Case Studies

Read below about special jobs and opportunities that we've had over the years. Click on the title of a job to go to solutions page dealing with that topic.

Dickerhoof Properties :: Managed Services

Dickerhoof Properties is well known throughout the United States: they renovate, build, invest in, and manage properties and structures of any size. When they approached us for systems management, their needs involved having people connect to their servers from all over town, and managing documents, communication, financial and contact data. In order to keep the business running on a daily basis, the server, PCs, and network equipment needed to work 24x7.

Our management software allows us to maintain a constant watch on the Dickerhoof server - any slight issue causes alerts at any time of the day. It is kept secure, and is continuously backed up. In the event of an issue, we can immediately remote-connect to fix the problem as needed. Using our Cobalt plans, we can provide techinal support at any time to the staff without worrying about the clock: work is simply done until it's done for no extra charge.

The mobile phones in use at Dickerhoof Properties have been configured to automatically synchronize the calendars, contacts, and email of the princial staff: they are able to keep tabs on the business, and respond appropriately, whenever and whereever they are.

Finally, we wrote and deployed a workhorse website for Dickerhoof Construction that allows the team to securely distribute and maintain construction and engineering plans via the web, saving thousands in printing costs.

Midnight Re-Install :: Computer Repair

Late at night, we were contacted by a desperate company owner who needed to do presentations tomorrow for several new clients. Unfortunately, his PC had become un-bootable - Windows simply wouldn't start.

We took the PC, saved all of his data off, and then began the process of reinstalling Windows. Once Windows was functional, we restored his data, installed the programs that he needed, configured it all to work in his office and home networks, and delivered it to him early the next morning. The end result was a factory-fresh machine, fast and stable, just in time for the day's sales presentations.

The entire process took five hours. Because of the sheer amount of software and data to restore and install, in addition to installing all necessary Windows Updats, rebuilding a PC in the middle of the night can be a long process. This project's final cost was $400. From what we heard the next day, the work was well worth the price.

Laptop Hinge :: Computer Repair

The story involved a late-night college party, as we heard it. In the end, our client's laptop had been "stepped on, and then slid into a couch". When we received it, many of the screws had disengaged, and the hinges had popped out of the plastic: the laptop screen was hanging askew at an unnatural angle.

Upon disassembly, we discovered that the screws had simply popped out of their plastic channels, and that there wasn't much damage. After taking the laptop apart and reassembling it - with the addition of some new screws - the damage was entirely un-noticable. What looked like a screen replacement became merely a screen rebuild. This project took two hours, for a total cost of $165.

Pillar Consulting Group, Inc. :: Network & PC Setup

Pillar Consulting Group, a civil, structural, and facilites engineering firm approached us as they were beginning to move from one office space to another. Their existing office was a combination of functional wires overlaid on top of the previous tenant's wiring systems. The project involved moving their entire computer network while also adding several new capabilities. In addition, a branch office located hundreds of miles needed to retain access to company information during the move.

The first requirement was that wiring be placed in all of the walls that were being built in their new office suite. We discussed their needs, and laid out plans for where the wires should go to best faciliate the initial occupation, and provide maximum flexibility for the future. Next, we discussed their existing equipment, and decided on which file server technologies would newly augment their system. Finally, plans were made for a teleconferencing/conference room.

We assembled as much of the new equipment in the new office as possible before the move, and then moved the data and network routers to the new location over the course of an evening. The next morning, data was accessible in office, and Pillar employees were able to continue working.

The teleferencing room uses two displays, a host PC, and a high-quality webcam. A projector shines to one side of the room, while on the other wall is located an HD display and the webcam. The multiple displays and camera enable viewers over the internet to see the presentations as they happen on the opposite wall, and to have their own faces displayed just above their camera for all to see. Finally, custom hardware was built and installed in the central table that allows laptops to hook up to the TV or projector, gives USB connections to the host computer, and provides power and network support.

Finally, wireless networks cover the entire suite, providing access to guests and staff alike.

The Pillar Consulting Group move stands as a prime example of all facets of IT support with Corvallis Technical: from planning and purchasing, to installation and maintainence.

The Smoking MOSFET :: Hard Drive Recovery

A customer contacted us about a PC that was infected with viruses and other malware. After cleaning the PC of the infection, we began a backup of the hard drive. At this time, the drive began to smoke, and give off a very acrid smell. Hitting the breaker on the work bench, we began to investigate what caused the smoke. Upon close inspection, we discovered that a MOSFET had burned out on the drive controller circuit board.

The part in question is a 2P102 MOSFET integrated circuit - a high-speed electrical switch used to control the servo arm that reads the data off of the spinning platters in the hard drive. Since there was no other damage to the drive, we ordered a $0.60 replacement chip. Detaching the burnt out chip, and soldering on the new one, we were pleased to see the drive come back to life. We quickly copied off the data, and returned it to the customer on an external USB hard drive. The drive was then decommisioned, having served its purpose. This project shows that as long as the damage is not to the spinning hard drive platters or the read heads themselves, there can often be repairs done to the drives such that the data can be read off just one more time, in this case preserving years and years of un-backed up business data. The total bill on this unusual project was four hours of labor, plus the $0.60 chip, plus $1.90 for shipping, for a total of $322.50.

Flash Card Data Loss :: Hard Drive Recovery

A Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo flash card was brought to us that contained photos to be used in a Christmas present. The card was designed to be used in a camera, and then loaded into a picture frame to display family photos. Unfortunately, the filesystem on the card was damaged, with the result being that the irreplaceable photos on the card could not be read: in fact, the computer could not even identify the card as being properly formatted. We took the card, inserted it into our recovery PC, and ran our bit-level recovery software against it. This software is able to read the data off of the card even if the format or structure of the card is damaged. We were able to copy all of the pictures off of the card, which was then reformatted. Placing the pictures back on the card, it was succesfully given as a gift for Christmas. The total bill on this project was one hour of labor, for a total of $80.00.