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Should you seek Fort Lauderdale computer repair online?

We've discussed the merits of turning to online computer repair on more than one occasion, and at considerable length.

Our conclusion has always been that there are distinct sets of pros and cons, with the specific situation best evaluated by a Fort Lauderdale or Boca Raton computer repair seeker on a case-by-case basis.

Jonathan Takiff of the Philadelphia Daily News talks about a recent experience he had navigating the world of online computer repair. Some of his observations, both good and bad, may be of interest ...

After weighing the options, he felt safest handing the infected PC over to Symantec, developers of the popular Norton suite of security products for Internet users, and who recently jumped into the online computer repair business.

After steering your PC to their Web site and OK-ing a takeover, you sit back and watch the screen, as the Norton computer service technician combs, remotely,through your system, looking for trouble and working the magic (at least in theory).

You're also on the phone throughout the repair process, in case you're confused, have questions or your input is needed for whatever reason.

Starting with a PC Checkup service ($29.99). That operation identifies performance problems and gives you a custom PC report card, but doesn't really start to fix things. At least not for the moment. The actual Fort Lauderdale computer repair, should you proceed, will come later.

Initially, it shows how many files are starting up on your machine, just how bogged down your processor is, and so on. It also does a scan to see if your PC is infected and scans to see if you have an anti-virus product.

After a very long scan process, the technician found that more than 1,200 useless files were piled up in the registry, slowing down the machine immensely.

More importantly, the computer repair expert had the eye and expertise to identify the handful of files that should be kept, and the vast majority that would never be missed at all. That's where most average users would be stonewalled.

If your primary issue is "sluggish performance," which is by far and away the leading complaint heard on the Symantec help line, you can start with the Norton PC-Tune Service ($69.99), making the machine run faster and easier.

Continue reading this article in the Philadelphia Daily News ...