What is a Laptop Hinge?

Before we dive into the specifics of laptop hinge issues and solutions, let’s start with the basics: what exactly is a laptop hinge?

A laptop hinge is a mechanical component that allows the laptop’s screen to pivot and stay in place at various angles. It is essentially the “joint” that connects the display panel to the laptop’s base, enabling you to open and close the laptop smoothly.

A typical laptop hinge consists of two main parts: the hinge itself and the brackets or screws that secure it to the laptop’s chassis. Hinges are designed to be sturdy and durable, but like any mechanical component, they can wear out or become damaged over time.

Laptop Models Commonly Susceptible to Hinge Damage

It’s worth noting that not all laptops are equally prone to hinge problems. Some home computers, such as the HP Pavilion x360, Spectre x360, Asus ZenBook, Lenovo IdeaPad, Dell Inspiron 2-in-1, Dell XPS, and Acer Aspire, have standard plastic hinges that are more susceptible to wear and tear over time. These hinges can develop issues like stiffness, wobbling screens, or even complete failure.

On the other hand, business-grade laptops like the Dell Latitude, Lenovo ThinkPad X series, W series, P series, T series, HP ProBook, HP EliteBook, HP Dragonfly, Apple MacBook Pro, and Apple MacBook Air come equipped with metal hinges that are generally less susceptible to damage. The use of metal hinges enhances their durability and longevity.

See our video of how we fix laptop hinge below:

Some computer users don’t expect their devices to fail, and see this as a sign that the computer is dying and that they need to replace it.

Like most electronics, laptops and desktop computers can break at least once in the device’s lifetime. And usually it’s not a major heart operation.

Learning more about a computer’s lifespan can help inform your decision to repair or replace your faulty computer.

What is the average lifespan of a computer?

In its early days, computers could last very long: 8 to 10+ years. Now they don’t.

Computers now last 3 to 4 years then a repair is needed to get it working again. Its performance may also drop after a few years.

“Leave it to the experts”: Computer hardware issues you probably shouldn’t repair by yourself

Some computer repairs are pretty easy and can be done by a beginner. Repairs like hard drive replacements on most Windows laptops don’t require many tools or a high skill level to complete. These kinds of computer repairs are the kind that we encourage a lot of computer users to do, as they won’t take you too long and can save you money.

Repairs that need a lot of specific tools and parts are a little bit more complicated. Some might even require a high skill level in computer repair. Professional technicians can take better care of your common computer hardware issues. That’s because repair techs have all the tools needed at the ready, and work in a safe and organized environment.

If you’re looking to get into computer repair, pc hardware problem detection, or even PC building, getting a sturdy set of tools would be a great investment. Take a look at a few guides on sites like ifixit to learn more about tech repair while you’re at it. But if you’re not looking to continue in computer hardware troubleshooting and repairing all by yourself, you probably don’t need to buy all the tools just for one repair project. It might not be worth it for a single repair project.

For complicated repairs that call for specific tools, we recommend just bringing them to a professional, especially if the situation involved computer hardware related issues and solutions. Let’s take a look and the kinds of computer hardware issues that you probably shouldn’t try to resolve by yourself.

If you’ve ever wondered how professional computer repairers diagnose computers, and execute a safe computer hardware troubleshooting ,you can see 7 best tools to test computers (The best one is FREE). It’ll amaze you.

1. Faulty laptop battery replacement

First off, laptop batteries are considered hazardous products and should only be handled by professionals. Faulty batteries can expand and leak poisonous liquid or gas. As experienced technicians, we’ve seen a fair share of batteries spontaneously getting very hot and catching on fire while replacing them. There’s also a chance that a faulty battery can fry the motherboard.

There’s also a chance of accidentally breaking other parts of the laptop while disassembling the laptop. This is especially for slim Ultrabook models. The battery packs are a lot slimmer and the parts of the laptop are tightly compressed together. This makes it harder to repair, when you have to be so careful in case you break something.

2. Motherboard failure

Motherboard issues are, to say the least, difficult to deal with. They are both hard to diagnose and repair. This is because the motherboard as a circuit board, has no direct way to test for faults. It has to be confirmed by testing for and eliminating other possible hardware faults in parts like the hard drive, RAM, or video card. This can take a while if your computer is completely dead and you need to take the parts out to test them.

Another thing is that when you need to get your motherboard fixed, you’ll usually need to replace the whole thing. This requires you to almost completely disassemble everything on your computer. The motherboard is the main circuit board of the computer, where everything is connected to each other. As you have to disconnect everything and put them back together, the process is very tough, even for an experienced technician.

One thing that some computer repair technicians do for dead motherboards is a component-level repair. This is a repair process that replaces small parts of the motherboard, instead of the whole board. Because of its high difficulty, only certain computer repair services offer such repairs.

3. MacBook and Ultrabook keyboard replacement

A lot of MacBook and Ultrabook models feature slim and portable designs that are great for working on the go. This however, comes with the cost of lowered repairability. There’s a higher risk of accidentally breaking something while disassembling the laptop to get to the keyboard.

Apple MacBook laptops are also often made with Apple’s proprietary pentalobe screws. This requires specific tools. If you already have a set of regular computer screwdrivers, they won’t cut it. You’ll need the tools specifically for Apple computers.

4. Laptop screens

A lot of modern laptop screens, especially Ultrabooks, are made slimmer and slimmer to match the whole sleek look of the device. As we can expect with these delicate and slim parts, they are quite fragile even when they are brand new.

The trend with modern laptop screens is using glue and double-sided tape to put things together, rather than screws. Without an accessible way to disassemble the laptop’s screen, you’ll need tools like an opening pick and a heat pad to remove the glue.

Like most laptop repairs, you’ll also need to disconnect the battery when you’re replacing the laptop screen. This is for your own safety and to eliminate the chance of blowing the motherboard. The extra tools and effort you need to put into fixing the screen isn’t quite worth it for a DIY project.

5. Most iMac repairs

iMac desktop computers are all-in-one computers. There’s no separate tower, everything’s just inside the whole thing. That makes repairs a little bit complicated, when you have to open up the entire screen to get to anything. It’s especially complicated when some parts are assembled under the logic board. RAM repairs or upgrades fall under this shortcoming, as the RAM is only accessible under the logic board.

To get under the screen of an iMac, you’ll need the specific opening pick and suction cup tools, then the double-sided tape designed only for iMacs to put it back together. This tape is pretty hard to find online, so you might want to get help through a repair technician.

So that’s 5 computer hardware issues that you probably should leave up to the experts. We’re not just advising you as repair techs who offer a service, but also as repair techs who understand the difficulty of certain issues. Indeed, pc hardware maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair is no joke!

A lot of times we get clients with computers displaying pc hardware failure symptoms, causing them to try and fix the problem all by themselves, but made the situation even worse. Understanding what you can do and what you should do with these repairs are very important. When accidents happen during a DIY repair project, they can often make things even harder to fix. There are a few common mistakes that amateur home repairers make while trying to fix a problem on their computer.

We’re always here to help. As a highly-rated computer repair service in Sydney, we can help you diagnose and repair any computer issue. From Apple Macbooks to laptops and desktop PCs, we’re experts in the field. Our friendly repair technicians can also offer advice on computer upgrades, virus removal, and more. Give us a call at 1800 85 83 82 or come on down to our Inner West store today!

Disk formatting explained: When should I format my hard drive?

What does formatting a hard drive do?

