I engaged "Dave's Computer" to build a new custom build Windows 11 computer as replacement for the Windows 10 machine. I presented my thoughts and needs to Dave about the new unit and he asked some basic questions as to my needs and want for the new unit. We touched on cost for the unit and I left...
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Software Installation · Dave's Computers, Somerville NJ
Software Installation and Setup Service in New Jersey
You have the program and the license; the desktop won't take it, or you'd rather not spend an evening on it. I install it, set it up and test it before pickup at my drop-off shop in Somerville, NJ, as part of my desktop computer repair work for New Jersey customers.
⭐ 4.8 Stars · 430+ Google Reviews
🏆 On the Bench Since 2011
📍 Somerville, NJ · Drop-Off Shop
🔧 Flat Quote at Drop-Off
📞 Call (908) 428-9558
🚗 Directions to the Shop
What I Install and Set Up
Installed, activated, configured and tested.
1
Microsoft 365 and Office
Word, Excel and Outlook installed from your Microsoft account and activated, with your email accounts added to Outlook and tested.
2
QuickBooks Desktop and Adobe
QuickBooks with your company file opened and verified; Adobe apps signed into your account. Both are picky about permissions, so both get tested before pickup.
3
Antivirus and the protection plan
Your own security suite installed, old one fully removed, or my protection plan at $9.99 a month, set up on the spot.
4
Printers and scanners
Current driver, set as default, test print and scan. Network printers connected so they work back on your home network.
5
Browser, password manager, game launchers, specialty software
Browser with bookmarks, password manager signed in, game launchers with libraries on the right drive, and any tax, CAD or trade software you hold a license for.
What I need from you. Your own licenses and logins. I don't supply software licenses and I don't install pirated software. That's the whole policy, said once.
What It Costs
A flat number, given at the counter.
I quote the job at drop-off once I've seen the machine and what's on it, and nothing is charged until you approve the number. One program on a healthy desktop is a small job; a failed install on a damaged Windows is a different one.
Flat rate, no hourly billing. Most software jobs are done in 24-48 hours, same-day rush is available, and most work carries a 30-90 day labor warranty.
Common Requests and What to Bring
Bring the right column and the job starts the same day.
| Request | What you bring |
|---|---|
| Install Microsoft 365 or Office | Microsoft account email and password, or the product key card |
| Email in Outlook | Address and password for each account |
| QuickBooks Desktop | License and product numbers, company file or its backup |
| Antivirus | Your subscription login, or nothing (protection plan is $9.99/month) |
| Printer and scanner | Make and model, or the printer itself |
| Specialty software | Installer or download link, plus the license key |
Moving to a new tower is the most common version of this job. Programs don't copy across; they get reinstalled and the files move separately, and I do both (details on my PC data transfer service page). For a tower fresh out of the box, new computer setup covers the whole first day in one visit.
Programs That Won't Install or Keep Crashing
The installer that fails at 90 percent is rarely the installer's fault.
When a program refuses to install or crashes on launch, the cause is usually one of four things. Permissions: the installer can't write where it needs to, often because an old install left folders owned by nobody. Missing runtimes: a Visual C++ redistributable or .NET version isn't there, and the error never says so. Conflicting antivirus: a security product quarantines part of the installer mid-run and leaves a half-installed program that won't remove. Corrupted Windows: system files are damaged and every installer fails the same way.
The first three I fix on the bench. The fourth I try to repair in place; if Windows is too far gone, the honest fix is a Windows reinstall with your files and programs put back afterward. A slow, cluttered machine usually wants a tune-up first, and if the "antivirus" blocking things isn't really antivirus, that's a virus removal before anything gets installed.
Leave the failed install alone. Running the installer six more times or deleting the folder by hand makes the cleanup longer. Bring it in as is.
When I'll Tell You to Call the Vendor Instead
Some problems aren't on your PC.
A license that shows as already used, a lapsed subscription, a company file that needs a newer QuickBooks than you own, an activation server that's down. None of those get fixed at my bench, and I'll say so at the counter rather than take the job and hand the same problem back. Once the vendor sorts the account side, bring the tower back and I finish.
What I See on the Bench in New Jersey
Composite examples, built from the kinds of jobs that come across my Somerville counter.
A Bridgewater bookkeeper's office tower. QuickBooks Desktop installed fine but crashed whenever the company file opened. A read-only folder and a half-removed second antivirus were the cause. Fixed the permissions, removed the leftover product, verified the file.
A Flemington family PC with a Microsoft 365 that wouldn't activate. Office had been installed from the wrong Microsoft account. Found the one holding the subscription through the recovery phone and signed Office into it.
