Retail stores like Staples, Best Buy, and others do “free” computer checkups?

Sure! A free computer check-up sounds like a great idea! But, be prepared to present a credit card along with your computer when you bring it to the local retailer for the “free” checkup. Why, you ask?

When you bring your computer to the local retailer, they'll check it out for you, but they will be sure to present you with a list of things that you “need” to buy to fix your computer or keep it clean and updated.

Recently, one of my customers brought her computer to Staples for the free checkup. He informed her that she had a dangerous piece of spyware on the computer, and told her that she needed to buy the latest version of Norton 360 Anti-Virus to fix her machine and keep it protected.

Let's cut to the chase here. The “free checkups” offered by your local computer retailer are seldom ever free. Think about it, they're retailers. Their job is to get people into the store to sell them products, so that the salesperson earns a commission, and the retailer makes a profit. Even if there was absolutely nothing wrong with your computer, the salesperson would at least tell you the latest version of their most precious and most expensive anti-virus product to keep you protected.

In contrast, any self-respecting computer consultant that you hire would not force you to spend extra money on things that you really don't need, at least I never would. If I can fix a problem for you, I'll clean up your system and remove any garbage, spyware, or viruses that have accumulated in your machine. And, if you're not running anti-virus, I'll install AVG Free, an excellent free anti-virus utility recommended by many broadband internet providers, update it, and clean up and secure your computer. For hard-to-remove spyware, I would install Spybot Search and Destroy, one of the best spyware removal tools, which many broadband providers also recommend. And on top of all that, if I cannot fix your computer problem, my policy is that I don't charge you a dime for the visit, which most consultants would never do.

In most cases, if your current anti-virus program is functioning and is updated regularly, you don't need to buy a new anti-virus program to replace the one you have. However, I normally tell all of my customers to NOT use Norton (a.k.a. Symantec) or McAfee anti-virus products, because they are considered to be “bloatware”, they are not only expensive but they severely slow own the overall operation of your computer, making it much less efficient for your use. I'll touch base on these so-called “top rated” anti-virus programs in another article.

In summary, I recommend that you should NOT bring your computer to any local retailer for a “free checkup”. In almost every single case, you will normally get, and also pay for, a lot more than you bargained for.