When you want to wipe a hard drive clean, you can do so by formatting the drive. This process wipes all the data on the drive and sets up a new file system, which allows the operating system (OS) to read and write new data on the drive.

Disk formatting is usually done to prepare a new drive for its first use. It prepares the available space for OS installation and use. The three main things that you can do with a disk format is full data removal, file system change, and possibly refresh your computer for better performance.

If you’re looking to recycle or trade in your computer, you’d probably need to perform a disk format beforehand. You’ll be able to wipe out all your data, so it stays out of the hands of others. Disk formatting also installs a new OS onto the drive, so the next user can start out with a clean slate.

You may also try reinstalling your OS when you come across problems on your computer. Disk formatting could possibly solve a number of software issues. You could try doing this to solve problems like BSOD (blue screen of death) or boot errors. If your computer is running a bit slower that you’re used to, reinstalling the OS could also help as well.

With that said, remember to backup your data before you format the drive. As we’ve learnt, disk formatting wipes all the data off the drive, so you might want to get important data off the drive first. If you only have a few files that you need, just drag and drop onto an external hard drive or cloud storage. Alternatively, you may also use File History (Windows) or Time Machine (Apple macOS) to create full backups onto a hard drive.

How to format a hard drive

The easiest way to format and reinstall the OS on a hard drive is through the computer’s built-in recovery mode. Both Windows and Mac computers have recovery modes accessible from boot up, and you can proceed with the disk formatting there. Another way is by going to Settings > Recovery, then resetting your computer from there.

After you’ve backed up the necessary data, restart your computer to enter recovery mode. For Windows laptops and desktop computers, you’ll need to enter the boot menu. That’s F8 for Dell, Esc for HP, and so on. There’s different keys for different brands of computers. For Macs, you’ll need to press both Command and R. Just press the right keys repeatedly when the logo splash screen comes on after you restart the computer.

Then you can choose to reset the PC, or “reinstall macOS” for Mac computers. There should be an option for you to reset the computer and keep the files, but if you’ve backed up your data, you can just choose the option to wipe everything. This process will take a while, so be prepared to have to sit around for a bit.

Using apps to format a hard drive

There are a number of ways to format a hard drive, and that includes disk management on Windows. You can do this on the same computer, or take out the drive and connect it to a different computer. This gets you better control of the process. Then open Disk Management from the Start menu, and you’ll find your drive there.

Make sure you don’t mix up the drives that you see on the app and format a drive that you didn’t mean to. You might want to rename the drive before you connect it to another computer. After selecting the drive that you want formatted, you can choose to format it.

Can data be recovered after the disk is formatted?

So you might have formatted a USB drive or hard drive by accident, and lost data as a result. The data has been deleted, but can sometimes be recovered. In most cases, data recovery doesn’t work all the time, but some files can still be salvaged.

Unfortunately for hard drives that have been formatted and have a new OS installed, the chances for data recovery are much slimmer. After a period of use, data sectors where files used to be become overwritten by new information. So the data that used to be on that sector is completely gone. Same goes for deleted files. Once they are overwritten, the data can’t be recovered.

Cleaning up the drive for more space Vs. cleaning up for better performance

So now we know that formatting a hard drive removes everything altogether. This prepares everything for a clean OS installation. But if you’re just looking to find more storage space out of your drive, you definitely don’t need to format it. You simply need to look for certain unused files and delete them, or move larger files onto an external storage device.

One thing to be sure though, cleaning files does not help to improve your computer’s performance. A lot of computer users think having a lot of files on their computers will slow it down, but it’s actually more about the programs installed on the drive. So giving the drive a clean slate can help with its performance. It won’t be a huge improvement though, since hard drives do lose performance over time. A hard drive replacement or an SSD upgrade would do much better for performance.

How to clean up storage space on your computer

Disk cleanup apps

System cleanup or disk cleanup on Windows computers is a built-in tool to help you scan your computer for unused files or previous installation files that you can remove. After a quick scan, you can pick and choose things to clean up your hard disk.

This is a Windows-only app, Apple computers don’t have such a function to help clean up your hard drive. You may try out third-party disk cleanup apps like CC Clean to help identify unused files that can be cleaned for more space.

Look for large media files

Cleaning up documents won’t have that much of an effect as they don’t take up much space usually. Their file sizes are a mere nothing compared to media files like photos and videos. Same goes for installed programs, which usually don’t take up much space. You’re free to uninstall apps that you don’t use anymore, as that can free up some space for the OS to work better.

Look through your media files and go from there. You can transfer them to an external hard drive, or upload them to the cloud. Uploading them to the cloud might take a while depending on your internet speeds, but it’s a secure backup that’s always accessible. As long as you have an internet connection, that is.

The wind-up

Now that you know what formatting does, you can confidently decide what you want to do depending on your data needs. Just know that if you’re looking to refresh your computer and make it run better, try formatting the drive and reinstalling the OS. Otherwise, simply deleting files off the drive won’t do much except clean out some storage space.

If you’re looking to recover data off of a formatted drive, or need some guidance on transferring your data to a new computer, we can help! At Safemode Computer Service, we offer expert advice and solutions to any computer issue you may come across. We have a “no fix, no fee” policy on all computers from Windows PCs to Apple MacBooks and iMac desktops (Ts & Cs apply). We are located conveniently in Enmore, Sydney, a quick stop from the CBD and the Inner West. Got a question about data recovery? Call us today or stop by our Enmore story today!

Do I actually need antivirus software for my computer?

Computer viruses are somewhat of an enigma. We know that they can deal a significant amount of damage, but we might also have a strange fear that we have one.

How should I protect myself from computer viruses? Can anyone just get a virus from out of nowhere? Will antivirus software help me? These are just a few questions that computer users have about viruses. Let’s look at what antivirus software can do for the security of your laptop or desktop computer.

What do computer viruses do and where do they come from?

Before we get into protecting ourselves from computer viruses with antivirus software, we should probably know the basics. Let’s talk about what kind of damage they can do, and how they get in.

Computer viruses are programs written by hackers that can run on any computer that they manage to infect. Hackers design the whole code and how the virus attacks, depending on what they want to achieve. Most of the time it involves stealing personal information, or demanding a ransom for data that a hacker has control over. Other less malicious virus attacks may just involve sending a harmless message to the computer user (for bragging rights, maybe?). Either way, computer viruses can take control over your computer, look around inside, and even do quite a bit of damage.

So how does one get a computer virus? From the place where you can get almost everything, the internet. Computer viruses used to come from a separate device, like a USB drive or CD-ROM, where it would only infect the computer when you plug it in and run it. Now you can get a virus from clicking the wrong link on a site, or opening an unknown attachment from a dodgy email. Hackers often impersonate trusted organisations like banks and send emails to bait their potential victims. Once you click on these links or attachments, the virus’ code runs immediately. The effect is irreversible once it begins. That is why you should always practise safe browsing habits.

How to protect yourself from computer virus attacks

Safely surf the web

Being wary of anything sketchy is a great general rule while you’re on the web. Actually, in life too. The internet is full of traps and scams that can get you if you’re not careful enough. So if you see anything that’s trying to bait you into clicking it, look closely before you do, or maybe just avoid it. This could be ads like “You’ve won a prize!”, or suspicious and unfamiliar emails that claim to be from your bank.

Use antivirus software

Installing and running antivirus software can be very helpful to monitor and scan your computer for potential threats. You can choose from free ones, or even paid ones like Norton or Kaspersky. These apps regularly run scans to detect threats that you may not be aware of. Because of this, most computer users consider antivirus software a must-have.

