Correct method of providing support?

Perhaps a few of the more IT savvy folk around here could give me the answer for this one. I'm not qualified in anyway as a computer technician although I'm hoping to gain some sort of certification in the future. I've pretty much dealt with computers long enough to figure out some sort of solution to the more common problems, and I know enough about hardware to get by.

I find myself receiving requests from more and more people to fix their computers, and I just have to ask.. what is the CORRECT method to provide support when it comes to Windows? More often than not I have a person come to me with a dead desktop or laptop, a valid license sticker, and no windows cd whatsoever. As far as I know to simply use my disc I have available would be illegal, although as far as my personal opinion goes, should be fine as long as the license is valid.

I know I myself had issues when I needed to reformat own computer. It came with Windows, has a sticker, yet neither Mecer nor Microsoft could supply me with a disc.

If I take it to the computer shop they'll charge me and do the job, but how do they do it? Is there some sort of piece of paper that allows you to use the same disc to fix various computers, or is it something you just do? Then, there is the question of what if I don't have the disc in the first place? I might run XP home, what if I get someone running Professional?

I hope I don't sound like too much of an idiot here. I just want to end up doing everything the right way.

 

It may be, but if it was strictly applied you would put most of the world's one-man repairers straight out of business, as that is how they do it. They have installation disks for every Windows version, slipstreamed with the latest updates. and they just use that and the COA licence key from the customer's machine to reinstall windows. It works, no one challenges them about it, and it keeps the world going round.

Of course, the customers in situations like this simply haven't created recovery disks, or dont know anything about recovery methods and are unaware that there may be a recovery partition on their machine or have any clue how to invoke it.

I'm not a repairer myself but watching the scene over many years it seems that's the situation on the street. Whether it's 'correct' or not I don't have a clue.

 

I agree, most of the time you just have a set of disks for all OSes and as long as they have the correct COA (key) for that OS, do it.
Wouldn't it stand to reason that the manufacture would have to give you an authentic MS OS disk if that was the case? They just sell you the COA and you have to make your own back ups now days, as fewer and fewer seem to even include backup partitions.

 

100% legal to use any install disc that the key will allow, your disc of xp pro is the same as my disc. Its the key that matters, as long as you use there key to reinstall you should be fine.

 

But it isn't actually like that is it? You have a disk that you had to pay for. Your customer doesn't because hasn't paid for one, so what's the logic that says he should he have the same access to it as you?

I've long had my doubts about the legality of this, but at the same time can't avoid the thought that if MS felt strongly about it then they would by now have done something about it.

 

You do not actually pay for the disk; you pay for the license.

And what kind of license the repair shop has, and what kind of license the customer has - there is where it gets rather complicated.

At the end, if you are able to activate Windows, then everything is fine. If not, well, then there was a combination that was not what Microsoft has allowed.

But basically, as long as the customer has a valid product key, and as long as the install disk is not an OEM disk, then things should go fine.

 

P.S. doing a repair install, rather than format + clean install, will preserve the original installed product key, and (if no hardware changes take place) Windows activation will not be required.

 

It is exactly like this, your paying for the license, not the install media. Your customer paid for the license, by buying a computer, with the cost built into it for the os, hence the coa sticker on the case, which has the correct key on it. Believe me this is normal operation for damn near every computer repair shop i know of.