How much to charge...

[Zilbandy]

I have a neighbor that wants to pay me to clean spyware / viruses off
their computer and install a firewall on it. I told them I'd try, but
they might be better off restoring the system from the recovery cd and
starting new. I'm going to try the cleaning solution first, and if
that doesn't work, I'll restore from the recovery media. I don't know
what to charge them, and they insist on paying me for my time. I'll
outline my plan of attack below — maybe you guys can give me some idea
of what a sensible charge for the work might be.

I've downloaded AVG free, Spybot S&D, Ad-Aware SE Personal, and Zone
Alarm Free from my computer and burned them to a cd for installing on
their computer, so I won't have any internet connection to their
system while working on it.

I plan to install and run the Virus and malware programs from safe
mode, if they will install from safe mode. After running and cleaning
what these things initially find, I plan on installing ZA and then
connecting to internet. After that, I'll update all those programs and
run the scans again. If all goes well up to that point, I'll check
with MS update for critical updates, but it appears they have been
getting them automatically, as there are a bunch of uninstall files in
the Windows root directory.

Do you have any idea what a reasonable charge would be to have this
done? I don't want to be greedy, but I don't want to give away my
time, either. I'd like to think I can do this cheaper than taking it
to a real repair shop. Any comment will be appreciated.

Also, if the above fails, I'll need to restore from the restore media,
get everything setup, download critical updates, and install the
virus, malware programs, and firewall before returning it to them.
Again, I have no idea how to charge for this, as it would just add
more time to my "project." Thanks again.

 

[Chuck]

It's a question of what is your time worth, with your relationship to the
neighbor factored in.
Obviously, the range is free to whatever you think you should get for your
time and trouble.
What will you do if you have quite a bit of time invested, and cannot
provide a satisfactory result?

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Also, if the above fails, I'll need to restore from the restore media,
get everything setup, download critical updates, and install the
virus, malware programs, and firewall before returning it to them.
Again, I have no idea how to charge for this, as it would just add
more time to my "project." Thanks again.

You'd not be smart charging by the hour because if you f*** something
up, it'll take a lot more time than is necessary.

Flat fee, large enough to make your neighbor feel good about it.

A case of your favorite beer, perhaps?

 

[Ghostrider]

I have a neighbor that wants to pay me to clean spyware / viruses off
their computer and install a firewall on it. I told them I'd try, but
they might be better off restoring the system from the recovery cd and
starting new. I'm going to try the cleaning solution first, and if
that doesn't work, I'll restore from the recovery media. I don't know
what to charge them, and they insist on paying me for my time. I'll
outline my plan of attack below — maybe you guys can give me some idea
of what a sensible charge for the work might be.

Also, if the above fails, I'll need to restore from the restore media,
get everything setup, download critical updates, and install the
virus, malware programs, and firewall before returning it to them.
Again, I have no idea how to charge for this, as it would just add
more time to my "project." Thanks again.

As much as I like my neighbors, I would not touch a job like this for
anything. The consequences of failure are too severe. One little mistake
or one unhappy turn of events and it might signal the beginning of the
end of a long friendship. The loss of prized photographs, important data
files, etc. It is not worth the price, no matter how professional or
expert one might be. It would be better to recommend an equally or more
competent techie.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

As much as I like my neighbors, I would not touch a job like this for
anything. The consequences of failure are too severe. One little mistake
or one unhappy turn of events and it might signal the beginning of the
end of a long friendship. The loss of prized photographs, important data
files, etc. It is not worth the price, no matter how professional or
expert one might be. It would be better to recommend an equally or more
competent techie.

Or bring along an external drive and back up the drive he's gonna work
on before he starts the work

 

[Alias]

I have a neighbor that wants to pay me to clean spyware / viruses off
their computer and install a firewall on it. I told them I'd try, but
they might be better off restoring the system from the recovery cd and
starting new. I'm going to try the cleaning solution first, and if
that doesn't work, I'll restore from the recovery media. I don't know
what to charge them, and they insist on paying me for my time. I'll
outline my plan of attack below — maybe you guys can give me some idea
of what a sensible charge for the work might be.

I've downloaded AVG free, Spybot S&D, Ad-Aware SE Personal, and Zone
Alarm Free from my computer and burned them to a cd for installing on
their computer, so I won't have any internet connection to their
system while working on it.

I plan to install and run the Virus and malware programs from safe
mode, if they will install from safe mode. After running and cleaning
what these things initially find, I plan on installing ZA and then
connecting to internet. After that, I'll update all those programs and
run the scans again. If all goes well up to that point, I'll check
with MS update for critical updates, but it appears they have been
getting them automatically, as there are a bunch of uninstall files in
the Windows root directory.

Do you have any idea what a reasonable charge would be to have this
done? I don't want to be greedy, but I don't want to give away my
time, either. I'd like to think I can do this cheaper than taking it
to a real repair shop. Any comment will be appreciated.

Also, if the above fails, I'll need to restore from the restore media,
get everything setup, download critical updates, and install the
virus, malware programs, and firewall before returning it to them.
Again, I have no idea how to charge for this, as it would just add
more time to my "project." Thanks again.

50 bucks for cleaning up and 35 for the restore disc if cleaning up
doesn't do it. Be sure and back up their data first and have them bring
the computer to your house so you can be doing other things while some
program like the AV is doing a scan.

