We've asked a number of Broward County computer service experts to tell us some of the common situations they've encountered with customers in the past few months. Below is a sampling of the kinds of problems they solved with computer repair or just simple advice ...

PROBLEM: I bought an extended warranty on a laptop and the store said it would cover anything that could ever happen. Well, a year has passed and some of the keys don't work. The place says it's just wear and tear - and won't cover any sort of computer repair.

SOLUTION: Contact the manager in person and explain what you were told. Don't be afraid to be bold when you are in the right. You might also consider filing a complaint with the BBB.

If you can't get your money back, find a local Fort Lauderdale computer repair office to replace your keyboard, which will not be that expensive when done with quality and carefulness.

PROBLEM: I have some old computer monitors I'm trying to sell, or give away, but have had no luck. No one (not even the garbage company) will take them off away from me! How do I unload them?

SOLUTION: If they work and work well, a local school or charity may be interested. If not, contact a local Broward computer service who can arrange for recycling them, possibly for free, depending on where you look and definitely for a small fee.

For the good of the planet, don't put them in the trash. Go to the extra effort and you can find a person who wants it or a Fort Lauderdale computer service who will take it off your hands.

PROBLEM: If I sell my computer, how can I make sure the hard drive is totally, completely, absolutely, 100 percent erased?

SOLUTION: Sell it without the hard drive. Keep it and let the buyer get his own. But you want to sell it with hard drive, use a disk wiping utility like DBAN. That program is an effective weapon against data theft. Run it and your data is gone. Really gone.

PROBLEM: I print about so many things a day that I am interested in a serious printer that can really handle a heavy load.

SOLUTION: Most network support providers would recommend a workhorse black-and-white laser printer. A used HP would do the job, as would a small, business-class, black-and-white laser model. Avoid color lasers that also print black-and-white.