10 Computer pro tips for better laptop care

Want to improve your computing experience? Or simply looking for better ways to take care of your laptop? Here are 10 computer pro tips from the experts:

1. Turn off your laptop properly

Most people just close their laptop’s lid once they’re done for the day. It’s super quick, the laptop goes to sleep, always ready for you once you open it up again. But you might want to turn it off properly rather than keeping it on sleep mode all the time. And when we say properly, we mean shutting it off from the system interface. Not holding down the power button until the screen goes black.

When you put your laptop in sleep mode, RAM data from your previous session stays cached and does not completely reset until you turn the laptop off. It all just stays there even after the laptop wakes up, and the RAM then has less memory capacity to work on.

Turning off or restarting your laptop can reset this cached data and give you a clean slate to work on again. You might also be able to resolve a number of software bugs or issues when you restart it again. That’s why you might want to think twice before you roll your eyes to the IT guy when he asks “have you tried turning it on and off again?”

2. Back up your data

You never know what could happen to your laptop, unavoidable accidents and hardware failures can happen and possibly ruin your day. Safe and secure data storage is key to preventing lost data tragedies. Any type of data backup is a great place to store your files.

You can choose from online cloud based storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox, or even subscription-based ones if you have a lot of data you need regularly backed-up. If you’d rather have everything offline on an external hard drive, that’s good too! You can either drag-and-drop your files onto the drive, or set up a backup from Windows backup or Apple Time Machine.

The hard drive on your laptop can fail after 3-5 years. That doesn’t mean the whole laptop is dead, it just means you need to get the hard drive replaced. To avoid paying more for data recovery services, better make sure all your important data is backed up.

While you’re here, you can also see 7 best tools to test your broken computer (The best one is FREE), if you’re curious about how to diagnose your computer.

3. Disk cleanup

There’s a handy tool on every Windows computer that can help you find and free up space on your hard drive and it’s called Disk Cleanup. Unfortunately for Apple MacBook laptops there aren’t any built-in tools for disk cleanup, but there are a number of external apps that you can install and use to clear up space.

You can find Disk Cleanup by right-clicking on your local C Drive and click on ‘Properties’. From the ‘General’ tab you’ll find the capacity of your drive, and you can use Disk Cleanup there.

Disk Cleanup can find old Windows updates installations or temporary files that you don’t need anymore. If you’re looking to free up some space on your laptop, try using this tool first. Then you can move on to finding large files that photos or videos that you can move to an external hard drive or simply delete them.

4. Disable apps on startup

If you want your laptop to boot up quicker with no interruptions, you may want to disable some of the startup apps. These apps are set to automatically open once you turn on your computer. When your laptop has additional things to work on while it is starting up, it could slow down the whole process.

You can always start the apps you need after the computer boots up, it’s just a matter of convenience. Startup program apps on Windows laptops can be disabled from Task Manager, and System Preferences on Apple MacBooks.

From the Startup tab of Task Manager, you can assess the startup impact of each program and choose to disable them from starting up automatically. You should also consider how important these programs are beforehand.

Startup programs in Apple macOS are known as login items. You can find them from System Preferences > Users and Groups > Login Items.

5. Improve your accessibility with keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can make things easier for you with just a few key combinations. With some of these shortcuts, you won’t have to bring your mouse to where you need, or even go through different windows. Here are some useful keyboard shortcuts to make your life easier:

Locks your computer: Win + L (Windows) / Cmd + Ctrl + Q (Apple)

Minimises a window: Win + D (Windows) / Mission Control (Apple)

Closes a window: Ctrl + W

Undoes a closed browser tab: Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) / Cmd + Shift + T (Apple)

6. Use your laptop on flat and solid surfaces

Cozying up to your favourite TV show in bed is one of life’s great pleasures. But it can come with consequences. Using your laptop on fabric surfaces like your bed or sofa is not recommended, as this can block the vents of the laptop.

This kind of blockage can put a strain on the cooling system of your laptop. Blocked vents make it harder for the hot air to disperse out of the laptop. This increases the risk of overheating.

7. Clean the insides of the laptop

Compressed air is a quick and easy-to-use solution for laptop cleaning. You don’t need that many tools for the whole process either.

You can get a can of compressed air from any major hardware or electronics store. They usually come with a small nozzle that can reach the small gaps between components on a laptop. All you need to do is unscrew the bottom cover of the laptop and blow out any crumbs or dust trapped inside.

Cleaning your laptop is an important computer care habit to keep. Not only are you keeping the laptop clean, you’re also reducing the risk of laptop overheating. When you have a lot of dust accumulated inside the laptop, the dust can trap heat, putting a lot of stress on the fans.

8. Use a keyboard cover

Using a keyboard cover is more of a preventive method of keeping the laptop clean. You might not notice it, but dust and crumbs can get inside the laptop easily through the gaps in the keyboard. So these keyboard covers can stop that from happening.

9. Gentle taps, not clicks

The moving parts of a laptop are more prone to breaking due to our continuous use. That includes the touchpad of a laptop as well. Try tapping on the touchpad, instead of clicking down on the pad. By not using its moving parts so much, you can certainly lengthen the touchpad’s lifespan.

10. Turn down your screen’s brightness

Every laptop’s screen is lit by its backlight. It’s usually an LED light that will possibly burn out somewhere along the laptop’s lifespan. To conserve the backlight’s energy consumption and lifespan, you might want to turn down the screen’s brightness whenever you can.

Expert repairs at Safemode Computer Service

We’re here to help! At Safemode Computer Service, our experienced technicians are always happy to help with any computer issues all around Sydney. From Apple MacBooks to Windows desktops, we can assess and repair computer issues that you have.

Thinking about upgrading your laptop or desktop computer? We can also offer advice on how you might want to go about that. Book an appointment at our Inner West store or give us a call today.

