Frequently Asked Questions

I do the diagnostics and repairs myself at both stores, and I’m the one who answers the phone and texts. You talk to the person who is actually working on your computer.

I started because I couldn’t afford to take my own computer to a repair shop. Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. was founded in 2002.

The stores are open on different days, so check the hours below before you head over.

The business name has been Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. for more than 20 years.

Calls and texts are answered seven days a week, 8AM–10PM. Store calls forward to my cell after hours.

A photo of the screen or the damage often lets me give you a better idea of what’s going on before you make the trip.

If you’d like to check that I have a part in stock first, call or text.

Your keyboard, mouse and monitor can stay home.

Software repairs usually take two to three hours once the computer is on my desk. Hardware repairs can take a day or two if I need to order a part.

Gardner store, 509 Main St., Gardner, MA:

Massachusetts: Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Barre, Clinton, Devens, Fitchburg, Gardner, Grafton, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leicester, Leominster, Lunenburg, Orange, Pepperell, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Rutland, Shirley, Sterling, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster, Winchendon

New Hampshire: Fitzwilliam, Jaffrey, Keene, Marlborough, Peterborough, Richmond, Rindge, Swanzey, Troy, Winchester

Greenfield store, 300 Main St., Greenfield, MA:

Massachusetts: Amherst, Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Chicopee, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hadley, Hatfield, Hawley, Heath, Holyoke, Leverett, Leyden, Monroe, Montague, New Salem, Northampton, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, Whately

New Hampshire: Hinsdale

Vermont (Windham County): Athens, Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, Brookline, Dover, Dummerston, Grafton, Guilford, Halifax, Jamaica, Londonderry, Marlboro, Newfane, Putney, Readsboro, Rockingham, Somerset, Stratton, Townshend, Vernon, Wardsboro, Westminster, Whitingham, Wilmington, Windham

Many customers from Amherst and Northampton make the drive to Greenfield.

If the picture flickers or goes dark only when you move the lid, the screen flicker steps help sort out a screen from a cable.

You can check your battery’s health yourself before you come in.

I go through the installed software and the files the operating system depends on, clean the web browsers, then run a final scan to double-check my work. Before you get it back, I make sure antivirus is installed and up to date.

Not sure it’s a virus? Start with How do I know if I have a virus? or constant pop-ups.

Many local banks in the Gardner and Greenfield areas send their customers to me for this. If it just happened, follow the first steps after a scam right away.

I do a full, free diagnostic before suggesting a fix. If the spill just happened, follow the spill steps first.

On most laptops today the keyboard is attached to the palmrest, so the whole laptop has to come apart. If only some keys act up, try the keyboard and mouse steps first.

Many times I can copy the old drive onto the new one, so your programs, settings and files come along.

Your programs, settings and files come over as they were.

If I can’t recover the data, I can point you to a specialized recovery service that most likely can. If files just went missing, try the missing files steps or the external drive steps.

They often fail after a power outage or another electrical problem. If your desktop is completely dead, the won’t turn on steps are a good place to start.

See the steps for blue screens, restart loops and updates that keep failing.

I’ve been repairing Apple computers for 24 years.

Every build starts with a conversation about how you plan to use it.

To see what’s slowing it down first, try the slow computer steps.

Call or text me with what you have.

Phones and tablets are heavily locked down by their manufacturers, and aftermarket parts can cause problems. I suggest sending them back to the manufacturer for repair.

I suggest a reputable online shop that does a lot of these repairs.

It’s hard to do a good repair out of a van or the trunk of a car.

I do a thorough diagnostic and quote you a price before I do any work.

You get the same service as at my regular rates.

If a repair I made isn’t right, I fix it at no cost, as long as there’s no physical damage or abuse.

If I don’t see value in the repair, I’ll turn it away and go over better options with you.

When a repair could put your data at risk, I make a complete backup first.