Common Mistakes People Make When Attempting to Fix Their Gadgets

So, by some fluke chance, you cracked the front panel of your gadget. Or perhaps your gadget isn’t working the right way or its operations seem sluggish. Or maybe whenever you turn on your gadget, it turns itself for no reason. Should you try to repair your gadget yourself or just bring it in for repairs?

Unfortunately, many people think that they can fix their broken gadgets by reading through tech repair websites or watching repair guide videos on YouTube. And again, unfortunately, even with the best information and the best intentions of getting something fixed, if you’re not a trained professional technician, you’re only asking for more trouble for your gadget.

Not realizing that some front and back covers are held by more than just screws

Unlike desktops, laptops, and most smartphones wherein you can remove the rear or obvious covers simply by unscrewing them off (with smartphones you simply pop off the rear covers), some gadgets like tablets have difficult front and back covers to remove. This is because aside from the screws, the covers are also held down by adhesive. Some are also held inside by plastic holders aside from the screws. Make a wrong move and you can snap the plastic holders or worse, snap your gadget cover in two. This on top of the potential for electric shocks or cutting your fingers on the broken glass. Let a professional tech company handle your gadgets instead.

Not checking the warranty on the gadget

With many “tech clinics” online, some people think that they can do a DIY job on their busted gadgets to save money. Why not just check if the gadget is still under warranty and bring it in for repairs. Being under warranty means you don’t pay for anything. It’s much easier than trying to repair it yourself and adding more to the damage.

Not even having the right tools

Just because you have a garage full of tools doesn’t mean you can go and attempt repairing your busted gadget. All computer-related and Internet-related gadgets need special tools like special torx screwdrivers, nut driver bits, and case opening tools and only trained professionals usually know how to use these tools. Just because you have a screwdriver, tweezer, and a hair dryer doesn’t make you a professional gadget repairman. This is best left with the professional tech support people who have the proper tools.

Not checking your Wi-Fi password when your Internet is always crawling

It has happened a thousand times before; people buy a Wi-Fi device or router and immediately uses it as soon as they plug it in and sees the green light. This also gives the green light to your neighbors who will obviously pick up your Wi-Fi signal and start using it. Not securing your Wi-Fi or router means that squatters will suck up your bandwidth and your internet speed will slow dramatically. All this because you didn’t secure it in the first place.

In conclusion, we might also add that assuming you got on the right track in identifying the problem, if a replacement part is needed, chances are you don’t know what that is. So in conclusion, it’s safe to say that the first mistake anyone makes in attempting to fix their gadget is THINKING that they can do it. Best if you just call your tech support company for assistance.

A Tech Expert Guide to Maintaining and Organizing Your Gadgets

We all know that gadgets now rule the Internet today because of mobility. While it’s still nice to own a personal computer at home or at the office, it’s not a great idea to lug around a large PC, with monitors and all. But whether you’re a techie geek with all the latest gadgets to improve your work or a non-techie who happens to know at least the basics of using gadgets, the common denominator for everyone using gadgets is being able to maintain them and keeping them organized.

Maintaining and keeping your gadgets in mint condition is not hard work and the benefit here is getting them to work as long as possible and in tip-top shape.

General maintenance for smartphones and tablets

Protect the LCD screen with a screen protector, whether it’s the film type stuck on the LCD’s glass or liquid that is wiped onto the surface. Keeping your gadget’s glass scratch-free is the first step to maintaining its life. It is unfortunate that the better the technology, the bigger the screen, which is now the vulnerable Achilles’ heel of any mobile gadget. Protect the gadget with a protective folio casing. A jelly case is handy against the impact of bumping around in your bag, while most folio casings protect the device from any impact and keep its LCD from being scratched.

General maintenance for laptops

Wipe and brush your laptop weekly. Wipe the laptop’s lid, bottom area, and its LCD. Brush the keyboard with a laptop brush. Nothing is uglier than a dirty and unkempt laptop. As a practice, never use flash drives and memory cards other than those you use with your camera, phone and other devices. This prevents viruses being passed on to your laptop. If you really need to copy from other devices directly to your laptop, make sure your antivirus and malware programs are all updated and running.

Take care of the batteries

Your devices run on their batteries. It is very important that you use the battery carefully so that they have a longer life. It is recommended that you refrain from draining out the entire power before charging. Charge up when the battery signals that it is low on power. It’s very practical to invest in a mobile phone emergency battery and a spare battery pack for tablets if your work requires you to be on the move most of the time.

Don’t leave gadgets in the car

Heat is bad for all kinds of tech devices. A closed car becomes hot even on a cloudy day. The oven-like environment will play havoc on any gadget that is left in a car. In connection with this, since direct sunlight can damage devices, always use your gadgets indoors or at least in the shade when outdoors. Don’t use your smartphone or tablet when walking under the sun.

Keep your gadget cords organized

All gadgets have cords to charge them no matter how advanced gadgets have become. No one has yet to invent a cordless mobile device because cords go well with the wall sockets. Owning just 3 or 4 gadgets can leave a clutter of cords on any surface. If you need all your gadgets on a work table, use a box with dividers to keep all the cords separated from each other. It’s better if the box has holes at the back for each cord if you need to charge a gadget. If you don’t want to use a box, you can use plastic bread bag tags for each cord and slip them over the cord near the plug.