Is My Computer Worth Fixing? Weighing The Costs Of Computer Repair
If your desktop computer does not start correctly or is otherwise nonfunctional, and you can't fix the problem yourself, a computer repair shop is your only answer. However, the rise of tablets and smartphones combined with the lower cost of production of components has caused the price of desktop computers to drop significantly. This has led many people to question whether the cost of computer repair is worth it or if it would be better to buy an entirely new computer. When you're deciding between repairing your old computer or replacing, there are a few factors to consider.
Will The Repairs Be Expensive?
Most computer problems are caused by software, which include virus or malware infestations, and can be fixed quickly and inexpensively by technicians. More serious problems involving corruption in the operating system may require it to be entirely re-installed, but this allows you to preserve all of the data currently on your hard drive. In either case, the cost of repair will be lower than replacing the computer entirely.
However, in situations where the hardware in the computer has failed, the computer repair shop will need to replace it. Depending on what type of hardware has failed, this may be quite expensive; a power surge can damage many components at once, leading to the need to replace the majority of hardware inside the computer, including the CPU and motherboard. In these cases, the cost of replacing the hardware will quickly approach the price of purchasing an entirely new computer, and you may want to consider the latter option instead.
Is It Worth Losing Your Data?
If your computer cannot start, then there will be no way to transfer over all the data on the hard drive to the replacement computer yourself. Precious data such as family photos or videos, work documents, or financial documents will be permanently lost. In addition to this, you will lose your program settings and your replacement computer will not be set up exactly the way you had your old one.
Luckily, assuming the hard drive is not the component that has failed, however, a computer repair shop will be able to transfer over the data onto a portable storage medium for you. However, you will still lose all your program settings. If you do not want to go through the trouble of setting up your replacement computer exactly how your old computer was set up, then computer repair is the best option.
Computer repair shops will give you an estimate of the cost of repairs so that you can make an informed decision; it's up to you to weigh the cost versus losing both your data and the way your computer was set up. COntact a company like Automated Office Systems to learn more.