Does antivirus software actually work?

Well, yes but not all the time. Antivirus software doesn’t always provide 100% protection, you could still get a computer virus with it. Computer viruses are smart, they can find security cracks and leave them open for more infections to come in. They also come in packs as well.

Antivirus software can’t always check for everything, the adaptive and evolving nature of computer viruses also make things harder to catch. So there’s no guarantee that you definitely won’t get a computer virus if you’ve got antivirus software installed.

Should I still use it?

Of course you should! Having antivirus software is obviously better than none. The regular scans and performance checks can be a useful helper to you. The threat databases on these antivirus apps are always updating, which could take the worry off your mind. Antivirus software also comes with other features such as internet security and password tools, so that could also keep you safe from online dangers.

If you’re still on the fence on the effectiveness of antivirus apps, you could stick to Windows Defender, so just install a free antivirus app. These apps are free, and usually offer upgrade options for more features and better security.

What should I do if a virus gets in my computer?

In some situations, the antivirus app might not be able to catch a threat or stop it from attacking. If you notice certain signs of a computer virus infection, then you’re going to take things into your own hands and get rid of the virus yourself.

A quick and dirty way to remove a computer virus involves completely wiping your computer’s hard drive. A virus works like a software program that is installed on the OS, so wiping out the hard drive can get rid of everything altogether. It’s quite difficult to attempt virus removal on just the virus itself though, you’d need a computer technician for that. So your best bet is to wipe the hard drive, and then reinstall its OS. Don’t forget to back up your data!

10 Computer myths debunked: common misconceptions about computer repair

Just like urban legends, there are a few common misconceptions about computer repair that a lot of people believe. Because of how they’ve been talked about so much, people do start to believe them. However, some of these are not true. Oftentimes believing in these myths can lead to misdiagnosis or improper treatment of computer issues. They could make more trouble without fixing the real issue.

Even if some of these myths were true at some point of time, computer technology has advanced so far ahead that a lot of things have changed since then. Those truths don’t apply anymore, and become myths.

As computer repair experts, we thought we’d shed some light on these common misconceptions and bust these myths. Here are the top 10 computer repair myths busted.

1. We can repair only the failed part of a whole component

Most of the time when a piece of computer hardware is failing, you’ll need a full replacement of the part. Computer users will sometimes request to replace only a small part of the component, without understanding how the hardware works. Of course, this doesn’t apply to all computer parts, some parts we can indeed fix the problem area on its own.

Small parts that require complete replacements

An example of this would be laptop video card repairs. In most laptops, the video card is mounted and embedded on the motherboard. That means that it’s impossible to take it out from the motherboard without breaking it. So a laptop video card replacement essentially means a motherboard replacement. There is an exception though, for the Apple Macbook Pro 15-inch 2011 model. The video card on this Macbook is a known issue, which created a demand for an advanced method to replace the video card on its own.

On desktop iMacs from 2012 and onwards, a cracked glass panel on the screen would also call for a complete screen replacement. It is a fragile 27-inch screen panel, and cannot be replaced on its own. This would cost at least $700 to replace the whole screen.

For laptop keyboards, even when one key is not working properly, the whole keyboard needs to be replaced. Each key cap that is mounted on the keyboard is connected to its mechanics, and replacing the single key won’t fix the problem. The key could be jammed, or have accumulated rust on its connective points. Either way, we have to replace the whole keyboard to fix a keyboard failure.

Misdiagnosis?

Sometimes users might misdiagnose their laptop problems as well and request single replacements for the wrong part. We’ve gotten requests over the phone to replace the laptop screen hinge, which is a solid metal part that is quite hard to break. It usually is either the front bezel or back cover of the screen, or the upper cover of the keyboard that is actually broken. These parts may also require complete replacement of the screen, depending on the model of laptop.

2. Batteries last forever

Contrary to some belief, laptop batteries are consumable parts. They last 2-4 years, depending on use and charging cycles. We can expect these batteries to fail just in the same way as the batteries in toys, cameras, and phones.

Failing laptops can expand, leak corrosive liquid, or even heat up quickly and catch fire. So if you notice an error message like “service battery”, or “replace battery”, it’s best you get that checked out as soon as possible.

3. You need to drain your laptop’s power before charging the battery

Laptop batteries are lithium-ion batteries, which allow you to charge it many times without harming its battery life. It will continue to hold charge even after multiple charge cycles.

Some computer users believe that it would benefit battery life to drain the laptop’s power before charging it again. There’s actually no real proof of this, and you can even leave the power cable plugged in the whole time you use the laptop as well.

4. My laptop is not turning on because of a dead battery

Unless your laptop is not plugged in and has no power, this statement is not true. A laptop does not need a working battery to turn on. As long as it has a power supply from the charging cable, it should turn on and boot up just fine.

When a laptop is not turning on at all, this would usually mean a more serious hardware issue. A part essential to the start up process may be faulty, and is causing your laptop to be unresponsive. You could likely have a hard drive or motherboard issue, or even have a faulty video card or RAM. Just remember, you probably don’t need a battery replacement when you can’t turn on your laptop.

5. Having lots of files will slow down your computer

Will having lots of files clog up your system and slow your computer down? The answer is, no. Having more files on your hard drive will only take up its storage space, and not its performance.

The thing that will slow down your computer is having lots of startup programs. These are apps that start running once you boot up your computer. This can cause slow boot up times, or slow down your computer’s performance. You can check on the impact of these startup programs from the “startup” tab of Task Manager. You may also disable these apps from starting automatically from boot up, to smooth things over.

6. A virus is making my computer go crazy

Computer viruses are often the scapegoats of computer issues. They are often blamed for most computer issues, which most of the time turn out to be a hardware issue. Most computer users don’t expect their hardware to fail, so they turn to thinking that they have a virus.

Something like the keyboard making jumbled or incorrect input or image distortions are often incorrectly thought to be virus infections. These are actually hardware failures that need replacing. A computer virus is a program that infects your OS, and can’t damage your hardware.

To be fair, computer virus infections can cause significant changes. Just not damage. Some signs of a virus infection include inappropriate pop-up windows, browser homepage changes, slow performance, and data security breaches. To combat this, make sure you’re browsing the web safely and install antivirus software to protect yourself.

7. Antivirus will stop me from having any computer virus

While antivirus can help you browse the web safely and protect your computer from viruses, there’s no guarantee. Even with a paid subscription of the best antivirus software, computer viruses today are very advanced and can be smart enough to find a way in.

Think of it this way: When we are sick, medicine or treatment from a doctor will cure your illness, but will not protect you from illness forever. Antivirus works the same way, it is definitely useful, but is not effective 100%.

8. Magnets can harm hard drives

Because of how magnets can wipe floppy disks, some continue to believe that magnets can harm other storage devices like hard drives. Hard drives are quite sturdy, and can’t fall from a magnet. Unless it gets hit by substantial force, the hard drive cannot be damaged with simple domestic magnets.

The only magnets that can destroy a hard drive are industrial-strength ones only found in labs or junkyards. These are the magnets that can distort the drive. Otherwise, the only way to wipe a drive is by using software to overwrite its memory sectors multiple times.

9. Wiping the hard drive can fix bad sectors

Wiping a hard drive can delete everything off the drive, including all the files and the OS as well. Users might come up with this idea to fix a failing hard drive, but it will not fix the drive. Bad sectors are permanently damaged parts of the hard drive.

