How much does it cost to repair a laptop?

Problem: The laptop presented several problems, with the main issue related to the Windows operating system. While the system would boot to the desktop screen, only the taskbar was visible, and the client was unable to access any programs or files. Additionally, the client had lost the use of the SSD drive, which had been installed by a different company approximately a year ago.

Diagnostics by Manchester PC: The Windows operating system had become corrupted due to the update that took place the day before the client contacted Manchester PC. Additionally, the previous laptop repair company had incorrectly installed the SSD drive. They had failed to install the HDD bracket which resulted in the SSD drive moving around and eventually disconnecting.

Solution: Reinstalling the Windows operating system provided a smoother and faster boot time. Additionally, Manchester PC ordered a new HDD bracket from our suppliers in Germany to ensure that the SSD drive would not move around and disconnect again. The client also requested a memory upgrade as they use multiple programs simultaneously, resulting in an upgrade from 8GB to 16GB.

The cost of the laptop repair: £95.00 including collection, full laptop diagnostics, reinstallation of Windows, installation of the SSD bracket, memory upgrade, testing, cleaning of laptop screen, and return of the device to the client.

Problem: The client was using the laptop for programming manufacturing-type machines when it suddenly shut down on site. After attempting to restart the laptop, the screen remained black despite the machine powering up.

Diagnostics by Manchester PC: Upon initial inspection, it was discovered that the laptop powered on but the screen displayed no image. Additionally, the laptop fan would spin for three seconds and then stop, but the laptop remained on. The HDMI output also failed to display an image on the external screen. To troubleshoot the issue, all components were disconnected from the mainboard, including the hard drive, DVD drive, and USB ports. However, the issue persisted. Since the memory was soldered onto the mainboard, it could not be removed for testing. Based on these observations, it was concluded that the problem was either related to the motherboard or the bios.

The Manchester PC engineer removed the BIOS chip and attempted to reprogram it using a BIOS programmer. Unfortunately, the chip did not respond. Due to the urgency of the repair for a business client, the engineer decided to replace the faulty BIOS chip with a new one.

An original BIOS chip was ordered directly from the supplier in Holland, which arrived within 2 days. On installation, the laptop was still showing the same symptoms. The next step was to replace the motherboard with a refurbished one. A UK supplier was used for this, and the motherboard was with the engineer within 24 hours. The motherboard was replaced, and the laptop came back to life.

On further testing, the engineer noticed that the flex cable connecting one of the USB ports to the motherboard was slightly bent, and for this reason, the two wires inside were touching. This was resulting in a short circuit, which was most likely the reason behind the failed motherboard in the first place. The problem was also corrected to ensure no future problems will be experienced by the client.

The cost of the laptop repair: £140.00 which included a full laptop diagnostics, collection, replacement of the faulty bios chip (which was not charged to the client as it did not solve the problem), supply of a refurbished laptop motherboard, replacement of the motherboard, repair of the USB flex cable, testing, and return of the laptop to the client.

Problem: After accidentally spilling a full can of beer on the laptop, the client left it to dry overnight. When attempting to use it the next day, the laptop would power on but the trackpad was unresponsive, although the keyboard was still functioning.

Diagnostics by Manchester PC: During the initial diagnostics, the Manchester PC engineer found that the power button was not responding when attempting to shut down the laptop. Although the keyboard was functioning, there was a delay when typing, and the trackpad was completely unresponsive. However, external keyboard and mouse worked normally. Upon opening the laptop, it was observed that the CPU fan was running at a higher speed than expected. As the power button on the Apple Macbook Pro A1278 is connected to the keyboard, it was determined that the issue was likely caused by liquid damage. The trackpad flex cable showed evidence of liquid damage and initial tests indicated that the flex cable components had short-circuited. The logic board and processor fan were also heavily covered in dust.

Solution: The faulty keyboard was replaced, which required removing numerous small screws and was a time-consuming task. In addition, the keyboard backlight was also replaced. The motherboard was carefully cleaned with a fine brush, while the processor fan was cleaned using compressed air. The processor was re-pasted with new thermal paste. The trackpad and its flex cable, which showed signs of liquid damage, were also replaced. After reassembly, the laptop was thoroughly tested and all components, including the power button, were functioning correctly.

The cost of the laptop repair: £115.00 including the collection of the laptop, diagnostics, supply of trackpad, trackpad flex cable, and A1278 keyboard. The keyboard, trackpad, and trackpad flex cable were replaced and the laptop was tested before being returned. Additionally, as a gesture of goodwill, we cleaned the logic board and fan and applied the new thermal paste to the CPU to ensure that the processor was properly cooled.

Problem: The laptop was caught in a Windows boot loop, which meant that it would initiate the Windows loading process, but eventually restart and repeat the process indefinitely. The client had also been experiencing slow boot times and overall sluggish performance prior to the issue.

Diagnostics by Manchester PC: Upon my initial inspection, the Manchester PC engineer discovered that the Windows operating system was corrupted, which was causing the laptop to be stuck in a boot loop. In addition, the laptop was experiencing slow boot times and was generally running sluggishly. Upon further investigation, we discovered that the laptop was originally supplied with a 500GB hard drive which the client used to its maximum capacity.

Based on these findings, we concluded that the main cause of the laptop’s issues was the lack of free hard drive space. The operating system was not able to function optimally due to the limited space, which led to the corruption of important files.

Solution: To resolve the issue, we recommended that the client upgrade the laptop’s hard drive to a larger capacity and upgrade to a 15 times faster solid-state drive. This would not only fix the current issues but also provide the client with more storage space for future use and improve the laptop’s performance. The client agreed to the upgrade, and our computer engineer proceeded to install a new 1TB Samsung solid-state drive.

After installing the new SSD, we performed a fresh install of the operating system and updated all the necessary drivers. We also transferred all the client’s important data from the old hard drive to the new one.

The laptop was tested thoroughly and was found to be running smoothly with no issues. The client was happy with the upgrade and the laptop’s improved performance.

The cost of the laptop repair: £180.00 including the collection of the laptop, diagnostics, supply of the 1TB Samsung SSD, installation of Windows 10, Product key recovery, full internal service, data transfer, and return.

Problem: The laptop screen hinges seemed to be the cause of the problem as the client reported that the laptop lid was not closing correctly.

Diagnostics by Manchester PC: Upon initial examination, it was discovered that the hinges were in fact in good condition. However, it was found that the hinges had detached from the laptop’s upper plastics, also known as the palmrest. The base of the laptop, or the bottom plastics, had also suffered damage due to the client repeatedly opening and closing the laptop.

Solution: Manchester PC was able to resolve the issue by replacing the upper and lower plastics of the laptop shell with refurbished parts sourced from a UK supplier. The laptop had to be fully disassembled in order to replace the damaged parts. After completing the job, the laptop was back to full working order and the client was satisfied with the outcome, and will be able to use the laptop for many years to come.

The cost of the laptop repair: £135.00 the fee included collection, diagnostics, supply of the palmrest and bottom plastics (refurbished), replacement, testing and return.