For saying the things that the owner said in the documentary film "Billion Dollar Bully," I have a tremendous amount of respect for them.

I have to thank Yelp for this one. I would have never found this place on my own and would have had to resort to the Geek Squad in my hour of desperation (oh the horror!). Granted, my laptop had been on its last legs for a while (I would go do other things while it woke up from hibernation). One afternoon, it just woudn't turn on. Oh shit! Guess who had backed nothing up? So I typed in "computer repair" into Yelp and this was the first non-Apple Store result. I will warn you, this place is not easy to get to without a car. It's in the middle of a residential neighborhood and required me to take a 20-minute ride on one of the16 series bus from either the Pentagon or Pentagon City Metro to get over here (I spared myself the Metro trek and just drove when I went to pick up my computer). Alex, the "chief geek" (his words, not mine) and owner, helped me out. He was very professional and helpful and even said he would try to fix my computer if possible, but only if it was cost-effective. He wasn't able to fix my computer, but was able to get all of my data off my hard drive. He also offered a free estimate (or rather, it went toward the cost of the data recovery) and recycled my old laptop free of charge. And he gave lots of good advice on what computer to buy next. I hope I won't actually need his services anytime soon, but I'd come back here in a heartbeat if I did. Even on the 16J. read more

So my work laptop (a crap-tastic Sony Vaio) died while I was working on the Acela this weekend. I had 2 important databases that I had just cleaned and coded for work, and didn't have the chance to back them up (Acela, get wireless for your trains, dammit!). I found the AVCR people while searching on line, and took my laptop there. They were terrific. I worked with Alex, the founder and "chief geek," and he was super helpful throughout the process. He didn't promise me a miracle, but was still very patient and understanding. Most important, he was able to retrieve all of my files on attempt #2 (attempt #1 failed, but he gave it another shot and was successful). This place is cheaper than Geeks on Call/Geek Squad/whatever, and it's locally owned and operated. They're also very green-friendly, so I felt even better working with them. They also offer a 10% first-time customer discount on labor, which is appreciated. So if you have any problems with your laptop/desktop/etc, give them a try. They do PCs and Macs. read more

First off- we lost all of our data from our external hard drive and def. went in to panic mode. I researched a bunch of companies who boasted their successful stories online, but had no reviews. Good 'ol Google led me to this place and I am so thankful! Alex's prices compared to the other places I had e-mailed sealed the deal. He also e-mailed me with updates and was always easy to talk to. A few weeks later, all of our data is back and I would not hesitate to go here again. Very happy customer! :) read more

Brought my computer to get the data restored after I was quoted way too high by a different company. They were very communicative, nice and got even more data than anyone had thought was possible! Honestly the best result that could have been asked for. If you need to get your data back, this is the place to go. Don't trust those large corporations, they won't care how much they can get back, this place does and it shows. Also they have very reasonable prices! read more

The powerjack on my laptop busted and fell into the black hole INSIDE my unit aka inside where all the techie - brains of your computer - aka motherboard stuff lies. Yes, the powerjack decided to hang out in there and didn't want to come out. Needless to say, I was devastated. I called a few places to ask how much replacing the powerjack would be. I was told that I would pay approximately $200 and they couldn't guarantee they could fix the problem and I would probably have to spend money on a new motherboard. I'm not techie but I knew that would cost a pretty penny. I called Arlington Virginia Computer Repair and left a message describing my need. I received a call back a few hours later and I was given an appointment to drop off my laptop that afternoon. I was quoted between $180 and $214 to fix my laptop. I was reassured that this problem happens quite often and that it was fixable. No mention of having to sell my kidney to afford a new motherboard. I dropped off my laptop on a Thursday and I picked it up on a Tuesday. I was ecstatic when the whole thing cost $180. And they even cleaned my dirty (for shame!) and dusty keyboard and screen (really, my momma would be ashamed @ how dirty it was). The staff was friendly, courteous, and took time to answer my questions. I paid the first hour of labor when I dropped off the laptop, which was about $99 with my 10% discount as a first time customer. Then, when I picked up the laptop after it was repaired, I paid the remaining balance. Although it's a home-based business, it runs smoothly and more professionally than some other places that have taken me to the cleaners and back - you know who you are Geek Squad! read more