10 tips and tricks for a better Apple macOS experience

Did you know that your Mac has built-in tools for better productivity and performance? Apple Macs are popular for their smooth user experience and high quality hardware. In this guide, we’ll be looking at the various tips and tricks for every Mac user to take on.

1. How to clean up storage space

Perhaps you’re looking for more space to fit more files on your Mac, or you’ve got an alert that says “Startup disk full” or “You disk is almost full”. Either way, clearing your hard drive of unused files not only gives you more room to work with, it could also improve the performance of software and apps.

To do this, we’ll have to check out how much storage you have on your Mac’s hard disk. Go to About this Mac from the Apple menu, then click on “Storage”. There you’ll see a brief overview of how much storage you have, and what kind of files take up the most space. To look at how you can optimise your Mac’s storage, click “Manage”.

From the Recommendations tab, you should be able to find four options to manage and optimise your storage. These include, Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Empty Trash Automatically, and Reduce Clutter. All four of these methods could help with cleaning up some files and documents that hog up your hard disk.

Along with getting rid of files on your hard drive, you could also look into uninstalling apps that you don’t use anymore. Under the Applications window, go through the apps that you don’t need anymore and uninstall them. These apps take up space, and will rarely be of use anyway. Another thing is, because applications are installed on your OS, uninstalling them could make things easier for your Mac.

2. How to use Time Machine to back up your data

For personal data backups, most people are used to just dragging and dropping to their USB drives or external hard drives. Apple’s Time Machine is a more convenient and quick solution to creating regular backups to an external storage space. All you need is an external storage device, something like a USB or Thunderbolt drive should work. You could also use dedicated devices like AirPort Time Capsules.

To set up a Time Machine, connect the external storage and then you can choose whether you want to encrypt the backups. After you’ve selected a backup disk, Time Machine will begin to make regular backups automatically from time to time. You should be able to continue using your Mac as usual while these backups are underway. If you want to start a backup manually, you can click “Back Up Now” from the Time Machine menu. From this menu. You can also check on the status of a backup or skip an automatic backup.

3. How to check your Mac’s battery health

Unlike Windows devices, Apple Macs provide information on its battery health. This gives the user a better idea of when they should be replacing their MacBook laptop’s battery.

Laptop batteries are consumable parts that have an approximate lifespan of 2-4 years. Battery failures can also go awry pretty quickly, as the lithium-ion parts are quite volatile when malfunctioning. They can catch on fire, or explode. So with that said, it’s a good idea to catch these problems before they get dangerous.

To check your MacBook’s battery health, click on the battery icon on the menu bar. The status should read either: Normal, Service battery, Replace soon, or Replace now. You can also find a more detailed report from your MacBook’s System Report, under the Power tab. Information about the battery’s power capacity and charging cycles.

4. How to reinstall macOS

Sometimes you Mac might need a little refresher, or you want to reset it back to factory settings before selling it. You can do this by reinstalling macOS. Be sure to back up your data before doing this though, as reinstalling macOS will wipe out everything on the Mac.

To reinstall macOS, restart your Mac and hold Command + R at startup. You’ll reach macOS Utilities. Select “reinstall macOS”, then choose a language. The process will begin and your Mac will download and install the right version of macOS for you.

5. How to screenshot individual elements

The traditional way of screenshotting screen images on an Apple Mac is by holding these three keys: command, shift, 3. What if you want to screenshot individual elements without having to go through image editing and cropping what you need?

There is a way to do this, so you can screenshot elements like the menu bar, dock, or any open windows. Hold down command + shift + 4, then press and release the spacebar. Then you can click on the thing that you want.

6. How to use Apple Diagnostics

Apple Diagnostics is a handy tool that can help you find possible faults with your hardware. It’s helpful to run this maybe every few months, even if your Mac seems to be running normally. This way you might be able to catch problems earlier, before it starts to create bigger problems for you. Apple Diagnostics can test hardware like the hard drive, RAM, or battery.

Simply restart your Mac and press the D key when it turns on. Apple Diagnostics should run immediately after. If it finds any issues, it will report them along with an error reference code and support solutions.

Help with Apple Mac repair solutions

If you require any help with your Mac, you’d generally make an appointment at the Apple genius bar. But there are certain situations where you might not be able to get help. Your warranty might be expired, or that the problem is out of their reach.

That would bring you to a repair shop like us. At Safemode Computer Service, we are dedicated to providing the best Mac repair service in Sydney. Our experienced repair technicians can help you with any Mac issue, from logic board repairs to iMac screen replacements. Call us today to make an appointment at our Enmore store.

How to troubleshoot an iMac computer

Have you run into some trouble with your Apple iMac computer? All-in-one computers like the iMac can seem tricky to deal with, as everything is enclosed inside the device. Still, there are a few ways you can troubleshoot your Mac. Here are a few ways to test your iMac for problems, and solve a few software problems as well.

I hope this post will help you. If your Mac is still struggling, learn more about our Sydney computer repair services.

Restart the Mac

Some computer issues can be easily solved by a quick restart. It is the simplest form of a refreshment for any laptop or desktop computer. You might not expect how much you can achieve by restarting your Mac, but trust us, it can. It resets and removes the cached RAM data and can resolve a number of software bugs. Some might roll their eyes when they hear “have you tried turning it on and off again?”, but there is definitely truth in that advice.

To restart your iMac, just click the “Restart” button after you’ve closed everything. Or you can turn the Mac off as you normally do, then wait a few seconds before disconnecting the power adaptor plug. Wait another few seconds, then plug it back in and turn the iMac on again.

Run Apple Diagnostics

Apple Diagnostics is a great basic diagnostic tool that exists on every Mac computer, from MacBooks to iMac all-in-ones. This gives the user the ability to run checks on their hardware and see what’s wrong with the Mac. So if you’re trying to figure out why your iMac just crashed, or is running slower than usual, you might want to pull up Apple Diagnostics.

