Data recovery – the cost determination process Part 3

Category 2

Job 1
As the case above we can continue and say the customer needs some of the data which cannot be recovered without a replacement head for the drive. This means that the reading head degraded and in this case the head is not reading but did not damage the surface. After agreement on cost with the customer the head is replaced, and the requested data is recovered. The cost of this case is based on the model and brand of the drive including the time spent on the repair. And that means anything above this cost of the Category 1.

Job 2
Drive was reported falling from the desk while in use. This will most of the time mean a head replacement need and damage on the surface where the data is recorded. (An HDD is working on certain rpm as this allows the reading head to float a few micrometers above the surface of the media. Once the drive is dropped the gap disappears for a moment. This will cause a permanent damage to the media (platter). This will result in partial recovery only and will be very costly job and can cost for example £700+VAT. Like any precise repair job there is only a guess till the drive is examined so a solid quote is created for the customer.

Data recovery – the cost determination process Part 2

Category 1

Job 1
To be able to understand this more will take an example where the dive is not working, and it came in as DOA (dead on arrival) no signs of life. The drive was taken out of the enclosure and there was damage to the enclosure circuit board and on the board of the hard drive and the work only is 1 hour of labor. This job will cost £70, and the drive will be returned to the user if a heath check status for the drive confirms good health and user can continue to use the drive as normal.

Job 2
The Drive arrived, and the customer is stating that the folder structure is there for short time and then the drive is gone for some time, and this is happening in cycle. After connecting to diagnostic recovery system, the drive reports multiple problem and only 80% of the data can be recovered. A folder structure can be provided to the customer to confirm the importance of the data based on the folder structure and then we confirm the cost and amount of the data possible to recover from the chart with the customer. Once agreed, the cost will be £295 +VAT as no parts were replaced on the drive.

Data recovery the cost determination process

Data recovery the cost determination process
Part1
The way how we price the job is related directly to the amount of work involved and parts needed in the repair. All jobs are split into 2 categories and that is the real reason for not being able to give a price before examination.
Most hard drives are recoverable and only a small percentage is not going to be possible to recover due to surface damage on the platter where the data is saved. This will not apply to some of the encryption methods or pass-worded data storage as encryption is another level of the recovery and it is not anymore, a physical work and preparation to get the data. Same rules apply to the solid-state drives, but the chances are lot smaller due the way how the security work on SSD drives and cards.

The First category is the recovery where parts are not needed, and data can be recovered to the customers agreed expectation based on the agreed price. The second category is the category where the drive need’s part replacements and manual repair must be done before the recovery of the data can start on the intended device.

The Damaged pins on the CPU or Motherboard

Today will point to the issue where some of the tech guys are getting to the point of failure while building their own desktops.
Most of us will try to put together a desktop. Usually, it works, and it is all straight forward.
But here and there the situation gets a bit difficult, especially if we know that everything went by the plan but there was something not 100% while placing the CPU- processor in the socket.
Yes, most CPU's today are without legs and some still are.
This is a situation where mistakes can be very costly.
And the damage is most likely on the side where the pins are. Often, this means voided warranty - as physical damage is a case closed for a manufacturer.
Most shops are not able to help here as this is very fine work and replacing or straightening pins on the CPU or motherboard is very fine work under a microscope,without the right tools the pins will simply snap what we then need to be replaced.
The best news here is that we are able to do this job with success and this means saving lots of money as any modern new CPU can cost easily £300 and a motherboard is a similar cost.
So, before you decide to replace the damaged part, please give us a call and we will do our best to fix the component and reduce the cost.

FlexGate – The blank screen issue with Apple laptops

FlexGate - The bank screen issue with Apple laptops - What to and how to

Many Mac users might experience issues with the display.

The main problem appears as blank screen. Once you open the laptop, all the rest looks working. The keyboard is lit, and sound is coming, all as normal but no image on the screen.

This issue is well known to mac users today and the proper name for the issue is FLEX-GATE PROBLEM.

If you are in doubt, if you think you have this issue, here are the easy steps to assess:

  1. Start up the computers as normal
  2. If there is no image, after 1 minute just close the lid and wait another 1 minute so the laptop will go to sleep.
  3. Now open the laptop, only 1" so the front of the lid is approx. 2.5 centimeters away from the base.
  4. In moments the image should be there.

If this works, the assessment is done, and you need to find a repair shop to be able to fix this fault.

In a small number of cases, this will not work as the damage is greater but likely still the same issue.

