General FAQ
What geographical area is covered by RTS?
The North Bay, including Marin, Sonoma and Napa Counties.
What type of warranty do you offer with computer systems?
The primary computer sold are Dell Business Class machines. They are configured specific to the Customers needs. They are configured with 1-3 year ProSupport (covers Hardware and Software) and 1-3 year Accidental Protection Plans for laptops, tablets and All-in-One units.
Do you offer on-site service?
Yes. We offer onsite service. Most upgrades, repairs, maintenance, and some troubleshooting can be performed on-site.
Do you support products that weren’t purchased from you?
Yes. We support products that were purchased from other manufactures or businesses.
What type of support do I receive?
Each Dell system purchased from RTS with a Dell ProSupport Warranty comes with a 1-3 year ProSupport Warranty which provides over the phone troubleshooting with Dell and Over-night, Next Day Service.
Systems FAQ
How do I know that I need a new system?
Most users will purchase a new system when their current system is too old to upgrade or they don’t want to spend more money on their current computer. The best reason to purchase a new system is because your current system is inadequate for your needs and/or because it won’t run the software you need it to run.
What type of computer do I need?
This depends on what you will be using the computer for the most.
Data Recovery FAQ
What types of data recovery services do you offer?
Some of the data recovery services offered are the following:
Unable to boot
Virus attacks
Inaccessible drives or partitions
Unable to run or load data
Data corrupted
Hard drive failure
Hard drive crashes
What if you cannot recover my data?
If we cannot recover your data there is no charge to you.
What are the chances that you will be able to recover my data?
Depending on the severity of the problem, chances of recovering the data vary.
What types of media can you recover data from?
We can recover data from IDE and SATA hard drive assemblies.
Networks FAQ
Do you have Network Specialists?
Yes. Resources are available to address Servers and Network environments.
Can I share my printer with more than one computer?
Yes. This can be accomplished many different ways. You can share the printer from within windows, purchase a network compatible printer, or purchase a router with a print server.
Is a wireless network safe?
Yes, but the network and the computers that are on the network have to be configured correctly for it to be safe. On the wireless station, WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol) can be used to encrypt the signal that is being sent and received. On the network computers, passwords and permissions should be setup.
Can you troubleshoot an existing small network?
Yes. We can troubleshoot most home and small business networks even if we did not originally install it.
What equipment do I need?
To answer is, it depends. We need to know and understand what you do on your network. After that, a list of equipment you need is determined.
Upgrades FAQ
How do I know if I need an upgrade?
Do you find yourself waiting inordinate amount of time for your processor, or one of your peripherals, to complete it’s respective function?
Is your computer under-powered to run the applications you want to run?
Is your hard drive large enough to store all your”programs and data?
If you can answer “Yes” to any of these questions then maybe need support to begin with and possibly an upgrade to a new computer.
Repair / Maintenance FAQ
Is it cheaper to repair my computer or buy a new computer?
This really depends on how old your computer is and also what is wrong with your computer. Sometimes it isn’t worth spending the money to fix your old computer or is actually less expensive to purchase a new one.
How much will it cost me to repair my computer?
This question depends on what is wrong with the computer. Most repairs cost between $75 to $120 in labor plus the cost of the service and/or replacement parts.
Do you repair on-site?
Yes, provided your location is in the geographical area covered by RTS. We are able to service on-site. In some instances, we may need to take your system back to our offices to complete repairs and/or upgrades.
What will maintenance do for my computer?
Maintenance will speed up the start up and loading times, increases the performance, reliability and longevity of the computer.
Online Remote RTS Service Questions
What is online remote computer support?
Online computer support, also known as, “remote” or “virtual” computer support is the practice of having your computer worked on by a technician over the internet. With your approval, a technician can view your screen and move the mouse and keyboard safely from a remote location.
The benefits of online computer support include:
- Fast: Receive help instantly without having to wait for a technician to arrive onsite.
- Convenient: No need to take the computer to a shop or wait for an on-site visit.
- Affordable: Our costs are lower than sending a tech to you…. this lets us charge less for the same high quality service that you would receive from an onsite technician
Is it safe and secure?
Yes, when you connect to one of our technicians, the connection is encrypted using a 128-bit key. The same high level of security used when transmitting sensitive information online when using online banking or purchasing from reputable suppliers.
Also, you are in complete control of the remote session and can take control of the mouse anytime or you can end the session immediately.
Who is doing the work?
The troubleshooting of your system is performed by industry technical experts. When you call us to request service, you will speak to technically trained customer service representatives who will obtain details of your problem and determine the proper solutions and/or alternative solutions.
Can a technician access my computer after the work is done or without my permission?
No, the connection to your system must be with your permission by you, the customer. Each time our experts access your computer, a program is temporarily installed to allow access. Once we are finished working, we log off the session and the program that allows access is completely removed from your computer.
Can you help me with my computer if I’m outside of the U.S.?
Yes, as long as there is adequate internet connection.
What if you can’t fix my problem remotely online?
There are times when an online remote session will not be adequate to remedy a particular problem. In those cases we will schedule an onsite technician to be physically sent to your location.
Company/General Questions
How quickly can technicians be dispatched to my location?
Dependent upon the severity of the problem, we can usually provide service the same or next day.
How long it typically takes to solve a problem?
It all depends on the problem situation. You will be provided an estimate of the time required and will be given updates once the process begins and more information regarding the findings are discovered.
Is your work guaranteed?
We always make every reasonable effort to ensure your experience is satisfying. If you ever have a question or concerns over a service, please let us know.
Also, please understand the volatile nature of computers, and that some problems can be recurring but not necessarily due to poor service. For example some computers can be reinfected with the same virus or spyware after a user repeats the same actions that got the system infected in the first place.
What information do I need when I call for support?
A: The following information will help us a great deal understanding the problem at hand and in assisting you in a timely fashion when you call-in the problem:
- Your current contact information
- Make and model of the computer or other hardware
- Operating system and version (e.g. Windows Seven/Vista/XP).
- Exact text of any error messages
- Describe briefly what you were trying to do and what happened, as exactly as you can, describe the sequence of events that led to the problem (e.g. steps taken).
- Name and version of the software (if you suspect that it is a software problem)
- If known, the hardware component failing (if you suspect that it is a hardware problem)
- If a networking problem, what are you unable to access? Is it just your system or the entire office? (What are you able to access and not access?)
INTERNET SAFETY
Protect your files from Malware
As your trusted partner in data protection, we want our customers to be aware of Malware (malicious software) threats and know how to prevent them from infecting their computers and servers. Here are some tips that can help you avoid malware and other types of viruses:
- Be an email skeptic: Malware is often spread through emails links or attachments. Don’t open attachments or click on links from people or companies you’re not familiar with.
- Free software – too good to be true? Downloading free software is tempting, but it may include spyware and other malicious content. Only download software from trusted vendors.
- Down with the pop-ups: Block pop-up windows and don’t click on links or buttons within them.
- Bump up your browser security: Go into your web browser settings and make sure your security settings are set to medium or higher.
- Beware of illegal downloads: While it’s tempting to watch a movie that’s still in theatres on your computer, many files shared on illegal file-sharing sites have pieces of malware attached to them.