The procedure is simple: Restart your iMac, and then press the “D” key at start up. This brings you to a language selection screen, and Apple Diagnostics will start running after you choose a language. It will run tests on hardware like the hard drive, RAM, or fans. After the test, the interface will report hardware issues that it finds, along with support solutions to each problem.

Reinstall macOS

A software reset could also be helpful when your iMac isn’t running normally. Reinstalling macOS could help to get rid of various software bugs by giving the Mac a clean slate. Make sure you back up any important data before you do so, because this process wipes everything out. An easy drag and drop onto an external drive or a Time Machine backup should be enough.

You can reinstall macOS from the macOS recovery screen. To start your iMac in recovery mode, restart the Mac and hold Command + R until you see the Apple logo or a spinning ball. Then you’ll see a few options in front of you. Choose “Reinstall macOS”, and your Mac will download and install a clean version of macOS for you.

Getting support for your iMac

Because of how bulky the iMac is, there aren’t that many ways to test or troubleshoot it at home. Most parts are taped together and these all-in-one Macs require specific tools to open up. There isn’t much you can do if you don’t have the tools or technical know-how to do it yourself.

If you already know what’s wrong with your Mac after using Apple Diagnostics, great! Checking ahead with the geniuses at Apple should be the first thing to do. That way you know for sure that they can help you repair your iMac. You won’t have to waste a trip clumsily carrying around the computer.

There are situations where the Apple genius bar can’t help you. This might be because the iMac’s warranty has run out, or the problem is out of the genius’ reach. Then you might turn to a different computer technician to help you out.

Why not consider getting your iMac repaired at a trusted computer repair service like us? Located in Inner West Sydney, our friendly technicians at Safemode Computer Service can help you with any computer issue. From Windows PCs and laptops to Apple Macs, let us share our expertise to help with your computing needs. As a highly-rated computer repair service in Sydney, we are happy to advise with laptop and desktop repairs catered to your needs. Call us today or drop by at our Enmore store today!

What to do if your Mac won’t boot up: fixing Apple startup issues

A lot of things could cause a Macbook to stop booting up properly, or not even start up at all. It could be a software or hardware problem. Either way, you’re probably looking to boot it up normally again.

Here’s a few things you could run through to fix the problem and get your Mac working again. This includes some simple checks and software resets as a first step. Then we can move on to checking on your hardware and repairing any possible faults.

Having said that, Apple computers have sophisticated designs. Fixing Apple computers is a challenge even for a computer technician who is only specialized in Windows PC. DIY repair for a novice user is often not possible. After you’ve gone through the tips below and your computer still doesn’t work, it’s most likely that you need professional computer repair services.

Mac not turning on: How to troubleshoot a dead desktop Mac

There are many reasons why your Mac isn’t turning on. Apple Mac computers are powerful and advanced machines, but they will fall to hardware issues. In this guide we’ll be looking at how to fix a desktop Mac that isn’t turning on, this includes the iMac, Mac Mini, or Mac Pro. Running a few checks on your system can help you find out what’s causing the problem and get the right solution.

Though, fixing an Apple iMac that is not turning on is difficult. If all of your attempts bear no fuit, seek professional repairs instead.

Why isn’t my Mac turning on?

When your Mac doesn’t turn on at all, you most likely have a hardware issue. For the computer to boot up properly, essential parts work together to deliver a smooth computing experience. Once one part starts acting up or dies completely, the entire process may be disrupted. The computer won’t be able to turn on at all, or may take a long time to power up.

These essential parts include the hard drive, logic board, video card, RAM, and power supply unit. Without even a single part, the computer may start having trouble turning on, or even stop working properly.

But is it really not turning on? Sometimes you simply can’t get your Mac to boot to MacOS, and assume that it’s not turning on. This means that it could also be a software issue. You might be able to get your Mac to turn on but it seems to be taking forever or gets stuck on a blank screen. If this is the case, you can try doing some software resets first. This would be either an SMC reset or PRAM reset. This can help fix software issues and reset certain boot up settings.

Our technical understanding of a “desktop Mac not turning on” is when the Mac appears to be completely dead and doesn’t respond to anything. It could be a sign of a serious hardware failure. This is only one of the few MacOS start up issues that you can run into. We’re talking about start up issues like the question mark folder or infinite loading bar. These would bring you to other diagnostic and repair solutions, so it’s important to know how to tell them apart.

How to test and repair a desktop Mac that won’t turn on

Once you’ve identified the problem, you can start with a few tests to find out what’s causing the problem. This involves testing the parts essential for starting up your Mac: the hard drive, logic board, video card, RAM, and PSU.

It seems like a lot of work, but when a Mac appears to be completely dead and doesn’t show any signs to which part is failing, it’s the only way to thoroughly diagnose the problem this way. As we’ve learnt from above, a single component failure can cause a total computer shutdown. So to bring your Mac back to life, we have to do a little digging to find the right repair solution.

Again, considering the scope of the Mac’s failure, there aren’t a lot of ways to test the system for errors. When you can’t power up your Mac, you’ll have to take out the specific parts to test on a different desktop Mac.

Of course, it would be easier to just use Apple Diagnostics or run diagnostic software on the Mac itself. If you can get your Mac to even fire up to a black screen, you can enter Apple Diagnostics by holding down the “D” key. This is a simple built-in diagnostic tool to help you find errors in components like the hard drive, RAM, or video card.

When we’re left with less options, all we can do is testing out the part on a different Mac, preferably a desktop as well. Let’s look at how to test different parts to diagnose the problem. If you’re keen on DIY, you might be able to fix them yourself.

