Is this computer repair "expert" correct? Or am i screwed?
 

So i take my laptop to a local computer guy referred to me by a friend. I have a toshiba satellite, Its a few years old but it worked fine just my usb plugs seemed to be a abit loose. So i have him take a look, and he gives me the usual repairman line: "Oh its a easy fix we do this all the time blah blah 3-5 days it should be ready." Since i cant be without my computer for even a day i said he could order the part call me when it came in then and i would bring back the computer. He agreed, i gave him some money down to order the new usb he said i needed and left. 2 days later he calls and says he hasnt ordered the parts yet cus he needed to too see the old ones, and hes in town so he can shoot and grab my computer and get the ball started, i was uneasy with the idea in particular because i hadnt did a backup recently on to my external hard drive and i bought a download of windows vista business and being lazy i had never made a recovery disk. He told me not to worry because it was a easy hardware issue he just wanted to make sure he got the correct pieces.

I gave in and said ok. 5 days goes by no news. So i give him a call and he said matter of factly that he just got the parts was gonna put them on that day and the computer should be ready the next day. Ok so im not pleased but im not pissed. At least he was getting the work done. So the next day his son calls (:mad:) and says that he needs my password to logon. Thinking he just needed it to do sort of test i run it off to him. Then i ask him did everything turn out ok and then he just matter o factly states that when they powered on my laptop after welding in the plugs that the motherboard shorted out and they are gonna have to come up with another option for me. So im getting pissed but i keep my cool and ask "Ok so what does that mean?" His reply "I dont know", he then says he will call me back when he get it figuired out and hangs up before i can say another word. This is last saturday. He finally calls me back yesterday. In the meantime i call a couple time get put on hold by a receptionist, then i have my bud call and they give him even less a answer then hang up and say they will call back.

Now the only reason i havent been out there is because im trying not to add assault to my rap sheet. What should i do? Im thinking i got screwed and he is gonna try say its not their fault. Should i try legal action(not desirable) or beat his ass(Im leaning towards this) . I have other computers but im really pissed cus that was my first laptop and i had so much stuff i cant replace on there including php and html files i was working on and scripts and programs that purchased.:mad::mad:

Even if your motherboard is fried, you didn't necessarily lose any data from your HD. Something seems fishy with these guys and if I were in your situation, my first priority would be getting the machine back into my possession. Take a look, see if all of your hardware is still there, pull out the HD and check the data, then go from there. Assuming these guys are working out of an actual building and not their car, it seems unlikely they are going to disappear on you in the meantime.

Cliff notes? Time is money.

Unless these guys are complete retards your HD should be fine.

That all sucks though. I would be pissed as hell.

I'm mediocre at best when it comes to hardware but I'd never let some 'expert' touch my shit ever. Most of them have knowledge that can only compete with a set of youtube comments.

I say grab a friend or 2, some baseball bats go over there, get your computer back and tell him to put up money for a new laptop, make sure he's alone, that way you can threaten him a bit without him having a witness.

They actually have a nice office, and seem to have some clientele. I was referred by someone else. I think thats my best move but if they fucked up how can i prove it.

I could definitely help you but I'm not reading all of that.

Cliff notes or gtfo

It was one of those things where i had a little down time wanted to get a annoying problem fixed. To be honest to though the main reason i went to him was cus he is a local small business and i have a office not far from his and probably the worst reason ever we got the same first name and we are the same nationality.:Oh crap:(

Well Id tell them first and foremost before they do anything else you want them to transfer all the data on the drive to a backup drive. Thats first priority. Motherboard burning out shouldn't of affected the data as someone above mentioned. Look on ebay and price out a replacement mobo. If its an older laptop that is what they should of done instead of fucking with trying to replace some usb ports. Normally its just a loose connection that can be fixed pretty easily, so unless the port it self was somehow damaged, I don't get why they would try to replace it.

