Computer Questions & Answers

Why isn't my laptop battery holding a charge when it's been sitting on my desk plugged in for 18 months?

It sounds backwards, but leaving a laptop plugged in at 100% for months on end is actually one of the hardest things you can do to its battery. Lithium-ion batteries wear out fastest when they're held at a full charge and kept warm—and a laptop charging on your desk is usually both. After 18 months of sitting full, the cells quietly lose a big chunk of their real capacity, so the moment you unplug it the charge drops like a stone.

Going forward, it's healthier to let the battery dip down and come back up sometimes instead of always sitting at 100%, keep the laptop cool, and switch on the battery-limit setting many newer laptops include (it caps charging around 80% to slow the wear). If the battery is already worn out, a fresh one usually brings the laptop right back to life. Bring it by and Big Mike will test it and let you know honestly whether it's the battery, the charger, or something else.

Do you offer a warranty on your repairs?

Yes. Any new parts I install—drives, RAM, power supplies, and so on—carry a 1-year warranty. On top of that, my labour is covered for as long as you own the machine. If something goes wrong as a direct result of the work I did, I'll fix it and make it right, no charge for my time.

Custom builds and router setups have their own specific warranty details on those service pages, but that's the short version for general repairs, virus removal, and data recovery work.

How much does a custom built computer cost?

There's no flat price—it depends entirely on what you're using it for and what budget you're comfortable with. An $800 gaming machine and a $2,800 gaming machine are both completely reasonable builds, they just perform very differently. My general pricing rule of thumb is cost of parts plus 10%, plus 2 hours of labour for the build.* The first thing we talk about is your budget range and how you plan to use the machine, whether that's gaming, video editing, CAD work, or just everyday use.

From there I recommend parts that give you the best performance for that budget, with no pressure to spend more than you need to. Every custom build also comes with a 1-year parts warranty and lifetime labour warranty. Give Big Mike a call and we can talk through what makes sense for you.

*Certain specialty items may carry a slightly higher markup than the standard rate.

How long does virus removal take?

I aim for same-day turnaround whenever possible—often one day or less. If you drop your machine off in the morning, there's a good chance it's ready by suppertime. The actual removal work usually takes 1 to 2 hours of labour, but some infections are more stubborn and take longer to fully clear, especially if the malware has spread deep into the system or your drive is already struggling.

Either way, I'll give you a realistic timeline once I've had a look at it, and I won't rush a scan just to hit a deadline—a thorough job is the only way to be sure everything's actually gone.

Do you come to my house, or do I need to drop off my computer?

Whatever works best for you—I offer a few options. I can come work on your computer right at your home or business, I can come pick it up and bring it back to you when it's done, or you can drop it off yourself and I'll bring it back to you when it's finished.

Sometimes I'll start a job on-site and realize partway through that it's going to take a lot longer than expected. When that happens, it's usually cheaper for you if I take the computer back to my own workspace and finish it there on my own time, rather than charging you for hours of me working in your living room. I'll always let you know if that's the better option before I do it.

Either way, pickup and drop-off is free in the Nanaimo area, and you get the same honest assessment and quality work no matter which option you choose.