Hard drive failure

A hard drive failure is a very common cause of various start up issues. As the boot drive, it contains boot files and the MacOS that is used to boot up your Mac and runs the whole show. So when a hard drive malfunctions, the necessary files cannot be accessed and could halt the entire boot up process.

It can be a surprise to some to learn that hard drive failure can happen to most computer users. Hard drives have a limited lifespan and are prone to damage from bad sectors. This can happen to all sorts of hard drives, including traditional hard disk drives, flash storage, or fusion drives.

Bad sectors caused by physical damage or software errors can cause permanent damage on small parts of the drive. This is an unavoidable thing that will happen to all storage drives, every new drive ships with a tiny amount of bad sectors. As you use the drive it will eventually accumulate more and more bad sectors. The drive will work as long as they are limited to a small area of the drive.

When they do spread out and get to an intolerable amount, the drive will start to show signs of failure. You may notice that your computer is running slower than usual, or find that some files have been corrupted or completely lost. That is when you should look into replacing the drive.

How to repair a faulty hard drive

The only reliable and true fix for a hard drive failure is by replacing the drive itself. While some disk repair utilities can repair certain soft bad sectors, this solution may only buy you a little more time before the drive does ultimately fail. But first, we have to do a little testing to confirm the issue.

To test a hard drive for issues, take out the drive from the Mac and connect it to a different desktop Mac via a SATA to USB enclosure box. Then, test the drive with hard drive analysis software like WD Data Lifeguard. The drive is powered by the enclosure box instead of the computer, so it ensures isolation to thoroughly test the hard drive. Now for all-in-one desktop Macs like the iMac, it would take a little more disassembly to get to the hard drive, compared to Mac Pro or Mac Mini. You’ll need to start from the screen to get to the hard drive.

When your hard drive does in fact need replacing, you can replace it with an exact same drive, or upgrade to a better hard drive or flash storage. Just make sure that the drive is compatible with your Mac. Learn more about Apple hard drive repairs here.

Logic board, GPU, and RAM failures

Another thing that can kill your Mac is a logic board failure. The logic board is the circuit board that spans across your Mac. It is the communication channel where components receive signals from the CPU to work accordingly. Even a small failure on a part of the logic board can break up the communication channel between components. When this happens, components won’t know what to do even if they are fully intact and can work properly.

Overheating and liquid damage are one of the few causes of logic board failure. So it’s important to keep your system dust-free and can cool itself effectively. Similarly, the video card and RAM can also fall to overheating and liquid spills.

The GPU and RAM are also essential for the MacOS start up process. The video card generates the visual feed that puts images on the screen. Start up settings and boot information are also stored on the RAM for easy access to fire up the Mac. Without either, it could cause the Mac to be unresponsive when you turn it on.

How to repair a faulty logic board

The logic board is an intricate and complicated piece of computer hardware to navigate around. On top of this, there is no direct way to test and diagnose a logic board failure. This makes a logic board repair one of the most difficult computer repair jobs to perform.

To test a logic board for errors, we’ll have to diagnose it by eliminating other hardware errors to reach a conclusive result. This involves testing the hard drive, GPU, and RAM. Like a hard drive, we can test the video card and RAM by taking it out.

For the video card, plug it in a different desktop Mac and test it with GPU analysis software (we use Furmark). Then for the RAM, swap it out with a spare stick of RAM to see whether the issue persists. If both work fine, then you can conclude that you have a logic board issue.

To repair a logic board, the whole board will have to be replaced. The board is usually under everything else, so it will need some careful navigation to take everything out to reach it. This is why logic board repairs require quite experienced hands to make sure you don’t break other parts while you’re fixing the logic board. Learn more about repairing an Apple logic board here.

PSU failure

Sometimes a faulty power supply unit can be keeping your Mac from powering up. The PSU is the only power source to power up your Mac, so when it fails, the Mac may become unresponsive. This kind of failure can appear similarly as a logic board failure, but the problem is quite different.

Unlike laptops that can use a battery and don’t need to be plugged in to turn on, a desktop Mac solely depends on the PSU for power. The PSU converts power to a steady current that powers up components.

Like most computer hardware, the PSU can fail due to natural wear and tear, overheating, and accumulated dust. Power surges can also overload the unit and kill it. In some rare cases, bugs (yes, actual insects) get inside the unit and block the fans or damage the parts.

How to repair a faulty PSU

A sign of a faulty PSU might be the fans not firing up when you press the power button. Detecting a PSU does take some special tools. You can try using a multimeter or power supply tester to check on the PSU’s performance. Then replace the PSU entirely if you do find that it is malfunctioning.

Professional repair

Sometimes you might not have all the tools to repair your desktop Mac. After all, desktop Macs may need more tools to open up. Moreover, Apple computers may also contain proprietary screws that you might not have the right tools for. With that said, that’s where a professional repair can help you.

That’s where we can help you! At Safemode Computer Service, we can help you diagnose your dead desktop Mac. Save yourself the hassle of taking apart your Mac by bringing your desktop Mac to our store. We are conveniently located in the heart of Inner West Sydney. Our experienced technicians can help you find the right repair solution to bring your Mac back to life. Give us a call to make an appointment at our Enmore store today.

Top 8 hard drive issues and how to fix them yourself

The hard drive is undeniably a very important part of your computer. As the main storage device, it contains your files, installed software, and your operating system. It plays a large part in managing processes within your computing experience. Running into problems with hard drives also happens to be the most common issue for laptop users. Understandably, these problems can be frustrating to diagnose and repair.

To get an idea of what issues we’re dealing with hard drive failures, recognising and understanding the common errors that concern them can help you be prepared, should they happen to your hard drive. In the guide below, we’ll look at the common errors that occur when a hard drive is failing, and explain why hard drives fail.

What is a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)?

A hard disk drive (HDD), or hard drive, is the main storage device on laptops and desktop computers. It has been the mainstay for computer storage for many years. It reads and writes data using magnetic read and write heads on an actuator that floats on a spinning disk.

