SmallBizResource Blog -- Hardware

A Babe In The Woods Goes In Search Of Tech Support

Posted by Gayle Kesten Friday, Sep 26, 2008, 01:02 PM ET

I have never appreciated the sound of silence more than today. In fact, I feel like a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders or, if you will, out of my arms.

You see, my HP Pavilion laptop -- my 15-month-old baby -- hasn't seemed like itself for the past few months. Typically, it was cool, quiet, and agreeable in temperament. If memory serves, the fussiness kicked in mid-summer. That's when I first noticed my laptop's bottom felt hot to the touch. Same for the external battery it spent most of its time tethered to.

Then the whirring began, and it only became louder (and grated on my nerves) the longer I kept my laptop awake. I'd put it to sleep for an hour around dinner time so the rest of us could eat in peace, but the problem returned once it awoke.

Instinct told me I had one of three issues at hand: dust bunnies, a funky fan, or a malfunctioning motherboard. I had the presence of mind to at least back up my files onto a 4 GB Kingston DataTraveler USB Flash drive (and have done so a few times), but clearly I needed someone to take a look. And that's where I ran into a mental brick wall. Cracking open the Yellow Pages or rushing into an electronics store was too needle-in-a-haystack of an approach. As nutty as I know this sounds, the gravity of finding tech help felt analogous to choosing my son's pediatrician.

The universe must have felt my pain; out of the blue I received an IM from a trusted former colleague who, long story a little shorter, recommended me to someone he uses. That person quickly responded to my SOS and, because he was tight on time, assured me my laptop would be in safe hands if I went back to the store where I bought it. That made me feel better, though I did call ahead to ensure those guys were truly certified.

So, on this rainy New York Friday, I packed up my laptop (and nerve) and shot out early to avoid a long wait. The long-haired, scruffy-faced 20-something behind the counter confirmed any one of my suspicions could be accurate. Worst-case scenario: I'd have to send my laptop out for fan or motherboard surgery. It would be gone a minimum of two weeks.

Before my heart completely dropped, the guy then suggested a less invasive, almost homeopathic, remedy to try first: a can of compressed air. I had, in fact, already tried that, but nervously, conservatively, and only on the keyboard. He flipped my laptop over and showed me where to spray.

Home I went, and spray I did, into every nook and cranny, as if I were treating my son's first case of diaper rash. And wouldn't you know it? I can hear the birds chirping outside of my window. Freakin' dust!

Tragedy, thankfully, averted. From a software perspective, my laptop still needs a good once-over, but at least now I have the name and number of someone who can help me. I know remote services are out there, too, but until someone tells me about one they've used themselves (hint, hint), I'll wait on my friend's friend.

And simultaneously shop around for a good house-cleaning service.

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