My first (real) job

[boardinggamer]

So I met with this guy Vince who does computer repair for my moms job. I am trying to start working with him since I'd love a computer repair job. I was hoping it would have more hardware related things but still a great paying job which I never expected I could get being a high school dropout. He gave me a computer with a virus to see if I can fix it so he knows what I am capable of and what he has to teach me.

Since this is a job I will enjoy as well as be getting some good money I can finally start saving up for not only things for Rinny but also for a truck and hopefully my own place. I'm still young, only 18, but I want my own place so I can get away from my brothers and also have people over without being annoyed by my parents, hardcore LAN based games all night long .

I really hope this job works out for me so me and Vince can be come partners and split the money instead of me only getting a partial cut of it, which is still a great amount for me to be getting.

This is just what I needed to get my life started on the right track.

 

[Spoof]

Congrats!

As someone who followed the computer repair path I feel the need to offer you some advice. )

Get your GED asap if you haven't. It is easy at the age you are at and will open up many, many new doors.
After you accomplish the GED (it'll teach you how to study) and have been doing repair for six months or so aim to get at least 2 new certifications a year.

Start with the Comptia A+ cert. Once you've been on the job for six months this one will be a walk in the park (but rather difficult if you are lacking the experience). It is the most common and almost all repair companies require it so if for any reason you need another job this is an automatic foot in the door.

I got the Network+ one second. I hate networking, so this was more studying but still easy once you've been doing it in the wilds and will give you a peek into basic network architecture.

Others are free, like the Apple Certification program for OSX operating systems, you can do those now. After that I'd focus on whatever the bulk of your customers need, or whatever will increase your revenue. What these do is look really good on the ol' business card and if you can get certified in something like CISCO networking it'll bump your rates from $50/hr up to $150/hr or more depending on local competitors.

I did IT support for 20 years and didn't start getting certs until about four years ago. I was surprised how big of a difference it makes on the resume. Now I've got my dream job doing mostly software type design with hardware and network support here and there.

The best part about this type of job is that you will walk away with some awesome stories.

The worst part is that it is a highly stressful job. 80% of your success in this industry will hinge on your relationship with the customer. 15% is how you respond under pressure and 5% is how technically inclined you are. Always be nice, always chat them up, and if you are in a panic act like a duck. (I fail at this). People are much more willing to forgive a complete **** up if they like you and you will completely and utterly drop the ball at some point during a repair at least once a month. [Insert awesome stories here]

If you ever have any questions feel free to shoot me a PM, and don't forget to share the stories!

 

[Spoof]

I've gotten several PM's about virus removal. In all honesty, it is easier to back up your stuff and wipe your machine. If you really insist, here is a generic writeup on it. Use at your own risk!! Always make a backup of your files on a spare drive before doing this.

Screenshot of what infected system results may look like. At the time that was the most I had ever seen, now I know that 1,800+ found will crash Malwarebytes.. lol. 57 minutes was probably an 80 Gig HD. Some of the Terabyte drives take several hours.

***********************
Virus Removal 101.

http://majorgeeks.com/ is the single best resource for learning new computer stuff. It is 100% legit. Get on there and read, read, read. =)
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ is next, you'll find a ton of information on there.

If it's not a bad virus you can download and install Malwarebytes running windows normally. Let it do the work for you. Restart the computer, if it came back…

1. Start the computer in Safe Mode, this sometimes involves rabidly mashing all of the F-keys if it is an off brand system. Most are F8.
2. Make sure you have a USB thumb drive with the tools of the trade. These are Malwarebytes, HijackThis, Combofix (use this one at your own risk, last case scenario, next step is to rebuild the machine), Fileassisin, Rkill, SmitFraudFix and SuperAntiSpyware. These were all downloadable and installable from a Thumbdrive alone without needing an internet connection.
3. Once the computer is started in safe mode, install Rkill, run that, then Malwarebytes and let it run. Did it kill the virus? Nope? Start it in safe mode again, run Rkill first, then try Hijackthis/Superantispyware/etc… Still didn't catch it?
4. Start windows in safe mode at the command prompt. Type in explorer.exe run the anti-maleware again. This usually fools 95% of trojans. The other 5% I just wipe the machine.

If that didn't kill it, you'll need more firepower. I have a macbook pro with a windows install just for this type of stuff. My mac won't get infected and can run all of the software removal on a Windows virtual machine. I often do this first if the first boot into safe mode didn't work. It will save a couple hours.

When this happens (practice on your own machine at home first)
1. Get a cable kit like this -> http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-CB-ISATAU2-Supports-2-5-Inch-5-25-Inch/dp/B000J01I1G/ref=zg_bs_172472_4
2. Whip the hard drive out of the offending machine
3. Connect it to a machine that has the buffest of buff antivirus programs pre-installed and updated.
4. Scan that ho!
5. Rejoice.
6. It came back?? I hate these, and there are a few out there.

At this point you are between 2-6 hours into this single virus removal. I wipe the machine and re-install it. Seriously, there is a breakover point where you have to ask if a $400 machine is worth the 10 hours you just spent trying to kill a virus @ $$ per hour. If this is the case it takes about an hour to wipe a machine and reinstall windows and another 30min-2 hrs to rebuild depending on the size of the drives.

I rarely mess with the registry. If I am it's because I know exactly which trojan it is and am following a MajorGeeks guide. Most of the virus removal programs out there will take care of this without destroying the registry.

The registry is a touchy critter, sensitive and full of spite. =D

Good luck!

 

[Lirana]

Congrats on the job, and good luck on the "test!"