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Jewish World Review Feb. 22, 2001 / 29 Shevat, 5761

Michael Woods

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Consumer Reports


When it's time to junk your computer rather than fix it

http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- Take it to the repair shop.

That's often the first thought when a personal computer stops working. Reprogram yourself to consider other options. They include buying software to diagnose the problem, fixing the defect yourself and junking the malfunctioning PC and buying a new model.

There are good reasons why the repair shop should be low on your list of options when a PC takes sick. Getting a computer repaired properly can be difficult and expensive.

Consumer surveys show considerable dissatisfaction with repair shops and have raised concerns about their ability to correctly diagnose and fix defective computers.

Repairs can be expensive. Many shops charge a minimum fee for diagnosing the problem. Parts and labor are extra, and can run into hundreds of dollars.

If you own a computer that is more than 3 years old, you can easily spend more on repairs than the computer is worth. Estimate your computer's market value right now, and use that information later in deciding whether to repair it or trash it.

Used computer "price evaluators," available on the Internet, let you keyboard a computer's features into a form, and get an estimate of its market value. Try Edeal Marketplace's evaluator (http://pics.edeal.1.com/servlets/PcEval), Dell's (http://www.dell.tradeups.com), or search for "used PC prices."

It can make sense to invest in repairs to a computer that's worth less than $100. If you do only the most basic computing - word processing and e-mailing, for instance - that older computer may be all you need. Why not spend a couple hundred on repairs rather than hundreds more on a new computer?

Often, however, it makes no sense, and you risk getting caught in a cycle of throwing good money after bad - pouring money into a clunker as one component after another dies. Making that investment in a new computer can hurt, but it may pay off in the long run.

There are other options for computers no longer covered by a warranty. Try to isolate and perhaps even repair the problem yourself. Commercial diagnostic programs can pinpoint problems. They include McAfee Utilities Deluxe , Norton Utilities ($49.95), and Fix-It Utilities. Newspaper columns, Web sites, do-it-yourself books and computer magazines are other good sources of information for diagnosing and repairing problems. And a call to the manufacturer's technical support hotline may help pinpoint the problem. With the faulty component identified, some repairs can be surprisingly easy. Computers are built from snap-in components. Technicians almost never repair defective chips, drives, or other components. That takes special training and equipment. Instead, they install a whole new component. Anyone who has upgraded memory chips or other components inside a computer's system unit (the box containing the electronics) probably could handle many a repair, once the problem is diagnosed. If you haven't done an upgrade, think twice about attempting a repair. Try to find an acquaintance who has upgraded, and ask for help. But whatever you do, don't open the monitor case. It's dangerous. And tackle a laptop repair - with those mini-components that fit together in ways odd enough to make an engineer scream - only if you dare. A few tips when professional repairs are inevitable: Follow procedures in your warranty, if it's still in effect. Ask other people to recommend a repair shop. Big-name retail stores may provide better service than a small privately owned shop. But there's no guarantee. Check minimum fees, prices and repair times by phone before you go. Pay attention to how service people treat you on the phone; it can be a clue to the service you'll get in the shop.

Michael Woods is a writer with the Toledo Blade. Comment by clicking here.

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