Tucson Computer Repair - Laptop Repair | Saguaro PC Tech LLC
Quality Computer Service in Tucson
As a computer repair shop owner here in Tucson, I thought I’d share my experience and impressions of Windows 8 to help people make sense of this drastically new version of Windows that we’ll all have to get used to sooner or later.
I’ve been playing with Windows 8 since the preview release came out in the summer.
[Read more...]
Dropped your iPad and cracked the screen? How can you get your cracked iPad screen repaired? First of all, don’t worry, you’re not alone! This is a very common accident. It’s not the end of the world and it can be repaired.
What are your options?
The Apple Store:
Is this a good option? Not necessarily. Apple is famous for voiding warranties when the product is dropped, or has suffered any other kind of user created damage. Even if you bought the Apple Care warranty, they may not honor it. You’ll have to buy a new one, or try their trade-in program for a refurbished unit.
But what about your e-mail, contacts, calendars, music and photos? If you go this route, you’ll lose all your data, unless you’ve backed it up on the cloud, iTunes, or your PC.
Third Party iPad Repair Services:
There are online repair centers that can repair your iPad, as well as local shops that can do it, but be careful. iPads are very delicate and require experience and precision. Not just anyone can perform these repairs. Make sure the repair shop is experienced, insured, and has a good warranty policy.
Beware of companies touting very cheap prices, as you’ll be in for a nasty surprise once they have it. Bait and switch techniques are rampant in this field.
We’ve had people tell us they found a place that will do it for as little as $49. That’s ridiculous and impossible! The industry average for an iPad screen repair is around $200.
Have you heard about replacing the “Digitizer” vs. the “LCD”? What’s the difference?
The iPad’s front assembly is made up of a frame, an LCD screen, and a digitizer. The LCD screen is the actual display, just like any other monitor. The digitizer is the glass on top of the LCD screen. It is the part that reads the touch gestures on the screen.
Without the digitizer, touching the screen would not do anything. Without the LCD screen, you wouldn’t be able to see anything! How do you know which repair service or part you need?
If your iPad’s digitizer glass is cracked or broken, you’ll still be able to see the screen through the cracks on the outer glass. You might even still be able to use the iPad and its touch functionality. There are some cases where the touch functionality will cease to work, even if the glass isn’t cracked. If you can still see the screen clearly, the digitizer is defective and needs to be replaced.
If the LCD screen is broken, the display would be completely blank, very dim, or parts of the screen will not show anything or be distorted. You may also see black streaks or patches where the liquid crystals are leaking.
So to summarize, if just the outer glass is broken, you need a digitizer repair. If the outer glass is not broken but the display is not working correctly, you most likely need an LCD screen repair.
The most common case is a digitizer repair, as it takes the brunt of the shock and actually shields the LCD screen.
By the way, all this is true for other brands of tablets, as well as smart phones. If you have any iPad or iPhone Repair needs, please give us a call or email us from our website’s “Contact” page.
What should a computer repair shop charge to diagnose your computer problem? What is fair to both the business and the customer? What exactly is a “diagnostic” anyway? I get this question a lot and it’s sometimes hard to answer. I always try to give the best value I can, but sometimes people just don’t understand what’s involved.
A diagnostic simply means to find out what’s wrong with the computer. Usually, a technician can figure this out quickly, however, there are times when it can take hours to figure out what’s wrong. I’ll outline some common situations and how we handle them. [Read more...]
Need to fix a broken laptop screen but are afraid of the cost? Fear not! Prices for replacing laptop LCD screens have dropped dramatically over the past year. With the proliferation of laptops, prices for screens have dropped below $100 for many models. Even the larger, High Definition screens can be as low as $125. Compare that to $250 plus, just a year or two ago.
That means it’s now worth fixing your laptop versus replacing it. With labor, the total cost of most LCD replacement now averages around $230 – $250 at most Tucson computer repair stores, such as our shop. If your laptop is less than 3 years old and is a mid-to-high-end model, it’s definitely worth fixing.
These prices are for refurbished screens. New screen prices are about $25 – $50 more. We usually recommend going with a new screen for higher end laptops less than 2 years old. For all others, refurbished is your best bet. We’ve been doing laptop LCD screen repair for several years, and have had very good luck with the refurbished screens.