One day I came home and my computer would not power up. I cried. Then I googled computer repair and found these guys. There was NO WAY I was going to take my computer to geek squad. Anyways, I took my computer to Arlington Virginia Computer Repair and the next day they told me what the problem was and that they could fix it. They fixed my computer in record time and the cost was super reasonable. Plus there was no data loss. I am sure if I had gone to geek squad it would have taken forever and they would probably not be able to fix the problem. AVCR saved my life and my iTunes and all my pictures. They ROCK! I highly recommend them. read more

Without question, my experience with Arlington Virginia Computer Repair (AVCR) is the best service I've ever received. I've spent over 3 years in the IT/Web Design world and just moved to Arlington, when my old development PC machine Blue Screened. No refresh trick, no reboot CD would get my PC up and running. So I did a quick search online and found AVCR. Long story short within 24 hours my PC was up and running better than ever. I also didn't lose a byte of data through the entire process. Alex is one of the most knowledgeable and professional IT tech's I've ever met. I don't think I can't say enough about ACVR's services. It's a top notch operation. My only advice would, be to ignore any concerns that you have with the business being a home operation. Once you walk in the door to the waiting room, you'll be so impressed with the operation that you won't worry about it anymore. read more

Excellent customer service!! Great prices! My 4-year old laptop suddenly died and it had been quite some time since I'd backed up my data on an external harddrive so of course I was freaking out - I'm a writer working on my 2nd book so the idea of losing all of that was terrifying. I called AVCR and made an appointment and dropped off my laptop. The very next day they emailed to tell me they could recover 100% of my data - yay! (My motherboard was fried, the harddrive was still intact.) I received a discount for being a first time customer and Alex (the owner) even gave me a tip for my new computer which made a HUGE difference in learning my new system. Their customer service is great, they're open till 7pm which means getting there after work is easy. Highly recommend them!! read more

I had accidentally deleted all my work files for the entire year 2013 from my external hard drive. (Yes, I know, dumb girl) and was in a major panic mode when I contacted Alex the day before Christmas. Alex told me he could probably recover a lot of the data, but it would take some time to diagnose the situation. I FedEx'd him the hard drive and four days later I receive an e-mail telling me that ALL of my data was recovered. I felt I had gotten back the ten years I had aged since the deletion debacle. The price was way lower than I thought I was going to have to pay - and everything was just the way I had left it on the drive. Alex had also worked on three computers earlier this year that crashed all within two weeks of one another. His work is top-notch, his prices incredibly reasonable and the turn-around time was excellent. I could not live without him as far as my computers and I thank my stars I found out about him from a co-worker. This man is a miracle worker. read more

My wife recently spilled some tea on our laptop, and even after we opened it up, cleaned it out, and dried it out, it wouldn't boot up again. We contacted Lenovo and were told that we should send it in to them and that it would likely cost at least $850, but we wanted a second opinion. We contacted Alex and almost immediately received a detailed, thoughtful reply. He gave me an estimate for the rough cost of repair if the replacement recommended by Lenovo was necessary, a second estimate if it just needed cleaning, but he advised me to just fully discharge it and keep it very dry for a few days in case there was any residual water. Sure enough, after doing that it booted back up and started working again! I asked him if we could drop it off to be cleaned (since he had mentioned that the acidity of tea can damage components) but he said that should be unnecessary unless we start experiencing problems (although he recommended we immediately back up the data just in case). So not only did Alex provide me speedy detailed advice (for free), he even turned down a chance to charge me for work he didn't think I need! Needless to say, while Alex didn't actually touch my computer I was impressed with his advice and professionalism, and will definitely go back to him if / when my computer does start acting up. Full disclosure: I do know Alex socially, but I haven't seen him in quite a while and I in no way altered my review as a result. The above is simply a factual account of my experience. read more

