5 Things to Think About Before You Repair Your Laptop : Notebook laptop shopping sale online

5 Things to Think About Before You Repair Your Laptop
by Justin Anderson

plug itIf you're anything like me, you use your laptop a lot. I use mine for work and play and when it gets damaged or broken it can cause me a fair amount of stress. Not having access to my files can really put me in a bind at work and I have tons of photos and music that I would hate to lose.
The thought of putting your laptop in someone else's hands, even to have it repaired, often only add to the stress of the situation. In an effort to help you be better informed about the subject, here are 5 things to consider before you make the important decision to get your laptop repaired.

#1 Backup Your Data. It goes without saying that you should backup your data regularly to guard against loss in the event that your laptop does get damaged or broken. If your laptop can't be turned on it becomes pretty difficult to retrieve any files, but there are some laptop repair services that can recover them.

#2 Repair or Replace? Sometimes it's hard to know if it's even worth it to repair a broken laptop rather than just buying a new one. If you have a bad LCD screen, a severely damaged case or a broken motherboard, it's probably time to get something new. Considering how low prices are for a new laptop these days, it's might not be best to spend $300 to $700 for a major repair.

#3 Repair Cost. Many repairs are simple and usually cost a flat rate of around $50 to $100. Powerjacks, keyboards and hard drives fall into this category. If you can, find out what the rates are for the kind of repair you need before you hand your laptop over to a repair outfit. You may be surprised at the high repair 'estimates' you get from places that don't use a flat rate system.

#4 Unnecessary Repair. Beware of high repair costs due to mis-diagnosis. For instance, if the problem lies with the motherboard, that doesn't always mean the whole motherboard needs to be replaced. Often all that's needed is to replace a bad capacitor, which costs a lot less. Make sure the repair service you choose is able to diagnose and repair laptops at the component level to avoid getting slammed with an unnecessarily large repair bill.

#5 Choosing a Repair Service. Along with the things I've already mentioned, something else to keep in mind is the kind of repair service you choose. You should try and find a place that specializes on laptop repair, rather than an electronics store or your local computer repair shop. Your best bet is to use the internet to find a laptop repair site that offers plenty of information about their services and rates. They will have much better prices than a local service, even taking into account the cost of shipping.

When choosing a repair service, don't be afraid to call them up and ask questions. Finding a service that offers a customer account area enabling a line of communication during the repair process is a big plus too. The key is to find out as much as you can so you can make an informed decision. I hope this short article has helped point you in the right direction.