Repair guides

Straight explanations of the questions we get asked most. Written to be useful whether or not you ever call us — if one of these saves you a repair bill, that is a good outcome.

• Computer won't turn on? What to try, on Windows and Mac

  The four kinds of "won't turn on", the checks that fix most of them, and the genuinely different steps for Windows PCs, Apple Silicon Macs and Intel Macs — plus when to stop before you risk your data.

• Why is my computer so slow? How to speed it up, on Windows and Mac

  The real causes of a slow computer, how to find the culprit on Windows and Mac, and why an SSD is the upgrade that actually works — with an honest note on the fixes that do not.

• How to remove a virus or malware — safely, on Windows and Mac

  Telling genuine malware from pop-up scams, cleaning it safely on Windows and Mac, and what to do about tech-support scams and ransomware — including what NOT to do.

• Laptop battery dying or not charging? Mac and Windows battery health

  How to read your battery's true health on Windows and Mac, what actually wears one out, the swollen-battery safety warning, and when a replacement is the smart repair.

• Data recovery: what to do first (and what not to do)

  The one rule that decides whether lost data comes back, how to recover deleted files on Windows and Mac, and why a physically failing drive means stop and get help.

• Fixing Wi-Fi dead spots and dropouts at home

  Telling a coverage problem from an internet fault, the placement changes that fix most dead spots, why mesh beats a cheap extender, and how to check signal on Windows and Mac.

• Setting up a new computer and moving your data across

  How to move your data to a new machine (Migration Assistant on Mac, the real options on Windows), the first-day setup worth doing, and the things people most often forget.

• What drives the cost of a MacBook screen replacement

  Why MacBook screen prices vary so much between models, what a bonded display assembly means, and what to ask before agreeing to a repair.

• Repair or replace? When a MacBook is worth fixing

  Which MacBook faults are worth repairing, which signal the end of a machine, and how to decide without guessing.

• Cracked, black or flickering: what is actually wrong with your screen

  Five-minute checks that distinguish a broken panel from a backlight, cable or graphics fault — before you pay to replace the wrong part.

• Cracked laptop screen: repair it, or replace the laptop?

  Why a broken screen rarely means a new laptop, what actually drives the repair cost, and the handful of cases where replacement wins.

• MacBook vs Windows laptop: the honest comparison, from the repair bench

  A repairer's side-by-side of MacBook and Windows laptops — upgrades, screen and repair cost, data recovery and longevity — with a plain verdict on which suits whom.