Repair or replace?

Practical steps for planning your next technology decision.

What to check

Back up your files first. Identify the fault and obtain a written estimate covering parts, labour and warranty. Compare that estimate with the cost of a suitable replacement and consider the remaining useful life, battery condition and whether memory or storage can be upgraded.

In practice

A storage or memory upgrade may restore a useful computer. Repeated motherboard failures, unavailable parts or a device that cannot run required software can make replacement more practical.