Second-user IT equipment PCs, Laptops, Monitors, Photocopiers, Printers »
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| Importer & Exporter Second-user IT equipment PCs, Laptops, Monitors, Photocopiers, Printers » |
FAQA selection of the most frequently asked questions by our customers together with the appropriate replies are listed below: If your specific question is not included, please make use of our on-site form above or send us an e-mail to admin@almmicros.co.uk. We will try our best to respond quickly and do our very best to help. PC/Laptop Repairs/MaintenanceWhat happens if the engineer is unable to repair my PC or Laptop? Charges
What are your charges? General
What are your opening times? Guarantee
Is your work guaranteed? Shipping
What are your recommended shipping instructions? Cartridges FAQ's Will my warranty be affected by using your cartridges? Cleaning How do I use a cleaner cartridge to unblock my printer heads? Installation When the cartridge is inserted, the printer states that the cartridge is incompatible. Why is this? Technical Vertical lines are not aligned or vertical banding appears. How do I align the print head on my printer?
PC/Laptop Repairs/MaintenanceWhat happens if the engineer is unable to repair my PC or Laptop? Do you offer a nationwide on-site callout? Unfortunately no, because we only have limited trained staff we don’t want to depend on third part support, therefore, we can only cover the Midlands area where we operate from. Do you repair laptops on-site? We carry out software related repairs to laptops; however, we do not repair laptop hardware failures on-site. For laptop hardware failures, we recommend you to contact us so that we can arrange for a courier to collect it from your place and have it sent to our repair centre. We carry out software related repairs to printers - driver and/or installation problems; however, we do not repair printer hardware failures. For printer hardware failures, we recommend you to contact the manufacturer. Unfortunately, we do not carry out repairs to monitors. For monitor hardware failures, we recommend you to contact the manufacturer. What happens if the customer decide not go ahead with the repair? If the engineer provides a clear and precise diagnosis of a failed component and is able to resolve the problem or effect the repair, but is only prevented from doing so by the customer requesting the engineer not to proceed with the work or the customer does not possess the required software CD-Rom or Product Key, then the customer is charged for the engineer's time spent to that point. In most cases this can be a standard flat rate, please check with engineer for more information. What kind of laptop problems can you handle? Since we are able to perform board level repair, there are not allot of problems we cannot handle. What brands of PCs and laptop can you repair? We repair all makes and models of PCs and laptops. How quick can you repair my PC/laptop? All repairs carried out in our own repair centre allowing most repairs to be turnaround within 2-3 days. Can you carry out same day repair? Same day laptop repair, including screen replacement and data recovery is available but will incur an extra charge. What does board level repair mean? It refers to being able to replace components (i.e.: fuses, capacitors, IC’s, etc.) on a system board. This enables us to reduce the cost of repair by not having you be required to replace major components such as motherboards, LCD displays, and video boards. How are qualified are your engineers? All of our engineers are fully qualified electronics engineers with full training, including microprocessor modules. You cannot repair PCs and laptops without digital and microprocessor qualifications. All Our engineers are carefully selected, they are fully qualified and highly experienced and have at least 10 years experience spent working on PCs and laptops in repairing to component level which allows them to take on complex faults turned down by other companies. With our expertise, resources, and patience, we have now been repairing PCs and laptops for end users and other major computer companies Nationwide. Can I get a quote before sending in my PC/laptop for repair? Yes: All of our repairs are done at a fixed price, (no fix, no fee) Simply put! We don't know what is happening inside of your laptop without taking it apart. A blank screen, for example, could be caused by a bad bulb. It also could be caused by a bad inverter, bad LCD cable, or a bad main board. That is why for the client's benefit, all work is priced up front, so you always know the cost. What is your typical turn-around time for repairs? We try to have all repairs completed in 3-7 days. Sometimes, though we receive large quantity of systems at one go. This does tend to slow us down a bit and the repairs may take a couple more days to generate. Also occasional batches of machines that have odd problems slow us down, that is unfortunately the nature of the business. Sometimes, we need to order a part and then we are at the mercy of our vendor or manufacturer of the laptop. This can take up to 7 days in some cases. Also, keep in mind that almost all the laptops we look at have been worked on before us. We must go track to the original problem before attempting to repair its current failure. If we have the luxury of being the first to look at your laptop, the chance of repairing your laptop within 3 day's is pretty good. What I need to do to book a repair? Call