When I bought my first computer I wanted to have a sound card installed. I took the                           computer to the local repair shop for a certified technician to install my new card.                          By the time I got the system home I was sitting there wondering how the                          installation could cost more than the new device itself. What could a                          technician possibly know or do to justify having to take my computer to                          them for service or repair. I decided I was going to find out what voodoo had to be performed on my system to make the new card work and with that step I never took mycomputer back for repair again........unless it was a warranty repair and I was not going to be incurring charges. Now that I had found I actually enjoyed "lifting the hood and getting dirty", I decided that it was time for me to delve deeper into the unknown and make it... known. So I embarked on my first computer certification, the CompTIA A+. I wanted to be certified so I knew without a doubt that I actually knew the how and why of computer service and repair. I studied hard for this exam and found that as much as I knew there was a greater amount of information I did not know about or only had an inkling of. So I passed the two exams qualifying me as an A+ Certified Professional I.T. Technician. Well, where do you go from there? With a little research and some friendly advice from professionals working in the I.T. industry I was soon on course to take more certifications. Over the next two years I also became qualified as a CompTIA Network+ Professional and a CompTIA Security+ Professional. Now I've set my sights on Microsoft's certifications and already have my MCTS: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist and my MCP: Microsoft Certified Professional. With more study I will reach my present goal of MCSA: Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator with one more exam. Obtaining the MCP designation from Microsoft was a major step for me. Being certified by Microsoft helped me to prove that I could tackle repair problems from a software level as well. So why the website? I was standing in the store of a major retailer, buying my wife a new keyboard. As we were waiting for the store attendant to locate the model we were looking for, my wife and I were looking at the service and repair pricelist. It was outrageous! Simple maintenance alone was nearly $100. Then I saw them. There had to be at least ten to fifteen people standing in a line, Pc's under their arms, waiting to check them in for repair or service. I hope this website helps other people to save their hard earned money and maybe learn a little something along the way. Make no mistake though; this website was not done with completely altruistic motives. I also wanted to see if I could do it. So I hope that my experiment will benefit you as much as it benefits me. I can feel good that I've put something worthwhile on the net and you can feel a sense of pride that you can repair your ailing computer yourself. I would also recommend to anyone with an interest in Computers to study for the CompTIA and Microsoft exams. For me it has lead to PC Apprentice. I will keep updating this site as long as people come here to learn how to repair their own computers. I hope you keep coming back to learn how to service your PC and keep it running for quite some time. I hope this background information has shown you a little about me and why PC Apprentice has come to be "Cryptanalysis is the study of turning other peoples' harmless mistakes into catastrophic errors." About Me by PC Apprentice 2009