Affordable, friendly PC repairs. Evenings and weekends, when the other places are shut.
PC won't turn on, keeps crashing, or running painfully slow? I can diagnose and fix it. I work on all types of desktop and tower computers, from budget home PCs to high-end workstations, and I've been doing it since 2008.
I'm Mark, and I run Your Local Computer Guy from my home in Laffak, St Helens. No shop, no rent, no staff. That keeps my costs down, and it keeps your bill down too.
I cover both hardware and software problems. If something's physically broken (dead power supply, failing hard drive, faulty motherboard) I can replace or repair it. If it's a software issue and Windows won't boot, you're getting blue screens, or things are crashing, I'll get to the bottom of it and sort it out.
And because I work evenings and weekends, you don't have to take time off work or rearrange your day. The high street repair shops shut at five. I'm just getting started.
Dead PC? Could be the power supply, motherboard, or just a loose connection. I'll find the cause and get it running again.
Blue screens (BSODs) usually point to a driver, hardware or Windows issue. I diagnose the exact cause and fix it properly.
Dust buildup, dried thermal paste, or a failing fan can cause shutdowns and throttling. I'll clean it out and get temps back to normal.
Faulty RAM, dead hard drives, broken USB ports. If a component has failed, I can source a replacement and fit it for you.
A computer that takes forever to do anything is usually fixable. Often an SSD or RAM upgrade or a cleanup is all it takes to feel like new.
Programs freezing, Windows errors, boot loops? I troubleshoot and fix all kinds of software problems on Windows and macOS.
Most desktop repairs come down to a handful of recurring faults. After fixing PCs in St Helens since 2008, I've seen the same things go wrong again and again. That experience means I usually know where to look first, which keeps your bill down.
Power supplies are the single most common culprit when a PC won't turn on. They get gradually worse before they die, so you might notice random reboots or the machine refusing to start on a cold morning before it gives up entirely. I keep a tested PSU on the bench specifically for swap-testing, which tells me in about five minutes whether the PSU is the problem or whether something else is pulling it down.
RAM faults are next on the list. Symptoms are all over the place: blue screens, freezes, programs closing themselves, Windows refusing to install updates. I'll run MemTest86 across the sticks individually to find the bad module, then either replace it or, if you've got mismatched memory from a previous upgrade, sort the configuration out properly.
Hard drives dying is the one that worries people most because of the data. A mechanical drive that's clicking, slowing right down, or showing SMART warnings needs to come out before it fails completely. I'll image what's there onto a new SSD where possible, which usually fixes the speed problem at the same time. Most older desktops feel like a brand new machine after an SSD swap and a clean Windows install.
Then there's heat. Years of dust in the heatsink, a fan that's slowing down, or thermal paste that's gone chalky. Any of those will cause shutdowns under load, throttling, or fans that sound like a hairdryer. A proper strip-down clean and fresh paste makes a massive difference on a tower that's been running five or six years without attention.
I'm not a franchise. I'm not a managed service company with a head office somewhere telling me what to charge. One bloke in Laffak, fixing computers since 2008. That changes a few practical things you'll notice straight away.
When you ring the number on this page, I answer it. Not a call centre, not a booking system, not someone who'll pass a message on. The same person you speak to is the person who'll diagnose your machine, do the repair, and hand it back to you. Nothing gets lost in translation between a front desk and a workshop, because there isn't one.
I also have a full-time IT job alongside this, which matters more than it sounds. It means I'm not chasing every job to pay the rent on a shop, and I'm not under pressure to upsell parts you don't need or talk you into a repair that isn't worth doing. If your machine's genuinely had its day, I'll tell you. If a small fix will keep it going another two years, I'll tell you that too. The advice you get is the advice I'd give a friend.
Chain shops have to hit targets. Their technicians are often working from a script and have a manager looking at average ticket values. That's not a criticism, it's just how that business model works. But it does mean a small job can quietly turn into a big quote because the till needs feeding. With me there's no till to feed and nobody looking over my shoulder, so the quote you get is the quote the job actually needs.
The other thing is continuity. If something I fixed plays up a week later, you ring the same number and get the same person who already knows the machine. No ticket numbers, no starting from scratch with whoever happens to be on shift.
I'm based in Laffak, on the north-east side of St Helens, so I'm well placed for the whole borough and a fair bit beyond. Most jobs are either a callout to your house or a drop-off at mine, whichever suits you better. If you're not sure which makes more sense, give me a ring and we'll work it out.
