Laptop repair, explained
Slow machines, dead batteries, cracked hinges and keyboards that lost a few keys. We will tell you honestly whether a repair or a replacement is the better spend, and quote the exact price before anything is opened.
Which counters do laptops
Not every counter on the network takes laptop work, because it needs bench space and parts that a phone counter does not keep. The store list at the bottom of this page shows only the counters that do. If your nearest store is not on it, the phone number on its page will still get you an honest answer about where to take the machine.
Cracked screens
A laptop screen is a separate panel behind the bezel, and on most machines it is replaced on its own without touching the rest of the laptop. The job is matching the exact panel: size, resolution, connector and whether it is a touch screen. We check the model and the panel part number before quoting, and common panels are on the shelf or a day or two away. A screen that shows a picture with a crack in the corner and a screen that is black are both panel replacements; a screen that is black on a laptop that otherwise runs is sometimes the cable or the backlight instead, and we test for that first because it is a much smaller repair.
Batteries
Laptop batteries wear the way phone batteries do: the machine lasts an hour when it used to last five, or shuts down at thirty percent. On machines with a removable battery the swap is minutes. On most modern laptops the battery is inside, glued or screwed to the chassis, and the job is opening the machine, disconnecting the old cell safely, fitting the new one and closing it up. A laptop battery that has swollen will push the trackpad up or stop the case closing flat; stop charging it, do not press on it, and bring it in.
Keyboards, hinges and cases
Keys that have stopped registering, a keyboard with a spill in it, or a few keys missing are usually a whole-keyboard replacement rather than individual keys, because the keys are a single unit under the case. A hinge that has cracked the case around it is a common fault on machines that are opened from one corner every day; the hinge and often part of the case are replaced, and if it is caught early it is a modest job. Left, the hinge tears the screen cable and the repair grows.
Slow, hot and loud
A laptop that takes minutes to start, sits at full fan and is hot on the left side is usually one of three things, and often all three: a mechanical hard drive that should be a solid-state drive by now, a heat sink packed with dust with the thermal paste dried out, and a system full of software that starts with the machine. A storage upgrade to a solid-state drive is the single biggest improvement an older laptop can have, and we clone the existing drive across so nothing is lost. A clean of the cooling system and fresh paste brings the fan noise and heat down. A clean reinstall of the operating system, with your files and programs put back, deals with the rest. We quote each separately so you can choose.
Will not turn on
A laptop that does nothing at all is checked in this order: the charger and its cable, the charging port, the battery, and then the board. Chargers fail constantly and are cheap; ports wear; boards are the expensive end and where we will give you an honest view on whether the machine is worth it. Diagnosis is free, and if the answer is a replacement, we say so.
Repair or replace
The honest calculation is the value of the machine against the cost of the repair and the age of everything else in it. A screen on a two-year-old laptop is worth doing; a board-level repair on a ten-year-old one usually is not, and we would rather tell you that than take the job. We will also tell you when a cheaper fix, such as a solid-state drive, will get you another few good years out of a machine you were about to replace.
Your data
Screen, battery, keyboard and hinge work does not touch your files. Storage upgrades clone the old drive to the new one. A clean reinstall does wipe the machine, and we back up your files first and put them back afterwards, but you should have your own backup as well; we say that on every job. If the laptop is one that will not start, tell us whether the files matter more than the machine, because that changes the order we do things in.
Questions people ask
Do all your counters repair laptops?
No. Laptop work needs bench space and parts a phone counter does not keep. The store list on this page shows only the counters that do laptops.
My laptop is slow and hot. Is it worth fixing?
Usually yes. A solid-state drive, a clean of the cooling system and a fresh install fix most of it, and we quote them separately. We clone your old drive so nothing is lost.
Can you replace just one key?
Usually not; the keys are one unit under the case, so a keyboard replacement is the repair. It is a routine job on most machines.
The hinge has cracked the case. Can that be fixed?
Yes, and sooner is cheaper. Left alone the hinge tears the screen cable and the job grows.
Will you tell me if it is not worth repairing?
Yes. Diagnosis is free and the honest answer is sometimes a replacement. We would rather say so than take the job.
What should I do about my files first?
Back them up if the machine will start. For a reinstall we back up and restore your files, but your own copy is the one that matters.
Bring it to a counter near you
Laptop work needs bench space and parts a phone counter does not keep, so only the counters that do it are listed.
New Hampshire
Not near one of ours? Find the nearest independent shop we list.