This is a common misconception, IT repairs are not always costly.

Just because a laptop, computer, or other device was expensive to purchase, doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be expensive to repair / maintain.

Naturally, delaying a fix or letting a device sit unused can cause minor problems to escalate into more complex and expensive issues. Worse still, trying to repair something without the right tools or expertise can lead to the loss of data, hardware damage, or system failures.

If you notice something isn’t working as it should, don’t wait. Acting quickly is what a smart and responsible business owner does—because in IT, small problems become big ones fast, and the longer you wait, the more it’s likely to cost.

Try running Windows troubleshooter, if the issue persists, get your computer booked in for repairs with ChimeraTek.

Windows Update errors can happen for a variety of reasons, and many come with error codes such as; 0x80072f8f, 0x20000, 0x80072efe, 0x8007007e.

There are many more errors, and to fix them requires some troubleshooting. Your issue could be disk space, a previous pending update, a system / firmware / driver update that is stuck.

Rather than spending hours trying to resolve it yourself, we recommend booking your device in for professional diagnostics and repair. ChimeraTek will fully inspect the system, apply the correct fixes, and return it to you fully updated and running smoothly! Saving you time, frustration, and potential risks.

Try restarting your system, if the update gets stuck again, get in touch with ChimeraTek for troubleshooting.

If your Windows update is frozen at 0%, 5%, 96%, 100%, or at any stage, then you’re dealing with an issue that needs troubleshooting at a deeper level. While a simple restart or waiting for background processes to finish can sometimes resolve it, that’s not always the case.

A stuck update might be caused by corrupt system files, conflicting drivers, or even Windows patch installation problems. Left unchecked, this can lead to slower performance, missing security patches, or even a complete system crash.

When a restart doesn’t solve the problem, it’s time to bring in professional help.

Click “Start Windows normally”, if Windows doesn’t self correct itself get your computer booked in for diagnosis.

On the occasion windows doesn’t shut down correctly an error recovery box can pop up. In these cases, it is suggested to click “Start Windows Normally” and Windows will self-correct.

If the issue occurs repeatedly then it could be that the operating system has become corrupt / broken. At this time, booking it in for a fresh Windows install will fix all issues the computer is having.

ChimeraTek can preserve your data, so you won’t lose any pictures or videos, and we can even help with reinstalling your programs.

Yes, a clean installation of Windows will speed up your machine and fix frequent errors.

Over time, your computer’s Windows registry becomes cluttered with leftover files and settings from installed and uninstalled programs. This can lead to slow performance, system glitches, and longer boot times.

Everybody has seen how a computer that’s a few years old has lost its punch. A fresh install is a part of a larger picture to bring back that “like new” performance.

A clean install of Windows wipes the system clean and gives your PC a fresh start, free from bloatware, software conflicts, and years of digital clutter.

Wiping a PC in the context of installing a clean version of Windows doesn’t have to remove everything.

If you're looking for a completely fresh start, we can perform a full wipe and reinstall. But if you want to reinstall Windows without losing data, we offer options that preserve your files.

We’ll back up all your important data, documents, photos, and settings, and then carefully restore everything to its proper place after the system is reinstalled.

Yes, but the change won’t be as dramatic with a fresh install of Windows alone.

If you’ve been running the same install for some years, starting a fresh install will restore some speed to your PC and improve overall performance. A fresh install will remove accumulated junk files, outdated software remnants, registry clutter and background processes that may be slowing your system down.

While it won't provide the same speed boost as a hardware upgrade (like moving to an SSD or adding more RAM), a clean install can still make a big difference.

ChimeraTek offers plenty of methods to speed up your machine.

Yes, re-installing Windows will clean the PC and remove viruses and malware from your system.

Reinstalling Windows prevents the default loading of infected files, malicious software, and hidden threats that traditional antivirus tools may miss. It's one of the most effective ways to eliminate persistent viruses, spyware, and ransomware. However, this only works if the fresh install is done properly, from a clean source and with a formatted drive. It is possible viruses can be left in your system if the malware is advanced, but this is rare.

