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Thread ID: 82808	2007-09-09 03:13:00	Computer Course Recommendations	Grimy (3041)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
589427	2007-09-09 03:13:00	Trying to help the odd person out with their PCs, asking questions and reading threads on this and other forums, makes me realize how little I know about computers! I would really like to learn more about the repair and troubleshooting side of things - even if only for my own interest (so I understand better what Speedy and others tell me and others). Has anyone taken/been recommended a course (home based as I have a full time job) that they can recommend? Something that gives a good overall idea of things, with perhaps an emphasis on troubleshooting/upgrading/maintaining software and OS. Any thoughts?	Grimy (3041)
589428	2007-09-09 03:30:00	I think you'd be better off getting a second cheap PC and breaking it/playing around with it. Often its easier to simply come to a forum like this and get an easy step by step answer. Instead you should be learning by trail and error, or by trawling the internet for answers.	Pete O'Neil (6584)
589429	2007-09-09 04:26:00	Many of the answers you get here are not taught in any class, they are from people who work in the business in some way and offer help for no $$. Most is from years of Experience, and "on The Job" knowledge or experiences. While there are courses that can teach you some things - its only the basics, and higher training is $$$$$$$$$.	wainuitech (129)
589430	2007-09-09 04:39:00	Most is from years of Experience, and "on The Job" knowledge or experiences. Yes. My father asked me this once. I told him to dismantle his PC completely then rebuild it. Then try and figure out why it no longer works. It is the best way to learn. Books teach you nothing much. I had a colleague once who had done A+, we had a non-booting PC which he messed about with for a while and then came and asked me my opinion. I told him to swap the RAM with a new piece. He insisted that dead RAM would beep cause thats what A+ told him. 3 hours later he swapped the RAM and it was all better. Its trial and error, you need to just troubleshoot. Does it boot at all? Does it boot to a point? WHich point? Does it run in Safe mode? Does it give any error message - POST or Windows? Depending on the stage it gets to and its symptoms you can generally start with the likely and move on from there. You get to know after a while. When in doubt there's the net and places like this. You can't really learn it from a book. And "helping people out" without experience is all well and good if you know at what point to stop and pass it to someone more experienced, its the blunder on regardless people that bug me. Just had one of those ring me. It had infections, so he transferred all her files onto his PC, thus infecting his PC now too. Then messed about for a bit, giving up and formatting and reinstalling. The Windows CD he used was the wrong one and wouldn't accept her COA so he installed another version of WIndows with someone elses COA. It won't activate. Then he missed several drivers - its a laptop. It has no recovery. I've told him to get another Recovery CD from Compaq (which will cost), and advised on some malware removal procedures for his. Its one of those like the smitfrauds, that recreate until you get the main file, thats all. Geez.............	pctek (84)
589431	2007-09-09 04:42:00	Computer/IT courses as such are probably more use when they cover networking/systems architechture, software design etc. If your wanting to learn how to do hardware design and build then a course in Industrial Design would be the ticket otherwise you would be better off getting some computer bits and tinkering around -with the help of a few "how to" computer manuals or web forums such as this one. Then decide what you want to specialize in.	winmacguy (3367)
589432	2007-09-09 04:51:00	And "helping people out" without experience is all well and good if you know at what point to stop and pass it to someone more experienced, its the blunder on regardless people that bug me . One more you can add to PCtek's comment - How many times have we all heard from customers - " my ???? knows all about computers, and he cant fix it" :cool: My first thought ( but I've never said it YET!) is - and you are calling me why then ?	wainuitech (129)
589433	2007-09-09 05:26:00	One more you can add to PCtek's comment - How many times have we all heard from customers - " my ???? knows all about computers, and he cant fix it" :cool: My first thought ( but I've never said it YET!) is - and you are calling me why then ?The ones that annoy me far more are the ones that go like this: "But ???? said that x can't possibly be the problem - it must be something else . What's the next step?" "I can assure you that x is most likely to be the problem - would you please try this step anyway . " "But why? ???? is a computer expert, he [it's usually a he] said that x was fine as it was . " "Please just humour me and try it anyway - these are just some steps I need to run through to help pinpoint where the problem lies . " "OK fine, I'll do it, although I don't think much of your skills" [click, click, type, click, curse, click] "Oh . . . that seems to have fixed it . Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" Not sure about anyone else, but I find those ones damn annoying . The only ones that are even more annoying (if that's possible) are the ones where ???? actually is the customer :groan: .	Erayd (23)
589434	2007-09-09 05:46:00	Computers aren't the problem, it's the people that use them.	winmacguy (3367)
589435	2007-09-09 06:16:00	I agree . . . get someone to give you an old box, take it apart, figure out what all the bits are for, if it's not booting see if you can figure out what the problem is . It's very like repairing a car and you will be excused for throwing a spanner at it and swearing . Once you get it going- try installing any form of Linux and meet your next learning curve :D	Shortcircuit (1666)
589436	2007-09-09 06:33:00	The ones that annoy me far more are the ones that go like this: "But ???? said that x can't possibly be the problem - it must be something else . So you've met my wife then?! Oooh . . . . . . . . joking honey!	Grimy (3041)
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