By Lindsey Schibelhut, Staff Reporter.
We all know that our computers are prone to failure. So, when the inevitable strikes, the Delta Information Technology and Security (ITS) Computer Club can lend a helping hand. On Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in K-110 on Delta’s main campus, the ITS Computer Club is hosting the Free PC Repair Clinic. Associate Professor, and Computer Science and Information Technology Advisor, Cynthia Drouse, explains what services the clinic provides to students and community alike.
“We can fix just about anything. We also do a lot with troubleshooting, operating system errors, clean a lot of machines from viruses, optimize machines – get them running better, faster,” says Drouse. “We also make sure their anti-virus software is up-to-date, or that they’re using the Windows Defender for the Windows 8 and 10. We can install and troubleshoot just about anything on any computer, as long as it’s a computer and has a circuit board. We work on many Macs too.”
One of the things the Repair Clinic wouldn’t be able to fix is when the system is completely dead with a motherboard problem.
“The customer would actually have to go out and buy a new motherboard,” says Drouse.
The clinic also can’t repair more serious issues on the spot such as a cracked screen.
“If you come in with a cracked screen on a laptop… we will show you where to buy the screen, and you’ll have to purchase it first and you’ll have to come back and have us put it in on another clinic day,” says Drouse.
Drouse spoke about how the concept for the clinic was formed.
“I went to a conference and there was another school from North Carolina. It was one thing I got from going to that conference…So I came back and got it started in fall of 2014.”
The Free PC Repair Clinic is run two times a month, up until the spring semester. So if you miss out Feb. 12, the next dates for the clinic are Fridays, Feb. 19, March 11 and 18, and April 15 and 22. Diagnoses and repairs can take two to three hours and priority will be given to devices that are dropped off between 11 a.m. and noon.
Finally, for students who may not be able to get to the clinic on Fridays, you can bring in your devices early.
“We do offer an early drop off at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. It’s a good idea to pick up [your computer] on Friday, but we can hold them, we don’t like to, but we can hold them over the weekend,” says Drouse. “It’s welcome for anyone in the community too, so it’s not just students, faculty or staff.”
For more information about the Free PC Repair Clinic people are recommended to visit their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/DeltaFreePCClinic. For any other questions, contact Cynthia Drouse at cjdrouse@delta.edu or 989-686-9069.