I went to local small computer repair shop off of a referral, they got my shit for what was supposed to be a simple fix: replacing my usb plugs on my toshiba satellite notebook. Now they are saying my motherboard is fried (computer worked fine everyday for a year plus)and its not their fault. Right before he told me about the motherboard he asked for my login. Am i wrong for thinking that you could not logon if the motherboard was fried? Should i resort to legal action? And how can i prove they fucked up?

Can you condense this down into cliff notes please?

I tried man. I really tried. :(:helpme

I would take the charge

Right before as in moments before? It shouldn't even have booted to your OS if your mobo is actually fried. Some lights coming on and maybe some noise in the case are the only things I've ever seen from a system with a fried mobo.

Ok i was thinking same thing. Im just gonna pop up when they open tomorrow.

Its tempting but im trying to get past old legal stuff. Maybe if i can catch him outside by himself...

Ayla's right. If your motherboard were really fried logging in wouldn't be an option. Your PC lol, "expert" should know that. I would go get my shit back.

I would try to get a refund of their piss-poor service, then tell them that they are responsible for replacing the machine that they screwed up with said piss-poor service. If that doesn't work, then it's all systems go for plan B.

Replacing a Mother Board in a laptop is a full on job and will cost you anywhere up to $600 USD more if the Laptop is a late model, get the laptop back and see if the system posts for yourself if not take the HD out and buy another laptop.

Seems to me there just trying to get more and more money out of ya....

BTW never give any repairer your log-on details, you never know what sensitive data is on your HD that they can steal....

Is this a case of my USB port is a bit wiggly and now I need to replace the whole fucking computer story?

Meh...

If they stuffed up soldering on the USB connector to the Motherboard it would of fucked the whole MB, but if they knew what there doing they shouldn't fucked it but sounds to be like it is that way...

:Oh crap

first priority is get the hd back , why would you let them try and back it up.

Well if it were a desktop computer I would agree, however unless he has a way to hook onto a laptop top hd, plus them being the ones that fucked things up, the most important thing is that data for him. He might be able to find an external drive that he can drop a laptop hd in, but why should he have to pay for that on their fuckup? they 'should' have a way there to pull the data off the laptop drive.

I wouldn't trust that shop to back up his data without fucking it up.

An external enclosure for you laptop hard drive is what, 10 - 20 bucks?
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...nal-Enclosures

Get your computer back ASAP, get your money back, and think about small claims court.

Leave a burning bag of shit on their doorstep

Ram a large potato up their exhaust pipe. Pour a pound of sugar in their gas tank. Put some fish on their engine. Pay backs a bitch :thumbsup

by the length of your post you have to be the stupidest person on the planet.:2 cents:

Sorry to heard that hope you will fix this soon

replacing the USB is not a simple fix its not hard but its not simple alot of shit can go wrong.

They are just stalling to download all your 15 minute clips...

Yup... its a shitty situation, but i think your hdd is ok!
And that's the main thing for you now. At list you'll get your data!

Get yourself:

1. A medium size box and address it to the computer repair company.
2. A small bag of packing peanuts.
3. A roll of packing tape.
4. A medium size shovel.
5. A pair of disposable rubber gloves.

Toss all five items into your trunk.

Now, all you have to do is keep your eyes open for a nice disgusting looking (but still reasonably fresh) roadkill.

Be sure to get your package to the Post Office quickly.

The problem with your post is that you are not describing at all the symptoms of the problem, you are opening up with your interpretation of what could be wrong: *loose USB port". For all we know, your motherboard was all jacked up and the guy you are smearing is doing his best to help you but you are too dense to notice. I am, of course, reading as much into this information slim post as you may be with your tech guy..

:Oh crap

you know what I would do. I would tell him to go fuck himself :2 cents:

Sorry i was skipping shit because i was angry. The mobo was fine. The tech told me it was a simple fix. I dont know anything about hardware itself, but that doesnt make me an idiot.

Best answer thanks.