Monitor problem

[Diflower]

Thanks both
I know when we took it to him before you said his prices were good, it's nice to know he's not now about to swing it

[Suff]

I guess you can always bounce the cost off us. I'm in the middle of recovering a drive I managed to overwrite part of whilst trying to fix my media server with Mrs S whinging in my ear every 5 minutes. It's cost me $60 for a program to do the work and about 20 hours of faffing.

You never know how long it's going to take to resolve an issue when you get the machine and customers simply won't wear the cost of repairing it if it comes in at 50% of the price of a new machine.

So many companies gut you. Fortunately there are a few who realise that survival means repeat business and that you have to give in order to receive....

[TheOstrich]

Ossie, that sounds more like a Windows problem than the monitor, possibly with sleep options or hibernation. I have never used those two as they save the "state" of the computer when they operate. If the "state" was wrong when they "shut down" it will still be wrong when they "wake up" and start operating again. However, I also get the black screen sometimes after a Windows update. The first time I boot up after an update can take some time, but afterwards it reverts back to normal.

Try doing a few normal shutdown and boot ups, at least three consecutively, and see what happens. You could also go to Power in Control Panel and turn off any sleep or hibernation options.

Thanks for the advice, WM - much appreciated.

[Diflower]

It's back
The main problem was as suspected the monitor; the graphics card he's given a good clean and hopes it will keep going a while.
So new (s/hand) monitor £40
2-hour service £30

But he gave us £20 trade-in for the old monitor, for parts so it was £50

[Workingman]

A decent deal for all concerned, Di.

You get a sparkly, dust free, working machine for not much money, he gets your old monitor to dismantle for spares or to fix up and sell on later.

[Suff]

A very good deal all round. I would have just bought a new monitor as I'm able to test for a failed one. Would have cost me a lot more...

[Diflower]

Thanks both, I'm very glad we found him

Suff tbh our first reaction was that we'd have to go and buy a new one - and if we lived nearer some sensible shops we would have!
It was only when Bb said he'd go out and see what he could find that I thought to phone, at first just to ask if he had any monitors, new or s/hand wouldn't have mattered but obviously this has saved us a fair bit and the pc's had a service as well

[Suff]

Yep this kind of place is one to treasure. I've seen them vanish year on year.

Back in the early 90's when you could actually make money building new PC's and selling them on, the CEO of the small IT company worked for said that, eventually, the big boys would come in and clean up because they could, quite simply, make them and sell them cheaper than we could buy the parts.

It took a long time before the big companies decided there was more money in the consumer market than in the business market.

Treasure him, or he may, one day, be gone.

[Diflower]

He works in his converted garage Suff, but it's not as I expected when we first went, I imagined clutter and confusion.
It's all very clinical, organised, not overcrowded at all.
He's late 50s/early 60s, hopefully enjoys it enough to keep going a while yet

[Suff]

I can see the type exactly. Long may he continue, his type is needed.