ALM Micros on 0121 772 7765 between 10:00-18:00 Mon-Sati or complete the repair-request-form and we will call you. We will confirm the details of the equipment and fault symptoms, and issue you with a booking Ref. No. ALM Micros Limited The equipment must be securely and properly packaged. See our shipping information. We will let you know when your laptop has arrived at our workshop. The fault will be assessed and repaired. Chargeable repairs are normally assessed within 2 days of receipt at our workshop and your authorization is required before work proceeds. ALM MICROS will inform you of any delays due to parts availability, etc. ALM MICROS will inform you when your laptop is ready and confirm dispatch to you by next business day carrier. Return carriage for warranty repairs is free of charge within UK Mainland. Can you repair systems that are under someone else's warranty? We only provide warranty service for the systems we built or sell as used. We provide post-warranty service for all systems. If you require warranty service from a particular vendor or manufacturer, please contact them, and next time buy a better system from us. Can I bring my PC or Laptop to your workshop for repair? Absolutely, in fact it is usually to your advantage to do so. What are the advantages of bringing my PC or Laptop to you for repair? We have many more resources available at our shop; therefore we can deal with almost any issue that may arise during service. We can also run several comprehensive diagnostics. These diagnostics are time-consuming, and we have higher hourly rates for onsite service. Does it cost less if I bring my PC or Laptop to you for repair? Yes. You will probably need onsite service if you are having problems with your network, otherwise most issues can be resolved at our workshop. Do I need to bring my PC or Laptop in for repair? Most issues can be resolved on-site if you prefer, however sometimes a preliminary onsite diagnosis may determine that further testing is needed at our workshop to facilitate an accurate diagnosis and subsequent repair. Can you pick up and/or deliver my PC or Laptop? Yes, provided that you are located within our service area. This service is subject to availability and a fee may apply, depending on the amount of work required and the distances involved. Can you fix my PC or Laptop right away? During normal business hours we can usually start working on your computer within 24hrs. Sometimes we may have to finish other customer's systems before we can get to yours. If you want to jump the queue and get Rush/Priority Service that also extends beyond normal business hours, you can get this service for a premium. If parts have to be ordered, service may be delayed, but will resume as soon as the parts arrive. Our premium rates will still apply. Please see our Emergency Service page for more information. Do you provide emergency service after hours? Yes, subject to availability and premium rates will apply. Do you provide emergency service on Sundays and holidays? Yes, subject to availability and premium rates will apply. My computer is not working, can you help? Yes, we can repair your system so that it is working like new, so long as the required parts and software are readily available. What do I need to bring when carrying repair? Bring your tower, windows CD's, driver CD's, and product keys as applicable. We also need the logon information for the Administrator account if there is one. You do not need to bring any cables or peripheral devices, unless there is a particular device you want installed. If you're bringing a laptop, please bring the power adapter. Charges
What are your charges? We constantly review our charging structure to ensure that it remains as competitive as possible and always represents excellent value for money. Please call us and one of our friendly staff will be happy to advise you. Is there a callout fee to pay? We charge a small callout fee of 30 pounds – less than half of what other companies charge, this is intended only to cover the engineer's time and petrol costs. Do you charge for travelling time? See is there a callout fee to pay? Which methods of payment do you accept? We accept payment in cash, by cheque (with guarantee card) and we also accept all major credit and debit cards. A full receipt will be given. If the repair takes only forty minutes, will I have to pay for a full hour? Our minimum charging period is one hour. If the repair is completed in less time than this, the engineer will offer to stay for the remaining time to carry out a general PC health check or a virus scan. Can I limit the booking to one hours' work? Yes, you can choose to limit the booking to one hour and the engineer will do his very best to complete the work within the agreed timescale. What are my costs for your service? We price each repair on the basis of the CPU in the machine, tell: and one of our sales people/engineers will discuss the repair with you and give you a fixed price. If we cannot repair your laptop, we will not charge for the repair. I am a reseller; do I get any special discounts? Will I know what cost will be incurred? We do not surprise our customers with hidden extra costs. ALM Micros will always make clear what costs you are likely to incur before you are committed to them. Do you provide an extra quote if you can’t repair a part? The only time we would give an extra quote, is if we cannot repair a part, we do not have stock, and we have to buy one in. However if we do quote on this basis, and you do not want to go with this option, we charge nothing, we will return your laptop at no cost to yourself apart from delivery charges. What do you include in your fixed price repair scheme? We do not include the consumables in our fixed price repair scheme, such as batteries, however, if it is a battery that we have second hand stock of that has not cost us a premium, we would supply a complimentary replacement, but the free replacement would not carry a warranty. Brand new motherboards are not included, HDD are included up to 80 Gb, and CPU's are included up to P4 2.4, we will split the cost on higher spec replacements. General