Wiping the drive will only remove the data stored on it, but you can’t necessarily “delete” bad sectors. The only way to fix a faulty hard drive is by replacing it completely. If the damage is not that bad yet, disk repair utilities can sometimes solve some soft bad sectors, but that is not a true fix. It may only buy you another year or so on the drive, until you have to deal with it properly.

10. Only techs can fix computer issues

Just like other DIY projects, you totally can fix your computer by yourself! Most computer hardware replacements are pretty straightforward. You won’t need to get a technician to do them.

Take hard drive replacements for example — they are installed just the same way they are taken out, just by unplugging and plugging in the SATA cable. Even tech beginners can try this and nail it on their first try.

While more advanced computer repairs like motherboard or battery replacements should be left to the professionals, we do encourage DIY repairs. Not only can this save you the time and money, but the sense of accomplishment that comes with it is a pretty good feeling too.

Do your research

Computer myths that have sustained over time should definitely be debunked, as it can prevent you from diagnosing and repairing your computer properly. With a good amount of research, you should be equipped with the right tech know-how to treat your computer.

Need help with computer repairs in Sydney?

You might not all have the time or technological knowledge to deal with your computer issues on your own. That’s where we can help you out. At Safemode Computer Service, we offer the best professional computer repair services in Sydney. We can diagnose and repair computer issues like hard drive failure, liquid spill damage, and virus removal.

Located in the Inner West, our experienced technicians can help you diagnose your faulty computer in no time and offer the right advice to fix it. Call us about your computer issue, or visit our Enmore store today.

8 things to do before taking your computer to a repair shop

So your computer needs a repair. You’re thinking about taking it to a professional for help. Before that, here are some things you should do before taking it to a repair shop. To make things easier for both you and the repair technicians, you can first start with resolving any software issues by yourself. Then, you can start looking at any possible computer hardware issues that you might have. By being prepared before taking your computer to a repair show, you might be able to save yourself some money and reduce turnaround time.

1. Restart your computer

There’s a reason that IT technicians ask the question “have you tried turning it on and off again?” all the time. And there’s a good reason that you shouldn’t get annoyed by it either. Restarting your laptop or desktop computer can help refresh your system and possibly solve a number of bugs. The process unclogs stored cache on your RAM, and this can allow things to run smoother than before.

So before you do anything to your computer, try restarting it and see whether the problem goes away. After this, you can try running some simple diagnostics to find out what might be wrong in your computer.

2. Check for system updates

Another thing that could solve software issues is by updating your drivers and operating system. Manufacturers make changes to their software and OS by collecting error and incompatibility reports from users to fix them. These updates could be useful for fixing certain software issues that you may be experiencing.

Simply get your Mac or Windows computer to check for updates, or set up automatic scans for updates. Your computer will do all the work for you from there. As long as you have an internet connection, you should be able to download and install software and driver updates.

3. Back up your data

Important data should be backed up regularly, even when the computer is working fine. Disaster could strike at any moment, and it can be helpful to be prepared beforehand. Of course, you can still do this before you take your faulty computer for a repair.

If your laptop or desktop computer still turns on, you should be able to quickly back up essential data with File History or Time Machine for Mac users. Or just simply drag and drop files that you need to keep onto an external hard drive. It will come in handy when your computer is in the shop.

Alternatively, you can also use online cloud-based storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox. We also recommend multiple backups both online and offline. This gets you an extra level of security. Read about data backup in our guide “Why you should be backing up your data“.

4. Reset your system

Another way to solve software issues is by resetting your system. You can try reinstalling your OS, factory resetting your computer, or running SMC or PRAM reset on a Mac computer.

Your computer might be stuck on some unknown software issue that can be hard to figure out. Resetting your computer and giving it a clean slate could solve the problem can give you something to start anew.

Resetting a Windows computer

To reset a Windows computer, hold F8 or F11 at startup to reach the “Advanced startup options” menu. You can choose to reset the computer, or use a bootable USB to reinstall Windows OS.

Resetting an Apple Mac computer

You can choose to reinstall MacOS from MacOS Utilities. Hold down Command + R until the MacOS Recovery screen appears. Then you can choose “Reinstall MacOS”.

SMC Reset

The system management controller is a part of the logic board that controls settings related to battery and charging, the fan, and other startup settings. To perform an SMC reset, hold down Shift + Control + Option + Power button at boot for 10 seconds.

PRAM / NVRAM Reset

Similar to the SMC, this part of the Mac is responsible for storing Mac system settings and startup information. Hold down Option + Command + P + R for 20 seconds at boot to reset the PRAM and NVRAM.

At this point, we should be able to weed out some software issues that might be bugging your computer. Now would be a good time to check whether you have hardware issues that need tending to.

5. Troubleshoot and diagnose your computer

Sometimes a reset or software fixes can make your computer seemingly back to normal, but a quick diagnostic test could also be helpful. You may be able to find issues that you could possibly fix yourself, or get a better understanding on what needs to be fixed.

Pre-boot diagnostics, or Apple Diagnostics for Mac users can help you run tests on components across your device. It is a simple built-in diagnostic tool to help you find possible hardware errors on parts like your hard drive, RAM, or battery card.

Each brand of computer usually has a specific key to enter boot diagnostics. For Dell it’s F12, “Esc” for HP, and “D” for Apple, just to name a few. After running the tests, your system should also be able to give you reference codes and recommend fixes for any problems found.

Contacting online support could also be a great option if you need more guidance on this. Many computer brands offer free technical support over the phone or through online chat. They can instruct you over the phone to do basic diagnostics to determine the fault, and the next steps you can take. The wait on the phone and the whole process may be long, but it’s free, so it’s probably worth a try.

6. Check your warranty and insurance cover

Nothing is better than a free fix. Getting the computer opened up by a third party repairer while it’s still under warranty may void your warranty cover. Always check with your place of purchase to see if it’s covered by warranty before even taking it to a shop for repairs. You might also want to check your additional support cover, to make sure that you’re not missing out on a free repair.

For insured devices, your insurer may cover your repairs but they will usually need a damage report first. You can get this from a technician after they’ve checked out your computer. It may cost to get a damage report so be prepared to pay for one.

7. Get a free quote for computer repairs

Not all repair services will give free quotes, many charge a fee to diagnose the computer and give a quote before doing anything. It’s worth calling around or doing some research to find one that would give a free quote if you’re not willing to pay for one. We offer free quotes if the computer is brought to our store (T&C applies).

Getting a repair without a free quote beforehand may not be worth it, as you don’t have a clear idea of what needs to be done and how it’ll end up. So it’s much safer to choose a trusted repair service, via reviews on Google.

8. For liquid spill damage: turn the laptop upside down and remove the battery

If liquids get inside the laptop, there isn’t much you can do except put it upside down and remove the battery. This helps to drain out the liquid as much as possible, and protect yourself from electrical hazards.

Many laptops have user-replaceable batteries, which can be easily removed from the computer. Many newer models have non user-replaceable batteries so users can’t do much with it except putting it upside down.

Putting the laptop in rice or using a hair dryer to dry it is not recommended. Using a hairdryer can melt the keyboard or other parts which creates a bigger problem. Rice won’t help to undo what is already damaged and it can also get into the fan. This causes issues with the fan instead. Learn more about the dos and don’ts of laptop liquid spill damage in our guide here.

A few reminders

Keep your software license keys

There’s a chance that your data can be wiped out during the repair process. That’s why data backups are so important. You should also make sure you still have the necessary license or login information to reinstall software that you use. This might be productivity apps like Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite that require a license key to download and install. That way you won’t have to buy another subscription if you lose all your data.