As a photographer, data management and recovery is an extremely important but unfortunate aspect of the business. I know absolutely nothing about the technical side of my computer, and as my business grows, I am becoming more and more concerned about protecting it. I had heard from several photographers that AVCR is the best, so I left them an extremely awkward voicemail explaining that I am clueless and could really use some - ok, a lot - of help. I didn't know what to expect. Would they laugh at my message and not bother calling me back? Maybe return my call but tell me they don't have time to teach a SAHM-turned-small-business-owner how to use her computer? None of the above. Alexander took my concerns seriously and returned my call with a plan of action, to not only get my computer on a rotating backup system but to also teach me all of the important components of it and ensure I knew exactly what I was doing. I felt immediately put at ease. Honestly, it wouldn't have mattered to me how much it cost, but I found his rates to be very competitive. First-time customers receive a 10% discount, making it $99/hour. He sat on the phone with me, at 7:30pm on a Monday, for 2 1/2 hours. While he worked on my computer remotely, he took the time to explain everything he was doing in careful detail, even followed up with an email containing written instructions I could refer back to, and also patiently answered what I'm sure were totally dumb questions that really didn't have much to do with what I was paying him for. No upsell, no telling me we'd have to schedule another call, no laughing at me for my ridiculousness. He was happy to talk about to me about whatever popped into my brain and took all of my questions seriously. I really can not say enough good things about Alexander. He is now my go-to guy for anything and everything that plugs into the wall and I highly recommend him. read more

I would definitely recommend this business for those out there with computer issues. As a customer with a laptop that suddenly stopped working, AVCR replied quickly to my inquiry and scheduled a diagnostics appointment for me right away - at my convenience. As a customer with AVCR, I always knew what they were performing on my laptop and was given status updates via email about the performance and ability to save my data. Excellent customer service, very knowledgeable staff with great communication skills. Reasonable pricing too. Go to AVCR and support this small business! read more

I recently had a hard drive that failed. AVCR was one o the few places that would actually give me an estimate for data recovery and by far the cheapest. Plus they offer a 10% discount for new customers. I worked with Alex, the owner (I believe). He was very nice and friendly. The original diagnostic was $80 ($72) and was done quickly. Alex was up front about my chances of getting all of my data back but told me he would do the best he could. I felt reassured that he was honest and that he gave me the chance to back out. A few other places I checked out would have just taken my hard drive and charged me for labor even if they were unable to recover anything. I went ahead with the recovery and got most if not all of the data back - at least everything I cared about. The whole recovery cost me $216 and took about a week. Alex responded to my emails quickly and was very willing to work around my schedule to make appointments. AVCR's office is in the basement of a residential house. It makes it seem less legitimate, but everything about this place is professional. The office and waiting room were clean and welcoming. It smelled good too! This is my first computer repair. After just talking to the "big guys", I would never go anywhere else. Thanks Alex! read more

My laptop got a virus last week and I used yelp to track down a computer repair company in Arlington. I considered Geek Squad but wanted to keep it local. I'm glad that I did. The turnaround time was great. I got an estimate on Monday, dropped off the computer on Tuesday afternoon, and got the computer back on Friday. On top of that, I asked Alex if he could keep it under a certain $ figure and he did. So if you're looking for a fast, reliable, and locally-owned computer service company; check them out! read more

As anyone who has ever had computer problems before, your stomach drops out whenever something is wrong. This is exactly how I reacted when my backlight appeared to fail a few weeks ago. Luckily, my trusty BlackBerry and Yelp application proved most helpful, and I stumbled upon this place. I wasn't really looking to go to GeekSquad, so finding this place was a godsend. What wasn't a godsend was the fact that my laptop had a bit more wrong with it than a faulty backlight. Ends up it was fried -- literally. Charred on the inside. Alexander delivered the blow (softly, via e-mail) and included a litany of options I could take. I went with the data recovery one. All in all, the whole process took two weeks (including a holiday weekend). Alexander was great. He kept great contact with me throughout the whole process. He gave me a list of good options for a laptop replacement, as well as a list of tips for keeping laptops in tip top shape. Price was very reasonable. I got the first time discount of 10 percent off. I'm not sure if this is standard practice when it comes to computer repair, but Alexander deducted the 95 dollar diagnostics fee from my overall bill. If I ever need computer help in the future (which I hope I don't) I will definitely go back. read more