What are your opening times? Our opening times are 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Are there any current job vacancies? We are always pleased to receive applications from suitably qualified and experienced computer engineers - please send your CV to us at info@almmicros.co.uk. Do you accept walk-in traffic? We do. Although most of our work comes from business generated from trade & corporate clients, as we collect from anywhere in the UK see shipping charges, most of our clients find it saves time to have us collect, remember, What is No-Fix-No-Fee Policy? Our No-Fix-No-Fee policy means that if the engineer does not possess the necessary technical knowledge or ability to resolve the problem or effect the repair, then no charge is made to the customer, apart from a small callout fee if on-site or just the collection/return delivery charge. Guarantee
Can you guarantee you can fix my system? Is your work guaranteed? Our work is fully guaranteed. All components supplied are covered by a full twelve months parts and labor warranty. What is your warranty? Based on our ability to fix your computer just right, we offer a three month parts and labour warranty is attached to every laptop we repair. What does the warranty cover? Our warranty covers our work (Our workshop report lists repairs and replacement), not batteries or other things that we have not repaired or replaced. What happens if my system fails again within the twelve month warranty? Rarely do we encounter this situation, but since we are dealing with various electronic components and outside power sources, the situation could arise. If your system fails again within the three months and it shows the exact same symptom and failure we will ask that you use your original Repair Order Number and we will collect the system from you for free. (mainland UK only) There will not be any more occurring charges and you will not pay for shipping the unit back to you again. We stand firm behind our commitment to repair your system correctly. PC/Laptop Spares
Do you stock PC and laptop spares and can we order online? Of course, some systems may require a part or component that is no longer available which makes some repairs more difficult and time consuming however with over 10,000sqft stockholding complex means, that we can normally put our hands on any parts immediately. With access to large quantity of systems being dismantled for spares, gives us the confidence to quote for almost any part whether for use in in-house repairs or dispatch Do you sell backlight? Backlights for most screens available for dispatch but if fitted in-house will give our own warranty. I am a computer expert; can I buy just the part from you? Shipping
What are your recommended shipping instructions? Will my box be returned to me? We don't save any boxes unless specifically mentioned to us before we start working on your computer. We receive such a great number of computers, storing these boxes has become nearly impossible as we do not have the room for them or the time to locate your box before packing the system to return to you. We ship each laptop out in our own approved box and packaging materials to guarantee your laptop's safety. Again, if you NEED your box please let us know. Other services
Do you handle IT Disposal? Yes, click on IT Disposal for more info Do you offer password removal? Yes, click on password removal for more info. Do you offer data-recovery? Yes, click on data recovery for more info. Do provide Insurance Report? If your laptop is damaged and your insurers require an engineer’s report we can provide this, you will need to send the laptop to us for inspection, the price for this service includes returning the machine to you by insured carrier. Again for an extra charge we can arrange for the machine to be collected from you. You can get that information at Insurance Report section. We sell laptops, desktops, media centres, workstations, servers, network products, hardware and accessories. We maintain a large inventory of commonly needed items and have access to thousands of products. See our websites featured at www.almmicros.co.uk or www.almdirect.co.uk. Yes, we can provide data recovery services as long as your data is intact and accessible. Yes, see Data Recovery. Can you backup my files? Can you restore my files? We can reinstall programs if we have the software. If you do not have the installation disks, we can usually obtain software at prices lower than most retail outlets. Most programs cannot be "pulled" from a hard drive and restored. It just doesn't work that way. You need to provide us with the installation disks. We do not provide pirated software. Can you restore functionality to my current Windows installation? My hard drive is full, can you help me? I think my hard drive may have a problem, can you retrieve my data?
