Inspection and general cleaning
When the computer arrives or is collected the very first job is to inspect and clean. This firstly involves dismantling the case allowing access to the internals. Using compressed air the entire computer is blown free of any dust which may have accumulated after several years use. You can see in the images below that there was a minor amount of dust build up in the example below, some are much worse!
Processor cooling fan before and after cleaning.
We clean out the insides in their entirety, not just fans and heat-sinks but all areas are covered. The external surfaces are not neglected, these get cleaned with environmentally friendly products to remove any stains and in-ground dirt. We leave no stone unturned and aim to return your computer looking like new!
Inside desktop computer before and after cleaning.
Backup existing data before transfer
Before any data transfer takes place we always backup the existing computer, this means documents, photographs, music and more. This is insurance just in case there are any problems during the transfer process – there rarely are but we don’t take any chances.
After the backup we begin the transfer process from the old mechanical disk to the new solid state disk. This takes around 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the mechanical disks speed.
Mechanical hard disk drive resting on computer chassis.
Installing the new SSD
Once the data transfer is complete it is time to swap the disks over. This means removing the old mechanical disk and installing the new SSD along with custom bracket.
The custom bracket allows the new SSD to be mounted in the same fixings as the mechanical disk. Keeps everything looking factory fit and causes no compatibility issues.
New Samsung SSD installed in custom bracket.
We only use Samsung SSD’s, they are known to be best in the business, best warranties and fastest in actual use. Find out more about the benefits of solid state disk drives on our upgrades page here.
Upgrading to Windows 10
Once the data has been transferred and the new SSD installed we are ready for the Windows 10 upgrade. This process is usually quite straightforward – sometimes the odd computer will keep us on our toes but that’s how we like it!
The upgrade process will take anything from 1-2 hours depending on the computers performance. We only recommend Windows 10 upgrades on suitable computers, if they are too old or too slow then we will advise against it.
Original Windows 8 sticker on computer case.
Once the initial upgrade process is finished we check the Windows file structure to ensure all is OK. Then we move onto the updating process detailed in the next section below.
Inside the computer – main board and processor.
Updating Windows 10
Once the Windows 10 upgrade is finished there are still a few more steps left. Firstly we will download and install all remaining Windows 10 updates to ensure the computer is running smoothly. We download and install any available hardware driver updates.
It isn’t totally necessary but we will also run some stress tests after the upgrade to ensure the system is 100% stable. Installed software is then tested to confirm compatibility with Windows 10.
Once all these tasks are completed and we are totally satisfied the computer will be signed off, ready for use again.
Front of upgraded computer case.
More Information
If you have any questions about this article then please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we are always happy to help.