I've got to agree with what everyone else has already indicated: this place is bad-a$$. The hard drive on my computer died in April or so, and I brought it here. The total cost for the part and replacement was ~$270, far less than buying a new laptop. Furthermore, Alex (the owner) was really professional, and didn't talk down to me for not knowing jacksh!t about computers. He explained what was going on, what was going to happen, and what I should expect. I wish I could say the same for Best Buy and their Geek Squad staff... About 6 weeks later, the hard drive died again, and I called back. He said that defective hard drives are sent by manufacturers from time to time, and that this was not an entirely uncommon experience. Furthermore, he said that the part was under warranty, and that they would replace it free of labor charges. How great is THAT??! Now, I will admit that there was a long turn around time on this second repair. I did email them for updates, and they always responded. Alex indicated that there was an urgent family matter that he needed to attend to, so I could hardly fault him for taking care of things more important than my Dell laptop. Remember, this is a 2-person operation (Alex and Jennifer); be understanding that personal issues do arise from time to time. This is a "mom and pop" shop, not Best Buy (thankfully!). Bottom line: This place is outstanding and I will definitely return (though hopefully I won't need to). read more

Do not use this snake oil salesman. I don't write reviews very often, but this irked me a bit and I thought it would be important for other potential customers to be warned about. Several months ago I dropped a hard drive and needed to recover my data. When I mentioned that much of my data was encrypted, they stated "Unfortunately there is no way to recover encrypted data without the correct password". This was in fact a lie. I contacted the hard drive manufacturer and they were able to do a complete recovery in a few weeks without needing the passwords to my sensitive personal information. If you're simply pulling the disc platters and copying the ones and zeroes that are not impacted, why would you need passwords? What's worse is the price, they wanted over a thousand dollars in labor and a few hundred just to diagnose. The original hard drive manufacturer charged less than half of this without needing to invade my personal privacy. read more

I've spoken with Alex and exchanged email on several occasions looking to resolve computer issues. In every case so far he has been helpful, patient, easily understood, and I've never had to pay him to do anything because his assistance during these casual conversations was sufficient. However, I would not hesiitate to contact him again, even if it means paying for his services. read more

Man, did I need Alex's help here like crazy... I fancied myself a do-it-yourselfer... but got lost somewhere along the way. Unfortunately, during the diagnostics, my motherboard ended up fried and I needed a new computer (hence the not 5 star rating.). But Alex was very nice after all the work he put in, charged me only the deposit, refunded the part he had bought for me. Let's face it, I messed up my computer beyond repair, and he tried to fix it. Bottom line; great guy, good pricing; I just wish I didn't have to buy a new computer. read more

My MacBook Pro crashed and I hadn't performed a back up in two months. I needed to retrieve several files that I had created since my last back up. The Apple store wasn't able to assist me. They recommended two companies that required me to ship my laptop to them and had a turnaround of 3 weeks. I didn't have 3 weeks to wait to get the files nor could I go without my computer for 3 weeks. I found Arlington Virginia Computer Repair. They are a local company and perform their services on site. There's no shipping of anything anywhere. I met with them and was told that they should be able to retrieve my files and get my Mac operating again. I left it with them. That same day, I received email updates on activities. They were able to retrieve my files and they were able to get my Mac working again. Three days later, my files from the past two months had been retrieved and my Mac was working again. If you need a reliable company that works fast to get the problem resolved, I strongly recommend Arlington Virginia Computer Repair. They're incredibly knowledgable and skilled, extremely fast, very friendly and even offer great suggestions and recommendations to prevent such occurrences from happening again. They're the BEST!! read more

Another five stars for Alex. Not only did he fix my problem, but he went out of his way to give the advice for preventing it from happening again. read more

I own a custom gaming computer, and a few months ago the cooling system went bad. I had no idea where to go for repairs, and I didn't trust just anyone to fix my system. As usual, I turned to Yelp. Alex had amazing reviews, and was extremely helpful when I e-mailed him about my problem. I live in Silver Spring. He is in Arlington. Getting there was a pain. The drive took me close to an hour. And it was worth every minute. Alex was thorough and very communicative. Just a few days later, he e-mailed me letting me know what the problem was, how he could fix it, and what it would cost. The end result is AMAZING. My computer now runs better than ever. If my computer ever has more problems (which I doubt it will!), I will absolutely go back to Alex. I couldn't be happier! read more

