Tech questions, answered straight

How much does computer repair cost in Miami?

Most shops around Miami charge $75 to $150 an hour. The problem with hourly isn't the rate, it's that you don't know the total until the work is done, and the person quoting has no reason to be quick.

Mine are flat and agreed before anything starts: $89 remote, $99 for a cleanup and tune-up, $129 for virus removal, $129 for an on-site visit with no trip charge. Whatever it says at the start is what you pay. Full price list.

Is my old computer worth fixing, or should I buy a new one?

More often worth fixing than people expect. The classic case is a five-year-old laptop that takes four minutes to start. Nine times out of ten that's a mechanical hard drive wearing out, not the computer being old. Swapping in a solid state drive and doing a clean install costs roughly $200 including the part and makes it faster than it was new.

Replace it instead when:

• The screen or motherboard has failed, where parts and labour approach the price of a new machine
• It can't run a supported version of Windows, which means no more security updates
• The repair costs more than about half of a suitable replacement

I'll tell you which situation you're in before you spend anything, and advice on what to buy is free either way. I don't sell hardware, so I've no reason to push you in either direction.

Why did my computer get so slow?

Almost always one of four things, and all four are fixable:

• A nearly full drive. Windows needs free space to work in. Above about 90% full, everything crawls.
• Startup clutter. Every program that ever asked to "start with Windows" and got a yes.
• Browser junk. Extensions and adware that nobody installed deliberately.
• A dying hard drive. Mechanical drives slow down badly before they fail, which is also your warning to back up now.

A cleanup and tune-up covers the first three for $99 and tells you whether the fourth is happening.

Why is my Wi-Fi terrible in a high-rise?

Because Brickell buildings are reinforced concrete and Wi-Fi was designed to pass through drywall. Add eighty neighbouring networks fighting over the same channels and one router in the living room was never going to cover the far bedroom.

The important consequence: upgrading your internet plan will not fix dead spots. A faster plan makes the pipe into the building bigger. If the signal can't cross three concrete walls, a bigger pipe changes nothing. Save the monthly increase and fix the coverage with a properly placed mesh system instead.

Is the virus warning with a phone number real?

No. Not once, ever. Microsoft, Apple and Google never put a phone number in a browser warning. It's a web page built to look like a system alert, often with a siren sound and a tab you can't close.

Nothing is actually wrong with your computer at that moment. The damage starts only if you call, because the person answering will ask to connect to your machine and then "discover" problems that need paying for. If one's on your screen now: don't call, close the browser completely, and don't restore the last session.

If you already called, read this and phone me rather than using the form.

Do I need to pay for antivirus software?

Almost certainly not. Windows Defender is built into Windows, free, and good enough for what a normal home user runs into, as long as it's actually turned on and updates are current.

Paid antivirus tends to add pop-ups, slow the machine down, and auto-renew at a higher price than you signed up for. If you're already paying for one you didn't choose deliberately, I'll help you cancel it.

How do I move everything to a new computer?

Files are the easy part. The things people lose are the ones they don't think about until they're gone:

• Saved passwords living in the old browser
• Email accounts and years of stored mail
• Bookmarks, printers, and licensed software
• Two-factor apps tied to the old device

A full setup and transfer is $149 flat, including removing the manufacturer's bloatware and wiping the old machine safely if you're selling or donating it.

Can it be fixed remotely, or do you have to come out?

Remote works for most software problems: slow machines, virus removal, email, printers, accounts, updates. It's $89, and I can usually start within the hour.

Someone has to be there for: Wi-Fi coverage, hardware, new computer setup, TV setup, or anything where the machine won't start. That's a $129 visit with no trip charge.

Describe the problem and I'll tell you which it is before you commit to anything.

What's the simplest way to back up my computer?

Two copies, one of them not in your apartment. In practice that means a cloud service running automatically plus an external drive, or two different cloud services if you'd rather not own hardware.

The part almost everyone skips: test a restore. A backup you've never restored from isn't a backup, it's a hope. I set backups up for $89 and pull a file back in front of you so you know it works.

Do you cover my building?

On-site across Brickell, Brickell Key, Downtown Miami, Edgewater and Coconut Grove. I live in a Brickell tower, so for a lot of buildings here it's a walk rather than a drive. Remote support works anywhere.

If your building keeps an approved vendor list or wants a certificate of insurance first, tell me when you book and I'll send it to management ahead of time. Full service area.

Why hire you instead of a national chain or a marketplace app?

A national chain dispatches whoever's on shift, on their schedule, and you start over with a call center on every visit. A marketplace app or a Nextdoor post connects you with someone new each time, often with no verified insurance or background check behind them.

I live in Brickell, so I'm usually the fastest option, the price is flat and quoted before I start, and it's the same person and the same number every time you call. Neither alternative is wrong, a chain makes sense if you want a recognizable name on the receipt. See the full side-by-side comparison on the homepage.

What don't you do?

Worth knowing before you call. I don't do Apple computers, phone or tablet repair, TV wall mounting, failed-drive data recovery, active ransomware incidents, on-premise server rebuilds, or regulated medical record systems. I know people who do each of those properly and I'll hand you the number rather than learn on your equipment.