Getting a computer ready for the repair shop
Prepare a computer for repair so your files are safe and your accounts stay yours.
A repair shop needs the machine. It does not need your life, and a little preparation keeps those two things separate.
Do these in order. Back up first, because a repair can end with an erased disk. Then write down what is wrong in plain sentences, including when it started and what you already tried. Then decide what leaves the house with the machine.
On the password question: most real repairs need to start the computer, so a technician will usually ask. Give a password if you must, change it the day you get the machine back, and never hand over the passwords to your bank or your mail.
Key points
- Back up first and confirm the backup finished.
- Write the symptom down in plain sentences.
- Turn off automatic sign in and device tracking.
- Never hand over banking or mail passwords.
- Get a written receipt, and change any shared password on return.
What to remember
- Backup first, sign in settings second, receipt in hand third.
- Never let the only copy of your life leave the house inside the broken thing.
- A password you shared for a reason should end the day the reason ends.
Try this
Write your computer pre repair checklist on an index card this afternoon, tape it inside a drawer near the machine, and check when your last real backup finished.
Practice: Getting a computer ready for the repair shop. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.