Alias

 

[Menno Hershberger]

I have a neighbor that wants to pay me to clean spyware / viruses off
their computer and install a firewall on it. I told them I'd try, but
they might be better off restoring the system from the recovery cd and
starting new. I'm going to try the cleaning solution first, and if
that doesn't work, I'll restore from the recovery media. I don't know
what to charge them, and they insist on paying me for my time. I'll
outline my plan of attack below ? maybe you guys can give me some idea
of what a sensible charge for the work might be.

I've downloaded AVG free, Spybot S&D, Ad-Aware SE Personal, and Zone
Alarm Free from my computer and burned them to a cd for installing on
their computer, so I won't have any internet connection to their
system while working on it.

I plan to install and run the Virus and malware programs from safe
mode, if they will install from safe mode. After running and cleaning
what these things initially find, I plan on installing ZA and then
connecting to internet. After that, I'll update all those programs and
run the scans again. If all goes well up to that point, I'll check
with MS update for critical updates, but it appears they have been
getting them automatically, as there are a bunch of uninstall files in
the Windows root directory.

Do you have any idea what a reasonable charge would be to have this
done? I don't want to be greedy, but I don't want to give away my
time, either. I'd like to think I can do this cheaper than taking it
to a real repair shop. Any comment will be appreciated.

Also, if the above fails, I'll need to restore from the restore media,
get everything setup, download critical updates, and install the
virus, malware programs, and firewall before returning it to them.
Again, I have no idea how to charge for this, as it would just add
more time to my "project." Thanks again.

$50

If you do a good job and word gets around, you'll have neighbors you've
never heard of...

Speaking from experience.

 

[GO]

You'd not be smart charging by the hour because if you f*** something
up, it'll take a lot more time than is necessary.

Flat fee, large enough to make your neighbor feel good about it.

A case of your favorite beer, perhaps?

This is pretty much what I'd suggest as well. I would also more likely
suggest to not even try to fix the problem(s), because chances are if a
"regular user" is noticing problems it's most likely really really bad and
not worth the time and effort. It would likely be far easier, quicker and
less stressful to just do a fresh install of the OS. Either use a spare
hard drive of your own to temporarily backup their hard drive, or just have
them buy a new drive (installing the old drive as a slave after you're done,
performing a virus/malware scan on it too!)


Greg

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

I second GO's advice. Don't even bother to try cleaning it up, just go for a
clean reinstall on a new disk or after backing up to an external drive. I
charge $100 for a straight-forward clean install, sometimes more -- depends
on the number of applications installed and how complicated their personal
file storage is. The $100 includes follow-up support and I do it at *my*
desk, not theirs. That way I have my own machines and a well-protected
network handy to use in case some kind of issue arises where, for instance,
I need the internet but haven't connected yet. Also allows me to install
freeware from my own stores rather than taking the unprotected machine
online. Note that I never allow the trashed system onto my network. Only
when the system is fully installed and protected do I then remove it from my
network and attach the old drive to it to transfer personal files.

Be sure to install decent malware protection and then provide a nice folder
of shortcuts on the desktop and teach them to use the apps and to properly
deal with email attachments, etc.

 

[Leythos]

I have a neighbor that wants to pay me to clean spyware / viruses off
their computer and install a firewall on it. I told them I'd try, but
they might be better off restoring the system from the recovery cd and
starting new. I'm going to try the cleaning solution first, and if
that doesn't work, I'll restore from the recovery media. I don't know
what to charge them, and they insist on paying me for my time. I'll
outline my plan of attack below ? maybe you guys can give me some idea
of what a sensible charge for the work might be.

If you are accepting pay then you are liable for you work - that means
that you must CLEAN the machine, not just do a "good enough" job, you
must ensure that you return it as clean.

In a situation like this you can offer them two choices:

1) Clean the machine, possibly not getting all malware, but salvaging as
much of the machine as possible - they understand that cleaning malware
may result in the corruption of system and data files that could render
the computer unusable and require a reinstall from scratch.

2) Wipe the machine in a clean environment which means that the machine
will be free of any malware not included in the recovery/restore media.

When I give people the two options, if they pick #1, I make them sign a
document that states the above (actually a couple paragraphs on limiting
liability for me) so that they can't sue me for malware that remains.

At this time there is no way to be sure that you've properly "cleaned" a
compromised machine - all anti-malware is "reactionary" and the malware
must be known in order to remove it - this means that tools like David
Lipman's Multi-AV are great tools, but, if you run them, you will find
that each scanner in the tool finds things the others doesn't (which is
the true nature of scanners).

I would strongly suggest that you WIPE/Format and reinstall in a clean
environment.

--

Leythos
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
(e-mail address removed) (remove 999 for proper email address)

 

[Leythos]

You'd not be smart charging by the hour because if you f*** something
up, it'll take a lot more time than is necessary.

Flat fee, large enough to make your neighbor feel good about it.

A case of your favorite beer, perhaps?

Since removing malware is a risky thing that is always different,
charging by the hour is the proper way if you are going to properly
complete the task. If you charge 1.5 hours to remove malware and the
malware corrupts system files and the removal tool removes those files,
you may be forced to do a repair/reinstall that can take 1 hour on some
machines - you may be forced to reinstall from scratch, you could be in
for many hours of work. While I would limit it to 4 hours and then
wipe/reinstall, to charge a flat fee means you are not getting what your
time is worth.

--

Leythos
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
(e-mail address removed) (remove 999 for proper email address)