TGtS Meets...Computer Fix Swindon

We chatted to Luke Sampson from Swindon based computer specialists, Computer Fix. With over 14 years of experience in the tech industry, he's our go to for anything tech related.

What inspired you to start your own company?

Being in the IT industry for the past 14 years, I’ve accumulated a heap of computer know-how from time working at Princess Margaret Hospital (now The Great Western), helping accountants do their number crunching, as well as providing IT solutions for a cutting-edge marketing company. Plus, I  wanted a new challenge for myself and to have my own company where I could bring my friendly expertise to the good folks in and around my local area, Swindon.  

What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

Fixing computers is what I know, starting a company from scratch I didn’t. Aside from the day-to-day paperwork and balancing the books, marketing my business within budget to attract new clients, requires a creative approach. Still, everyday’s a school day and I’ve been squirreling away working on designing an easy-to-navigate website, useful blogs and social media activity too.

What’s been the highlight to date? 

Introducing an elderly couple to the wonders of Skype, and teaching them how to use it. For them, it meant they were able to see, and talk to their brother and his wife down under in Oz for the first time in 20 years! 

What was your first computer?

My first computer was a custom-built 386SX. It came with a 40MB hard disk and CD-ROMs were not yet available – it was the days of loading onto floppy discs. The computer had a ‘turbo’ button on the front, which could be used to double the speed!  

You must get so many questions about PCs and Mac, what’s the top three questions you always get asked? 

• I keep getting pop-ups on my computer. How do I get rid of them?

• My computer is running slow. Can you improve the speed or should I buy a new computer?

• Do you repair laptop screens?

What’s the best computer advice you’d give someone? 

It’s always wise to back up using cloud-based services to ensure your documents and photos are safe, should your hard disk ever fail you.

Do you have any CDs to restore your computer should it fail? If not, make sure you create the rescue media.  

Say safe when online. Ensure you have good anti-virus software and be weary of emails asking for your details. If you get a phone call from Microsoft saying there’s a problem with your computer, it’s a hoax, they will never call you.  

What advice would you give to someone wanting work with

It’s a long time since I was in education, but you can’t beat hands-on experience with computers in a real business environment. I was fortunate enough to get work experience when I was at college… and that turned into my first job in IT.  I believe a number of companies now offer apprenticeships. Learning through experience is equally as good as getting qualifications in my experience and I’ve certainly found my best learning to be ‘on the job’.