IT support
Computer repair
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Computer repair: what the job involves
Diagnosing and fixing a laptop or desktop that is slow, will not start, has a broken screen, keyboard or battery, or has picked up a virus, either at your home or business, at the technician’s bench, or remotely when the computer still connects to the internet.
Also asked for as: PC repair · fix slow laptop · laptop screen replacement · virus removal · Mac repair
How the job is usually done
- Get the symptoms, make and model, age and any error messages, and agree whether the job is remote, on site or at the bench.
- Confirm what data is on the machine and whether it is backed up before anything is changed.
- Diagnose the fault: hardware tests on the drive, memory, battery and temperatures, or a check of the system and startup programs.
- Report the cause and options, with the cost of parts and labour, and get approval before any part is ordered.
- Repair: replace the part, clean out malware, update or reinstall the operating system, and restore files and programs.
- Test the machine with you, hand back any old parts if asked, and explain how to keep it healthy.
Computer repair: what is included
Usually included
- Diagnosis and a clear report of the fault and the options
- The agreed repair, with updates installed and a final test
- Keeping your files intact, or restoring them from the backup made before work
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Replacement parts and software licences, priced separately
- Data recovery from a failed drive, which is specialist work
- Setting up new devices, printers or networks beyond the repaired machine
Materials and who supplies them
- Replacement parts such as SSDs, memory, batteries, screens and chargers, usually sourced by the technician to match the model
- Operating system and software licences, normally the customer’s existing ones; new licences bought by the customer or quoted
How long it takes
Software problems and simple part swaps are often fixed in a session of an hour or two; a part on order, a full reinstall or a screen on a thin laptop can take several days.
When to book
Book before a deadline, such as exams or year-end accounts, because parts for some models take days to arrive.
Computer repair: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
A consumer service must conform to the contract: the trader must have the skills needed, supply the service with reasonable care and attention, match what was said or advertised, and charge a reasonable price where none was agreed. If it falls short, the trader must put it right free of charge within a reasonable time.
Applies to: the provider, when the customer is a consumer
Consumer Rights Act 2022; Citizens Information · citizensinformation.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
A technician who handles personal data on a business’s computers or accounts on its behalf is a processor under the GDPR. The business must have a written contract with them, which can be in electronic form, saying they act only on its instructions, keep the data confidential, keep it secure, and delete or return it when the work ends.
Applies to: the technician and a business customer
GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), Article 28 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Checked 10 October 2026
Old computers, laptops, phones and printers are WEEE and must not go in the household bin. They can be returned free to a shop on a like-for-like basis when buying a replacement, or left free at a local authority civic amenity site.
Applies to: the householder, and a provider who takes old equipment away
WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU as applied in Ireland; Citizens Information · citizensinformation.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
What computer repair costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Hardware fault needing a part, or a software problem
- The make and model, and how hard the part is to get and fit
- Whether files must be backed up and restored first
- Remote, on site or at the bench, and travel
- Urgency, such as same-day for a business machine
What you should get at the end
- A short report of the fault found and what was done
- Receipt listing parts fitted, with any part warranty
- Confirmation that any temporary access or account the technician used has been removed
What the provider should hand over
- Show the machine working and explain the cause in plain language
- Return or securely wipe any removed drive, as the customer chooses, and delete your backup copy
- Remove any remote-access software or temporary account you installed
Safety
- Back up anything you cannot lose before handing the machine over, if it still works.
- Never send passwords in the Talqero chat, by text or by email; give access through a temporary password you change afterwards, a password manager share, or a separate admin account that can be removed.
- Only allow remote access through a tool you start yourself on a call you arranged; anybody ringing out of the blue to fix your computer is a scam.
- A swollen laptop battery is a fire risk: stop charging it and keep it away from soft furnishings until it is replaced.
Computer repair: before you hire
Questions to ask before you hire
- Will you back up my files before you start, and delete your copy afterwards?
- Is there a charge for diagnosis if I decide not to go ahead?
- Is the part new, refurbished or compatible, and what warranty does it have?
- Is it worth repairing, or would a replacement make more sense?
What you can do yourself
Restarting, running updates, freeing disk space and uninstalling programs you do not use are safe householder jobs; opening a laptop or reinstalling the system without a backup is not.
What to put in your task
- What kind of computer is it?
- What is the problem?
- Where would you like it fixed?
- Are your files backed up somewhere else?
- Roughly how old is the computer?
Photos that help
- The label on the base or back showing make, model and serial number
- A photo or screenshot of any error message or warning
- Any visible damage: cracked screen, broken hinge, damaged port
Computer repair by county
Done at your place or remotely. Choose your county for computer repair close to home, or post the task for anywhere in Ireland.
- Computer repair in Dublin
- Computer repair in Cork
- Computer repair in Galway
- Computer repair in Kildare
- Computer repair in Limerick
- Computer repair in Meath
- Computer repair in Tipperary
- Computer repair in Donegal
- Computer repair in Wexford
- Computer repair in Kerry
- Computer repair in Wicklow
- Computer repair in Mayo
- Computer repair in Louth
- Computer repair in Waterford
- Computer repair in Clare
- Computer repair in Kilkenny
- Computer repair in Westmeath
- Computer repair in Laois
- Computer repair in Cavan
- Computer repair in Offaly
- Computer repair in Sligo
- Computer repair in Roscommon
- Computer repair in Monaghan
- Computer repair in Carlow
- Computer repair in Longford
- Computer repair in Leitrim
IT support
Need computer repair? Describe the job.
Post it once, free, for work at your place or done remotely. Professionals reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about computer repair
Does computer repair need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.irishstatutebook.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Can a computer be fixed remotely?
Many software problems can: slowness, updates, unwanted programs, email and printer settings. The computer must still start and connect to the internet, and you start the session yourself. Hardware faults need the machine in hand.
Will the technician see my files?
They may need to, to back them up or check they survived the repair. A professional keeps them confidential, copies only what is needed and deletes their copy at the end; ask them to confirm this. Move anything very private elsewhere first if you can.
What happens to my old drive or computer?
Ask for the old drive back or for it to be securely wiped or destroyed, because deleted files can be recovered. Old computers are WEEE and can be left free at a civic amenity site or returned to a shop when you buy a replacement.