Laptop repairs

What we fix

• Screen replacement
• Keyboards and trackpads
• Batteries and charging ports
• Hinges and cases
• Overheating and fan noise
• Slow, virus-infected or won't boot

Common laptop faults

Most laptop problems fall into a handful of groups: damaged screens, batteries that won't last, charging faults, keyboards and trackpads that have stopped responding, broken hinges, overheating, and machines that have become slow or won't start Windows or macOS.

Some faults look alike from the outside. A laptop that won't turn on could have a dead charger, a failed battery, a damaged charging port or a board fault, which is why every job starts with a diagnosis rather than a guess.

MacBooks and Windows laptops

MacBooks are well built but less modular. The battery is glued in, the memory and storage are soldered to the board on current models, and the screen is usually replaced as a complete lid assembly. That affects what can be repaired and how, and we'll explain it for your model.

Windows laptops vary widely by brand and range. Business models are often easy to open, with replaceable batteries, memory and drives. Thin consumer models and 2-in-1s with touchscreens tend to be glued and soldered more like a MacBook. Knowing the exact model number, found on the label underneath, helps us source the right parts.

How a repair works with us

You book a pickup, and we collect the laptop and return it for $50. We diagnose it and tell you what's wrong, what parts are needed and what they cost before anything is ordered. If the problem is software, such as a slow start-up or a failed update, it can often be fixed by remote support at $179 per hour, with nothing collected.

Labour is the fixed $274 for the repair, which includes the $88 diagnosis. If you decide not to go ahead, you pay only the diagnosis. Once approved, we repair it, test it and return it with a 90-day workmanship warranty. Most repairs are done within 72 hours. Parts that need ordering can add time, and we tell you if that applies when we quote.

Hinges, keyboards and ports

Hinges often fail at their mounting points rather than the hinge itself, where the screws pull out of the plastic case. Left alone, the lid cracks further each time it opens, so it's worth fixing early.

On many laptops the keyboard is riveted to the top case, so replacing it means replacing the whole palm rest. Charging ports come in two kinds: separate boards that are simple to swap, and ports soldered onto the motherboard that need more careful work.

Typical jobs

A typical job: a laptop hinge that has pulled out of its mounting points, with the lid cracking a little more each time it opens. We rebuild the mounts, fit a new hinge where needed, and check the display cable wasn't damaged along the way. Most repairs like this are done within 72 hours.

A typical example: a laptop with a few keys that have stopped working. We first check for a driver or software fault, then replace the keyboard, or the whole palm rest where the keyboard is riveted to the top case, and test every key before it goes back.

Another typical job: a laptop that has slowed down after years of updates and start-up programs. If the hardware tests healthy, this can often be sorted by remote support at $179 per hour, clearing start-up items, fixing failed updates and removing unwanted programs without the laptop leaving home.

Before you hand it over

Back up your files if the laptop still works, and include the charger. Leave your password or be ready to share it, so we can test the machine after the repair. Remove any USB sticks or SD cards you want to keep.

Write down what's happening and when: whether it happens only on battery, after a certain amount of time, or when the lid moves. Details like that make diagnosis quicker.

If the laptop has been dropped, got wet or been repaired elsewhere before, tell us. It changes what we check first and helps us avoid surprises once it's open.

Questions