By PC Geeks Support / Blog / • • / 0 Comments

Symptoms Your DC Power Jack Is Failing

One of the most important parts of any good laptop is the DC power jack. This item allows you to charge your battery and provides you with a steady source of electricity. If it fails, your laptop will lose power and eventually be unable to turn on. Here are a few symptoms of DC power jack failure.

Symptoms Your DC Power Jack Is Failing

The Power Flickers On And Off

A good DC power jack will provide your laptop with a consistent power supply. However, if your power flickers on and off or requires you to wiggle your cord in the socket to maintain a connection, there’s a problem with the jack. This can be a dangerous situation if any kind of sparks occurs.

Your Battery Won’t Charge

Even if your power supply doesn’t show the above-mentioned symptoms, the DC jack could still be going out if your battery won’t charge. A steady supply of power should charge your battery and provide it with a boost in its charge. Failure to charge indicates it is not translating DC power into a proper battery charge.

It Only Works At A Specific Angle

When a DC power jack gets loose, it may change position on your laptop. As a result, you may have to angle your power cord to get any kind of charge. This will put a strain on your power cord and DC jack and can cause damage to both. Getting these problems fixed as soon as possible is crucial.

If you believe your DC power jack is failing and you need help getting it repaired, please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more.

By PC Geeks Support / PC / Mac Repair / • • / 0 Comments

Laptop Repair or Invest in a New Laptop

If you have been having trouble with your laptop computer, you might be thinking about buying a new one. After all, with prices on laptops being lower than ever before, it might seem like it will be cheaper and easier to treat yourself to a brand new computer versus trying to fix it yourself or hiring a professional for laptop repair.

Laptop Repair: Better Than Buying a New Laptop

However, before you go out and buy a new computer, you might want to think about the option to repair your existing model instead. Obviously, if you have been unhappy with your computer and have been wanting a new one anyway, now might be the time to replace it. However, if you were happy with your computer before it started messing up, you might find that fixing it is your best option.

For example, you might be able to fix your laptop on your own. Some things are pretty simple and can be fixed by simply doing a factory reset on your computer. If your computer is bogged down by a lot of programs or is simply running slow, or if you would like a like-new start without having to buy a new computer, this can be a good option.

Even more complicated issues can also often be repaired with ease. A professional who is experienced in computer repair can help with replacing cracked screens, repairing damaged keyboards or touchpads, getting rid of viruses, uninstalling old software and installing a new operating system or new software and more. These services can be surprisingly affordable and can be cheaper than buying a new computer.

If you would like to find out more about repairing your laptop rather than replacing it, contact us at PC Geeks so that we can tell you more about our services.

By PC Geeks / PC / Mac Repair / • • / 0 Comments

Computer Repair: Common Causes of Freezing Laptops

Computer Repair: Common Causes of Freezing LaptopsRegardless of how new your laptop is, you may still experience a frozen laptop on an occasional basis. Most laptop owners have experience with a frozen laptop. It is one of the most frustrating things to deal with when you need to get work done. What exactly causes a laptop to freeze?

Common Causes of Frozen Laptops

The number of issues that can cause a frozen laptop are many. However, there are a few that are very common and cause the most grief to laptop users. Thankfully, these common causes are also typically easy to troubleshoot.

One common cause is overheating. Anything that prevents airflow like dust build-up can cause your laptop’s temperatures to rise. Once your laptop begins to overheat, chances are it will freeze up on you causing disruption and downtime.

Another common cause of freezing is insufficient memory. RAM holds your computer’s data short-term and then uses it for the programs and functions that run on your laptop. When you do not have enough RAM, your laptop will begin having various issues such as running slower, the blue screen of death, freezing up, and more.

The last most common cause of laptop freezing is software issues. This could be any number of things and is the most difficult to troubleshoot on your own. It may require further investigation by a professional computer repair technician. A technician can determine whether it is a BIOS problem, viruses, malware, or other software bugs.

We are a premier computer repair company throughout Collin County and beyond. Contact PC Geeks today for help with your PC or Mac problem.

By PC Geeks / PC / Mac Repair / • • / 0 Comments

Tips for a Laptop Display That Won’t Turn On

Tips for a Laptop Display That Won't Turn OnIt can happen to even the most experienced of computer users. You go to use your computer and your laptop display won’t turn on. If this is happening to you, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try to hopefully fix the problem.

Battery Issues

Although this seems like common sense, it is surprising how often a dead battery is the cause of our trouble. Check your battery to see if it has or will hold a charge. Ensure that the plug connects properly to your laptop. If your laptop was in hibernation mode, you may need to press the power button to wake it up.