Make your computer accessible

Repair technicians will usually need your password login to check your computer and make sure the repair is successful. So making your laptop or desktop computer accessible could make things run a lot smoother. Consider removing your password or changing it to a simple one, then sticking it on your device.

Ask for a rental laptop if possible

Repair services can usually offer rental laptops to use while your computer is being serviced. If you don’t have a spare laptop to use, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for a rental laptop.

Expert repairs with us

Looking for a trusted computer repair service? With our highly-rated service and 10-year experience in computers, Safemode Computer Service is here to help. We offer free quotes and diagnostics for any computer issue. Just bring your computer to our Inner West store and we can diagnose your laptop or desktop computer in no time. We are conveniently located in the Inner West Sydney suburb of Enmore, close by to Newtown and Marrickville. Bring in your computer for a repair and purchase an external hard drive, we can set up your backups free of charge. Call us or book an appointment online today!

How much does it cost to fix a computer? Computer repair costs explained

As computer repair technicians, the first thing we get asked when it comes to a faulty computer is “how much does it cost to get a computer fixed?”. The short answer to that question is, it depends on the problem. When we get calls about a computer issue and how much does it cost to get a pc fixed, we always ask them to come by our store for a quick checkup first. This gets us a clear idea of the problem for us to offer the right support solution. At our Inner West Sydney store, we offer a free quote for this checkup and quote at your convenience.

So what determines the price to repair a laptop or desktop computer? How much should a computer repair cost? Is it worth it to the computer? What can you do to fix your PC, and how much should you be charged to fix your computer?

Most of the time when you ask the big question, you rarely get an answer online or on the phone. In this guide we set out to shed some light on why repair services avoid giving their prices to the public, or over the phone. Of course, we can’t speak on behalf of other businesses, these are some general opinions and experiences from our technicians to you.

What’s involved

Let’s go through our computer repair process. As you can expect, you won’t always know the problem straight away. Even with our experience, a computer error can be caused by a range of things. When a customer brings their computer to us, we will do a quick initial test. It usually takes 5-15 minutes, sometimes up to half an hour to determine the likely cause of the issue. There is no charge for this initial test, and no repairs are actually done during the process.

Once we’ve figured out what might be causing the issue, we’ll then look up the required part’s availability and price from a supplier. This may take longer if the part is not in stock or is out of market. It will need a suitable alternative. If we don’t currently have the spare part in store, we’ll also need to look up the estimated delivery time of the part.

After gathering all this information, we’ll be able to give a quote and an approximate turn-around time for the customer. We don’t do full diagnostics at this stage, which are tests that would take more than half an hour. The initial test is solely to propose a resolution, a quote, and an estimate for turn-around time. Sometimes we may not know the exact part model that is needed, but we’d know the approximate price for the repair. We wouldn’t want a customer to have to wait more than an hour to know what’s wrong with their computer either.

Complications with computer repairs

There can be times that we get it wrong after an initial test, we’re only human after all. Sometimes our proposed resolution does not fix the problem completely. The issue may go away for a while, and turn up again after a few days. While we do tests after repairing to make sure it is fixed, it may take more than one attempt to repair a recurring issue.

Some problems are just that complicated and take time to fix. This is where our guarantees come in. We offer a 90-day warranty on the reported problem: if the same issue returns within this period, we will fix it again for free. No fix, no fee — if we can’t fix the problem at all, we will give a full refund.

Have a read of our pricing and FAQ page for more information. We explain more about our prices and guarantees, where you may understand more about our process.

How much does a computer repair cost, really?

That’s quite a loaded question. A computer repair can cost differently depending on where you go to get it serviced, and what the problem is. Different places can charge you more for the same kind of labour at another. Or, the repair solution from different spots may be different for the same issue, and can cost you more or less. Prices can vary and there are many factors that could affect the price.

Factors that could affect the price to repair a computer

We don’t know what the problem is yet

It’s quite common that the reported issue turns out to be another issue. Customers do tell us about an issue on their computers, and after testing, it comes out as something very different.

When we’re confident about our diagnosis after testing, that’s when we give prices. Otherwise, misdiagnosis or giving a quote for the wrong repair would not be helpful. This is why an in-store check up is so important. An accurate diagnosis and support solution can save you from wasting money on a wrong solution.

Supplier’s prices can change

A part of the price to fix a computer is determined by the prices of spare computer parts needed. Suppliers may change their prices and this also affects our overall price to fix the computer.

The condition of the computer may be different from what’s reported on the phone

If the condition reported over the phone is different when it actually is, it’s difficult to gauge the damage and how extensive the problem is. That’s why we don’t give a price over the phone. We’ll need to see the actual computer and then see what we can do for you.

Big brands like Apple and Microsoft don’t disclose their prices to the public. In fact, most companies don’t, and there’s a good reason for it. Obviously we want to provide the right service for the right price, and having a consistent process is what gets it done.

Why don’t companies disclose computer repair prices to the public?

Financial concerns

It is not financially beneficial for companies to give prices over the phone: companies can’t charge consumers for giving quotes over the phone. You’ll likely lose customers immediately if you want to charge just to give a quote over the phone so every company would probably avoid that. Thus, practically no company would have staff to just go through details and give quotes for repairs for free.

Incorrect pricing

There are hundreds of different computer models that contain different parts. These do come with different problems, of course. With this, we have to properly check the computer to understand the problem, then look up prices with suppliers.

Without going through all these steps, the technician will likely give wrong prices to customers which then lead to unhappy experiences. To avoid giving incorrect prices, it is common practice to check on the computer beforehand.

Not all repairs are the same

Customers are different, and their computers are different too. We’re not just talking about separate computer models here, two computers of the same model could also be different too.

When you’ve used your laptop or desktop computer for quite a while, you’ve probably accumulated some apps and programs and have personalised settings for your convenience. Sometimes the computer technician needs to find a customised solution to suit a customer’s needs over a general approach to fix the problem. With that said, we then can’t give a general quote for all repairs, even of the same part. Some might require more attention and a different approach.

Even so, there are times where the problem is obvious and prices can be made to the public. For example, Apple lists prices for battery replacements for certain models of Mac computers, iPhones, and iPads on their support site. Some phone repairers list their prices to the public for obvious issues that do not need any testing to confirm. When it’s a direct and obvious issue, you can probably get an estimated price to repair it. Still, it’s a good idea to get it checked out first. You can always choose not to do it anyway.

Things you can do to reduce your cost to fix your computer

Let’s face it, our laptops and desktop computers do not last forever and you’ll have to get it fixed either way. When we think about how much it costs to fix a computer, we’ll also be thinking about how to get it done cheaper.

There are a few ways to reduce the cost, by making sure that you’re not getting extra unnecessary repairs that you could’ve been prepared for. This includes backing up your data from time to time, and not leaving things to the last minute.

Data backups

Keeping regular backups of your data will not only reduce the cost to fix a computer but will also reduce turn-around time significantly. Technicians won’t need to worry about data loss while working on the computer, giving them less work to do. For a hard drive failure, you might not need data recovery done either.

Setting up data backup can take less than a minute to do so with TimeMachine on Apple Macs and File History on Windows laptops and desktop computers. It is dead easy, and a healthy computing habit that we recommend every computer user to keep.

