Laptop repairs

[Pat-H]

Done a few Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 upgrades and even some windows 7 to windows 10 upgrades. All have worked fine.
I have the full installers at hand but not needed them yet.

Worth noting that to take advantage of the free upgrade you will have to do an upgrade using the MS upgrade update to get your valid QIN 10 product code.
Once upgraded to Win10 there area number of 3rd part tools you can use to reveal the Win10 product code number. You need to note this down and then use it to do the full clean install if you want a clean start.

[Joost]

Thanks for responses - mindful of Mancunian's point I used the group in the High Street and am pleased with their diagnosis, if not with the implications. Repair or replace - a marginal decision on cost.

You are suggesting that you can buy a new laptop for just a bit more than replacing the panel on your old laptop ?

New replacement panels cost from about £60 to £125 and are not that difficult to change over.
1) Search for a replacement panel for your particular laptop (make/model)
2) Search on Youtube for a video on replacing your particular laptop panel (how to open it up)

Usually they consist of a panel and digitiser, sometimes the digitiser is separate but they cost roughly £10-15. Without the right equipment it is difficult to test which item is at fault. I have never had to replace a digitiser on its own though, suggesting the fault lies with the panels.

If you do decide to replace the panel yourself do not order one until you have access to the back of the existing panel. The same make/model of laptop can have different panels inside them. You need to order a replacement based on the existing panel and all the details are on the back of the panel.

[Pat-H]

The digitiser is only relevant if it's a touch screen display.

Yes a screen replacement can be a simple and cheap repair. Replacement screens I've replaced range from £30 to £90
But unless you are handy at that sort of thing they can be tricky. Even getting the front bezel off without snapping the catches can be tricky.

As already said if you do go that route remove the current screen and check the part number. You will then know how to take it out and therefore how to fit the new one.

[Joost]

Yes, sorry, don't know why I said digitiser

What I meant to say was inverter.

[Scottman]

Appreciate all the tech tips but this is not my forte....

I've decided to have the existing pc repaired by those that do it for a living, and am happy to support that. Ideal PC in the High Street have been very good, and very patient.

The cost is significantly cheaper than buying a new laptop and, to my amazement, having to buy new software and ANNUAL licences for it ad infinitum - quadrupling the 3 year cost of the new machine.

[Pat-H]

The windows OS doesn't have a subscription charge so I imine its something like office 365 that is the ongoing cost?
That is the way things are going nowadays. That said you can still buy older office versions outright for around £120
Office 2010 works really well and runs fine under Windows 10. Purchased outright no ongoing fees.
If you are a student (or have a student in the house who could buy and use it) then even cheaper at around £50

[woffy]

Office 365 doesn't appeal to me.
I use Open Office and make a 1 time donation to the great world of free software.
I have configured this (easy) to save all docs in Microsoft format so anyone I deal with can open files I send.
Chris

[Pat-H]

I've tried open office but a lot of the powerpoints I use for training just wouldn't work as they do in office si I've stuck with Office 2010.

[Steve]

Isn't Word Online free?

https://office.live.com/start/Word.aspx

[Mel]

I bought a new pc back in January and purchased Microsoft Home and Student Office 2013 then this Monday we had problems with our internet connection and I couldn't work with Excel without the internet... anyone know why please?