Dom@in Web Technologies

Desktop & Laptop computer repairs in Bridlington and surrounding areas

Many of the call-outs consist of malware attacks and the failure of hardware components such as hard disk drives and laptop charger power supplies. These computer problems can be fixed from as little as £25. If you require support contact Domain Web Technologies for a free quotation today by calling 01262 262126 or 07732087599 or via our online contact form.

Based in the East Coast of Yorkshire, Domain Web Technologies carries out many repairs to laptop and desktop computers, mobile devices and many networking issues in Bridlington and the surrounding areas such as; Driffield, Bempton, Hornsea, Flamborough, Rudston, Boynton etc.

How can I tell my desktop and/or laptop computer hard disk drive has failed or is failing?

Hard disk drives come in a variety of sizes; the most common are 2.5 and 3.5 inches. They usually range from 160GB (Gigabytes) to 4TB (Terabytes) though in the past hard drives were as low as 520(Megabytes). They use a magnetic form of data transfer and storage (a motorised arm moves backwards and forwards close to a spinning disc within a magnetic field). Having moving parts that are moving constantly when in use (reading files, anti-virus scans, copying and downloading) means that wear and tear is inevitable, the average life span of a hard disk drive could be argued to be between 3-5 years depending on various factors. For a number of years these hard disk drives have employed S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) to detect when a drive is failing, sometimes you can be presented with a screen similar to the one shown below.

• Operating System not found
• Drive Seek Error

Another possible sign of a failing hard disk drive is the computer takes a very long time to load the operating system and may not display any/all the icons on screen (you may be left with a desktop background but nothing else). Domain Web Technologies can check your hard disk drive and recommend a cost-effective solution, for a free quotation call 01262 262126 or 07732087599 or via our online contact form.

Can I help to prevent my hard drive from failing or breaking?

Yes you can extend your hard drives life (and retain your important documents, pictures and music) in a number of ways. The first applies largely to laptop/notebook/netbook/ultrabook/mobile based computers. If you can be sure to operate from a static surface when in use, below are a few real scenarios we have encountered when repairing laptop computers.

Falling down the stairs

The laptop was on, possibly loading windows and the user dropped the laptop, it appeared to still work but after a shut down a smart disk failure message was displayed.

Drinking or placing drinks near computers

If liquid enters your computer, vital components could easily be damaged, in one instance the hard drive and keyboard were damaged and required replacement.

Improper Shutdown

Holding down the power button to switch off the computer when it does not appear to be responding or switching off at the mains is never a good idea. Check that any lights are not flickering as this may indicate that the hard drive is reading/writing data, this can corrupt your files and also result in bad sectors on your hard disk drive (any subsequent data written to this is also corrupted).

Allowing your computer to overheat

One computer hard disk drive failed due to the user using the computer whilst on their bed, resting the laptop computer on just their sheets. This covered the essential air vents; preventing hot air from exiting and cooler air from entering the system fan. This could either shut the laptop down (similar to Improper shutdown above) or cause heat related damage to the hard disk drive (they need to breath too!)

If my hard drive fails does that mean that my important data such as Documents, Pictures and Music is lost?

In addition to recovering deleted files for customers we also attempt repairs on failed hard drives using forensic hard disk drive recovery procedures. If in the event we cannot recover any files we will not charge our customers for data recovery. We do however always recommend that important files should be backed up to at least one or more storage medium(s); external hard disk drive, flash drive, CD/DVD, cloud storage etc. If you require hard disk drive data recovery contact Domain Web Technologies for a free quotation by calling 01262 262126 or 07732087599 or via our online contact form.

If my hard drive fails is it worth repairing my desktop/laptop computer?

Depending on the extent of the damage your computer has suffered it may not be economically viable to repair your computer. A typical hard drive replacement with software re-installation can cost around £70. Depending on the specification of your computer (CPU, RAM etc) It might be cheaper to repair your computer rather than buying a new laptop computer that actually uses a lower specification CPU (£250 vs £70). Another point to make out is that most hard disk drives that Domain Web Technologies fit are covered by a three year manufacturer warranty. If you do decide not to have your laptop or desktop computer repaired we can also recycle this for you at no cost, we destroy all your personal data using industry standards and may even pay you for your computer system, to discuss your options call on 01262 262126 or 07732087599 or contact us via our online contact form.

Things to consider

Is it just the hard disk drive that appears to have/be failing, if you have a damaged screen, cracked casing/hinges then a repair might exceed the cost of purchasing a new laptop, if you are in doubt contact Dom@in for more information via telephone on 01262 262126 or via email at enquiries@domainwebtech.com.

Hard disk drives do not sound like a good idea, is there an alternative?

Yes, there are; the more recent laptops and mobile devices employ flash storage usually referred to as Solid State Disk/Drive (SSD). They use the same connection as a hard disk drive so can be swapped over and they also increase the data read/write rate that reduces the loading times of your operating system (Windows, Linux, OSx) and also opening of programs. The down-sides of choosing SSD is that the costs per Gigabytes are higher, using the current pricing (as of 19/01/2014) £40 can buy you a 500GB laptop computer hard disk drive or a 60GB Solid State Drive (a 480GB is over £200!). To discuss your replacement solutions contact Domain Web Technologies for a free quotation by calling 01262 262126 or 07732087599 or via our online contact form.

Things to consider

Are you using the laptop computer for mainly browsing the internet? If so you do not require a huge amount of storage, especially if you are using cloud or external storage.

If you require further assistance you can contact Dom@in for more information via telephone on 01262 262126 or via email at enquiries@domainwebtech.com.