In some cases, the fault starts with a pseudo effect - "STAGE LIGHT", so the back-light on the screen appears like from the bottom of the LCD you are experiencing a beam of light, then shade and then a beam of light and this repeats on the bottom of the screen from left to right till the edge.

The usual repair time is 90 minutes for this problem.

The standard cost please check in online shop area.

Laptop the usual age scenario

Students

Parents

Business

Most of the time we decide to buy a new laptop as the old one is slow or hanging.
The hinge is damaged, and the laptop is not anymore intact.

And yes, it will solve the problem for some time again.
Year or two perhaps three, all is again OK.

Really, what is the reason to buy a new laptop if the old was doing all you needed just in the last 6 moths it degraded so much?

It is usually a simple solution as a service, where the cooling and the hinges are overhauled, and all can be back to normal? Almost to the stage at the time you purchased the laptop.

If you spent £700 on a laptop 3 years ago and now you need to replace it just because it is now slow???

Yes, sure, a £400 one would do???

Let’s just not pretend that a Lamborghini can be replaced by Dacia.
Or, in other words, Primark can never step up to Dior.

So, hope this is now clear here is the cost factor here.

Maintenance is never explained as it will then slow sales and demand.

So perhaps before heading to a computer store, just pop into local trusted repair shop. Ask if they are able to service the current machine and spending perhaps £60, will do the trick and stop you spending £400.

And saving the planet is the most important thing today, and if you do that and save money.

Then I guess the good gesture for today is satisfied.

Battery facts to remember part 2

Battery must incur minimum on average 10 charging cycles per month, to keep good health.

What is a charging cycle? The charging cycle is when the battery is discharged to 0% and then charged to 100%.

How can you discharge to 0% if the battery doesn’t like to go under 30%???

The cycle counts as if you are at 100% and u use 50% and then recharge, this is 50% of a cycle.
Next day you use another 30% and then recharge to 100% again and so on.

The cycle, charging and discharging is based on cumulative process.

This means that until you used 100% as divided in parts, same apply to charging.

The last important fact is related to cycle count and in today’s battery you have about 500 to 1000 cycles to use depending on technology.

Average user complete a cycle in 2-3 days based in that the battery is in max capacity for average 2 to 3 years, based on technology.

I guess this explains lots of questions.

Battery facts to remember

Most of today’s devices are powered by battery.
The configuration inside one is various depending on load and capacity.
The most important to know is the way how a battery can be transported so it will not expand or cause fire.
They don’t like any form of a physical shock and pressure changes or high temperature.

Older models NiCd and NiMh had memory effect on the charging cycle.
that means each time you charge the cell it will be counted as one cycle.

The models after (NiCd, NiMh) don’t inherit this effect (Li-ion, Li-Polymer).
Important to know that the new models are not happy to be discharged to low.
Fully discharging some batteries can permanently damage them.
The best for them is to stay if possible above 30 to 50%.

To be continued - next week.

The liquid damage disaster “How To Guide”

! Disconnect the battery!
! Disconnect the charger!
! Do not try to power on!
! Time is ticking fast!

Most of the time the liquid damage is small and not extremely expensive until you try to turn on the laptop. The most important thing to remember in event of an accident is the removal of the power and battery from the laptop. This will stop the damage to spread. If the battery is internal get to a shop and just ask for help to get this step done.

If you don’t like to spend more money at the time, just get home turn the laptop upside down in v shape and leave it for 3-5 days to dry.

Once you return to it try connecting the power plug and check what’s the damage. If all works you saved some MONEY FOR NOW.

Best practice is always to get to a repair shop ASAP after an accident. Service procedures are fast as possible. This way the cost can be kept as low as possible.

Laptop in a BAG issue Part 2

Did you ever take the laptop out of the bag, and it was super-hot?

As we continue with the transport issue, the other most usual case is when the laptop just stops working.
You open it ready to do the task and nothing is going on. Plugging the charger is not helping, holding the power button is not working…
We don’t know but often the laptop can open as the lid for some reason, lifts from the base.
The laptop starts and the lid closes in the bag while moving and you have no idea why the laptop is not starting.
Often the laptop has overheating protection, and this makes the laptop shut down and lock itself.
In the worst case scenario, the laptop continues to work, and the heat just builds up to the level where the components in the laptop are permanently damaged and it needs to be replaced. Most likely it is the processor - the graphics chip, the graphics chip - chipset or any other combination.
So most important is to remember to shut down the laptop before traveling and that will prevent this disaster from happening.

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