Click Computers (Shop) - Anyone any experience?

Hey all,

PC is acting up on me and I'm looking to get it sorted out. Only place I know of that does that kinda thing in Drogheda is Click Computers on Stockwell Lane, opposite the library.

Was wondering if anyone has dealt with them in the past? Are they a shady bunch of chancers who'll screw you over at every chance or genuine guys who will give you a good deal and hope to help as much as they can?

borderlinemeath

Don't know anything about them but when the OH managed to let a virus into ours he left it into the Laptop shop in the Laurence Centre. It was ready within 48hrs and I think it cost about €60 (can't quite remember the exact price as he paid)

ah, see it's a hardware issue with me. Computer keeps shutting down with an IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL message. I think it's to do with it overheating. I called down to click today and they said they'd look at it and diagnose the problem for free.

They reckon it could be a hard drive issue either though, and said they'd hazard a guess that i'd be paying about €130 for a replaced hard drive (500GB). Bit awkward all the same, but I'm just hoping it's not gonna cost me an arm and a leg, and just thought I'd ask if anyone had used them in the past (or the Office Centre, who i've just been told also do Computer Repairs?).

calex71

I might be about the weekend dude if you want me to give it a look ? 130 is steep considering you could get a 500gb drive online for 30 quid or so and do a reinstall yourself, if thats what it is.

How old is it / OS ? there should be numbers after the IRQL message? Any new hardware added?

Yeah, I was thinking €130 was a little steep myself, alright.

I just did a few updates there now that were in the Windows Update list. One of them was an nVidia one, and whilst I'm not the most knowledgeable on computers, i have heard that IRQL Not less or equal is generally a driver gone bad or a hard drive that's going sour (though my internal drive has never made any ticking/clicking noises at all, which is what I'd usually associate with a soon-to-be-dead drive.


This is the error screen (taken with my phone);

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/9024/dsc00063az.jpg


People on Google searches seem to have this problem and not know why. Some people suggest driver updates or such issues, which is grand, though it doesn't really help me out at all. Personally I thought it was an issue of overheating (I cleaned the desktop out a few months ago, so it's relatively dust-free inside) but I'm not sure. I had a desk-fan beside the desktop turned on 'cooling it down', and it worked grand all yesterday with this, so i thought it was definitely an overheating issue.

However, this morning I tried the same, and instead of getting an IRQL message, my error screen said "Memory Management". So that's kinda ruined my overheating plan.


EDIT: I'm really hoping it's not a hard drive issue, as that then means i have to go installing all my programs and such again, and I really want to avoid that hassle if I can.

EDIT 2: Just found this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930261

Hoping it may help...

EDIT 3: "This update does not apply to your system" error message when I use that update. Pricks

Sorry Calex, it's about 2 - 2.5 years old, it's a HP desktop running Vista 32 bit with 3GB Ram and only real hardware is a printer that's been there for about a year now I'd say. Have 4 external drives, each with their own power supply, and 2 externals that are usb powered, but the issue comes and goes regardless of whether these are in use or not (and they are rarely connected to the PC anyway).

calex71

Well last hard dirve I had die on me ( 3 weeks ago) didn't tick on me, any random slow down like system grinds to a halt can't do anything for a few minutes prior to blue sceeen? Is it regular or happens during certain tasks or after a certain amount of time or when system is under stress like with loads open or videos playing.

Edit: Read and try to rule out ram http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

No, most of the time the blue screen is fairly instant or it doesn't happen. It's not often that I get it after a couple of hours, say. It'll usually happen within 5 minutes of powering up. Strange.

I'll read that link now

Right, that link seems to have quite a fair bit of complicated stuff going on, so I'm not gonna go through with it until I have the problem again (I'm still being naively optimistic about the nVidia update i did an hour or so ago).

Shall I get the screen again, I'll try that URL program. If it finds problems or I'm still lost, I'd be happy to get in touch with you, Calex, and give you the job/headache I would've given to Click.

