The questions we hear across the counter every week, answered the same way we'd answer them in person.
Our bench diagnostic starts at $45 and, on most repairs, that amount is applied toward the job if you decide to proceed. You'll always get a clear estimate and approve it before any repair work happens — no surprise charges, ever.
Software work — virus cleanups, tune-ups, Windows problems — is often finished same-day or next-day. Hardware repairs typically take a few business days, depending mostly on whether a part needs to be ordered. We stock common parts to keep wait times down, and we give you a realistic timeframe with your estimate.
Yes — our workmanship carries a 30-day warranty. If the same problem returns because of something we did, we make it right at no charge. New parts carry their own manufacturer warranties, which are typically much longer.
Walk-ins are welcome at 25 5th Street NE in Watertown during business hours — Monday through Friday 9 to 6, Saturday 10 to 2. Drop the machine off, describe the symptoms, and we'll call you with a diagnosis and estimate. On-site visits for homes and businesses are scheduled by phone.
For most repairs, no passwords are needed at all. Occasionally a job requires logging in to test something — a Windows password or an email account — and if so, we'll ask directly and you'll know exactly why. As for your files: we access only what the job requires, we don't browse customer data, and any working copies made during repair are securely wiped afterward. Our privacy policy spells it out.
Not while we're handling it. Whenever a Windows reinstall is the right fix, we back up your documents, photos and other personal files first — as long as the drive is healthy enough to read. If the drive itself is failing, we stop and talk to you about recovery options before doing anything that could put your data at risk.
Often, yes. Many software problems — email trouble, printer settings, malware cleanups, "why is this doing that" — can be fixed over a secure remote session that you start and can watch the whole time. It's especially handy when the roads are bad or you're out of town. Hardware problems and network work still need hands on the machine.
Yes. We do on-site work in Watertown and the surrounding towns — Milbank, Brookings, Webster, Sisseton and the countryside in between. On-site time is $95/hour with a one-hour minimum in Watertown, plus quoted mileage for out-of-town calls. If a remote session can solve it instead, we'll tell you — it's cheaper for you.
Maybe, maybe not — and we'll give you a straight answer. Roughly speaking: desktops under eight years old are often worth a repair or an SSD upgrade, while a machine that was cheap and slow when new usually isn't worth rescuing. The diagnostic tells us which situation you're in, and we quote the honest comparison either way.
We focus on Windows desktops and laptops — that's where our parts stock, tooling and experience are. For Macs we can handle basics like data transfer, malware cleanup and upgrade advice, but for deep Apple hardware repair we'll tell you honestly that an Apple-authorized shop is the better route.
We accept old equipment for recycling when machinery comes in for service, and we securely wipe drives before anything is recycled. We occasionally refurbish solid business-class machines for resale — ask what's on the shelf — but we're not a buyer of used consumer computers.
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