There is not enough stars here to express my gratitude. I thought that I had lost all my pictures and videos for the past 20 years. My computer crashed and the external hard drive where i had all of the copies stored also crashed. I wasn't able to retrieve a single photo, and considering that there were photos and videos of my mother who has passed away and my kids, when they were little, this was pretty devastating. Now thanks to Alex, I got it all back! So happy. He was very professional, prompt and the price was affordable. I'm very glad i found AVCR. Will definitely refer to them again if any issue arises. read more

This is an easy review to write. I brought in a computer that was having issues, including crashing. They assessed the biggest problem (it was overheating), and replaced my graphics card. They also tested my other components and found nothing else wrong. I thought it was easy to schedule the appointment. And aside from waiting for the new video card (that I ordered), it was a quick turnaround. I also liked that Alexander, the company owner, personally verified my machine before sending it back out the door. read more

I have used Yelp for two years, this is my first review. If you are having computer problems in DC area see Alex!! I brought him two laptops to fix (that I had brought to two other computer places that charged me $150 and did not fix my problem), he found out that one of them was still under warranty and sent it to dell to be repaired by them, he lost that job and saved me money, that is integrity!! I have complete faith in Alex on all my future computer needs. I do not know words to more strongly say it, this guy is the real deal looking out for customers first when he could have easily charged me for work that was under warranty. Sincerely, John P. read more

THIS. PLACE. ROCKS. Don't let the fact that it's a "home based business" throw you off - Alexander (owner) does a stellar job of ensuring his company is run in top shape, on time, and affordable. My laptop was really busted. It had over 30 viruses, had been pushed off tables, beverages spilled on it and in less than a week, Alexander had it running faster than the day I bought it. I was super impressed. In fact, he even managed to save all my data! Yeah! All those Facebook pictures will live on forever! If your computer/laptop needs fixing, try this place out. Don't waste your time (or money) at the big chains. Get the personal attention you need here. read more

I was TERRIFIED when my computer failed to turn on and feared all of my data was lost! I hadn't backed up in AGES. AGES! AVCR saved my life, my data and my job with their expertise and swiftness! ETERNALLY grateful! read more

Absolutely incredible firm. A+++. One of the best companies I have ever requested a service from. Their tech team took a very damaged hard drive disk that two other more established companies said was too damaged to retrieve the data from -- and they retrieved it. THESE PEOPLE ARE TECH GODS!!! They are also supreme professionals in the customer service department. All procedures and costs are explained in advance, and they are supremely polite and respectful in their dealings with you. I had completely confidence in them The most incredible thing was: They assumed all the risk. If they couldn't get my data back, they weren't going to charge me anything, even after hours of very precise and tedious work. I really didn't think they were going to be able to get the data back, and they got absolutely everything. THEY'RE GODS. read more

Alex is one of the most respectful and considerate people I've ever had the pleasure to do business with. Such a nice contrast to the typical bored 20-somethings manning tech center counters. He is attentive and caring, and went above and beyond what I expected, from the very beginning of our dealings. Before I even brought my computer to him, he had me run some simple tests to see if we could determine and fix the problem without my hauling it over. When that failed, I met him in person and was immediately impressed with his attentive and patient manner. When it was determined that my computer was beyond worthwhile repair (dead logic board), he listened to my use case and advised me on which system would best meet my needs, also recommending a UPS unit to avoid future blown logic boards, which may have been the result of the local unsteady power. His breadth of knowledge was very comprehensive, beyond just computer systems and into understanding what different people require from their systems. I came away feeling very good about the experience, and confident that he had done all that could be done within reason to salvage my old system. If I require help with my computer in the future, I'll be headed right back to Alex. read more