Mancityman

Hi KKV, thought I would butt in on your thread and give my tuppence to your issue. I also had problems with the 'blue screen of death'. Like yourself, I have a HP laptop running Windoz7. Although the error message was not the same as yours, one thing I picked up on was the HP support tools pre-installed on HP machines and possible conflicts with other installed software/hardware. My particular problem occurred around the same time every day. After spending time going round in cycles trying to find a solution, I discovered that one software tool, HP Advisor, was connecting to HP and then all sorts of problems started (PC froze and then blue screen and forced restart). I joined the HP discussion group (see link below) and the problem was put down to a conflict between my firewall (Zonealarm), anti-virus (AVG Free) and the HP software. So, ZoneAlarm and AVG uninstalled, HP drivers updated via HP, and ZoneAlarm and AVG reinstalled. Problem resolved. Give the support forum a try and see if anyone else has your problem before installed a new HDD.

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/

Wolfe Tone

Would you believe I just got a similar BSOD a few times over the past few days, can't be me harddrive though, only got a new one a while back.

I'm on XP though.

calex71

Never say never wolfetone

I've fitted more than my share or hard drives over the years, and had more than one die the same day as i installed it. Unlikely but it can happen.

Lads, can't emphasis this enough, if you are getting blue screens and can work on the pc between the BSOD's get anything you care about backed up now!!!!!! Not tomorrow. KKV I know you like your photos, back them up if not done already.

Data can be recovered from a system that will not boot but from a dead hard drive it's expensive.

There are loads of HDD diagnostic tools out there, the drive manufacture will often have free tools to check the drive for you.

If i was 100% there was a hardware fault I'd replace it, if I was 99% i'd reinstall windows 1st.

Seems my brother took my PC down to Click for me without telling me (I had it disconnected and told him I was planning to, so he thought he was helping me). Though to be honest, I probably would've brought it down anyway (sorry Calex! but I just need it too much at the moment and can't afford to be without it for a long period of time at all! I didn't mind it when it was coming and going, but since my last post in this thread it hasn't been powering up at all, and the times it does eventually power up, it shuts down too fast for me to do anything with it).

I hope they fix it without changing the hard drive. They seemed intent on a hard-drive change when I was talking to them the other day (despite barely knowing the issue). If they change the hard drive out I'll have lost about 500mb of photographs that I didn't get to back up, but it's okay, as they weren't overly important. Getting all my programs together again and such though is gonna be a complete pain in the balls (not to mention the €130 price tag I may face! I'm dreading that!).


I have 5 backups of my photos in my house, and an additional backup stored in a friend's house, so I'm bomb-proof on that front (not literally, of course!). The joys of technology. I'm praying it's a cheap fix

doncarlos

From the sounds of it, it is an overheating issue. Have seen this happen lots. Dust gathers in the fans and the PC shuts itself down to avoid doing damage.

This could have been solved with an air duster or even using a vacuum cleaner on the fans (on the PC, CPU and the GPU if you have one)

barneysplash

I would not deal with Click computers again. Had a bad
doing in there - difference between a promised price and the actual price.
I felt generally ripped off after the tranaction, haven't been back since.

I've had a good experiecne with the Puffin computer place in the Laurence
Centre.

Darksaga87

There is the chinese guys next door to noodle box. Dont know what they are like.
Ive heard very mixed things about click and the guys in Laurence center.

Its hard to find good nerds these days!

Biggins

I have dealed with Click a few times - and found them good.
One of the guys in it used to work for a long time with Dell. He also owns/runs www.solo.ie

CMpunked

For future reference, i would advise everyone to stay away from the place in laurances centre.
They would be fine for the odd easy job that would take 5 minutes to sort out but i and anyone that i know who has dealt with them find them to be a nightmare.
Just a heads up.

Whiskey Devil

<SNIP>

furiousox

I left a laptop in to get some missing keyboard characters replaced.
Instead of fitting them properly they superglued the missing letters on.
I'd say I tapped them about 3 times and they all fell off!

delly

Whiskey Devil, I don't know what issue you have with Biggins, but your post about him has earned you another infraction. The next time you will be banned from the forum for 7 days. I have no idea where Biggins works, but I know his name is not James so I'm not sure if you have your wires crossed. Either way you have no business posting such personal information about another user, if you have an issue with a post then use the report post function.