Restart Your Laptop

This is another common trick to try to fix the display. Restarting your laptop will reload drivers and other processes that control the display. Restarting often fixes the display issue. However, if it continues to persist, chances are you may need to reinstall your operating system.

Stand-by Mode

When you close the lid to your laptop, there is usually a button that sends the laptop into stand-by mode. Sometimes this button can become stuck. If you can locate this button and release it, the display may begin to work.

These are only a few of the most common troubleshooting methods for a nonfunctioning display. Other issues may include video card trouble, BIOS issues, or more. Worse case scenario, your display is actually broken and you will need the help of a computer repair specialist to diagnose the problem.

Contact us today if you need help with your PC or Mac issues. We are laptop repair specialists serving Collin County and beyond.

By PC Geeks / PC / Mac Repair / • • • / 0 Comments

Communicating With Your Technician is Important!

One of the challenges facing many technicians these days is trying to piece together how a problem with their client’s computer has occurred. This can be a difficult and time consuming task that can end up in days of diagnostic tests on hardware. A common reason for this is that often, a customer is shy or reluctant to let a technician know what might have led to the problem as perhaps they fear that the technician will punish them with higher costs and giving them a hard time!

It should be said that any technician worth their salt should never judge a client, either morally or based on their ignorance of their computer’s inner workings. I can speak honestly and say as a technician I have pretty much seen every possible instance of the bizarre in the course of my career and managing to shock any technician is nearly impossible at this point. We have seen smoothies that have grown lawns of mold inside of laptops! Pictures that cannot be unseen, and about anything else you can think of that make us put our head in our palms. We technicians are troopers.

Communicating With Your Technician is Important!

A great way to keep your costs of repair down, ensure faster turnaround times and generally lessen the risk of a bad diagnosis is simply to be honest with your technician and let him know what you were doing when the issue arose. We are not going to punish you for dropping your laptop, looking at naughty websites, or even ill advised attempts at self repairs! In fact, if we know what you were doing it will go a long way towards helping us understand what could be causing your issues!

It goes without saying, that every industry has some bad apples that will take advantage of people if they feel they can get away with it, and as a consumer it is important that you find a technician that you feel you can trust to make the right call and not shame you into spending more than you have to. Once you find the technician you are comfortable working with, do not hesitate to tell them what you were doing at the time of the problem so they can figure it into their diagnostic work and narrow down the issue swiftly.

By PC Geeks / PC / Mac Repair / • • • • • / 0 Comments

Big Box Stores are Indifferent to True Computer Repair

Big Box Stores are Indifferent to True Computer RepairIn the event that someone is forced to take their computer in for that inevitable repair one of the most frustrating moments is when they have to decide who is going to be the right fit to do the work that they need, in a manner that is both satisfying and convenient.  There are many choices for consumers. They can risk the long lines and red tape of the major big box stores, or the smaller local technicians that are often just around the corner. How do you know who you should trust with your private data and machines?

While big box stores have the advantage of well known names and spend millions on advertising every day to ease your concerns, this does not mean that their work is superior, or faster in any way compared to the thousands of small shops all over our country. The truth is, the big box stores are not even really interested in fixing your computer, what they want is for you to buy a brand new one on their showroom floor, and some of these corporations even operate their computer repair divisions at a financial loss just to get you to look at a new computer!

It is very common for us independent technicians to hear the stories and troubles that consumers have had getting even the most basic and common of computer repairs done at a big box store. Month long wait times, ballooning costs, lost data and even missing components upon return! It is even common for these companies to send your computer out of state to giant repair mills for weeks on end to have true computer repairs done that should have taken a couple days. Good luck getting the same technician twice in a row, and this means whoever is working on your machine has no reliable history on your machine and its tendencies. Below are just a few reasons to find a local independent computer technicians and stick with them.

  1. As mentioned above, by using the same technician over the course of your computer’s life, you are allowing the technician to learn the traits, quirks and background on that machine and often this means better computer repairs.
  2. Consistency in service is a great thing and is almost impossible in a big store environment, the prices tend to remain constant, the technicians are almost always there for the long run and they are going to remember you!
  3. If a small independent shop says it can do a specific repair it likely can not only do that repair, but can do it with their own hands without sending it off across the country. This will save you time and money.

True Computer Repair

In truth, selling new computers while also offering repairs is a bit of a conflict in interest, in the big box stores it almost always results in less emphasis on repairing what may be a completely serviceable machine as opposed to just forcing you to buy the device du jour; and unfortunately, that is not any guarantee that your new machine is going to become the next great thing or last any longer! In the small independent shops, we are here to repair the machine you have, and we will honestly let you know if that is not a good idea.