At ChimeraTek, we can securely reinstall Windows and help protect your system from future infections with the right antivirus and settings.

To reduce scams, use antivirus software, enable spam filters on email platforms, and stay alert when online.

Scams often come through emails, text messages, or fake websites designed to steal your personal data. To protect yourself, install reliable antivirus software, keep your system updated, and never click suspicious links or attachments.

Use strong, unique passwords and turn on two-factor authentication where possible. Also avoid sharing personal information with unknown contacts.

This will depend on your use case, but generally yes. Every home PC & Laptop should have antivirus and firewall protection—together known as internet security. While the default Windows security is reliable in most home user cases, you can't put a price on peace of mind.

Whether you’re browsing, shopping online, or managing personal finances, your computer is a target for viruses, malware, and phishing attacks. Without reliable antivirus software, your data, such as; saved passwords, photos and banking details can be exposed.

Free antivirus tools offer basic protection and usually come with a hidden cost. Either system performance takes a hit or they in themselves collect your data to sell to 3rd party services. For full security, a trusted internet security suite is highly recommended.

At ChimeraTek, we will install the right antivirus to keep you protected against the latest threats.

It isn’t mandatory, but IT experts agree that you are more protected with paid for antivirus solutions. Paid versions offer stronger protection and more features than free versions, with fewed downsides.

Free antivirus can provide basic security, but paid antivirus software gives better protection against advanced threats like ransomware, phishing scams, and identity theft.

Paid options often include real-time monitoring, secure browsing, firewall controls, and parental controls. Ideal for home users who shop, bank, and especially stream or download content.

Investing in a trusted antivirus helps keep your personal data safe and your PC running smoothly.

When your hard drive is full, your system won’t be able to store any more data. Which can lead to system failures.

With a full drive you won’t be able to download files, create new documents, or even install software updates, including critical Windows updates, which will often fail due to lack of space.

Imagine your drive as a bottle filled with water, once it’s full, nothing else can go in. To solve the problem, you either need to free up disk space by removing unnecessary files or consider upgrading to a larger storage drive.

Running out of storage also leads to slower system performance, temporary file errors, and problems when trying to save any document you are working on.

It’s not always obvious, but common signs of hard drive failure include corrupted files, missing data, or slow file access.

If your PC takes longer to save or open files, or if photos and videos won’t load correctly, your HDD or SSD may be starting to fail.

We recommend a drive health check to confirm the issue. ChimeraTek offers data recovery, drive replacement, and secure data transfer services to get you back up and running.

The most common cause is drive failure due to age and use. Working the drive to the point of failure usually causes some corruption.

As storage devices wear out over time, they become more prone to data corruption and mechanical issues that can result in inaccessible files.

While data recovery after drive failure is often possible, there's always a chance that some files may be permanently lost, especially if the damage is severe. So it’s best to maintain your storage with an IT professional before data corrupts.

At ChimeraTek, we specialise in helping users recover corrupted files and assess aging storage devices before failure occurs.

In many cases, yes deleted photos and videos can still be recovered with the right tools.

If you’ve accidentally deleted precious family photos or videos, there’s a good chance they can be recovered, especially if you act quickly. Even files deleted from the Recycle Bin can be restored using specialist recovery software or services.

However, success depends on how much the drive has been used since deletion, and recovery isn’t always guaranteed.

At ChimeraTek, we help home users retrieve lost photos and videos from hard drives, USBs, memory cards, and more.

Yes, data recovery is safe when done by professionals using trusted tools.

Recovering lost files like photos, videos, or documents is a safe process when handled correctly. Professional data recovery software and services won’t damage your drive or overwrite existing data.

Avoid using free or unknown recovery tools, as they can cause further loss or compromise your privacy. This is because they may rewrite fragments of your drive.

At ChimeraTek, we use secure, industry-standard methods to recover data from laptops, PCs, USBs, and external drives, protecting your files and your peace of mind. We have always managed to recover data without failure.

