Computer repair in Egham and across the UK: how mail-in works

If your laptop will not switch on, your desktop crashes under load, or the fans sound like a hairdryer, we can usually work out what is wrong. Hark Tech is a single workshop run by one tech, and we work by post. That means you do not need to drive anywhere or wait for a high-street shop to "have a look" for a fortnight.

We are based in the UK and take work from Egham, Staines, Windsor, and the rest of the country. The same post that reaches the next street reaches us.

What we actually fix

Most of the jobs that land on the bench are one of a handful of faults. Laptops that will not power on, usually a dead charging circuit or a tripped protection on the mainboard. Desktops that boot then drop out, almost always RAM, PSU, or a thermal problem. Screens with vertical lines, dim panels, or flickering backlights. Keyboards where the spacebar has stopped working. Charging ports that have been bent.

On the desktop side we handle component-level work where it makes sense. That includes capacitor replacement on motherboards, BIOS reflashing, fan and heatsink work, and reseating CPUs. We also diagnose boot loops, POST code failures, and the kind of intermittent crashes that only happen after twenty minutes of load.

On the laptop side we open machines for cleaning, repaste CPUs and GPUs, replace fans, swap SSDs, and clone drives across. We can replace DC jacks on most models and battery packs where genuine cells are available. Screens we replace if the part is still being made and the price makes sense for the age of the machine.

We do not do data recovery from physically damaged drives. That needs a clean room and we do not have one. If the drive is alive but the system will not boot, we can usually pull the files off. If the drive is dead, we will tell you and refer you on.

What we will not take on

Honesty is faster than wasted post. Apple Silicon MacBooks have soldered storage, and on most models the data is gone the moment the board fails. We will not pretend otherwise. Liquid damage on a board that has been sitting wet for weeks is often unrecoverable. Cracked panels on machines older than about seven years usually cost more to replace than the machine is worth, and we will say so before you post it.

We are also not a Windows reinstall shop. If the only fault is "it has slowed down", a clean Windows install at home will fix it and save you the postage.

How mail-in works from Egham

The flow is straightforward. You send us a short message through the contact page with the make, model, and what is going wrong. We reply with a quote range, the address to send to, and packing notes. You post the machine, Royal Mail Special Delivery or a tracked courier, your choice, and we confirm when it arrives.

We diagnose first. If the fault is what we expected, we get on with the repair. If it turns out to be something different, we message you with the new findings and a revised quote before doing any work. Nothing gets touched without you saying yes.

When the repair is finished, we test it, post it back tracked, and send the tracking number. Most jobs are turned around within a few working days from arrival, but it depends on parts. If we need to order a fan from overseas, we will tell you up front.

For Egham specifically, you are about a day out by Royal Mail. A parcel sent on Monday is usually with us by Tuesday afternoon.

Packing a computer for post

This matters more than people think. We have seen otherwise healthy laptops arrive with cracked hinges because they were dropped into a single layer of bubble wrap.

1. For a laptop, take the battery out if it is removable. Wrap the machine in at least 4cm of bubble wrap on every side. Put it in a box that is at least 5cm larger than the laptop in every direction. Fill the gaps with crumpled paper or more bubble wrap so the laptop cannot move when you shake the box. 2. For a desktop tower, remove the GPU and any aftermarket CPU cooler and pack them separately. Couriers throw these things, and a heavy GPU hanging off a PCIe slot will rip the slot apart in transit. 3. The hard drive can usually stay where it is if it is screwed in firmly. If the case has a glass side panel, take it off and pack it flat against the bottom of the box with cardboard either side.

If you are not sure, ask us before you post. A two-minute message is cheaper than a snapped hinge.

What it costs

We do not publish a fixed price list because every fault is different. A laptop that needs a small fan and forty minutes of work is not the same job as a board-level diagnosis with a hot-air station. We quote a range when you first describe the fault, and a firm price after we have the machine open. You are never charged more than the agreed figure without being asked.

Diagnosis on its own is a flat fee that gets refunded against the repair if you go ahead. If the machine turns out to be uneconomical and you want it back, you pay the diagnosis and return post and that is it.

Risks we will tell you about up front

Two things are worth knowing before you post anything in.

First, opening a sealed machine for repair almost always voids the manufacturer's warranty. If your laptop is less than a year old and the fault could be covered, we will tell you to send it back to the maker first.

Second, anything with mains voltage is dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. PSUs hold a charge after they are unplugged. CRT monitors hold a charge for days. If you are tempted to have a look inside before sending it in, please do not open the PSU casing. The board outside the PSU is fine to look at. The metal box with the fan in it is not.

We work to standard ESD precautions on the bench: wrist strap, grounded mat, controlled-temperature iron. If you have already had the machine open and it now does something new, please tell us. It changes how we diagnose.

When repair stops making sense

A rough rule we use on the bench: if the repair is going to cost more than half the price of a comparable second-hand machine, replacement is usually the better call. We will say this out loud rather than take the job. A ten-year-old laptop with a failing motherboard and a dim screen is a project, not a repair.

The exception is when the data on the machine matters to you and a fresh laptop would not have it. In that case the repair is often worth it just to recover the work, even if we end up cloning the drive into a new machine afterwards.

When to mail it in

If the machine is doing something it should not, or has stopped doing something it should, and you have already tried the basics like a different charger, a different cable, or a clean boot, it is probably time to send it in. Drop us a short message through /contact.html with the make, model, and a sentence or two on what it is doing. We will reply with a quote range and the posting address. From Egham, a parcel posted today is usually on the bench within a day, and we can tell you what we have found shortly after it arrives.