Where can you get quality computer repair service in Tucson? Who can do a virus removal & repair that will last? You may ask, “who can fix my computer that I can trust”? Can they do laptop screen repairs? What about iPad and iPhone repair? Android repair? Will they guarantee their work?
Before I toot my own horn, I will say there are around six well established computer repair shops here in town. These businesses have been around eight years or more, and have good reputations (BBB members). [Read more...]
In the PC Repair business these days, we are hearing more people say they can buy a computer for almost the same price as repairing their existing PC. So why bother doing the repair? An good repair shop will tell you if your computer is worth fixing or not. If they value your continued business, they will be honest with you.
Some people like replacing their computer every year or two, so they they keep buying cheap, low end machines. Problem is, their user experience will be awful. Slow performance, crashing, lockups, bad battery life and lousy WiFi reception are some of the hallmarks of cheap PC’s. Then they have to transfer over all their data, install all their programs, and redo all their personal settings. Hey if you like this, knock yourself out.
Yes, computers have dropped a lot in price these days. You can buy one for $300. However, as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. [Read more...]
Did you buy a new laptop and discovered that you can’t find the battery, or the little doors to access your memory or hard drives? Does this worry you? Doe you ask yourself what you can do when one of these components goes bad, especially the battery? Are you wondering if this means you have to throw the laptop away?
Fear not! These components can be replaced, just not by the typical user. The actual term for this design is “non user replaceable”. I really hate this new way of doing things. As usual, I suspect it’s the big manufacturers’ greed to force you to send your PC to them for an overpriced repair, not to mention a 2-3 week wait. By the way, they’re starting to do this with cell phones too.
Can batteries and other components be replaced by a local computer repair shop? Can they upgrade your memory? Absolutely!
What we do is remove the entire bottom panel of the laptop, which then makes all these components accessible. It’s a little tricky, as there are lots of tiny screws and you have to know where to pry open the case, but a good technician can do this easily.
The only problem is that it will cost a little more than it used to because of the extra work. Nothing too dramatic, maybe $30 – $50. If you need this type of work done, give us a call or stop by our Tucson Computer Repair Store, here at Saguaro PC Tech. Our laptop guys can handle this an much more complex repairs as well.
You see free diagnostics advertised everywhere. This subject needs lots of clarifying. It’s a touchy subject that angers both customers and computer repair shops alike. I’m no exception.
First, lets address the confusion. What exactly is a diagnostic?
… Is it a quick look at your PC and an educated guess?
… Is it a thorough testing of all your hardware and software?
… Is it a thorough troubleshooting and testing service?
The answer is yes to all of these. Therefore the question becomes, what can you expect for free? Do you really expect a repair shop to spend hours working on your PC for free? Do you think they can survive if they do this? Let me ask you this… do you work for free? What would happen if you did? Could you survive?
Now that we’ve cleared this up, let’s ask “What is a Free Diagnostic?” It is one of two things:
1) A “Bait and Switch” scheme to get you into the store
2) A quick look at your PC to get a general idea of the problem, i.e. a quick consultation.
Any honest repair shop will take a quick 10 – 20 minute look at the problem, or even do a simple repair for free, but that is all. However, some computer problems are complex to the point that even an experienced technician will not know what the problem is unless he or she does some in depth troubleshooting. That is not free, nor should it be.
Honest shops will not charge for all their time in these more complex cases if you decide not to do the repair, but they will charge a small diagnostic fee, usually somewhere between $30 to $60 (more for laptops). They still lose money, but at least they get something for their time.
The dishonest shops will pretend they did a diagnostic and then make up a story to get you to do an expensive repair, like replacing a hard drive, motherboard, or reinstalling Windows. This is also what usually happens with Big Box stores (including Office Supply stores). They also use this method to sell you a whole new computer.
In closing, a Word of Caution:
Do not pressure a repair shop to do a free diagnostic. If you do, they’ll either turn down the job and send you away, or recommend a major repair. They can’t spend the time to do a thorough diagnosis unpaid, and will recommend a broad range (i.e. major) repair to cover all the bases, which will definitely fix your computer.
If you’re fair to them, you may get out with a $100 repair. If not, it may be $400. This is more survival behavior than dishonesty (yes, I know it’s a fine line). They have bills to pay, and a need for food, clothing and shelter, just like you.
Does your laptop shut down on its own? Does it get so hot you can’t keep it on your lap? Does the fan scream or make grinding noises so loud it scares you? If so, you could be having overheating issues.
