Carmel Connects continues repairing computers for those in need

Students work with computers in the room where Carmel Connects meets. Carmel Connects is a group that works with Net Literacy to repair damaged computers to be used by those in need. ARUNI RANAWEERA / PHOTO

Carmel Connects plans to continue working on re-imaging and repairing computers on Oct. 10 in Room F104. In spite of the club’s recently developed process, the club is rapidly discovering new issues, according to Margaret Winans, Carmel Connects Club sponsor.

“Net literacy gives a lot of computers away, and we need to get moving and get some of these done,” Winans said.

As they begin the newly modified re-imaging process, Levi Kiser, club president and senior, said that they are quickly discovering new problems.

“Sometimes you find a machine and you hook up it and it doesn’t have a hard drive in it,” Winans said. “Or it may not have an optical drive. Different problems arise. (The computers) aren’t always operational when we get them.”

According to Winans, as long as the computer can reboot, they can reimage six machines within ten minutes. However, if the computer is missing essential parts they must take it apart, repair it, and replace missing components which takes considerably longer.

“Sometimes we will get a big batch and all of them will have some kind of problem,” Kiser said. Nonetheless, with the work divided between a group repurposing and a group fixing computers, Kiser said he believes they can accomplish their annual goal.