ Tutoring by searching on YouTube.
You can often find great computer books at Micro Center if you have one of their stores in your
area.
I plan to work for no one. I just want to learn how to fix and repair computers
If you plan on doing it as a hobby, you can take a few courses at a local community college. Just be sure to ensure that the coursework "maps" to the A+. The CompTIA A+ certification is the industry standard for computer support technicians. Those same courses will prove fairly expensive at a "tech school". Bear in mind that the A+ equates to about 6 months job experience as a computer support technician. You’ll learn the "basics" you’ll acquire actual knowledge through time and experience (for which there is no substitute).
The computer support technician is one of the "lower rungs" on the IT career development path. My observation is based on having worked with computers of all types since 1967 as well as holding that particular certification and several more. I’ve also been teaching IT courses for the past 10-20 years.
Education and training. Due to the wide range of skills required, there are many paths of entry to a job as a computer support specialist. Training requirements for computer support specialist positions vary, but many employers prefer to hire applicants with some formal college education. A bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, or information systems is a prerequisite for some jobs; other jobs, however, may require only a computer-related associate degree. Some employers will hire applicants with a college degree in any field, as long as the applicant has the necessary technical skills. For some jobs, relevant computer experience and certifications may substitute for formal education.
Most support specialists receive on-the-job training after being hired. This training can last anywhere from 1 week to 1 year, but a common length is about 3 months. Many computer support specialists, in order to keep up with changes in technology, continue to receive training throughout their careers by attending professional training programs offered by employers, hardware and software vendors, colleges and universities, and private training institutions.
Certification and other qualifications. For some jobs, professional certification may qualify an applicant for employment. Certification can demonstrate proficiency in a product or process, and help applicants obtain some entry-level positions. Some hardware and software vendors require their computer support specialists to be certified, and many of these will fund this training after an applicant is hired. Voluntary certification programs are offered by a wide variety of organizations, including product vendors and training institutions, and are available across the Nation.
I have recently built a computer repair workshop in my home and I’m just wondering what is the best software to fix and repair computers. And what software i should put on my computers for the best performance. Thank you.
ccleaner is pretty good and free, can fix registry problems, uninstall and clean crap from your machine.
Im wondering how I can become a computer repair technician, like what classes or degree plan do I need to take to become one.
It will be best to contact your local college to see what courses you need to take to become a computer technician.
For example there are many community (2 year) colleges that offer Associate’s Degrees for Computer Technician…here is the syllabus at the Montgomery College, Maryland:
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/curricula/descriptions/cdnetworkwireless.htm
Here is a listing of community colleges in the US:
http://www.utexas.edu/world/comcol/state/
Here are some resources you might find helpful for preparing yourself for a career as a Computer Technician…
If you want to learn more about computers then you should go to a great educational website like Teach ICT because they have a whole bunch of FREE information about computers and also they have video tutorials on how to use applications like Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Flash animation, and etc.:
http://www.teach-ict.com/gcse/gcse_topics.html
http://www.teach-ict.com/technology_explained/whatis_home.html
Professormesser.com has many good video tutorials for PC Repair and Computer Networking:
http://www.professormesser.com/2008/03/15/professor-messers-free-comptia-a-certification-training-course/
Various Computer Networking tutorials:
http://www.networktutorials.info/tutorials.html
You can also use a search engine like Google.com to find more tutorials for PC Repair and etc.
Top-Windows-Tutorials is a good website for learning about Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7; how to protect your computer with antivirus and firewall programs; backing up your files and data, and etc.
http://www.top-windows-tutorials.com/Backup-tutorial.html
An online store like Amazon.com has many books, DVDs, and etc. for repairing, maintaining, troubleshooting computers and networks…
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=A%2B+
You should check out your local library to see if they already have these books and other stuff.
YouTube also has many tutorials for fixing and maintaining computers, setting up and maintaining computer networks, Windows XP, and almost anything else you want to learn:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Computer+how+to&search_type=&aq=f
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Computer+Troubleshoot&search_type=&aq=f
Good luck and I hope you will find this to be useful!
What is the job outlook on this field (computer repair technician)? I may not be able to go to college for more than an associates degree. I’m not sure. I’ll definitely be going to the community college in my town for an associates degree, but, until further notice, I most likely won’t be able to go for a bachelor’s degree until later on (assuming that I even want to do this…I’m not sure).
Anyway, I’m hearing so many different things regarding the associates degree / the career I’m looking at. Many say the associate’s degree is pointless and will do nothing for me. Others say it’s good. Many people say that a computer repair technician doesn’t make that much money. I actually saw someone that said "from my experience, you stay just above the poverty level." I’ve also heard that computer repair technicians can live comfortably on anywhere from 30, 40, or 50K a year.
Would an Associate In Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Computer Information Technology get me anywhere? Would this be a plus towards that career, or should I think about something else? I really want to do something computer-related, but I’m horrible with math. Being a computer programmer is out of the question (hence being horrible at math). Alright, I’ll stop rambling now…hopefully I can get some helpful answers.
In my experience, a repair tech doesn’t make that much money. However, if you get your associates and get on somewhere at entry-level (repair-tech would likely be an entry level position), who knows how far you might advance? As far as an associates degree - that’s better than no degree right? It’ll definitely help get your foot in the door somewhere, especially compared to someone with no experience.
Also, I know *many* computer programmers that are horrible at math. All you have to do is pass your math courses with a "C". Programming doesn’t involve a whole lot of math, just good, structured code.