A HP Pavillion latop currently in our Boston computer repair shop in Back Bay this morning with serious issues. We quickly discovered that the PC was showing symptoms of infectious malware ranging from Trojan Horses and adware to even more malicious worms and spyware.  The intent of most of this malware (malicious software) is to steal your identity, credit card(s), or just simply to wreak havoc on your operating system and programs (software layer), or sometimes physically attack your system components (hardware layer).

What ultimately happens is that many viruses can attack you machine making it either go to a blue screen, or make it almost impossible to do anything on your computer because it is too slow or constantly freezing up.  Then the only choice is to find a local computer repair company to assist you, or junk the PC and buy new.

We have around a 95% success rate when we manually remove malware from any PC, regardless of the operating system. This means you don’t have backup your existing data (quarantine it and clean it to ensure you are not carrying any of the infected files when you put them back on your drive later on) to “wipe” or reformat the drive, then reinstall everything from the operating system, drives, Windows updates, your security software (AVG, Norton, etc.), MS Office (if you use MS Worxd, Excel, PPT, Outlook, etc.), and specialty software you might use (e.g. Quickbooks, Photoshop, peripheral device software, etc.), your printer(s), VPN’s etc. and then ultimately your files that you backed-up and cleaned from the old infected drive. Whew!

Pop ups galore and unmountable boot volumes can sometimes mean a full reformat and reinstallation of Windows, especially when the unit comes with Windows Vista or Windows 7. This is not the end of the world.

At the customer’s request we can create drive duplicates so that you do not lose any files once your hard drive is reformatted. Using several powerful deep scanning utilities, we ensure that no infections are carried over when your files are restored. Once again, this is only in the case that a reformat / Windows reinstall is absolutely necessary.

Experiencing such an event can remind you of how important backing up data can be. We have several solutions to help you to backup your data to make the recovery process run smoother in the future. With External drives and programs that automatically backup your drives periodically, we can help you to not lose any of your information. also, having the appropriate antivirus software can prevent the loss from occurring in the first place.

As a computer repair and Boston computer repair company, we do a lot of viurs removal and are constantly testing different anti-virus, anti-spyware (anti-malware) and computer security software. Some of the products that we demo on a regular basis are AVG, Symantec (Norton), Panda, Kasperski, Zone-Alarm, Computer Associates and McAfee.  We are aware that none of these are infallable, however, we have found that AVG’s paid version of their Anti-Virus software and the paid version of the AVG Internet Security 8.5 are the best the market has to offer.

On the flip-side we have noticed that on about 95% or more of all malware related issues, the PC is running some version of McAfee. We cannot endorse this product, and frankly are shocked that it is so widely used in today’s market, and endorsed by such large companies as Dell, AOL, Comcast, Verizon, Cox Communication, etc.

Below is a message that was posted on Yahoo Answers. Spoiler alert: yes, you do have a virus.

“There is this message that keeps coming up in a yellow box with a red cross that seems to look like a legit windows message: “Windows has detected spyware infection! ..Windows will now download and install antispyware program.” Whenever i click on this it scans then takes me to a windows site that asks me to register and pay for removal…”

If you ever receive a message “from Windows” on your computer telling you that you have a virus, do not proceed. The message is a virus in itself, and it will probably lead you to a website that will ask you for your credit card information. Windows is not capable of performing virus scans or performing virus removal. Consider calling a reliable, established computer repair company such as A+ Mobile PC Doctors, and one of our technicians will be able to access your computer remotely to confirm the virus. From there, you can drop off your laptop at our Boston location at 316 Newbury Street in Boston, MA. Or you can arrange to have us pick it up for a small fee. We are the fastest, most efficient computer repair company in the Boston area.

You can reach A+ Mobile PC Doctors by calling 1-866-417-3945, or browse our computer repair services by visiting our website.

A college student living in Brookline MA had trouble getting his Acer laptop to turn on. He initially thought that the problem was the power adaptor, which had spent three years bumping around the bottom of his backpack, and had probably suffered some damage. He purchased a new one, plugged it in, and after the computer failed to turn on he realized it was not the power adaptor as he had thought. He spoke to one of our technicians about a DC jack laptop repair service in Boston, and we arranged to pick up the laptop that same day.

A laptop is powered by AC and DC power. AC means alternating current, and DC means direct current. A laptop’s power cord carries high voltage alternating current electricity from an outlet into the AC adaptor. AC power cannot directly power a laptop, so the AC adaptor converts the electricity into low voltage DC power that is carried to the end of the cord and into the DC port on the side of the laptop.

When a laptop has trouble turning on or charging, it can generally mean a broken AC adaptor, or a broken jack within the DC port. In the student’s case, he determined that it was not the AC adaptor. One of our technicians double-checked his finding by testing his AC adaptor for charge. The AC adaptor had a charge, so the cause was the DC port. A broken DC port may require a technician to re-solder the device or replace a part. The technician attempted re-soldering the DC port, and that did the trick as far as getting current to the motherboard. However, our technicians noticed that the jack was still very loose when plugged into the power cord, which told him that he needed to replace the DC jack component on the motherboard. We returned the student’s laptop to him the next day.

There are dozens of websites on the Internet that offer to fix DC port problems on laptops. The sites often require the customer to pack his laptop in a bubbly envelope and mail it across the country. Factoring in the time it takes to mail the computer, fix the computer, and mail it back, this process can take as long as three weeks. Three weeks without a laptop is a huge inconvenience for a student, professional, or even for someone who occasionally uses their laptop to keep in touch with friends and family. As one can imagine, mailing a heavy laptop can be pretty pricey. And it can be incredibly nerve-racking to trust several mail carriers as well as an unfamiliar company. A+ Mobile PC Doctors is a fully insured computer repair company serving the Boston area and all of New England, as well as several other states across the US. We provide on-site computer repair and will even arrange to pick up your laptop or computer for in-shop repair. Call us at 1-866-417-3945 to speak with a technician. A DC port failure is a common problem, and we aim to promptly fix the problem and return your laptop as soon as possible.