Laptop Repair Challenges

I occasionally repair computers for folks. I mostly do it as a hobby. I enjoy the challenge. I took the A+ course, and need the experience to go with the book knowledge. But after the experiences I have had lately, I realize something has got to change if I am to continue doing this. I have had both a passion for fixing things and a soft heart for those who can't afford to spend much on their computers, but after spending an inordinate amount of time fixing a laptop for a friend of a friend, I now I see I must lay down some ground rules. Here they are:

1. I have to have as much background information on the computer as possible. For example,

• What is the contact info. on the owner/operator of the computer.
• What works and what doesn't work?
• What were you doing when it stopped working?
• What has been done to try to fix it before you brought it to me?
• What is the model number? (The last one I fixed had all the numbers on the bottom wiped off from wear and tear.)

2. I must have recovery CDs or DVDs before I will even begin working on it.

(Or if they are lost and I order them, I'll charge $25 for the service.)

3. I will talk to people about the fact that they are better off buying a new computer up front before I go spending 10 hours or more on their computer. For example:

• You may have a computer that would work great if only a technician spent enough time to fix it. But then what will you have? A working 7 year-old computer that is not likely to last much longer because all of the parts are old. It might be better to get a new computer and transfer your data from the old one.}
  
  
• Even when someone repairs your computer "for fun", you shouldn't expect him to spend 20 hours on the thing just because you are too attached to your old machine or not ready to buy a new one. How could it take 20 hours?
  Imagine this.
  
  You have a laptop with a bad CMOS battery, which has a foreign language OS on it making it hard to read, to say the least, which has been "repaired" by someone who did more harm than good, and you provide no documentation or software with the computer.
  
  
• CMOS battery replacement is funny. Replacing a $5 part can cost $200 in labor at computer repair shops. The CMOS battery keeps the computer's internal clock working. When this battery dies, the time on the clock has to be reset over and over. Trouble is, on laptops the battery is deep within the laptop and require a near complete disassembly/reassembly of the laptop. This takes a few hours.
  
  
• The process of reinstalling Windows XP (first edition) and then updating it until it becomes Windows XP 3rd edition, can easily take 6 hours. When should this be done? I do it on all my computers about once a year for maintenance, preventive maintenance and to speed them up. So most computers that need repairing are in need of this--especially if it has been infected with viruses, for example. It's a way to clean up the computer and start fresh again.

Needless to say, the last laptop I repaired had all of these problems. If you're interested, here are some photos of the job.

These two cables go to the monitor. The card they are attached to is the graphics card. They had to be disconnected. The connectors are so small that without a digital camera to take this picture and blow it up, I wouldn't have known the best way to remove them safely.

Here is the laptop bottom half, face-up. The CMOS battery is circled in red.
Here is the underside of the rest of the laptop.
Here is the CMOS battery. $5 on ebay.
It also takes a whole table to lay out all the parts, with an antistatic mat.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience. But it took me away from my wife and kids too much. So I will definitely interview the next person with the computer problem before accepting another broken computer to fix. I want to know what I'm getting myself into. Oh well, live and learn.