Printer FAQ'sWill my warranty be affected by using your cartridges? In the first instance, contact the printer manufacturer If the manufacturer refuses to repair the printer on the grounds that you have used a compatible cartridge, and your original warranty is still valid, we will undertake to provide a replacement warranty at no extra charge Before I install the cartridge, do I remove all of the label? Do not remove parts of the label that state you shouldn't. The yellow tab on most cartridges is there to ensure the ink reaches you in top condition, and therefore should only be removed just before use. Is there any difference between a compatible cartridge and Epson originals? There is essentially little or no difference between the quality of cartridges available from us, and Epson cartridges. The different cartridge makes (Ink-planet, Ink-XL, Ink-Rite) use slightly different ink designs and formulas, but they are all produced to a high quality. There will be some minor variations between the different makes and certain users will find that a certain make will suit their printer the best. CleaningHow do I use a cleaner cartridge to unblock my printer heads? Install the cleaning cartridge in the same way that you would install a normal cartridge. If you repeat this cleaning technique a few times then it should clear any blockages. How do I unblock a printer nozzle? Then print the picture off with the cleaner cartridge in it. It should then force the cleaner solution onto the page clearing any blocked printer heads. I need to clean my printer but there's no cleaner cartridge? If no cleaner cartridge is available then another possibility is to use a cleaner kit. InstallationWhen the cartridge is inserted, the printer states that the cartridge is incompatible. Why is this? The cartridges are where they make most of their money, which is why compatibles are so much cheaper. They try to word their warranties and sometimes have pop-up messages to deter customers from using other cartridges, but there is NO problem with using these cartridges and the quality IS as good as the manufacturers own brand. When I insert the cartridge into my printer it does not recognise the cartridge? Most cartridges on modern printers contain a chip to help the printer gather data on the print process as well as giving details on ink levels. In some cases the chip on the cartridge can become damaged, either through carriage problems or extreme temperatures. In this case the only response is to replace the cartridge. When inserted, the printer states the new cartridges are half full?. The printer only estimates the level of the ink in the cartridge. It is not a precise measurement. The cartridges will be full and should last as long as normal. My printer doesn't seem to print out since I installed the new cartridge? First of all make sure that the printer hasn't become disconnected and still has power. In the case that a cleaner cartridge is unavailable for the customers’ particular make of printer then an old cartridge can be converted using a Printer Flush kit with the requisite syringe, drill and plug. We recommend a JR Inkjet product - to get all the bits and pieces you will require to start with, you should go for JRBLKKIT - this contains a bottle of specially formulated detergent, as well as a bottle of black ink. You could fill up an old cartridge with the detergent, clean your print head, and then fill up the empty cartridge with the black ink. My new cartridge does not seem to fit my printer. First of all make sure that the printer hasn't become disconnected and still has power. We recommend a JR Inkjet product - to get all the bits and pieces you will require to start with, you should go for JRBLKKIT - this contains a bottle of specially formulated detergent, as well as a bottle of black ink. You could fill up an old cartridge with the detergent, clean your print head, then fill up the empty cartridge with the black ink. Ensure that you have purchased the correct cartridge for your printer. Also ensure that the tab has been broken or removed and that the cartridge has been installed correctly. The tab ensures that the ink is fresh before use so the user shouldn't break it until just before use. TechnicalVertical lines are not aligned or vertical banding appears. How do I align the print head on my printer? Most printers will have a utility function which will give you an option to align the printer head. Just follow the instructions on the screen. Make sure to use the printer's power switch to turn off the printer, otherwise the settings will not be saved Only garbled text is printing. Why? The interface cable may not be securely connected. Turn off the printer and computer. Disconnect and reconnect the cable on both the printer and computer. Make sure the printer is directly connected to the computer and not through a pass through device such as a switchbox. Make sure the printer cable is fully-shielded and meets the printer's specifications (a fully shielded IEEE-1284.4, D4 mode, compliant parallel cable is recommended with a length of 6 feet or less if you are using a PC). If you are only experiencing the issue when trying to print from Windows, make sure you are using the correct driver. Select your default printer driver. Check for and delete any stalled print jobs. When I print off a sheet, the colours do not exactly match the ones displayed on my screen. How do I select the correct media type? Your printer automatically adjusts itself for the type of paper you select in your printer software. Before you print, always check your Media Type setting. Can I still use the printer to print black if the colour cartridge is empty? Leave the empty cartridge installed in the printer until you have obtained a replacement. Otherwise the ink remaining in the print head nozzles may dry out. It's best to always have an extra cartridge on hand. What does OEM Stand for? OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. In the case of ink cartridges it means that the manufacturer of the printer also manufacturers the ink cartridge as well, e.g. An Epson cartridge for an Epson machine. Since Epson, Canon, Brother, Xerox, Dell and most other brands all sell their printer as a loss leader (The printer is sold at a loss, and then they then use the cartridges to make their money back), it is possible for other companies to make compatible cartridges for their printers, which are generally a lot cheaper than OEM cartridges. |
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