As a form of non-volatile storage, digital information stored on a hard drive stays there at all times. Data stays there even when the device is not in use or when it is turned off. This differs hard drives from Random Access Memory (RAM). As volatile storage, data stored on RAM is reset once the computer is turned off.

What is the expected life-span of a hard drive?

The life-span of your hard drive can depends on different factors, such as interface type and use. In general, consumer-graded hard drives tends to last anywhere from 2-5 years on average.

It is expected that hard drives will eventually wear out with age and lose its original spark. This can come from all kinds of reasons, from general wear and tear to accidental damage. Hard drive failures are quite inevitable, and will need to be fixed or replaced.

How are hard drives manufactured?

The delicate machinery that makes up a hard drive is manufactured in several processes. Parts are made and assembled together under a controlled and clean environment, where the chances of air and dust contamination is extremely low. Different parts of the drive are often produced in separate sites, then shipped to the final assembly plant.

Even with such tightly controlled conditions during the process, nothing is perfect, and defects can happen to almost all hard drives. These are known as bad sectors.

What are bad sectors?

A bad sector is a defective part (among millions or billions) of a hard drive that is unusable for writing and reading digital information. Once damage is taken to a part of the hard drive, the information that was stored on this bad sector can become corrupted or lost.

Bad sectors can be divided into two types — “physical” or “hard” bad sectors, or “logical” or “soft” bad sectors:

Physical bad sectors

Hard bad sectors are physically damaged parts of the hard drive that are impossible to repair. This type of bad sector can be detected and mapped out by disk repair utilities. Then your computer will be able to skip over the hard bad sector and stop reading or writing on it. Still, hard drives can fray over time, and eventually fail. A hard drive replacement may be something to think about down the line.

What causes hard bad sectors?

Hard bad sectors are caused by physical damage, and this can be from a range of circumstances. As we’ve learnt before, hard drive manufacturing isn’t perfect, even with its rigorously controlled environment, and can come with small defects like bad sectors. Other things like dropping the computer and damaging the platter with the drive head, or environmental factors like dust and air can also cause significant damage to over time.

There are surely many possible causes to hard bad sectors. So keeping in mind that your hard drive will ultimately start failing, it could still be a good idea to treat your computer with care.

Logical bad sectors

A logical bad sector, or a soft bad sector is a part of the hard drive that isn’t working normally. Your system may come across these when trying to read or write information on it, and the information is inaccessible or it takes too long to complete the process.

In contrast to hard bad sectors, soft bad sectors can be detected and repaired with disk repair software. Reading and writing processes can resume as normal if a repair is successful.

Another thing that your system does with bad sectors is replacing them with sectors within the spare sector pool on the hard drive. This allows the drive to work properly again by making use of the working sectors. Even so, this isn’t a permanent fix, as space within the spare sector pool is limited.

What causes soft bad sectors?

In general, software issues cause soft bad sectors. Situations like the computer being abruptly shut down while the hard drive is writing information or virus infections can cause software issues that escalate to soft bad sectors. Maintaining safe shutdown practices is always a good idea, not only for the good of your hard drive, but for the health of your computer as well.

So now that we understand what causes most hard drive issues and failures, we can look at the few common errors that users come across that concerns a failing hard drive. You’ll also be able to use diagnostics tools to find out out the right repair solution to common HDD issues.

1. “SMART failure predicted on hard disk”

SMART, short for “Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology”, is a built-in tool on a storage device, such as hard drives and solid-state drives. It works to detect and report any issues or signs to anticipate any drive failures. “SMART failure” is a very common hard drive error for users of Windows 10/8/7, as hard drive failure will happen along the lifespan of the drive. Typically, this is caused by factors such as the accumulation of too many bad sectors, or improper use.

When you get the error message “failure predicted on hard disk” or “a failure may be imminent”, it means that your hard drive has not yet failed, but is getting close. Your system sets out an alert for you to make precautions, such as backing up your data and getting a repair for your hard drive.

2. “No bootable device” / “No boot device found”

“No bootable device” means that your computer can’t properly recognise the hard drive, which is where your operating system is stored. Most of the time, this is due to a failed hard drive or an OS issue.

3. “Inaccessible boot device”

The “inaccessible boot device” error shows up on what is known as a “blue screen of death” (BSOD), where the system crashes and restarts. This occurs when the system recognises the HDD, but can’t access or read data on the drive properly.

4. “Operating system not found”

Another error similar to the ones listed above, “operating system not found” means that the system is unable to properly read and boot from the operating system on the hard drive.

5. Folder icon with question mark on Apple computer start up

This error occurs during startup in an Apple laptop or desktop computer, showing a folder icon with a question mark. This means the computer is having trouble finding its system folder within the hard drive, and is unable to boot from the Mac OS.

6. Windows stuck at logo screen at startup

The chances of getting stuck on the logo screen at startup are higher with the build up of bad sectors on the hard drive. This causes longer read processes and the system will experience difficulty when booting up.

7. Laptop stuck in Windows startup repair, or showing “Diagnosing your PC” but cannot boot Windows

If Windows is not booting up properly, users will often be prompted to use the advanced boot options menu. This brings us to startup repair. This error occurs when the user is stuck in the startup repair task and is still unable to boot up. System files are unable to load from the OS, causing the boot up process to be stuck.

8. Slow computer, often getting spinning colour wheel

This one is pretty self-explanatory, right? Finding that your Apple laptop or desktop computer is running a lot slower than usual can be pretty frustrating when you’re used to a certain standard of things. A ridiculously slow computer can mean issues with reading and writing processes on the hard drive. Or it may even be mechanical issues with the drive. It might be time for a replacement or an upgrade.

How do I diagnose HDD issues?