A Piscataway customer's new gaming tower. Steam and Epic sat on the small boot drive with the big game drive empty. Moved the libraries, set up the browser, password manager and printer, added the protection plan.
Bring the tower and your logins to Somerville and I'll quote the install at the counter, with nothing charged until you approve.
📞 Call (908) 428-9558Drop-off shop at 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ · Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat 9-2
Directions to Dave's Computers in Somerville, NJ
Downtown Somerville, one block off Main Street, behind Bank of America.
Dave's Computers, 75 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ 08876Drop-off shop, Mon-Fri 10-5 and Sat 9-2. Street and municipal-lot parking around Main Street.
Directions to the ShopFrom Bridgewater
3 miles · about 10 minutes
Route 22 or Route 202/206 to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east (West Main Street) into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Hillsborough
5 miles · about 12 minutes
Route 206 north into Somerville, right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Bound Brook
4 miles · about 12 minutes
Route 28 west straight into downtown Somerville. Right onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Piscataway
10 miles · about 20 minutes
I-287 north to Exit 17 (Route 202/206 south), then Route 28 east into downtown Somerville.
Open in Google MapsFrom Flemington
15 miles · about 25 minutes
Route 202 north to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Princeton
18 miles · about 30 minutes
Route 206 north through Montgomery and Hillsborough into Somerville. Right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsTimes are typical drives outside rush hour. Call 908-428-9558 before a long drive if you want to confirm I'm at the counter.
Google Reviews
What Customers Say on Google
Live from the Dave's Computers Google listing. Tap any review to read it on Google Maps.
4.8
★★★★★★★★★★Based on 434 Google reviews
I have been going to Dave's Computers for years because he always fixes my problems. I also use his anti-virus and it is as good as any, if not better, than others that I would have to pay much more for. If you're having problems, go to Dave's. He doesn't break the bank and he solves the problems.
View on Google
Over the last decade or so, whenever I had a computer problem, I went to Dave. I recently had a very worrisome crash; the system failed to boot up. (I hadn't needed to use him for about 3 years.) I paid the "rush fee" on Saturday when dropping the machine off with the weekend agent. By Monday...
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"As a Broker of over 40 years in New Jersey I rely on my computer help", which is the artery to my success and business. Thank goodness Dave's is here for me with the messes I get into with scammers, land grabbers and just uneccesary things that I pick up. The most effective virus program have ever...
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I had previously tried to build my own PC to no success. Even though right now it is really tough to get a PC built due to the price increases with RAM’s, GPU’s and other parts because of AI, I still really wanted to get one for myself. I came across Dave’s Computers online and went in for a...
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Software Installation Questions From New Jersey Customers
What people ask before they hand over the tower.
What does a software installation service in New Jersey actually do?
I install the program on your desktop, activate it with your license, set it up the way you need it (email in Outlook, company file in QuickBooks, printer defaults) and test it before pickup. If the install fails, I find the cause and fix it. Drop-off at my Somerville shop, no appointment needed.
How much does software installation cost?
I quote the job at drop-off once I've seen the machine and what's on it, and nothing is charged until you approve the number. One program on a healthy PC is a small flat job; a failed install on a corrupted Windows is a bigger one, and the quote says which before work starts.
Can you install Microsoft Office on my PC?
Yes. Bring the Microsoft account login the subscription or product key is tied to; Microsoft 365 and Office 2024 install from that account, so without it there's nothing to install. I set up Word, Excel and Outlook and confirm activation before it leaves the bench.
Do you sell software licenses or install cracked software?
No to both. You bring the license, subscription login or product key and I do the install. I don't supply licenses and I don't install pirated programs, including activators and key generators, which are a common way to end up with malware on a desktop.
Can you move my program from my old computer to my new one?
Usually, with a caveat. Most programs can't be copied across; they get reinstalled on the new PC and your data is moved separately. With your license and login I do both as one job. What transfers and what doesn't is covered on my data transfer page.
My program keeps crashing or won't install at all. Can you fix that?
Most of the time. Failed installs and crashes usually trace to permissions, a missing runtime, an antivirus blocking the installer, or a Windows that has drifted. I find the cause and fix it. If Windows is too far gone, I'll recommend a reinstall and quote that separately.
Sources and further reading
- Microsoft Support, Download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 on a PC or Mac: why the install starts from the Microsoft account that holds the subscription or product key.
Software Installation for New Jersey Desktops, Done at the Counter in Somerville
Bring the tower, your logins and your license keys to 75 N Bridge St and I'll quote the install before anything is charged. It's part of my desktop computer repair work, and if you've never dropped off a PC before, here's what to bring.
📞 (908) 428-9558Mon-Fri 10am-5pm · Sat 9am-2pm · 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ · Drop-Offs Welcome