While not always something people think about, regular data backup is essential for protecting personal files.

If you store family photos, important documents, or personal videos on your computer, having a reliable backup is crucial. Many have lost their files suddenly without warning for many reasons. Backing up your data allows for an easy recovery if this happens.

Using an external hard drive or secure cloud storage can give you peace of mind and ensure your memories and files are never lost.

Typically you should back up your data monthly, but it depends on how often you add or change personal files.

If you regularly save new photos, videos, or important documents, a daily or weekly backup is a smart choice. For occasional users, monthly backups may be enough.

The key is this, back up often enough that you’d never lose anything you care about. Automated backup tools make it easy to protect your data without the hassle.

We know some good automated backup tools that we can set up for you.

No, data backup for home users can be very affordable, and it's far cheaper than recovering lost files.

Backing up your data doesn’t have to break the bank. Many reliable options, like external hard drives or cloud storage services, are budget-friendly and easy to use.

Cloud backups often start at just a few pounds per month and protect your personal files, like family photos, videos, and documents from loss due to hardware failure, viruses, or accidental deletion.

There are many ways to backup data at an affordable, speak to an IT professional to see what would suit you best.

If your printer has ink but won’t print, there are a few common problems to consider.

1- Nothing prints at all - This could be a network connection issue, especially with wireless printers. If the printer isn’t receiving data from your computer or device, it won’t respond. Restarting both the printer and router can help, or a printer reinstallation may be needed.

2- Only half a page prints - This may point to a driver issue, memory error, or corrupted print job. Updating your printer drivers and clearing the print queue often resolves it.

3- Printer is printing blank pages - This usually signals a clogged printhead nozzle, dried-up ink, or an internal hardware fault, common with inkjet printers that aren’t used regularly.

If you're facing any of these problems, ChimeraTek can troubleshoot your printer to figure out the problem and repair it quickly and efficiently.

Unplugging a printer resets the printer itself, clearing its cache of queued jobs etc. However, it does not reset the printers’ settings or calibration.

Unplugging your printer will not reset printer settings, meaning calibration, or network configurations will remain faulty. For a full printer reset, you’ll need to access the settings menu or perform a factory reset through the printer's control panel.

Unplugging is a quick way to clear errors, but for more persistent problems, ChimeraTek offers complete printer troubleshooting services to diagnose and resolve deeper issues.

If your printer only prints in black and white, it's usually due to grayscale mode being enabled.

This setting can either be in your printer settings or within the application you're printing from. Other common causes include low or empty color ink cartridges, clogged color printheads (especially in inkjet printers), or driver settings that disable color printing.

Check your printer preferences and ink levels first. If everything looks correct but you're still not getting color, your printer may need servicing.

The issue is likely due to not having enough ink for other colours, however if this isn’t the case the issue could be one of a few things.

If your printer is only printing in blue for example, and you’ve already confirmed that all colour cartridges have enough ink, the issue is likely due to clogged printheads, ink delivery problems, or printhead misalignment. These problems prevent other colors like magenta, yellow, or black from reaching the page, leaving only cyan (blue) visible.

This is especially common in inkjet printers that haven’t been used regularly. Even after changing cartridges, dried ink or debris can block the nozzles.

If your computer slows down when using Chrome, it’s often due to high memory (RAM) usage and background processes from multiple open tabs or extensions.

This is a common issue on older or low-spec PCs, especially where multitasking is essential.

To improve performance, try disabling unused extensions, limiting tab usage, and checking for Chrome updates. If the problem continues, a RAM upgrade or system tune-up may be needed.

Also maybe try switching to Firefox? Jokes aside, Chrome is resource heavy. If you rely on it but your system can’t keep up, contact ChimeraTek for PC performance optimisation.

A bootloop, where your computer or device keeps restarting without reaching the desktop is most commonly caused by a corrupted or failed operating system. However hardware can be at fault too.

An OS error based bootloop can happen after a failed update, improper shutdown, or malware infection.

However, hardware issues like faulty RAM, damaged hard drives, or a failing motherboard can also cause bootloop problems and prevent a proper boot from bios to windows.

