What is a Refurbished Computer?

A refurbished computer is one where the hard drive has been wiped clean so that a fresh operating system can be installed. It has also been thoroughly inspected to ensure that all of the hardware and software that we install are working properly. So, what is involved in this process? Desktop computers The first thing the technician does is a physical inspection of the computer. • Is the computer case intact and not missing any components? • Does the computer have the right amount of memory? • Are all of the capacitors healthy and intact? • Are the optical drive(s) of the right type and do they open and close normally? • Since hard drives are removed from donated computers the technician installs a hard drive from the inventory of wiped drives. • When the hardware checkout is complete the technician then will access the computer BIOS to ensure that the settings are correct. o Make sure that the memory is being correctly recognized. o Check that the hard drive and CD/DVD drive is noted correctly. o Adjust the time and date if needed. o Examine and correct the boot sequence if needed. • The next step is to begin the software installation process. • We use Windows media creation tool, to load Windows 10 onto the hard drive. The media creation tool, is a software tool for the installation of Windows to be installed on a Windows compatible computer. • When the hardware in a computer will accept Windows 11, we load Windows 11. Operating System and Software installation • After the hard drive is installed, the computer is booted up for the first time. • Once Windows has finished the initial installation stages the technician will examine the Device Manager to make sure that all of the hardware drivers have been installed and are working. If there are missing drivers, they will be located and installed. • The next step is installing the programs that are included on each computer. The following software is installed: o Chrome is the default browser o 7 Zip (file compression software) o Sumatra (a pdf reader) o LibreOffice (open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages). o Antivirus software, called Windows Defender, is installed as part of Windows 10. • Run Microsoft updates so that Windows 10 and all of the hardware devices have the latest security patches and updated drivers. • Check the health of the hard drive. • Ensure that all the keys on the keyboard are working properly. • Check the Message Center to make sure all outstanding problems have been resolved. • Adjust the screen resolution to fit the computer graphics card. • Test an audio CD and a copyrighted DVD movie to ensure that they both will play properly. Final Inspection and activation - Desktops • Examine the interior and exterior of the computer and clean as needed. • Obtain the Product Key from Microsoft and activate the operating system. • And lastly, the name of the tech volunteer who refurbished the computer is affixed to the computer. Laptop Quality Assurance • All laptops go through the same refurbishing process as desktop computers but they also go through an additional 17 point checklist, by a second tech to ensure that everything has been setup correctly and is working. Since laptops have additional functionality and are somewhat more difficult to refurbish, we want to make sure that when laptops are offered to clients, they are fully functional. Therefore, they also undergo the following tests: o Testing the battery to ensure the laptop will run at least an hour on the battery alone. If it fails this test, a new replacement battery is purchased. o Does the WiFi work and is it able to see the WiFi signals and connect successfully. o Place a document on the desktop which explains how to connect to a WiFi router.