Here are three methods you could use to diagnose issues on your hard drive:

Built-in disk repair utilities

Both Windows and Apple computers have built-in disk repair utilities, namely “chkdsk” and “Disk Utility”. You can use these basic tools to detect and attempt repairs on any issues you may find on your hard drive.

Pre-boot diagnostics

With pre-boot diagnostics, you’ll be able to run tests on your computer’s hardware to find out whether everything is working properly. This way you can spot hard drive failures and other hardware issues before they become a huge problem.

To run boot diagnostics, press the corresponding key while your computer is booting up. Each brand of computer has their own specific key to run the diagnostic tests, such as “F12” for Dell laptops, “ESC” key for HP, “Enter” key for Lenovo laptops, and “D” key for Apple Mac. Be sure to look up the right key for your brand of device.

Dedicated hard disk analysis software

Using dedicated software to diagnose your hard drive issues can also be a helpful option to understand hard drive failures. Free hard drive analysis software like SeaTools (Seagate, Windows), Drive Utilities for Mac (Western Digital, Apple), or Data Lifeguard (Western Digital, Windows) can be used for such tests.

With this option, you’ll need to test your hard drive with software on a different desktop computer. This involves taking out the hard drive in question and using an enclosure box to connect it to the desktop computer that you are performing tests on.

If your hard drive needs replacing

As we’ve learnt, hard drives do fail and an easy and effective fix might as well be a replacement. You can choose to do it yourself by following the many guides out there, from sites such as ifixit. With a few tools and careful moves, your computing experience can be enjoyed as normal.

Rescuing data from your computer

Your data is saved on the computer hard drive. When the drive fails, your data is at risk. Keeping regular backup of your data will give your best chance of rescuing data from your computer.

If you don’t have a backup, you’ll certainly need external tools or help from a professional computer technician to assist you with data recovery.

Things to consider when buying a new hard drive

To find out the right drive for your desired computing experience, here are some things to look out for when shopping for a new drive:

Storage capacity

Different types of hard drives offer different storage capacities. For most users of personal laptops, storage capacities from 250-500GB may be enough. 250GB can roughly mean 30,000 photos or songs. Storing and using larger files such as movies or media projects would usually call for a capacity of up to 1TB or more.

The physical size of hard drives also differ for laptops and desktop computers. If you own a laptop, you will need a 2.5-inch HDD, or 3.5-inch for desktop computers. 2.5-inch HDDs offer up to 5TB of storage, while the largest capacity of 3.5 HDDs is 14TB.

Speeds

When considering hard drive performance, you may want to look into the speeds of different types of hard drives. This is mainly reflected from the RPM, the revolutions per minute. RPM measures the rotational speed of the platters that are used to store information of the hard drive. The higher the RPM, the faster the read and write speeds of the drive. So, a high RPM would be able to get you a faster drive.

These days, a consumer-grade hard drives mainly operate at 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM. By comparing the two types, 7200 RPM drives approximately runs five times faster than 5400 RPM drives. Having a think about the right performance for your computing experience may be able to help you decide.

Consider a solid-state drive

Solid-state drives are becoming more and more popular as a better computer storage solution. Its use of non-volatile memory that does not require any machinery to read and write information provides a faster and safer option for computer storage.

While you can just replace your hard drive, but upgrading to an SSD may get you a smoother experience in the long run. Need more information about SSDs? Learn more here. We cover the basics of solid-state drives, and how you can benefit from an SSD upgrade.

Getting an in-store repair

As another option, you may decide to just take your computer to an authorized service centre or a repair shop. Professional services may be an option for you if you’d like to get your computer checked out thoroughly and get a good fix.

If you live in Inner West Sydney, why not consider seeking professional advice from our technicians at Safemode Computer Service? Rated among the top three computer repair services for three years in a row by ThreeBestRate, we can definitely offer the right solution for you :)

A Complete Guide to Upgrading Your Hard Drive to an SSD

So you’ve had your computer for a while and it seems to be running slower than you’d like. Or you’re looking for something to boost its performance. Want a quick and practical way to upgrading your computer? Then upgrading your hard drive (HDD) to a solid-state drive (SSD) might be something to consider. As a quick and cost-effective upgrade, an SSD upgrade can be a way to boost your computer’s performance and practically make it fly!

Boosting your computer’s speed with an SSD upgrade may sound like a big change, and you may not know where to start. There are certainly a few things to consider before you decide to upgrade. Not to worry, here’s a guide to computer storage basics and what you should consider before upgrading to an SSD.

What is computer storage?

We all need a place to store our files, somewhere the data can stay on your computer and even while you’re not using those files or when your computer is turned off. This form of storage is called non-volatile storage. With this, you won’t lose data and have to recreate your work every time you turn on your computer. The main device for computer storage is generally a hard drive or a solid-state drive.

While we mainly store data on hard drives or solid-state drives, these drives work together with your computer’s memory (RAM) to get work done. RAM, random access memory, is a form of volatile storage, stores data that you are working on at the ready, so you can access it faster. Both forms of volatile and non-volatile storage work together to give you a smooth multitasking experience.

What is an HDD?

A hard disk drive, or hard drive is the storage device on your computer. HDDs have been the standard for permanent data storage on computers for many years. Traditionally, hard drives come in two physical sizes, 2.5-inch for laptops, and 3.5-inch for desktop computers

So how does a hard drive work?

Right round like a record, to borrow a phrase. The actuator arm floats on the rotating disk to read and write data to its surface, using magnetic heads, working like a record player. The disk rotates on a spindle at a high rate of speed to read and write data.

Like most things, hard drives will eventually age and wear out. While they can last long, they can cause unwanted issues such as overheating and performance loss. On top of that, because they contain delicate moving parts, dropping your computer while it is operating can also cause significant damage to the disk.

