Frequently asked question
Q: Can I drop my hard drive into you for an evaluation?
A: Yes, we are open Monday to Friday 9 am – 8 pm or Saturday 10 am – 6 pm, you could also post the drive to us and if you are in Dublin, we will pick it up there is a charge for that of €50.00
Q: My hard drive is clicking and I can not connect it to my mac laptop.
A: Disconnect it, drop it into us or post it we have a full clean room to open it hermetically and we have a ACELab 3000 and portable USB device for data recovery.
Q: How much is the evaluation for a USB stick so I can get my photos?
A: We take a €50 deposit card / cash non-refundable but goes towards any costs, within 1 – 3 working days I will have news for you how much data and what price, we also do raid recovery.
Q: Do you do business contracts with on site and team viewer?
A: Yes, we have 3 vans that come out to your house and premises there is a charge for that.
Q: Can you take all my data and put in a new SSD drive?
A: Yes, we can do this. We have a clean room ACELab PC3000 and Mobile ACELab 3000.
Q: My laptop overheats and the fans get louder.
A: Switch it off, drop it into us. Yes, you can post it to us or get picked up in Dublin, we will strip the laptop clean out the fans with our compressor and put new terminal paste on the processor or graphics card.
Q: Do you do keyboard replacements, SSD, RAM, sockets, virus removal, swap all my data to a new machine .pst ?
A: Yes, we do all we are the biggest computer repair / data recovery company in Ireland.
Q: Do you sell computers, desktops, laptops, gaming laptops, tablets and charges?
A: All the above we also build server networks and gaming machines.
Q: Do you maintain company servers, desktops and laptops?
A: Yes, we all above, we have 3 vans here in Dublin only.
Q: Why is my computer running slow?
A: There are 2 reasons it could be software virus windows updates to many programs, or it could be a hard drive issue or faulty ram, drop down the computer or we can have it picked up. Pick-up is €50 Dublin only.
Q: What is the best anti-virus for my computer?
A: If you have a windows-based computer Windows 8 8.1 10 it 11 is inbuilt for free and for the lifetime of the Pc it’s called Windows Defender. If it´s Mac, there is 1 called Total Av we use in the office.
Q: Do I need to backup my files?
A: Always backup your data weekly first to your PC and secondly to a USB hard drive and thirdly to a cloud-based platform Google drive/droop box if you use Gmail, you get 15GB of free storage.
Q: I am starting college next week what laptop should I buy?
A: Your budget comes first, there are windows laptops that start of at around the 400 mark and Mac laptops start of at 1150. Ask the Teacher what’s required for your college work.
Q: My Laptop fan is always on and it’s getting very hot.
A: If the fan is constantly on it could be a program or windows update that is spiking the processor to force the fan to cool it down, or the fan could be blocked up with fibers or dust. Laptops are not meant to be kept on your lap, bed or pillow, they have vents underneath specially to cool down.
Q: My Brother has a powerful desktop which he uses for photo design and videos. Can you just not use a standard Desktop or Laptop?
When it comes to design and videoing a good graphics card processor and lots of rams are needed whether it’s a Desktop or Laptop.
Q: Why are so many updates at the monument my computer is constantly updating?
A: Both Mac + Windows update their operating systems to make them run more efficiently which gives you the latest tweaks and security.
Q: Should you leave your PC switched on always?
A: In a home environment, the PC should be switched off when not in use, firstly because it shortens the life and secondly uses power. Offices have different requirements sometimes they run 24-7.
Q: Should my PC have surge protection?
A: Yes, always have a surge suppressor connected to your device there only about 20 euro and can be bought in most hardware stores.
Q: How do I back up my photos and documents to my drive?
A: If it’s a Mac plug in the drive go to system preferences click time machine and then follow the simple instructions. If it’s windows plug in your drive press windows + r type in backup and then click on backup and restore and follow the instructions, always keep the backup drive in a different location just in case of fire or somebody takes it.
Q: I am confused what browser should I use Google, Firefox, Safari, or Edge?
Edge is from Microsoft and comes with a neat trick you can read .pdf on it. Safari is from Mac and it’s ok. Google and Firefox are top of the class for Security and speed.
Q: I am using windows Vista and the browser won’t let me into my online banking.
A: Older versions of windows like Vista or XP have stopped receiving updates so your only way forward is to save all data and purchase a new Pc, the latest version of windows is Windows 10 and on Mac, it’s High Sierra.
Q: My son is 8 years old and enjoys being on the PC. Is there anything I put on the computer so he can’t access certain sites on the internet?
A: There is a free program called k9 web protection. You can download it on PC windows or Mac. It has a control panel where you can block adult sites Facebook and online gambling. You will be asked for an admin password on setup. Do not forget the password and make it strong.
Q: It’s safe to log on to internet banking?
A: It’s perfectly safe to use internet banking as long as your PC is up to date and fully protected. Never log into a wireless connection that is open and has no password, anybody could drop a key-logger on your PC to track the keys you press, and always have 2-step verification.
Q: How often should I change the password on my emails?
A: Defiantly should change them every 6 months and shouldn’t share with another log-in account for example Amazon or Facebook. What does that mean if the suspicious activity or you log on to your account on a different device email company will send your mobile a code for verification?
Q: I had photos saved on my Drive and last week I dropped it and now won’t connect to my laptop is there any way I could get them recovered?
A: You need to go to a professional company to recover them, look on Google for such a Data Recovery and look at their online feedback.
Q: On my old PC I had Outlook Express on it, but my new PC does not have it. What can I do?
A: New Windows computers come with Windows Live Mail, or you can download a free program called Entourage, or you can download the modern version of Outlook Express which is called Microsoft Outlook on Mac. You can also use Microsoft Office for Mac or Entourage.
Q: I have Microsoft Office at work. How do I get it for my home computer?
A: Microsoft Office comes in 2 ways an online download which is called Office 365. It’s a yearly subscription or you can purchase it outright with a memory stick or download it with a license, there is a free version called Libre Office. Libre Office can be downloaded from the net and it does the same things as Microsoft Office.
Q: My Boss said he has a Mac desktop and viruses are not on Macs. Is it true?
A: Not True. 90% of computers are Windows-based so 90% of viruses and malware are also windows-based and yes, Macs do get infected.
Q: I spilled liquid on the keyboard of my laptop. What should I do?
A: Switch it off straight away. Unplug the charger and turn it upside down so the liquid can drain away. Put it in your hot press upside down and leave it there for 24 hours. Then you must bring it to a professional computer company for repair. Do not turn it on or you will make it worse.