We at ChimeraTek can diagnose the problem for your business PC, we can also recover your OS if needed.

If your camera isn’t being detected, the most common cause is a driver issue, either it's outdated, corrupted, or missing.

Other frequent issues include privacy settings blocking camera access, disabled devices in Device Manager, or a conflict with third-party apps like Zoom or Teams.

For desktop webcams, check if the camera is properly connected and receiving power.

If your webcam still isn’t working, ChimeraTek can help get your webcam back on for whatever you need including Zoom meetings or Discord calls

If your microphone has suddenly stopped working, the most common cause varies from muted input settings, incorrect input device selection, or privacy settings blocking microphone access.

In some cases, the mic may be disabled in sound settings or the drivers are outdated or missing.

For laptops, built-in mics may also fail due to wear or dust. For external mics, check USB or 3.5mm connections.

Need help with setting your microphone up? We at ChimeraTek can troubleshoot any issue you are having with your sound and fix it. We can also help with any other needs you have regarding IT.

If your microphone has suddenly stopped working, the most common cause varies from muted input settings, incorrect input device selection, or privacy settings blocking microphone access.

In some cases, the mic may be disabled in sound settings or the drivers are outdated or missing.

For laptops, built-in mics may also fail due to wear or dust. For external mics, check USB or 3.5mm connections.

Need help with setting your microphone up? We at ChimeraTek can troubleshoot any issue you are having with your sound and fix it. We can also help with any other needs you have regarding IT.

Frequent game crashes on your PC can be caused by several common issues.

Games can crash for many reasons. This could happen from overheating, outdated graphics drivers, corrupted game files, or even poor optimisation from the game itself. On older systems, expired thermal paste or dust buildup can cause high temperatures and system instability.

Other causes include low amounts of available RAM, background programs consuming resources, or conflicts with software like overlays and antivirus.

Keeping your system clean, updated, and well-cooled is essential for stable gaming performance.

At ChimeraTek, we can take a look at your game crashing and diagnose the problem for you.

A high-end gaming PCs shouldn’t be crashing, but hardware can still be at fault despite being high end.

If your powerful gaming PC is crashing, it’s often due to driver conflicts, overheating, unstable overclocking, or faulty hardware like RAM or the GPU.

If a PC is built incorrectly, poor thermal management or incompatible components can also lead to instability.

Crashes might also be caused by corrupted game files, background apps, or Windows errors. So your hardware may not be at fault.

High performance doesn’t guarantee stability without proper setup and maintenance.

Even with high FPS, games can feel choppy due to low 1% and 0.1% frame rates or perhaps you’re experiencing screen tearing.

The 1% and 0.1% lows are hard to understand if you've never heard of it before. Also known as hitching and stuttering.
If you’re experiencing this your FPS shows how fast your game is running, but the dips in frame rate that do not show in an FPS overlay 1% / 0.1% of the time cause the game to feel stuttery. It's like riding a bike smoothly, then suddenly hitting a bump. This is why your game looks smooth but jitters every couple of seconds.

Other causes could include background apps using your CPU or RAM, overheating, or outdated drivers.

It might also be screen tearing.
This is when your FPS exceeds the screens refresh rate. Your screen seems to show two parts of different frames at once. This looks like a flicker or split image and feels like stuttering. It basically looks like your screen is tearing apart randomly for a split second. Using V-Sync, G-Sync, or FreeSync can help fix screen tearing.

Even with fast internet, lag can occur due to several common issues.

Lagging in online games isn’t just about internet speed, it’s also about latency, packet loss, and network stability. You might have high-speed internet, but if your ping is high or your connection is unstable, you’ll still experience delays.

Common causes include:

• Using Wi-Fi instead of a wired Ethernet connection.
• Network congestion from other devices streaming or downloading.
• Server-side issues or bad routing to the game servers.
• Background apps using bandwidth (like updates or cloud sync).

Even gaming PCs with great specs can lag if the connection isn’t reliable.