Related: Top 8 hard drive issues and how to fix them yourself

If you’ve owned your laptop or desktop for a few years and want to keep its performance up to your standard, you may want to start thinking about upgrading to an SSD. Let’s look at the benefits of that.

What is an SSD?

Solid-state drives are becoming more and more popular in comparison to hard drives, due to its higher speed and reliability. Most new computers use SSDs over the old standard of HDDs. SSDs typically come in 2.5-inch sizes, the size of a standard laptop HDD. A newer type of SSD, the M.2 standard, is much smaller and thinner and can fit in ultra-thin laptops and mini PCs.

The main difference between HDD and SSD is that SSD does not have any moving parts that need to be powered. While HDD works by motorized write and read heads on a disk, an SSD makes use of flash memory, a form of non-volatile computer memory. Simply put, data is electronically written and stays on memory chips, unlike regular RAM, where data is only stored while the computer is powered. This process does not require any moving machinery for data storage.

What are the pros and cons of upgrading to an SSD?

Pros of upgrading to SSD

Without any moving parts, its solid state can withstand physical impact more than a hard drive can. Its shock resistance promises better durability while it is in use and not.

The moving parts of a hard drive draws power to work, and also produces noise and heat. All these issues can be solved by replacing the HDD with an SSD. You can use an SSD as a data drive together with your HDD, but using the SSD as a boot drive allows you to make full use of its benefits.

The biggest benefit of upgrading to an SSD is the higher performance, which greatly improves your computing experience. It can read and write much faster than standard hard drives. Booting up your computer will also be much faster than before. You’ll be able to refresh your computer and even make things run faster than it ever has!

Cons of upgrading to SSD

While it seems like an easy decision to upgrade to an SSD, one significant downside is its high cost. The cost of SSDs are gradually decreasing, but still remain a lot more expensive than hard drives. A hard drive of the same price of an average SSD can get you a lot more storage.

The storage capacities of SSDs also can’t compare to the largest capacity of a hard drive. Hard drives are still the mainstay if you need to store huge amounts of data. You could consider replacing your hard drive with a newer one, or put your data on external hard drives.

On the bright side, SSD manufacturers are still working to refine their technology and quality of their drives. With this, we can expect price drops and capacity improvements for the near future.

Things to consider before upgrading to an SSD

This may be obvious, but if your computer already comes with an SSD, you do not need to upgrade from an HDD to an SSD. Most newer models make use of SSDs, such as Apple Macbook laptops from 2013 onwards. If you are looking for more upgrades, you may want to look into other hardware upgrades that can boost performance.

When it comes to deciding which SSD is right for you, you may want to think about your main computing needs. The capacity and performance of the drive should be your priority when you are shopping for one. In terms of cost, getting an SSD with larger capacity could provide more value for money.

Interface: SATA vs. PCIe SSDs?

PCIe SSDs a newer option compared to the more widely-used SATA interface for SSDs. It connects directly onto the motherboard. Compared to one another, both connection types have their relative benefits and disadvantages:

Form factor

You’ll also need to think about whether the drive’s form factor can fit in your computer. The 2.5-inch size can fit a laptop, but the thickness of the drive is also something to consider. Checking your computer’s manual can help you make this decision.

The smaller and thinner M.2 SSD is also gaining popularity for storage solutions in thinner laptops. For desktop computers that usually require a 3.5-inch size for drives, you may use an adaptor to mount the 2.5-inch SSD.

For Apple computer users

Users of Apple laptops from 2012 and Mac desktops and can only upgrade to the 2.5-inch SSD with SATA connection, as the laptops do not come with the PCIe connection option.

If you own an Apple laptop from 2013 to 2015 and onwards and want to upgrade your existing SSD’s capacity, make sure you only choose from genuine Apple SSD’s. This is due to the specific interface that Apple makes use of for their laptops from 2013 to 2015. Apple desktop users can choose from any brand, just as long as they are 2.5-inch ones.

From 2016 onwards, most Apple laptop SSDs (flash storage) are built into the computer motherboard which makes it impossible to upgrade.

How do I upgrade to an SSD?

If you’d like to install your new SSD on your own, you can do so with some simple tools and by migrating your data from your HDD to your new SSD. This is a process where you’ll need to clone your drive, which carries over your files, installed programs, and operating system over to your new drive. You’ll be able to boot up exactly as you did before, only with a significant performance boost for your computing experience.

In-store upgrade

If you find yourself not-so-adept to DIY tasks or would just like to save yourself the hassle, you may want to get your SSD upgrade done by a professional. Our friendly technicians at Safemode Computer Service, one of the best computer services in Inner West Sydney, can definitely provide you with the best advice and service.

If you own an Apple Mac, you might be thinking about taking it to the nearest Apple store. But, an upgrade with Apple may not be possible. Apple does not offer upgrades to every model of their computers, so you may want to check with them before booking an appointment to avoid wasting your valuable time.

For Windows computer manufacturers such as Dell, HP, or Lenovo, you may want to check if there is an authorized service centre near your place. Same with Apple stores, it could be a good idea to make sure they offer such services for your computer.

Otherwise, a third-party computer repair service might be your only option. If you live in Inner West Sydney, surely us – Safemode Computer Service is an option! We are rated among the top three laptop repair centres for the third year in a row by ThreeBestRate :) Or you can look up other computer repair services online to find one near you.

Reported Problems:

One of the biggest challenges we have ever done! An Apple MacBook Pro 13 inch A1278 year 2011 laptop was booked in for repairs. The laptop was soaked with water (lots of water, inside a bag) and was no longer booting up.

The Repairs:

This laptop may have suffered multiple water damages. The mission of rescuing this laptop won’t be an easy ride. More than one part will need to be replaced. For this laptop, after extensive testings, we have determined that its logic board, heatsink and screen need to be replaced.