Don’t leave things to the last minute

This goes for almost everything in life, really. Computer repairs can take a while, and urgent repairs aren’t always available. When you really do need it done as soon as possible, be prepared to pay a premium price. So, plan ahead and be prepared. Repair services often offer a rental laptop while your computer is in the shop, if you’re worried about not having a spare computer to use in the meantime.

What to know how long it takes to repair a computer? This is also something we get asked a lot. Turn-around time, like the cost to repair a computer, can also depend on a range of factors. Learn more about how we sometimes can’t promise an urgent repair in our guide here.

Generally a premium product like Apple iMacs and Macbooks will cost more to purchase, and naturally cost more to fix too. Cars are generally the same: a Mercedes will cost more to buy and more for regular maintenance services than a Toyota.

Newer laptop models (ones with retina display, 4K screen, butterfly keyboard) will also cost significantly more to fix. This is because of its compact, sophisticated design, which calls for a higher cost for parts. Most hardware repairs such as the keyboard, screen on these new models can cost at least $400-$500 (as of 2020), it can go over easily if it’s a major issue. Those Macbook retina screens are stunning, but it will cost easily $700+ to replace if it is cracked. A computer’s repairability is also something you should be thinking about, when buying a new laptop or desktop computer.

Getting a professional repair with us

We’re here to help. At Safemode Computer Service, our experienced technicians can help you find the right repair solution for your laptop or desktop computer. Our services are highly-rated in Sydney, where we are located in the Inner West. We can help you with any computer upgrade and repair related issue, and offer a free quote. No hard feelings if you don’t go with us, we can still advise you with your laptop or desktop computer. Come by our Enmore store or make an appointment with us today!

Startup repair not working: How to fix boot up issue

Your laptop or desktop computer has built-in mechanisms to test and fix itself as much as it can. This includes data repairs or software updates. It is a very smart machine, after all. When you’re having problems with booting up your computer, startup repair is one of the options you can do to solve them. But if the hardware problems are too far gone, startup repair might not be able to help you. Then it might be time to look for a replacement solution.

Problems with computer boot up can usually be traced back to a faulty hard drive. As the main storage drive, your local C drive is used as a boot drive that contains all the information needed for boot up and your operating system. When the hard drive fails, information needed for boot up might be inaccessible. Your computer will not be able to boot properly if this happens.

Startup repair

Startup repair is a Windows recovery tool that fixes certain system issues to do with Windows startup. It can be found at the “Advanced startup options” menu. This menu usually comes up when Windows 8 / 10 laptop or desktop computer users have trouble booting to Windows. To reach startup repair: Advanced startup options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup repair. Your computer may ask for administrator credentials at this step. Then it will do its thing to diagnose and repair what it can.

Startup repair not working

Startup repair might be able to fix your problem and boot the computer successfully again. If not, you might find yourself in a few of these scenarios:

• Startup repair infinite loop
• “Startup repair” couldn’t repair your PC”
• Start up repair taking forever

The tool can only do so much to repair system issues, and not all the issues on your hard drive. When boot up is disrupted or unsuccessful, it can mean that the damage to the hard drive has become intolerable beyond repair. This may be from physical damage or an accumulation of bad sectors on the drive. Data may be corrupted, or lost, and that will cause problems with boot up and the performance of the drive as well.

Why do hard drives fail?

Hard drives generally last 2-5 years, depending on how you use it, or the type of the drive. They do unfortunately inevitably fail over time. The main culprit for this is the accumulation of too many bad sectors. Bad sectors cause damage to hard drives bit by bit and adds to the eventual failure of the drive.

Caused by either physical damage or software errors, bad sectors can be repaired or marked to be skipped over. A traditional hard disk drive makes use of spinning platters and read / write arms to work, and these moving parts are vulnerable to physical damage. It’s also impossible to manufacture a flawless drive, so a hard drive will always come with a small amount of bad sectors. Shutting off the power while the drive is writing information, or improper app uses will also create soft bad sectors. They will gradually pile up and cause hard drive failure.

How to fix startup repair infinite loop

Now that we understand why the startup repair process gets stuck or fails, we can start to look at other solutions for the issue. This begins with testing your hard drive for issues and replacing it as a solution.

1. Using Windows diagnostic tools to test your hard drive

Just like startup repair, Windows computers has other built-in diagnostic tools for you to test your system. Tools like chkdsk and boot diagnostics can be used as a basic test for your hard drive. It will depend on whether you can get your computer to boot to Windows though, as some of these options launch as a Windows app.

Pre-boot

If you’re still stuck at boot up and can’t start your computer properly, boot diagnostics can help you test your hardware. This tool can help you run diagnostics on computer hardware and look for issues that require your attention. Components like the processor fan, battery, and your hard drive are tested for any possible hardware faults.

You’ll need the specific key used to enter the diagnostics option from the startup menu. For your specific brand of computer, this might be “ESC” key for HP, “F12” for Dell laptops, “Enter” key for Lenovo laptops, and “D” key for Apple Macs. Restart your laptop or desktop computer, then hold this key when you reach the logo splash screen.

After running diagnostics, your system will report found issues with an error message and a reference code. These codes may be specific to your computer’s brand as well. They can help you do further research on the issue reported, or be used when you report the issue to online support.

After booting to Windows

If you can get your computer to boot successfully to Windows, you may use chkdsk to test your hard drive. Chkdsk is a simple but very useful tool that tests for and attempt repairs on hard drive errors.

Chkdsk can be run as a command prompt or from the “tools” tab of the drive properties window. It can repair soft bad sectors and isolate hard bad sectors to be skipped over. If you run chkdsk every now and then, it can help to prevent premature hard drive failure.

Other than chkdsk, you may also choose to use pre-installed support apps specific to your computer’s brand. You can usually find these software as a built-in app. They may be more specialised to your computer’s model and can help you find online support solutions as well.

Want to read more from specialised guides about testing hard drives of different computer brands? We cover running hard drive diagnostics of Dell, HP, and Apple laptops and desktop computers.

2. Running dedicated hard drive support software

Using hard disk analysis software is also another option if you can’t boot successfully to Windows. Or you don’t quite find boot diagnostics to be sufficient. That’s where software such as WD Data Lifeguard and SeaTools can help you.

You won’t need your current computer to do this, so you don’t need to worry about booting to Windows or installing software on it. You do need a separate desktop computer and a USB to SATA enclosure box though. This method involves taking out the drive and testing it on a desktop computer via the USB to SATA enclosure. The enclosure box is also powered by a separate power source. All this ensures proper isolation for the drive, separate from any factors that might affect the test process and results.

By doing so with hard drive analysis software, you can truly thoroughly test your hard drive for issues that are causing your boot up issues. They often offer two options: quick test, and extended test. These tests will usually take longer than previously mentioned Windows tools.

3. Choose a replacement hard drive

If you’re getting boot up error messages, it’s likely that your drive is getting too damaged to repair. Even if you can boot up after using disk checkup software, the drive will continue to sustain damage and fail again. So getting a hard drive replacement could be an equally quick and lasting solution.

Getting to know your drive

When choosing a new replacement drive, it might be a good idea to use your current drive as a reference point. Note down your hard drive model number with the following methods, for further research:

From Device Manager, you can find properties of the drive under “Disk Drives”. You may also find the model number from entering BIOS setup from the startup menu as mentioned earlier. Another practical method is by simply opening up your computer and looking for the model number on the drive’s label.

Using your current drive as a reference can help you decide what you’re looking for. Some criteria to look out for when you’re considering a new hard drive include: form factor, capacity, and speeds.

