Basic Computer Repair In The Cr Area

[Petruchio]

I did some CR forum searches for computer repair / service in the CR area and came up with nothing. Would like to see some input on this subject. I have tried the shops around Chiang Rai Rajabhat University and all they can really do for any computer problem is reload your version of Windows. None I went to spoke any English and all they will do for any problem is to do just that -reinstall the operating system. My Thai contacts say that is about all any of them can do and they just automatically do it regardless of anything and without asking. I took my computer to the "best" of them, and took my landlady with me to be sure they only repaired my front earphone connections, and sure enough they reloaded windows and failed to fix the connections. The truly sad part is that C Drive was the only one with enough space on it to put my USA computer files on for use here, and of course those all went POOF! - and it cost me 300 baht as well.

There is a large computer assembly / repair shop in the city named "KVC" computers and most of their people can speak English fairly well. They have a big thriving business, but when I took my computer there the other day to actually have Windows reloaded, they said they could not make a repair boot disk afterwards, as I wanted. This is not so, it can be done, the simple instructions to do it is there in Control Panel. I can do it myself and have done it before, but after their "main man" said it could not be done I lost confidence in them, took my computer and left. Now I am wondering if there are any other computer shops in this area that are thought to be reliable???? .

[villagefarang]

Reading over past threads, KVC seems to get the top vote of forum members, past and present. Sounds like you know more than anyone else on this issue and have answered your own question to some extent.

It makes sense to me that they run with the software angle first. Most hardware problems stem from software problems or missing drivers. Unless it is a very new machine, things starting to breakdown, might best be viewed as an excuse to go out and get something shiny and new.

Computers don’t typically have a very long lifespan, for anything but the most basic of functions, good old built-in obsolescence. Hope you had backup of your important files.

[TwentyBaht]

Petruchio,

Sadly, I've also looked, and haven't found a good computer repair shop in the Chiang Rai area. What there are, seem to be limited at best. Much more inclined to new sales than repair.

But, in Chiang Mai, starting alongside the moat about 300 meters from the Chiang Pauk gate, there is an abundance of them. Three large buildings there. Several floors. And, also repair shops in the periphery area. And, often English is available in the shops.

Which, is why I go there for almost all my computer needs. And, I keep asking the owner of one of my favorite shops there about starting a branch in Chiang Rai.

Sorry, about your C-drive files. But, reinstalling OS is the first technical step of many shops. (Often necessitating another trip to the shop for the validation problems that ensue.)

But, a suggestion to partition your hard drive. Put data on another partition (i.e., D-drive). Reinstalling OS to the C-drive would then not overwrite your data. Unless the techs totally wipe the drive to install a new OS. Which happens.

Another note; the knowledgeable techs will probably not be up front in the stores. Which means the person you talk with will then take your machine repair to that knowledgeable tech. In the back of the store, or wherever. And, instructions get lost/misunderstood in this transition. Which, is why I like to talk with the guys wearing a magnifying glass and holding a meter or soldering iron.

Cheers

Edited April 26, 2013 by TwentyBaht

[Petruchio]

Thank you all for the input. I had just backed up my files to a USB Portable Drive the day before, so I don't think I have lost the truly important stuff but downloading and getting back all my programs and little tweaks I use a lot will take at least two weeks at my usual pace. In this case I only have myself to blame - I had things all set up to my liking and was tweaking the startup list in msconfig and accidentally deleted something needed to boot up.

There is much to what you say about just springing for a new setup. It is about time I guess. Compuers for most Expats are so important to one's overall equilibrium that too much frugality can actually be harmful.

ChokDee

[Petruchio]

Thomas, I tried to reply to your post - maybe I did something wrong?? But anyway, PLEASE reply again with the address, directions, and/or the name of your good computer repair store in CR!!

Thanks,

P

[harrry]

As they are most likely installing a fake copy of XP it is quite possible that a restore disk will not work correctly.

[Petruchio]

Harry, what you say is so very true, but amazingly the last time I had this done I must have gotten a genuine copy because it went to searching for and installing windows updates when I started it, and continued to do so.

Did you read Thomaspaul's reply as to his good shop in CR?? I think some of it was cut off somehow, and I could not get the name or location. I have replied and asked him for name, directions, address, etc. but have not heard back. He mentioned "F. O. C." - Do you know what that means??

P