We first have a look inside this laptop.

Now let’s remove the logic board from the computer. Make sure to disconnect other parts first.

Now we can have a look at the logic board.

Testing has confirmed that this logic board is damaged and will need to be replaced. We can now take out a replacement logic board and replace it.

Here we encounter an unexpected problem. This logic board, for some reason, is different from common MacBook Pro A1278 logic boards, it’s nowhere to be found in the market.

Unable to use the common A1278 logic board, we talked to our suppliers to source for an alternative Apple logic board with the same specs.

Now we have the replacement board, installing it brought up another issue. The board’s heatsink was not compatible and had to be replaced too.

Now we have replaced both logic board and heatsink for this MacBook Pro laptop, next is to replace the screen.

Replacing screen for Apple MacBook Pro unibody laptops is never an easy job. The screen is behind a glass cover, replacing the screen means we need to remove the glass cover first. The glass cover is fragile and may break when you attempt to take it out.

Heat up the glass cover with a heat gun and remove it with a suction cup.

Carefully remove the glass cover and make sure not to damage or burn anything underneath.

Have a replacement glass cover in case you broke the original one. Always wear gloves and safety glasses to avoid injuries.

Now we should have access to the screen.

Let’s replace it with a new screen.

With new screen, new logic board, new heatsink installed, the rest of this job is simpler. Reassemble the laptop and test it out.

The laptop turns on fine and booted into Mac OS X normally. Try out other functions such as wireless, keyboard, touchpad to make sure it’s working properly.

All are working perfectly as they should be. Mission accomplished.

Looking for Apple Mac Repairs?

Does your Apple Mac have the same problem? Check our Apple Mac Repair services and Contact us now for a Free Quote. Pickup and Delivery is available for your convenience.

Reported Problems:

An Apple MacBook Air laptop was booked in with keyboard problem.

     

Owner of the laptop spilled water onto the keyboard of the Mac, since then the keyboard didn’t work properly. Random letters came up when typing. The laptop booted up straight into Safe Boot as if Shift key was engaged.

     

On this Apple MacBook Air, its keyboard unit is integrated into its aluminium casing. The keyboard is connected to touchpad unit, and touchpad unit is, via a ribbon cable, connected to logic board. Thus the problem may lie within any of these units. Replacing the keyboard unit does NOT guarantee to fix the problem. We have come across a different job (same Apple MacBook Air that had water spilt on) that had the same problem but due to both damaged keyboard and touchpad (demonstrated in another post).

The Repairs:

Using available spare parts and a number of tests, we have determined that the laptop keyboard needs to be replaced.

Let’s first have a look at its bottom cover.

     

Battery need to be disconnected to stop power going in to the laptop, so let’s take the battery out from the laptop.

There we’ll see logic board, fan and other parts. All these parts need to be removed before keyboard can be taken out.

Take extra precaution here because these electronic parts are sensitive, any “minor” accidental damages can cause great damages to the computer.

     

Once fan, logic board, wireless adaptor etc are removed from the laptop, we should have the below (speakers not yet removed).

Now let’s take out a same keyboard (integrated in aluminum case).

Different MacBook Air has different keyboard, make sure the part is compatible otherwise it will not fit and will not work.

Now we need to remove the keyboard and bottom casing from the laptop’s display panel. The job is simpler from here. Let’s put in the new keyboard, connect it to the display panel, reassemble the laptop and test it out.

The laptop starts up fine, open TextEdit and check every key.

All the keys are now working as they should. Another Apple MacBook Air laptop fixed successfully.

Looking for Apple Mac Repairs?

Does your Apple Mac have the same problem? Check our Apple Mac Repair services and Contact us now for a Free Quote. Pickup and Delivery is available for your convenience.

 

Reported Problems:

An Apple MacBook Pro Unibody 13-inch laptop was booked in with a strange problem. The laptop screen has lines sometimes, a blur duplicated image appeared on the screen, and the screen blacks out occasionally.

     

After a number of testing, we have determined that both of the laptop screen and LED cable must be replaced. Well preparation is the key for this job because this one will require a lot of time, skills and experience. Available spare parts are essential to complete the job right and important for testing.

Let’s remove the laptop bottom cover.

Let’s remove the laptop battery to stop power to the laptop.

Next, we’ve found that the laptop fan has some dust, let’s quickly clean it out. Using cleaning oil will help if necessary. Use a computer brush to clean out the dust.

     

Now we’ll disconnect LED cable from logic board, disconnect left speakers, then put the laptop to stand on its side.

We will then un-screw both hinges and carefully remove the display panel from bottom casing of the laptop.

Now we’ve got the display panel removed on this MacBook Pro laptop. The most difficult part is not yet to start.

Using a heat-gun, we’ll need to heat up the glass cover on the laptop display, take extra precaution here since over-heating it will cause damages on other parts inside the display. Not enough heat on the other hands will not help.

     

With a suction-cup, lift the glass cover up separating it from the display. Be careful here because the glass cover is fragile and can break easily if you use too much force. This process sometimes may break the glass cover so always make sure to have a replacement one in case.

Once that’s done, we can now remove the laptop screen and pull out its LED cable.

Check the screen details, make sure that you have a compatible screen and LED cable. Install the new screen and connect new LED cable.

Follow the same steps in reversed order to reassemble the laptop.

Now we’ve got an Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch A1278 laptop with new screen, new glass cover (if replaced), new LED cable, with internal fan cleaned. Let’s test it out.

          

So far so good, the problem is fixed and the laptop is working well.

Apple MacBook Pro laptops are designed differently comparing to others, replacing screen on these MACs requires a lot more work to be done.

Looking for Apple Mac Repairs?

Does your Apple Mac have the same problem? Check our Apple Mac Repair services and Contact us now for a Free Quote. Pickup and Delivery is available for your convenience.