Form factor

The physical size of the hard drive is what we call its form factor. Getting the right dimensions is important of course, or else the drive won’t fit in your system, naturally. There are only two sizes for consumer-grade hard drives, so you probably won’t make that mistake. Laptop hard drives come in a 2.5-inch size, and desktop computer hard drives are 3.5-inches each. This measurement is roughly the diameter of the platters within the drive.

2.5-inch drives are more compact to fit inside laptops. Because of this, it may not work as powerful as 3.5-inch desktop ones when installed on a desktop computer.

Capacity

After the drive’s physical size, then comes its virtual size. That is, how much data it can hold. As mentioned above, think about how much storage space you normally space and what you need.

For larger files like photography projects or movies, you might want to get upwards to 1TB or more. Otherwise, personal use of documents and music should only need 500GB or so.

Speed

The speed, or performance of the drive is determined by how fast the platters spin for reading and writing. This is represented in the RPM (revolutions-per-minute) of the drive. Consumer-grade hard drives usually come in either 5400RPM or 7200RPM. The faster the drive spins, the faster the read and write speeds.

The obvious choice may be the faster drive, but that might not be so. Moving parts within the drive need to be powered, and higher speeds might draw more power from the system. So for a slightly more balanced experience, some may choose to use a 5400RPM drive.

Upgrading to an SSD

What if you don’t want to have to replace your hard disk every 3 years or so? Using an SSD as a boot drive might be a more reliable and long-lasting choice for you. Solid-state drives don’t contain any moving parts that need to be powered, and generally are more durable than traditional hard drives. It also offers a more balanced experience that doesn’t sacrifice speed or power use. Learn more about the pros and cons of upgrading to an SSD in our guide here.

4. Install the new drive yourself

Replacing your hard drive yourself is almost an idiot-proof process that you can do yourself. We always encourage DIY projects, when it comes to computer hardware repairs that you can save money on. You won’t need that many tools either!

If you’re looking for guides more specific to your computer model, popular tech guide ifixit might be able to help you. They offer all sorts of repair guides for tech hardware that are tailored to different computer models.

5. Install Windows

To use your new drive as a boot drive, you’ll need to install Windows OS on it again. Using a USB installation media is a simple way to do this. All you need to do is download a Windows installation media onto a USB with at least 16GB space. Then boot from the drive, and you’re all set. Alternatively, you may also use recovery media of your system along with backed up files as well.

A final word

Like most things in this material world, hard drives do not last very long. Still, there are things you could do to keep you from catastrophic data loss or corruption. Things like proper shutdown processes or keeping regular backups are both healthy computing habits to keep. Running checkup apps from time to time can also help you get a read on the health of your hard drive.

Professional repairs

Thinking about taking your computer to a professional instead? An authorised service centre or a third party repair should be what you’re thinking of. Both are options that can ease your troubles of having to take time out of your busy schedule to do things yourself.

An authorised service centre can usually offer free support services if you’re still under care or warranty. These support solutions are specialised to the brand and model of your laptop or desktop computer. If you’re unable to get support from them, or your device’s warranty has expired, a third party repair might be the way for you.

That’s us! Our experienced and helpful technicians at Safemode Computer Service can get you the right hard drive solution for you. We are situated in Inner West Sydney, at a very convenient location surrounded by Marrickville and Newtown. Our repair services are highly rated among Sydney, and we can offer a top-to-bottom checkup and solution for your faulty hard drive. Make an appointment at our Enmore store today.

Why motherboard failures are so hard to test and repair

If we think of a computer as a living being, the motherboard would be the nerve centre that connects everything else together. These components include the processor, storage, video card, and so on. The brain of the computer, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) then decides what to do with all the information and signals passed along through the motherboard.

So a motherboard failure would mean problems with other components connected, thus harming the entire performance of the computer. With the nerve centre down, the brain cannot work properly to send signals to the rest of the system.

Such failure will usually cause the computer to stop working suddenly and can be very frustrating to test and repair as well. Motherboard repairs or replacements are known as the hardest repairs to perform. For most laptops, the entire board including the CPU will need to be replaced if any faults are found on the motherboard. These faults may range from overheating damage or blown capacitors.

With that said, any suspicions about motherboard failure should be tested thoroughly to make a diagnosis. By testing, you may conclude that the motherboard is indeed faulty. Or, you may find that it is completely fine and that you have other hardware issues that is the actual cause of your problems.

Before we start with how you can test for motherboard issues, let’s find out what usually causes these failures and what you can do to protect it. Understanding why these things happen can be helpful to find the right solution to the issue.

What is a motherboard?

A motherboard (known as logic board for Apple devices) is a crucial part of a computer. It is the circuit board where all components of the system is plugged into. As an input / output system, the motherboard is where interactions within the computer happens. Each motherboard model may differ from each other, from its form factor to where each component is fitted.

The three main components that makes your computer work is the processor (CPU), storage (hard drive and RAM), and the motherboard. All three parts must work together to create a smooth computing experience for the user.

The processor and storage, along with other components such as the keyboard and video card are connected via the motherboard. Then the CPU works out how things interact, and the motherboard passes along this information to each component. So without the motherboard, things can’t work together, and nothing will end up operating.

What happens when a motherboard stops working

With a motherboard failure, components can’t interact with each other. This generally leads to unexpected system crashes, or complete computer failure. There usually aren’t many early warnings to prevent such faults, as your system will just stop working without a functioning motherboard. The main thing you can do is to find out what’s really causing your issues, and then get a repair.

Causes of motherboard failure

Overheating

All components, including the motherboard, need to be cooled consistently to work properly. Components like the CPU and video card generate a lot of heat. If this heat is not dispersed, it will create significant damage to the motherboard. The cooling system of your computer keeps the temperature at the right limit. This prevents further damage from overheating.

So if the cooling system is unable to work properly, the motherboard will be at risk of overheating. Overheating can occur from faulty cooling fans, or from dust buildup that traps heat. This can cause connecting points or parts of the board to warp.

Liquid spill

Knocking over a drink on a laptop is surely one of the greatest human fears of the modern age. While other components can suffer damage from a liquid spill, the motherboard will be the first thing to go. Liquids can cause significant damage to the intricate connection points of the motherboard and cause eventual failure.

If you find yourself in this situation, the first thing you should do is to remove the laptop from its power source. Unprofessional treatment and cleaning like using a hair dryer to dry the laptop can cause further unwanted damage.

Natural wear and tear

Laptops can generally last pretty long, until any one component starts to fail. Long term use can affect the condition of the motherboard, but the actual failure of it is quite impossible to predict. Still, considering the lifespan of other components, long-term use can cause a motherboard to fail.

How to protect motherboard from damage

Keep ventilation outlets clear

Fans can only work properly with clear ventilation outlet for proper air flow. Using your laptop on top of cloth surfaces or with any blocked ventilation can escalate the heat buildup. Keeping the outlets clear and clean of any dust that can block airflow can promise proper laptop cooling.

Bust the dust

It’s safe to say that dust in any situation is not ideal. Dust that is collected inside your computer can trap heat. This trapped heat means extra work for the computer fan that it may not be able to handle.

Not to worry that much though, you don’t need to clean your computer too often. Cleaning your laptop or desktop computer once a year should be sufficient to prevent excessive dust buildup.

Make sure your cooling system is in shape

Having an efficient cooling system means that your computer can work properly at the right temperature. Having a laptop or desktop computer that is always running too hot might mean that your fan can’t keep up with the heat.