Wolfe Tone

I've heard things which I wont repeat here, all I can say is that I personally would not use them.

Biggins

Whiskey Devil wrote: »

<SNIP>

I am most certainly NOT James.
I have NO involvement NOR ANY relationship to that business whatsoever NOR ANY relationship to anyone connected with the business.
I have purchased items from them and at times sought their help. End of story.

Whiskey Devil,
Please lay off any further lies you wish to say about me.

Regarding Click, for some of their stuff, they are cheap.
For some of their repairs, if James himself is doing the work, its usually on the ball and good.
Its natural that others might feel different given their own experiences.
The best thing to do is shop around, seek other places and seek others advice.

I can recommend the shop in the Lawrence's Center too - I have used them also.
I've brought stuff into them (for friends) like laptop screens that have been broken, etc.
Found that they do the job as asked/priced.

Rossin

barneysplash wrote: »

I would not deal with Click computers again. Had a bad
doing in there - difference between a promised price and the actual price.
I felt generally ripped off after the tranaction, haven't been back since.

ah that sounds like you brought it in and they gave you a price for a repair but after looking at it during the repair realised that it needed more work/parts, whatever!

i used to fix computers all the time,does my head in tbh and nothing worse than trying to explain to someone why they have to pay 50e or so more than expected! actually maybe explaining why theyve now lost all their photo which they havent backed up

Rossin

furiousox wrote: »

I left a laptop in to get some missing keyboard characters replaced.
Instead of fitting them properly they superglued the missing letters on.
I'd say I tapped them about 3 times and they all fell off!

now thats bad!

thats actually a great story lol

kbell

I left my last Lap top in to the shop in Laurences center to fit a "+=" key the cat managed to remove.
The lad said he'd have it done in 10 minutes, i left and came back and he didn't even charge me!

Rossin

if the clip isnt broken you basically just clip it back on! 2 secs, nice of them not to charge all the same im sure many would. the glue story is ridiculous! furiousox did you get them fixed eventually? assuming the clips were gone id say it was expensive enough to get them properly fixed, was it? back to the vendor maybe?

bpmurray

I've used Click and they're pretty good. I'm very comfortable hacking both hardware & software, but sometimes you hit a problem that needs proper tools & skills - in my case a laptop screen - and they fixed it quickly and without fuss. I was very satisfied.

Oh, just to let ye guys know how I got on;

I got the PC off them and they changed out the hard drive apparently. Charged €130 for it, but thankfully, it doesn't seem to have had any problems since (I got it back on Thursday last week).

They originally said it'd be €130 to replace the 500GB drive with a 500GB drive. Then they said they'd none in stock, so it'd be a 320GB drive (still at €130) and then when I went to collect it, they said they didn't have any 320GB drives, but stuck a 1TB in (And charged me €130).

Not sure what to make of that, but there you go. They said they stand over their repairs for three months, so if I get any issues like i was getting before, I'll not be too long about bringing it back to them. They seem expensive, to me, but they seem like nice guys, too.

doncarlos

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh, just to let ye guys know how I got on;

I got the PC off them and they changed out the hard drive apparently. Charged €130 for it, but thankfully, it doesn't seem to have had any problems since (I got it back on Thursday last week).

They originally said it'd be €130 to replace the 500GB drive with a 500GB drive. Then they said they'd none in stock, so it'd be a 320GB drive (still at €130) and then when I went to collect it, they said they didn't have any 320GB drives, but stuck a 1TB in (And charged me €130).

Not sure what to make of that, but there you go. They said they stand over their repairs for three months, so if I get any issues like i was getting before, I'll not be too long about bringing it back to them. They seem expensive, to me, but they seem like nice guys, too.

€130 which includes a new 1TB drive is pretty good value.

*edit* That's if the problem was a faulty hard drive.

Rossin

yep ,very good i wouldve thought

What if it were only a 320GB one though? seems they charge €130 to replace a hard drive in general (seen as the capacity of the drive i was getting off them flip-flopped up and down, I don't think the drive cost is very influential on their repair fee).

That said, if it doesn't give me any more trouble, I'll be a very happy camper. They seemed like nice guys.