So you've got an HP Pavilion notebook or a Compaq Presario or some other laptop mini computer thing and it's out of warrantee ... Easy enough while it's in warranty; it just goes straight back to HP.

But after the warranty runs out (which is of course when most problems occur) you might want someone else to put authorised parts back into your notebook or laptop. This is Computer Mechanics territory; we're one of the few computer repair businesses to do laptop repairs in Perth.

Note also that there are many situations (software problems, liquid spills, any accidental damage) where the warranty does not apply. In that case you are far better off dealing with a local repair facility like our own.

Fixing the hardware in these beasts requires experience and patience. By the time they've packed a hard drive, battery and motherboard into these suckers there's barely room for a keyboard and a USB port. Lots of repair businesses won't touch them, but we've developed some specialist knowledge and we fit parts locally in our East Perth workshop.

Often this starts with a call-out but if it's urgent and you know it needs a new part, eg a hard disk replacement, new graphics card or a memory upgrade you can send it straight in. The benefit in dealing with Computer Mechanics on laptops is very fast turnaround times compared to the manufacturer. We also compare well on price and we're less likely to try and flog you a new Premium Series Special Edition.

With laptops we do a lot of screen replacements but the most frequent problems are power supplies. Power adapters often stop working and batteries are an issue.

When a laptop battery loses its ability to re-charge folks often imagine they own an ex-Hewlett Packard but it's a cheap and easy fix. Of course, if you do lose data, you should know that Computer Mechanics have heaps of experience in the delicate business of data recovery.

The other thing that is a quick fix is broken power connectors the ends of cables and cords are always breaking off. HP is no worse than other laptops in our experience though surveys conducted in the U.S. place them right near the bottom in terms of reliability and service support. Often these problems are easily fixed - replacement parts are sourced from the HP warehouse in Melbourne.

The DV series has a couple of known issues; the DV2000 lid switch has problems and people often find the DV6000 and DV9000's speakers are not working. The latter is a problem with the power ribbon that connects the speakers to the power switch. We can fix these problems quickly.

Broken DVD drives and CD drives are a problem (with all manufacturers) and can be replaced without having to buy a new laptop.

We're happy to quote and for parts replacements your cost estimate will be reliable. Where the repair involves troubleshooting a problem we may need to quote you a range, depending on how much time is involved. The good news is that for HPs and Compaqs, parts turnaround is pretty quick.

I did mention memory upgrades didn't I? Lame joke; just seeing if you're still reading. More RAM can help speed up a slow laptop but a proper clean out will make a big difference too. If you've got a notebook in for some part replacement, it's smart to let us do some maintenance on it. HP recommend annual attention because dust will build up inside the unit and this can cause overheating problems which shorten the life of your laptop.

Happy to quote on any out-of-warranty repairs we're on 9325 1196.

HP and Compaq are registered trademarks and trade names. Computer Mechanics makes no representation that it is associated with HP/Compaq or is a licensed repair facility.