Good computer fixer in Edinburgh?
Good computer fixer in Edinburgh?
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Discussion

Woza

Original Poster:

1,253 posts

258 months

Tuesday 25th August 2009
quotequote all
Hi guys, so my laptop has decided to die on me, this is the error message I'm getting: Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate

A quick call to Dell tells me I need a new hard drive and that it is corrupt!

Now I've been looking for an excuse to buy a mac for a while but does anyone know of a decent repair place in or around Edinburgh that won't screw me over!?

Thanks,

Woza.

megy

2,429 posts

236 months

Tuesday 25th August 2009
quotequote all
I was in a place on Leith walk yesterday, seemed a reasonable place/person and gave me a good price for a new screen. The laptop will be going there soon so I am unable to give any recomendation on the work he does, but he got recomended to me by a couple of people.

Details are:

The PC Reapair Man
28 Crighton Place
Leith Walk.
0131 555 5782

He is about 3 doors away from the City Limits pub opposite the Scotmid and Cashconvertor shop.

istoo

2,365 posts

224 months

Tuesday 25th August 2009
quotequote all
replacing the hard drive is a cheap and easy job, you should be no more than £100 for that.

However, reinstalling thereafter it might not be. Recovering data could be tried, but if you don't have backup its a lottery if it can be recovered, all your Operating system discs if you still have them? If its Dell you should have a set when you bought the machine. I have paid £500/disk before and never had the data recovered. These are still mechanical devices hence don't take kindly to being moved around too much. And failure is often high in mobile drives.

If you move about a lot, consider a laptop with a solid state drive (expensive) but virtually impact resistant.

Famous Graham

26,553 posts

247 months

Tuesday 25th August 2009
quotequote all
The file might be corrupt, but that's not necessarily indicative of the hard drive being knackered. Unless there are some odd clicking noises too.

A reinstall might sort you out

(Obviously can't guarantee that without running some tests on the drive itself, mind)

mattius

457 posts

237 months

Tuesday 25th August 2009
quotequote all
like already said, unless the drive is clicking or making a loud whirring noise its highly unlikely that it is knackered. Its very rare for that to happen anyway.

If you have a windows cd start up the computer using that and do a repair install.

As for replacing the hard drive it really is the simplest of operations, im sure you could manage it yourself, it is just 6 screws and slide it out in most laptops.

Recovering data should be relatively easy aswell as the hard drive is still working as it is trying to access files, chances are if it is knacked then the disks have scrapped each other and you will be able to recover 90% of stuff.


What dell is it? i have quite a few of them and can tell you how easy it is to replace the disks.

Edited by mattius on Tuesday 25th August 11:59


Edited by mattius on Tuesday 25th August 12:00

WZC1

210 posts

209 months

Tuesday 25th August 2009
quotequote all
We use Core Blue on Morrison Street, they know their stuff and are reasonably priced.

onlynik

4,116 posts

215 months

Tuesday 25th August 2009
quotequote all
Woza said:
Hi guys, so my laptop has decided to die on me, this is the error message I'm getting: Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate

A quick call to Dell tells me I need a new hard drive and that it is corrupt!

Now I've been looking for an excuse to buy a mac for a while but does anyone know of a decent repair place in or around Edinburgh that won't screw me over!?

Thanks,

Woza.
Your hive is corrupt.

Here is how to fix it.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

Edited by onlynik on Tuesday 25th August 13:06

BigAlinEmbra

1,629 posts

234 months

Tuesday 25th August 2009
quotequote all
Silicon on Dalry Rd used to have a decent reputation.

To be perfectly honest you're best just doing it yourself. Pop open the case, read the label on the disk then go into a shop and buy a new one.
Slap it in, do a reinstall and bob's your badger.

Bit of a pain in the hoop reinstalling stuff, but you'll be done in an evening's work.
You can pick up some spare cables and stick the old drive in as a second one and try to rescue stuff off it. Photos, tunes etc.

You can easy get enough advice on here to help you out.

mattius

457 posts

237 months

Tuesday 25th August 2009
quotequote all
dont take it to silicon, buy parts from them yes, but dont trust them to fix it.