You can run diagnostics to check on the status of your cooling system. You can do this with built-in system diagnostics or pre-boot diagnostics. This can help you keep everything in tiptop shape.

How to test for motherboard failure

Unfortunately, the motherboard is one of the hardest components to test and repair. There’s no specific test to directly find motherboard failures. The only way is by eliminating other possible hardware issues. By doing a little sleuthing, you’ll be able to find out whether the motherboard is the culprit behind your hardware issues.

Before we begin

Depending on the status of your computer, there are a few steps you may be able to skip, or will still need to do. This includes whether or not your computer passes POST, and whether certain components are built into the motherboard or not.

Computer POST

POST (power-on self test) is a test that a computer performs to make sure everything is working fine before booting up. If the computer passes POST, then boot up will continue, where the logo splash screen will appear. The computer will not start up at all if it doesn’t pass POST.

After your computer passes POST, you’ll need to test your hard drive, RAM, and GPU. If not, you’ll only need to test your RAM and GPU.

Built-in components

Most laptops these days have built-in GPU, some also have built-in RAM chips. These are built-in onto the motherboard. If you are able to diagnose issues on the built-in components, it’s almost certain that the motherboard is also faulty.

Now we can begin testing for motherboard failure by eliminating other hardware issues.

Testing for hard drive issues

Considering that your computer passes POST, you’ll need to run tests on the hard drive. When you reach the splash screen during boot you can run diagnostics by pressing a specific key to your computer’s brand. That’s “Esc” for HP, “F12” for Dell, “Enter” for Lenovo, and “D” for Apple. Be sure to use the right key to your system.

Boot diagnostics will run tests on hardware components to find any problems. You’ll be able to find potential problems with your hard drive, along with other components too.

If your computer boots successfully to Windows, you may use chkdsk or dedicated hard drive analysis software. Apple Mac users may use Disk Utility First Aid or specific hard drive analysis software for Mac.

Chkdsk / First Aid

Both chkdsk and First Aid can attempt repairs or mark bad sectors to be skipped. Even if your hard drive isn’t the root of your current problem, these disk checking tools can be useful in preventing premature disk failures. So it may be a good idea to keep regular disk checking practices.

Dedicated hard drive analysis software

Software like SeaTools for Windows and WD Drive Utilities for Mac is used to perform quick or extended tests on hard drives. These free tools can diagnose and attempt repairs on issues found on the hard drive.

To use this test method, you’ll need to connect your hard drive to another desktop computer via a SATA to USB enclosure box. Then, the enclosure powers the hard drive from a separate power source to keep the drive isolated for thorough testing.

If you find that your hard drive is working fine, you may check it off the suspect list and move on to the next component. However, if you do find issues on your hard drive, we can also help you find the right repair solution. Read our guides on how to test and repair a hard drive for Dell, HP, or Apple laptops or desktops.

Testing for RAM issues

RAM comes in two forms on a computer. It can come in stick form that is connected to the motherboard, or as built-in chips on the motherboard. Depending on the model of your laptop or desktop computer, the RAM test method can vary.

For desktop computers both Windows and Apple (iMac and Mac Mini), RAM can be removed and tested for issues. Most Windows laptops have removable RAM as well. Most Apple laptops from 2012 and onward have their RAM chips built-in onto the motherboard. You can check whether your RAM is separate or built-in on the motherboard by looking up the specs of your device, or simply open your computer to take a look.

Testing RAM when your computer passes POST

Both separate and built-in RAM can be tested with boot diagnostics if your computer does pass POST. You may also run RAM test software like MemTest86 if your computer boots up successfully. Both methods can find possible issues with your computer memory.

You may move on to the next component test if you do not find any issues with your RAM. If you do find issues with your built-in RAM, then you can conclude that you have a motherboard failure. This is because the built-in RAM is part of the motherboard.

Testing RAM when your computer does not pass POST

If your computer does not POST at all, you’ll need to test for RAM issues with a spare stick of RAM. This involves checking to see whether the problem remains even with a different RAM stick put in. If your computer passes POST with this other RAM, then you’ve got a RAM failure. Otherwise, you might have a motherboard issue if the computer still doesn’t pass POST. Note that you can’t use this method for built-in RAM.

Testing for GPU issues

Most laptops and Apple desktop Macs have their video cards built into the motherboard these days. Windows desktop computers do have separate video cards.

If your video card is built-into the motherboard and your computer does not POST, there’s no way to test it. If it does POST and you do find issues with the built-in GPU, then there is a problem with the motherboard.

How to test for GPU issues

To test your video card, you can use boot diagnostics and analysis software like FurMark (Geeks 3D). This is for situations where your laptop or desktop does successfully boot.

The only way to test the video card if your computer does not post is when it is separate from the motherboard. You can do this by testing removing the GPU and testing it on a different desktop computer.

Two outcomes will conclude that you have a motherboard failure: All other components other than the motherboard have passed their diagnostic tests; or you diagnose issues with a component built into the motherboard. Now you can start thinking about a repair solution.

Replacing a faulty motherboard

Now that you’ve confirmed that your motherboard is faulty, you’ll need a replacement.

Buying a motherboard replacement

Motherboards are complex pieces of hardware, and different models of motherboards only fit specific computer models. Because of its form factor and configurations, you can’t necessarily “upgrade to a better motherboard”. Each motherboard essentially works the same as a circuit board for your system. So you may want to buy the exact same motherboard model as a replacement for the faulty one.

You can find the motherboard model number in the specs of your device, and look for that exact same model in-store or online. Branded ones like Apple, HP, Dell, and Lenovo have universal model part numbers that you can look for online. For brands that do not have specific part numbers like Acer and Asus, you’ll need to do a little close searching to find the right motherboard replacement.

Replacing your motherboard by yourself?

For the technologically-adept, replacing a motherboard by yourself can be the repair solution for you. However, a motherboard replacement is one of the most complicated computer repair jobs to do, and a DIY solution can be very tricky. This is true even for us, as experienced technicians.

Due to the intricate parts and connecting points of a motherboard, everything on the computer will have to be taken out and put back in for this repair. Such a challenging repair usually has a 70-80% success rate. So even if you are keen on DIY projects, you might still want to put this in the safe hands of professionals.

Still, for the ones confident in a DIY repair, you can find motherboard replacement guides online. Popular tech site ifixit offers repair guides for specific computer models, you’ll surely find the right guide for you there 👍

Professional repairs

Don’t want to do all this work? Leave it to the professionals. You might not have all the tools needed, or even the time to go through all the steps. That’s where a professional repair technician can help you. It’s still a good idea to have an understanding of the entire test and repair process though.

You can get specialised professional support and repair at an an authorised service centre for possibly no fee, if you are still under warranty or accident care cover. For this reason, you may want to check your warranty before you take your computer there. You might still be able to get support with an expired warranty for a fee. If not, a third-party repair service is your only option. Apple users with computers from 2012 and before will also need to seek advice third-party repair services, as Apple may not provide support solutions for them.

As an established computer repair service in Inner West Sydney, we at Safemode Computer Service can help you with your motherboard problems :) With 20,000 repairs under our belts, our experienced technicians understand how difficult motherboard repairs can be, and treat them with precision and care. Situated in the vibrant Inner West suburb of Enmore, surrounded by Marrickville and Newtown, we could be a closer option for you if live in Inner West Sydney. We can help you thoroughly test your laptop or desktop computer and offer the right repair advice and solution.

Got any questions for us? Call us to make an appointment or come by our Enmore store today.