Help & troubleshooting

MacBooks

• MacBook Pro repair costs: batteries, screens and board work in the UK

  MacBook Pro repair costs vary widely by fault type and model — this guide covers common repairs from battery swaps to logic board work, what affects the price, and when replacing makes more sense than repairing.

  7 min read

• MacBook Pro stage-light bands at the bottom of the screen, flexgate explained

  Stage-light bands across the bottom of your MacBook Pro screen, or backlight that dies when you open the lid past 90 degrees? It's the display flex cable, not the panel, and it's a fraction of Apple's full-assembly price.

  6 min read

• Is MacBook repair worth it vs buying new? A clear-headed cost guide

  A new MacBook Pro costs £1599+. A MacBook repair can be £90 or £700 depending on the fault. This is the maths that decides which way to go, split by what's wrong and how old the laptop is.

  5 min read

• How to back up your MacBook before sending it for repair

  Any reputable repair workshop is careful with your data, but nothing is 100%. A proper backup before sending your MacBook for repair takes 30 minutes and protects you completely.

  6 min read

• MacBook butterfly keyboard sticky or repeating keys, what you can do now

  If you own a 2016-2019 MacBook with the butterfly keyboard, you already know: one crumb, one speck of dust, and a key is done. Apple's free repair program ended in November 2024. Here's what to try before scrapping an otherwise-perfect laptop.

  5 min read

• MacBook running hot, fans like a jet engine, causes and fixes

  A MacBook that's suddenly noisy and hot is telling you something: either a runaway process is hammering the CPU, the cooling system is clogged, or the thermal paste has dried out. Here's how to find out which.

  5 min read

• MacBook black screen or won't wake from sleep, fix list

  A MacBook with a black screen but a running system is usually one of four things: a display sleep stuck, an SMC hang, an NVRAM corruption, or a failed backlight. Three of those fix themselves with a keyboard combo.

  5 min read

• MacBook display flickering, lines or coloured bands, diagnosis

  Vertical lines, flickering, or coloured bands on a MacBook screen have three main causes. The differences are subtle but important, one is a £40 fix, one is £200, and one can mean the logic board.

  5 min read

• MacBook won't charge, is it the charger, cable or battery?

  A MacBook that won't charge is usually one of four things: a failed charger, a damaged cable, a dirty port, or a worn-out battery. Three of those are five-minute fixes.

  5 min read