Computer repair ratings for individual stores are available through its magazine, Consumer’s Checkbook, for the seven metropolitan areas that the organization currently serves: Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Puget Sound, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Twin Cities and Washington, D.C. But more general information applies elsewhere around the country as well.

I talked with the president of the Center for the Study of Services, Robert Krughoff, who’s a hands-on, jack-of-all-trades kind of boss. Not only does he head up the organization, which he founded 30 years ago, he also writes most of the articles in the magazine, which is published twice a year, including the one on computer repair. Other articles in this month’s issue deal with computer buying, video equipment repair, local pest control firms and other subjects.

“I enjoy being involved in the various articles, perhaps more involved than my staff wishes I were,” said Krughoff, who has a law degree and an undergraduate degree in economics and previously worked for the federal government. His organization has 35 employees, and each article is the result of the work of a team of around 10 researchers.

The researchers comparison price shop and survey the magazine’s own readers as well as the readers of Consumer Reports magazine (the organizations publishing each magazine are completely independent) for their experiences and opinions about local stores and service firms.

Krughoff ordered good advice about getting a personal computer fixed and about helping to prevent a computer from breaking. For more detailed advice, buy the magazine, available through its Web site, at <www.checkbook.org>.

Here’s what’s most important to keep in mind about computer repair, Krughoff said:

* It can be better to take a broken PC to a local repair shop than have a repair technician come to your office or home. Though this is less convenient, the repair shop will have access to better diagnostic tools there. It will have time to observe the problem if it’s intermittent. And the cost will be lower.

* Write down the exact nature of the problem you experience when it occurs, including what you see on your screen, what you hear and how long the problem lasts.

* Before the repair work begins, get a written estimate and request that you receive an invoice afterward detailing the parts repaired or replaced, the cost of the material and labor for each, and the warranty on each.

* Pay by credit card, which will provide you with some protection if a dispute arises later.

* Use your computer as soon as you get it back, and notify the repair shop immediately if you’re still experiencing the problem.

To help prevent a personal computer from breaking in the first place, Krughoff said, don’t let it get too hot by leaving it in the sun or closed car, and don’t use a power saw or other piece of heavy equipment on the same electrical circuit used by your computer. It’s best to reserve a circuit for use only by your computer.

Krughoff recommended that before taking your computer to a local repair shop, first turn the equipment off then turn it back on again. Also, check to make sure that all cables are securely plugged into equipment and outlets.

The organization’s survey about computer repair revealed interesting facts about computer repair in general. The quality ratings for computer repair shops were lower on average than for almost every other service field that it has examined. Both quality and price among individual stores can vary dramatically. Computer superstores received worse quality ratings on average from consumers than smaller stores.

Finally, it pays to comparison shop first, since some stores, for example, charge twice the fee of others for a diagnosis and estimate and seven times the fee of others to replace a PC’s hard drive.

A complicated piece of technology, a computer is nonetheless used by most of us daily. We sit down at our computers and effortlessly check our emails, stock quotes, and the latest news. We research showtimes and restaurants. We work our 9 to 5 jobs, using laptops, virtual communication, and handheld devices. Indeed, much in our lives revolves around the computer. It’s no wonder why computer repair is so valuable a solution and for the technician, a coveted skill. Given the many uses for computers, there are as many potential problems, errors, and failures. Thus for computer repair, there are at least as many possible fixes.

As a result, knowing what to do to fix your computer can seem like an impossible task. However, if you think about it, most of us have picked up a few tricks along the way that have proven effective. For smaller problems, computer repair is entirely possible by ourselves. For more serious problems though, consulting a professional is the best route. The main reason why professionals should be consulted is because a person could do more damage to a computer by trying to fix an unknown problem on their own.

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Business-wise, most companies have a tech-support staff that can help with most problems, from email to lost files. Computer repair can be as simple as choosing different settings to full-on data recovery using involved techniques such as zero-knowledge analysis. Given that most computer technicians are specialized, the chances are good that a team can help with all your problems: viruses, spyware, firewall protection, virtual private networks (VPN), emergency data recovery, RAID recovery, system upgrades, etc.

Computer repair pertains to both hardware repair and software repair. At times, installation or uninstallation of software is needed. At others, a small adjustment to preferences will solve the problem. Again, computer repair is wide-ranging. Desktops, mainframes, and supercomputers can all encounter similar problems, but on a different scale.

Portable devices will also have related problems, but knowing the system inside a laptop or notebook is a bit different than a PC. This is the reason why most companies have a number of technicians on staff, as one may be more specialized in one area of computer repair than another. Computer repair can be as basic as rebooting your computer, but it can also be as complex as taking the entire system apart. Overall, the service of computer repair is relatively new, but the demand for it is growing at a rapid pace. Naturally, the aim is to keep up with all of the new advancements in computer technology ‘ which seemingly change by the day.

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