What’s happening here? First of all, if the processor (CPU) gets too hot, the laptop will shut itself down to protect it from burning out. There are other reasons for unexpected shutdowns, but this is a major one. This can also happen if the video (graphics) chip overheats.
This could happen for several reasons, but the major causes are as follows.
The fan is clogged or is going bad:
It could be gunked up with dust or pet hair, preventing the air flow of the fan. Sometimes the bearings on the fan go bad, resulting in grinding noises. Dust and hair can either damage the bearings directly, or block the fan from rotating freely, which in turn can damage the bearings.
The Thermal Compound on the CPU has dried up and/or cracked:
In this case, the laptop will shut down on its own, or the fan will run really fast. Why? There is a thin film of heat conducting “grease” that sits between the CPU itself and the surface of a metal plate called the “Heat Sink”. It’s like a radiator and has thin metal (usually copper) fins to help dissipate the heat from the CPU.
The thermal compound forms a seal that ensures full contact between the CPU and the heatsink, so that it efficiently pulls off the heat. Over time, it can dry up and crack, breaking that seal. Old, dried up compound also loses it’s ability to transfer (pull off) heat from the CPU.
Repair & Maintenance Options:
1. Get a can of air and blow it into the cooling vents of the laptop. You’ll be surprised at what comes out. If you wait too long however, there may be so much caked up in there, this won’t help. The laptop may have to be opened up, so a technician can get in there and clean it up.
2. Broken fans have to be replaced. This is not usually a big job, and the fans are cheap. On some models however, the fan and heat sink are an integrated assembly and you have to replace the whole cooling system. This is a bit more expensive, but still not too bad.
3. Remove the old thermal compound and put on a fresh layer. This costs a little more, as you have to remove both the heat sink and fan, so you can get to the CPU. When we do this, we use a higher quality compound than what the laptop came with. We use a silver-impregnated compound that makes the laptop run up to 10 degrees cooler than standard ceramic compounds.
We can help you with these, or any other Computer and Laptop Repair issues. If you’re reading this post from outside our website, click this link to our Tucson Laptop Repair website to learn more.
Thanks for reading, and check back for more helpful tips and information.
What should you do if you spill liquid on your laptop’s keyboard? How can the damage be repaired? What’s the possible extent of the damage? These are common occurrences unfortunately. We can repair laptop liquid spill damage, but the seriousness of the damage and the needed repairs depend largely on what you do when it happens.
Possible Extent of Liquid Damage:
I’ll just describe the worst-case scenario. This would be if the liquid goes through the keyboard and into the the deeper parts of the laptop. It can short out any of the internal components, including the motherboard (or logic board).
Even if it dries and works for a while, if the liquid was anything other than water, it can corrode the electronics and the machine could die later on. This is why I always recommend letting a technician look at it. The damage can get worse over time, thus costing more to repair if you wait.
Emergency Procedure: If you spill liquid on your laptop, do this immediately:
Don’t worry that this will cause an improper shutdown. It’s better than ruining the machine and occasional improper shutdowns are not a big deal.
Leave the laptop this way and let the liquid seep out of the keyboard. If the spill was just water, let it dry out for several hours or overnight. When you get home, you can open up the lid, but leave the laptop upside down, perhaps propped up against something so you don’t damage the screen. When it dries, turn it on. If it works… cool! If not, bring it to a repair shop.
If the spill was not water, bring the laptop to local PC Repair Shop. I mean a real repair shop, not a big box store, as they’re clueless. If you’re adept and adventurous, you can try to do more, but I strongly advise against it. I’ve seen people mess things up pretty bad when they tried. Still, if you insist, try the following.
Get an Electronic Cleaning Solvent…. Do Not Use a Household Cleaner! You can pick up these special solvents at an electronics store. I don’t mean an Ace Hardware either. I mean a real electronics store.
If you’re not up to removing the keyboard, get the solvent in a spray can so you can get it into the keyboard while keeping it upside down. If you do remove the keyboard, you can soak it in a tray of solvent. Inspect the area under the keyboard and see if the liquid got in deeper. If so, stop and bring it to a repair shop.
In closing, don’t try this yourself, but if you do, be careful! Some of these repairs are difficult. It’s not always apparent which component was damaged, so we often have to test everything. Give us a call and we’ll do everything we can to save your laptop.
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