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Category: TheTechworx.com IT Support

For your convenience. before contacting us regarding your laptop, it will help you to go through the following checklist to either identify the problem so that you can resolve and repair it yourself or arrange a repair or consultation with us on 01892 255 150 / 01580 444 251

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My laptop screen is smashed or cracked, can it be repaired?

A cracked laptop screen (which is known as LCD) leaves very few options. The best solution is having a laptop covered under warranty. In cases which owners have attempted to repair or replace the screen themselves, often further damage to the cables and system boards is caused. If you have a broken laptop screen, let the professionals at TheTechworx.com save you from causing further damage to your laptop.

Typically, the repair or replacement cost for a laptop screen starts at £95.00 including pickup and delivery and the turnaround is normally within 5 days.

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My laptop is dead, can it be repaired?

Our first suggestion would be to follow these simple instructions;

  1. Remove power adapter/power from your laptop
  2. Remove the main battery pack from your laptop (for a minimum of 2 minutes)
  3. Hold the on/off button for 30 seconds (this resets the power manager on most units)
  4. Connect main power ac adapter back to your laptop (leaving the battery out)
  5. Turn the unit back on
  6. If it turns on, proceed to the main window and shut the laptop back down, connect the battery, switch back on and resume

If there is still no sign of life, please contact us!

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My screen Iis not working, can it be repaired?

  • Is the screen flickering?, does it come on periodically when you move the screen back and forward?. If yes, you need to log a job with us.
  • Can you see a faint image but the screen is still dark, that is more than likely the backlight that has failed and needs investigating by a qualified engineer.
  • If you are not on the mains, does your battery have enough power? Always worth checking the power.
  • Has your screen been disabled electronically, usually Fn/F5 toggles between internal and external monitor settings (refer to your user manual).
  • If you haven't done this already, go through the steps outlined in My laptop is dead

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My laptop screen flickers / My laptop screen is faint

  • Has it been flickering for a while, does it come on periodically when you move the screen backwards and forwards?. If yes, you need to log a job with us.
  • Can you see a faint image but the screen is still dark, that is more than likely the backlight that has failed and needs investigating by a qualified engineer.
  • If lightly tapping the screen or gently moving it backwards and forwards brings it back to life, you again need to seek help.

This problem can only be correctly diagnosed by an experienced engineer.

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My Laptop smells funny, what's wrong?!

  • Has someone spilt something on the keyboard? Milky tea for instance will not start smelling until the milk goes off. Your machine may appear to work still but it needs to be checked out to reduce further damage.
  • Has the machine been recently serviced or cleaned? If the processor fan is blocked, the built up dust will start to smell.
  • If it is a burning smell, disconnect from the mains immediately, and remove the battery. Do not try to shut down the machine to save documents and you could cause further unnecessary damage. Do not attempt to use it until it has been fixed!

Any of these problems can only be correctly diagnosed/resolved by an experienced engineer.

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Help! I've spilt a drink on my Laptop

  • It depends on how much and what you have spilt on your laptop. Sugary liquids are highly corrosive and the longer you delay seeking the help of an experienced engineer, the higher the chances that damage will occur.
  • If you have spilt a small amount of liquid and the laptop seems fine, we would recommend sending it in for inspection to understand the extent of the damage. Be proactive rather than wait for your machine to stop working when you need it most.
  • If you have spilt a large quantity i.e. whole cup of tea, disconnect from the mains immediately, and remove the battery. Do not try to shut down the machine to save documents as you could cause further unnecessary damage. Do not attempt to use it until it has been assessed.

Best course of action is to call us to speak to one of our team for their advice.

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My Laptop is making funny noises

There are 4 causes to a laptop making noises:

  1. The hard drive as it is a mechanical object and is constantly spinning like a CD and could be failing. You need to run a backup immediately or turn it off and seek specialist help before you lose all your important data.
  2. Processor fans work depending on the temperature of the laptop. Over time, dust build up can cause a loud fan noise, just like fins on a cooling fan you might have on your desk. Just a simple clean should do the trick. Sometimes, the processor fan with age will become noisier, just like a car engine and does not always need replacing.
  3. The system board could be failing as some on-board chips can squeak or hiss as they start to fail.
  4. Otherwise, it is possible your speakers could be damage due to high volume use or feedback through a microphone or you might be hearing audio without realising i.e. multiple websites open, some play music/adverts at the same time.

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My Laptop seems to be getting really hot

Think about it. Have you ever had your laptop on your lap before to notice how hot it can become? Laptops do get hot - some go up to 50°C which is the comfortable temperature you wash your hands under but your legs are not used to that kind of temperature, a bit like checking the heat of a bath with your hand is okay but very hot elsewhere.

If however, you have noticed recently that it is getting hotter than usual, check to see if something is obstructing the fan outlet located at the side or back of the unit. If the fan is not working properly, it will get hotter.

If the fan outlet is clear, then you need to seek help from an experienced engineer.

