Computer and laptop repair in Paarl

How it works

1. Tell me what it is doing. WhatsApp is easiest, because you can send a photo of the error.
2. Get it to me. Drop it off in Paarl, I come to you within 40 km, or we do it remotely if it is a software problem.
3. R200 diagnostic and a written quote. The R200 comes off the repair if you accept within 14 days. If I cannot find the fault, there is nothing to pay.
4. I fix it and you pay on collection. Typical turnaround is 2 to 5 days.

There is no walk-in shop, so drop-off is arranged per job. Tell me when suits you and I will send you the address.

What I fix

Laptop repairs

Screens, keyboards, batteries, charging problems, hinges and overheating. Labour is R350 labour on a screen, keyboard or battery, and the part is quoted separately before I order anything. A laptop that runs hot and shuts down usually needs a strip, a dust-out and new thermal paste, which is R450.

Desktop repairs and upgrades

Fitting RAM, drives, graphics cards and power supplies is R200 per item. A full build, cabled, installed and stress tested, is R800 labour. A desktop clean and repaste is R300.

SSD and RAM upgrades, the cheapest way to keep an old laptop

Most machines that feel unusable are still on a mechanical hard drive. Fitting an SSD and cloning what is on the old drive across is R400 plus the drive, and it is the biggest speed improvement you can buy for the money. More RAM helps if you keep many browser tabs open. I will tell you if a machine is too old to be worth either.

Windows reinstall

A clean Windows 10 or 11 install with drivers and updates is R450, or R550 with your files backed up first and put back afterwards. You supply the licence or I supply it at cost, and I tell you the cost before I buy it.

Get a quote for this

What it costs

The full repair price list

Parts and warranty

• Parts are supplied at the supplier price plus 15%, with a minimum of R50 and a maximum of R500 on that markup. That covers sourcing, collection and handling returns.
• Parts you supply yourself are fitted at the labour price only, and I cannot warrant a part I did not supply.
• My work carries a 30-day workmanship warranty. Parts carry the supplier's own warranty.
• Quotes are valid for 14 days.

What I do not do

• No walk-in or same-day service, because I work evenings and weekends.
• No 24/7 business IT and no service level agreements. I am one person.
• No component-level soldering on motherboards. I refer those out.
• No physical or cleanroom data recovery. If a drive is clicking or not detected, that goes to a lab, and I handle the referral free.
• Nothing on-site beyond 40 km from Paarl. Past that it is remote support only.

Your data

Your laptop holds your photos, your email and possibly your banking, so this is how I handle it:

• I access only what the job needs, and I ask for that in writing at drop-off.
• I offer a backup before any reinstall or wipe. On the R550 job it is included.
• I keep no copies after the job. Working copies are deleted and the date is written on the job card.
• Remote sessions are attended, so you can see the screen and the session ends when you close it. Nothing stays installed.

How I handle data on devices I repair

Virus and malware removal

The signs are pop-ups you cannot close, a browser that opens pages you did not ask for or a machine that suddenly crawls. Removal, a browser reset and security set up properly afterwards is R450. If the infection is deep enough to need a reinstall, the reinstall price replaces this one.

Get a quote for virus removal

What makes a computer slow

Four things cause most of it:

1. Too much loading at startup.
2. A mechanical hard drive that is wearing out, which is the most common cause.
3. Too little RAM for the way you work.
4. A disk that is nearly full.

A tune-up at R350 covers the startup clutter, updates, drivers, a malware scan and a disk health report. If the report says the drive is failing, I will tell you.

Data recovery

Do this first

1. Power the drive or computer down now and leave it off.
2. Do not keep restarting it to see if it works this time.
3. Do not save anything new to that drive.
4. Do not run recovery software on the drive you are trying to recover.
5. If it clicks, beeps or is not detected at all, stop completely, because that is physical damage and it needs a lab.

Every extra boot writes to the drive, and what gets written over is the thing you are trying to get back.

What I can recover

Deleted files, drives formatted by mistake, corrupted partitions, RAW drives, and files off a PC that will not boot.

No data, no fee. If I recover nothing, only the R200 diagnostic applies. You supply a destination drive, or buy one at parts price.

What I refer to a lab

Drives that are clicking, beeping, not detected, burnt, dropped or water damaged need a clean room. I refer them to a lab and I do not charge for the referral.

Get a quote for data recovery

I can come to you

I can help with Wi-Fi that drops in half the house, a printer that will not talk to a laptop, email that stopped working, a new machine to set up or the handful of PCs in a small shop. On-site labour is R350 per hour, one hour minimum, then 15-minute steps at R90.

I come out in Paarl, Wellington, Klapmuts, Simondium and the Franschhoek edge, and to Stellenbosch by arrangement.

I do not charge for travel time, only the call-out fee above. Beyond 40 km it is remote support.

Remote support, anywhere in South Africa

Anything that is software can usually be done over a remote connection, the same evening, without either of us travelling. It costs R180 for the first 30 minutes, or R330 for an hour booked upfront.

You need an internet connection and the ability to click one link. Physical faults like a screen, a battery or a dead drive cannot be fixed remotely.

You watch the whole session, it ends when you close it, and nothing stays installed afterwards.

Book remote support

IT advice for your home or small business

If you are not sure what to buy or how to set things up, I can help you plan it. That covers a new laptop or PC, email and Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, backups that actually run, Wi-Fi that reaches the whole house or shop, and a basic check of how safe your accounts and devices are.

It is charged like any other support job, R350 per hour on-site or R180 for the first 30 minutes remotely, and I tell you upfront roughly how long it will take. There is no contract and no monthly fee.

Ask about IT advice

Common questions

How long will you have my laptop?

Typically 2 to 5 days. I work evenings and weekends, so a job booked on a Monday is usually back by the weekend. If a part has to be ordered, I tell you that with the quote.

What if you cannot fix it?

If I cannot find the fault, there is nothing to pay. If I find it and you decide not to go ahead, the R200 diagnostic is all you pay.

Do I lose my files if Windows is reinstalled?

Not on the R550 job, where your files are backed up first and copied back afterwards, up to 100 GB. Each extra 100 GB is R100.

Is it cheaper in the evening or on a weekend?

It is the same price, because those are my normal hours. A premium of 50% applies only if you ask me to jump the queue for a same-day job, for work after 21:00, or on a public holiday.

Do you take card?

Cash, EFT or a card payment link, on collection.

While I am at it

If you run a small business, the same visit can cover the branded side of it: logo mugs printed in Paarl, a logo and business cards, or a one-page website. The Small Business Starter bundle puts the logo, cards, site and ten mugs together.