Computer, printer and wi-fi help in Canberra
I'm Oscar. I fix the everyday tech that has been annoying you for months: the printer nobody can print to, the corner of the house where the wi-fi dies, the laptop that takes five minutes to start. Homes and small businesses both.
Message me first. It's free to ask.
Higgins based · onsite anywhere in the ACT · most things fixable remotely
Whichever one of these sounds like your week
If the thing bothering you isn't on this list, ask anyway. Describing it badly is fine, that's my job not yours.
The printer nobody can print to
Set up properly on every computer and phone in the building, wired or wireless, and left working that way.
A computer that takes five minutes to start
I find what is actually causing it instead of guessing, then tell you whether it is worth upgrading or replacing.
Pop-ups, fake warnings, things that installed themselves
Browser hijacks and malware cleaned out, then the machine set up so the next one has a harder time landing.
A laptop that will not turn on
Screens, keyboards, batteries, charging ports, and the ones that show nothing at all. If the repair costs more than the laptop is worth, I will tell you that instead.
A new computer with none of your things on it
Set up the way the old one was, with your files, photos, email and passwords carried across.
Files you thought were gone
Recovery from a drive that has failed, been formatted or been deleted. I tell you honestly what is recoverable before you spend anything on it.
Windows itself being the problem
Installed, upgraded or reinstalled cleanly, with your files kept and your programs put back where you expect them.
No backup, or one nobody has ever tested
A backup that runs on its own, and that I have tested by restoring from it. An untested backup is not a backup.
Wi-fi, routers, and the rest of the building
A lot of what gets called a computer problem turns out to be a network problem, which is worth checking before anyone buys anything to fix it.
Dead spots and dropouts
The back room, upstairs, the one corner where nothing works. I measure the signal properly rather than guessing where the problem is.
Coverage that reaches the whole place
Mesh set up so the connection holds while you walk between rooms, instead of hanging onto one bar from the far end of the house.
Your router, set up properly
Secured, firmware up to date, default passwords changed, guest access separated. Most routers are still running exactly as they came out of the box.
A whole network, planned once
Internet, wi-fi, printers and the devices that need to talk to each other, set up together rather than one at a time, with room to add people later.
Guest wi-fi for cafes and venues
A network your customers can use, kept separate from your own computers and your till.
One printer the whole building can reach
Set up on the network once, rather than installed again on every machine that arrives.
Is it you, your wiring, or your provider?
I work out which of the three it is, and I deal with the provider for you when it turns out to be them.
Files everyone can get to
Cloud storage and file sharing set up so the right people see the right things, from the office or from home.
Message me first. It's free to ask.
Tell me what is happening and I'll give you a straight read: whether it's something I can help with, what's involved, and what it's likely to cost. You get that before anything starts.
No obligation and no charge for asking. A photo of the error message helps, but it isn't required.
Tell me what's wrong
A text or a call. Describe it however makes sense to you. You don't need the right words for it.
You get a straight read
What is likely going on, whether it's worth fixing, and the options, in plain English. Including the answer you'd rather hear from me than find out later.
Remote, or at your place
Most problems I can fix without coming out: you click one link and I take it from there while you watch. Some things are quicker in front of the machine, and for those I come to you, anywhere in the ACT.
Straight up about the jobs I turn away
Some of it belongs in a proper repair shop
I'm not going to pretend I can fix every fault or crack open every device. Screen replacements, water damage and board-level repairs need specialist tools, parts and a bench, and I don't have any of the three. Anything under warranty is better off going back to the manufacturer, and I'll say so rather than void it for you.
What I can always do is work out what's wrong, tell you honestly, and point you at someone trusted if it's past me. And if the answer is that the thing isn't worth fixing, you get that before you've spent anything, not after.
If someone has made you feel silly about a computer before
Plenty of people have had that happen. Usually from someone who took the mouse off them, fixed it without saying what they did, and left. That isn't help. It's the problem going away for a while and taking the explanation with it.
I explain what I'm doing while I do it, at whatever pace suits you, and I'll write the steps down if you'd rather do it yourself next time. No jargon, and no question is too basic to ask. If you'd like your son or daughter on the phone while I'm there, that's fine by me.
Same rate and same work as everything else on this page. It's listed separately because people ask whether it's alright to call about something small, and the answer is yes.
Tell me what it's doing.
A text is the fastest way to reach me. Describe it in your own words. I'm back to you within a day, usually much faster, with an honest read on what's going on.