Haydock is about five minutes up the road and I'm there often. Newton-le-Willows is a bit further on but still well within range, and I've had a steady stream of regulars from there over the years. Same goes for Billinge, which is a quick run across. Handy if you've got a tower you'd rather not lift into the car.
Heading the other way, Eccleston, Windle and Rainford are all close enough that a callout doesn't add much to the price. Prescot and Rainhill are slightly further south but I cover both regularly, and people from those areas often prefer to drop the machine off and pick it up once it's done. Laffak is a quick run up the A570 from either.
Closer in, I cover Sutton, Thatto Heath, Parr and the rest of central St Helens as standard. Short hops for me, so callouts are easy to fit around evenings and weekends. If you're in any of these areas and the machine's awkward to move (an all-in-one, a big tower under a desk full of cables, or a setup with multiple monitors you'd rather not unplug) I'd usually recommend I come to you.
If you're not sure whether your address is in range, just ask. I don't have a strict postcode cut-off. If it's a sensible drive from St Helens, I'll come out. And if it turns out the job is something quick I can talk you through over the phone, I'll do that too and save us both a trip. There's a map and a note on each town on the areas I cover page.
The first step is just a quick conversation. Drop me a WhatsApp on 07428 101010 or give me a ring, tell me what the machine's doing (or not doing) and I'll usually have a fair idea straight away of what's likely going on. You'll get an estimate there and then, by message or over the phone. If it sounds like something I can talk you through, I'll do that for nothing.
If it needs hands on it, we'll arrange either a callout to your house or a drop-off at mine in Laffak, whichever works for you. The estimate is based on what you've described, so it can change once I've actually seen the machine. A simple fix with no parts stays at the price we agreed. If it turns out to need parts or more work, I tell you the new price first.
Nothing extra gets done without a yes from you. If what I find changes the picture, I message or ring before going any further, and you decide whether to carry on.
When it's done, I either drop it back, you collect, or for software jobs I can sometimes finish remotely. You pay on completion, by cash, bank transfer or card. That's it. No subscriptions, no follow-up sales calls, no upsells.
It depends on the machine and what's wrong with it. The same fault can take twenty minutes on one PC and two hours on another, and part prices move around a lot, so I don't publish a price list. Message me with the make, model and what it's doing and I'll give you an estimate. Looking at it is included in that, not a separate charge. A simple fix with no parts stays at the estimate. If it needs parts or turns into a bigger job, you get the new price before I carry on. And if a repair would cost more than the machine is worth, I'll say so rather than do the work.
I try to get you sorted the same day wherever I can. Software problems (slow performance, viruses, a Windows reinstall) usually are. Some jobs need more time, and if a part has to be ordered it's normally one to three days, depending on what it is and how quickly it turns up. Because I work evenings and weekends, the clock doesn't stop at five o'clock on a Friday.
Both options work, whatever's easier for you. For desktops and towers, most people prefer to drop them off at my place in Laffak because they're awkward to move with the cables and monitor. For laptops, it's usually a quick drop-off too. If you'd rather I came to you, I do callouts across St Helens and the surrounding areas: Haydock, Newton-le-Willows, Rainhill, Prescot, Billinge, Eccleston, Rainford and the rest. Just let me know when you call.
Often yes, and a lot more often than people assume. A machine that feels hopelessly slow can usually be brought back to life with an SSD upgrade and a clean Windows install for a fraction of what a new PC would cost. The exception is genuinely old hardware where the motherboard or processor is the bottleneck. In those cases I'll be straight with you and say so rather than spend your money on a repair that won't make a real difference.
It's rare, but it happens. Usually it's a machine that could be fixed, just not for a sensible amount of money. When that's the case I'll explain exactly why, help get your files off it, and point you towards a sensible replacement. I don't sell PCs, so there's no angle in steering you one way or the other.
Drop me a WhatsApp or give me a call. I'll have a chat about what's going on and we'll get it sorted.
★★★★★"Mark provided a quick and professional service getting my computer back to its original fast speed. Look no further if you need a computer expert."
— Philip Burrows, via Google
★★★★★"Give mark a ring over software on my laptop, dropped it off with him was done within the hour fast reliable service would recommend to anyone. Thank you"
— AJ Sheridan, via Google