FAQs

A: Yes we can! We have lots of data recovery and hard drive repair tools and have an over 95% success rate. If your issue is with an external (backup) drive, the problem is usually with the drive’s case (enclosure), not with the drive itself. We remove the drive from the case and put it in a new case and you’re good to go!

The worst case scenario is when your drive has physical damage to its mechanical or electrical components. In these rare cases, we send your drive to our data recovery affiliate, where they perform special procedures in a clean room to recover your data. Yes it’s a bit pricey, but if your business depends on this data, it’s well worth it.

Important Note: If you are hearing clicking, whining or grinding noises coming from your computer, stop using the computer immediately in order to prevent more serious damage to your information.

A: Yes we do! These repairs take longer than desktop computer repairs because laptop parts are unique and we usually have to order parts specifically for your laptop. It also take longer to open them up and get to the parts. It can take up to a week for many repairs.

Laptop repairs also require greater skill to perform. This results in a higher repair cost than desktop repairs, but we we strive to offer the lowest price we can. The good news is we have great technicians that can perform miracles. Even if you dropped your laptop and it’s physically cracked, we can fix it.

A: Yes, absolutely. It’s cheaper that way. We can also do a more thorough job, as we can concentrate better, have more tools at our disposal, and are not pushed for time.

When a PC is being serviced in our shop, we don’t charge for time when the PC is running unattended scans. We only charge for time when a technician is actually doing work on your PC. So even if it takes, say 6 hours to complete a repair, you’ll probably only be charged for 2 or 3 hours.

You can come by any time, but it’s always best to call for an appointment. We are sometimes so busy with other customers, we can’t sit with you to go over your problem, or we may all be out on the road.

A: Absolutely! Our warranty period is either 14 or 30 days, depending on the nature of the repair job. We also warranty new parts for one year (used/reconditioned parts for 30 days).

We guarantee that when we are finished with the job and collect payment that the work we were asked to perform was done correctly. If the problem was a virus or spyware, we guarantee that the virus or spyware you had at the time of the service will be gone from the computer when we leave.

However, we cannot guarantee that you will not get more viruses or spyware after we leave (nobody can). We have no control over what you may download from the Internet, so we cannot guarantee that you will remain free from viruses and spyware after we leave. If you keep your antivirus & security programs up to date and run scans regularly, you should be fine.

A: Yes we do, although it’s primarily for our existing clients who may need assistance or clarification following a recent service visit. We will be happy to help you with general questions over the phone, but cannot provide a full diagnosis or repair.

We do offer remote repair assistance, where we remote into your PC while we’re on the phone. However this needs to be done by appointment so we can dedicate the time only to you. There is a fee for this service, and your internet connection must be working in order to do this.

A: colin the owner, has over 30 years experience and has seen just about everything! All our other technicians have at least 6 years of experience and possess an industry certification. They also use colin’s experience and knowledge as an extra resource.

A: Wherever you are! We cover all of greater Cooltech.

Our shop is located on the east side of town, off Tanque Verde Road, between Grant and Sabino Canyon Road. It’s easy to find us. We’re right behind the KFC restaurant, about 2 blocks east of Grant Road.

The address is 81 Old Geelong rd laverton, 3028. See our Contact page for a map.

A: It varies of course, but the average On-Site job is usually 1.5 hours. If it require too much more time, or we need to use our shop resources, we may take the PC back to our shop. This will actually save you money.

In-Shop Work Turnaround Time is usually 1-2 days. If you drop off your computer in the morning (before 10am), we can often have it done the same day!

Laptop internal hardware repairs are a different story. If no parts are needed, 2-3 days. If we need to order parts, add another 3 days for shipping. Laptops parts are often unique to the particular model, so we often have to order parts.

A: When we get to your place. We do not charge for travel time, however due to gas prices, we charge a fixed travel fee of $15 if you are more than 25 minutes from our shop.

A: Here are some suggestions that will make our work go more quickly:

1. Make sure the computer is fully accessible. We may need to get inside the computer, so having easy access to the computer is essential.
2. Have all original CD’s that came with your computer readily available.

A: If your PC crashed and is in such bad shape that it needs to be rebuilt, we’ll need to wipe your system and reinstall Windows. We can get your data and save it before we do this, but we cannot do this for programs. Programs cannot be copied, they must be reinstalled.

Therefore, you’ll need to gather all of the CD/DVD installation disks for any programs that you are using on your computer. If you downloaded your software, we can re-download them, or we can usually get these off your hard drive for you, even if your PC doesn’t start.

Typical Software Includes:

• Microsoft Office (includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, and Outlook).
• Personal finance software, such as Quicken, Quick Books, Microsoft Money, Peachtree, Turbo Tax, etc.
• Games, Photo Editing, CD/DVD Burning, and any programs you installed after you bought your computer.
• AntiVirus or Firewall software, such as Norton, McAfee, Zone Alarm, etc.
• Your Windows CD/DVD, if you have one. We usually don’t need it though, as we have our own disks.

What Data Files Do You Need?

Make a list of any other personal information you want to keep and tell us what you want us to back up. This usually includes:

• Contents of the ‘My Documents’ folder (documents, pictures, music and multimedia files).
• Favorite Internet sites/bookmarks.
• Email, Address Book, and Calendar (not needed if you use web-based email, like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc).
• Financial data from programs such as Quicken, Quickbooks, Microsoft Money, etc.

A: Why, from us of course! We build very high quality systems and optimize them to outperform anything you can find in the “Big-Box” stores. We only build desktops though.

Our PC’s are non-proprietary in design, so upgrades, spare parts and repairs are much cheaper and more available than the big brands. They also come with a One Year Guarantee! Call us for details.

Desktops: The major brand desktop PC’s are all pretty similar these days, except for one. The ASUS brand stands out from the rest. They build solid, quality machines. In fact, we use only ASUS motherboards in our custom builds.

The others all cut corners so you get a cheaper, slower and less durable machine. Avoid eMachines and Gateway. Shop around for sales at any of the retailers, including office supply stores. Buying online is also great, but please stick to reputable dealers, like Amazon or New Egg.

Laptops: Here we see more differences among the major brands. Try not to buy anything below the $450-$500 price range. We’re talking regular price, not sale prices. Going cheap hurts with laptops more than it does with desktops. The sweet spot in the market is always around $600. This gives the best balance of quality and performance.

Major Brands (best to worst):

1. ASUS
2. Sony
3. Samsung (yup… they do laptops now… nice ones too!)
4. HP
5. Toshiba
6. Dell
7. Acer
8. Gateway (avoid)
9. eMachines (avoid)