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My Laptop keeps powering off

It can be one of the following problems;

  1. Your operating system is either infected with a virus or has become corrupt where it is telling itself to shut down. This can include when starting up and your laptop being in a continuous reboot mode. Our advise is to backup all your data and contact us.
  2. The processor fan is obstructed so the processor overheats and the laptop shuts itself down to protect from further damage. It needs to be assessed by a specialist.
  3. Your power port maybe damaged and when the power adapter is wiggled, you will have an interupted power supply and shorting issue - seek immediate advice.
  4. A DC controller problem - this is where your 'power plant' has become damaged i.e. the part that is responsible for controlling where electrical current flows to each part of the laptop, caused by a faulty battery, power adapter, DC port or even lightning striking in your proximity.
  5. Someone might have dropped your laptop and could have fractured a part of the system board and therefore when its moved, it can shut down.

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I'm getting the message "No operating system found"

This can be down to one of the following three issues;

  1. Check to see if a USB flash drive is in one of your ports, or CD/DVD is in the optical drive. If so, simply remove it.
  2. Then its down to hardware issues. Scarily your hard drive may have failed. If you are concerned about the hard drive failing as you haven't backed up your data, we have a high success rate to recover your data and place it onto media or your choice.
  3. Finally, your system board maybe faulty in which case the machine might be too expensive to repair but your data should be intact and we are able to save it for you. In either case, you will need to seek help from a specialist.

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My keyboard, mouse or touchpad is not working

Common problems for keyboard;

  • Keys have broken off.
  • Keyboard not working due to spillage.
  • Some keys not working due to debris/foreign objects.

We can collect your laptop FREE of charge and once inspected by our expert engineers, we will contact you with our quote. If you do not want to go ahead with the repair, it will only cost £25.00 which covers our inspection time and return delivery.

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I get a beeping noise when I turn the Laptop on

Check to see if any of the keys on the keyboard are being held down. If not, you will need to seek help from a specialist.

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My battery doesn't seem to hold a charge

If your battery doesn't seem to be holding a charge, there are a few steps to determine whether or not you need a new one. Simply because there is a green light on, does not mean that there is a full charge. Check you battery status indicator on the task bar to see the percentage charged being shown. Then test the battery by running either a DVD or CD to see how long the battery lasts.

When your battery only lasts 30 minutes or less of laptop power, it's time for a new one. Don't sacrifice quality for price - Just because you’re getting a good price, doesn't mean that you’re getting a good battery. Contact us for a quote on a new laptop battery.

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I think I may have a virus on my Laptop

If you do not have full antivirus protection and you then become infected, you may be able to remove the virus and yes there are tools out there that will promise you the earth to remove any virus but to be honest, once you are infected with a bad virus such as a Trojan or Ripper, you will never know how much untold damage there is on your machine.

If you are struggling or not sure what to do, please contact us!

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My Laptop is blue screening

There are 3 main causes to your laptop blue screening, alternatively known as BSOD (blue screen of death);

  1. You have a corrupt system file within your operating system
  2. Your hard drive may be faulty
  3. It's rarer but also faulty memory (RAM) can cause this issue

For problem number 1, you will need to reinstall your operating system from scratch using your recovery CD's. Before reinstalling your operating system, you need to back-up your data or else it will be lost when you start the recovery. This is a more common issue which can cause laptop blue screening or laptop screen flickering.

For problem number 2, it's hard to say how bad an issue with a faulty hard drive is without having a professional diagnose it. However, there is a simple windows tool you can use to check the status of the hard drive. Simply click on 'My Computer' then right click your local disk so you can click on 'Properties'. Then click on the 'Tools' tab and click the 'Check Now' button under Error Checking. This tool is not 100% accurate to detect weak sectors that can cause data corruption on the HDD but, it's a start.

If following this process is too difficult, please contact us so that we can help walk you through it, or provide you with simpler advice. If your hard drive is faulty, you will need a new one and you will also need your recovery CD's to allow you to reinstall your operation system from scratch.

Problem number 3 happens to be a rare laptop fault. It is typically diagnosed by an engineer, so it is best to allow an expert to help you with this laptop repair.

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The CDRW/DVD/Blu-Ray drive isn't working

If after you put in a DVD or CD to the drive in your laptop and you do not hear anything or in fact hear a horrible crunching sound then your optical drive might have become faulty. There is no rhyme nor reason to this, they are mechanical and can fail at anytime, likewise if you feel your DVD or CD is not reading the disk and you have tried another disk to get the same reaction, then it's time to turn to the professionals for help.

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My Laptop fan is blocked, rattling or noisy

A common problem if your laptop has not been serviced periodically but one that should not be ignored. If your fan isn't working properly, the board/components will overheat and could be permanently damaged.

We can collect your laptop FREE of charge using our home collection service, once inspected by our expert engineers, we will contact you with our quote. If you do not want to go ahead with the repair, you can collect in store or we can deliver it, it will only cost £15.00 which covers our return delivery.

If you're in any doubt and you've followed the simple tips here and your laptop is still not responding, don't attempt any further action - other than to contact us!

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To book your laptop repair, Call Us Now - 01892 255 150 / 01580 444 251 (9am-9pm)

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