If and when you decide to take your machine to a Fort Lauderdale computer repair specialist, it is important to ask them lots of questions.

Deciding whether or not to replace or recycle your computer(s) is only the first step.

If you go the repair route, it's extremely crucial that you know, and ask, the following things about whomever you enlist to do the job:

How long the computer repair take? Repair shops may be unable to turn your laptop around for a week or more. Get them to try to pin this down, even if it's for longer than you'd like. That way you won't be counting on the return of your computer, only to have it not happen on that timetable.

What's the warranty? Not on your computer itself, but on the repairs done to it. Any Boca Raton / Ft. Lauderdale computer repair shop should offer at least a 90-day warranty on its services, meaning they'll fix it again if necessary for free during that period. If they do not, look for another provider, or try to negotiate to have this included in your package.

Is the customer service reputable? While it may be hard to know everything about a computer service before you hire one, there may be a lot of online reviews out there that you don't know about. Do some research, you'll be surprised at what you find.

Will they back up a hard drive? Some shops will do this without your asking. Or a Fort Lauderdale computer repair shop might perform a backup for an additional cost. But to be safe, back up your important files beforehand.

What happens if there is damage? Get a complete answer, or at least as close as you can. But it's worth asking. You never know what will happen, including things beyond the control of the computer service itself. So it pays to create or try to establish a safety net of sorts if you can.

Don't let them get rid of it. Okay, this isn't really a question, but a tip. A computer expert could retrieve personal data off an apparently dead hard drive and use it for who knows what. If your computer cannot be repaired, removed the hard drive yourself, then take it to an electronics recycling center. You never can predict what will happen if you leave this to someone else, and the consequences can be disastrous.