Alex is a complete life saver. I brought him my custom built [s]multi function[/s] gaming rig that I had built back in latter days of November, having exhausted the limits of my technical knowledge. At the time, my computer had developed an issue wherein as soon as I turned it on...within 3 seconds, it would restart, and this was cyclic. The computer was completely useless. This had taken about 3 weeks to progress to this point, and I had been chatting with Alex the entire time via E-mail (he is VERY responsive.). At the time, Alex had no room on his bench, however, he continued to give me [b]FREE[/b] technical advice. At any juncture, one of these pieces of advice could have literally taken money out of his pocket by fixing my issue. Eventually, I exhausted all variables and took the rig to Alex. After his own testing, he found an occult issue with my motherboard that ASUS themselves had apparently missed when I sent it to them to be checked out. He sent it BACK to the manufacturer with a description of the problem, which they fixed and then returned. At this point, whatever deities were in charge of computerdom at the time decided that was not enough of an issue, and then began a 4 month, Murphy's Law-esque comedy of errors. Video Cards that were over-volting, OS instability, HDD's that would crash, PCI cards that wouldn't post. Alex was fantastic throughout. He always kept me in the loop, and constantly CCed me on his interactions with the various 3rd party entities he had to engage with in order to get these issues solved. As crunch time came near, and I needed my computer back for school and work (my ailing laptop was on its last legs and was going agonal on me), Alex worked [i]on his days off[/i] to meet my requested drop time. I can be a very difficult customer at times, and Alex was nothing but professional and understanding. I will be giving him ALL of my business from now on, and I would [b]STRONGLY[/b] recommend anyone who is on the fence to give him a shot. He is a consummate professional with a tireless dedication and love for his craft you'll not find at a "chain store". Once again, do NOT miss out on this guys. If you need the help, this is the man to go to. read more

I have not done business with Envescent, but I tried to. My only frustration is that their website doesn't say the office location listed is not their office. It is a virtual office. I learned this after I paid $8 for parking. I tried to call and no one picked up but due to high reviews, I thought it was worth a shot to drop in to see if they could help. They only pick up and drop off at that location via another business. That wasn't obvious until I had already wasted time and money getting inside. The business itself may be wonderful but it would've been nice to know this is a virtual office location that does not accept walk ins as the work is done off-site. Update: After I originally posted a three star review, I promptly received a message apologizing for my experience. They offered to refund the $8 I paid for parking and said they would try to be more clear on their website. Again, I have not done business with them but based on their immediate reaction to try to ameliorate my frustration, I can only imagine they run the rest of their business this way. read more

Another big win for AVCR. Based on prior excellent experience working with Alexander, I asked him to build a custom rig for gaming and business. This was at the lower end of high performance gaming computers but still packs a strong punch. Alexander worked with me to select the piece parts. I am a novice but had done considerable research. Alexander reviewed my proposed rig, offered some suggestions for alternate components and provided a very reasonable quote. I could probably have built it myself but not even close to the standard Alexander achieved. I dropped the parts off around Christmas and gave an open time frame- I wanted quality and was willing to let AVCR take the time to do it right. Alexander kepT informed on progress, worked to resolve some hardware issues resulting from OEM faults. What I got back exceeded my expectations. Alexander did a very professional job leaving a clean interior maximizing airflow. The machine Hums along with high FPS and with nary a heat spike despite only using air cooling. Overall I got a professional build, no errors, no hassle and a superior performing machine. All this at a reasonable price well below buying from an assembly house like Origin. Best of all I got actual customer service. The box even meets the spousal acceptance test for appearance and noise. Now it just needs a name... read more

There's a reason these folks have all five stars. I'd give them 5000+ stars if I could. My laptop is 6 years old and started giving me the message that I had no space left every time I turned it on, was operating very slow, etc. Brought it into Alex and was so impressed by how organized, professional and honest he was about fixing things up vs. buying a new one. He explained my options, and ended up upgrading my hard drive in less than 2 business days for a very reasonable price. The computer is working like a brand new computer now, and he went out of his way to clean up the other programs, make sure the most updated systems were installed, and fixed other things that had been broken for a while, like my mouse. I just wish everything in life was as easy and reasonable as this! read more

AVCR rocks. Yes, my computer was dead (Apple IMac G5). But that will happen (lucky I had SOME backup). They were able to recover all of my data and give me some advice moving forward.They are responsive, friendly, prompt and competitively priced! I highly recommend them! read more

I can't recommend this place enough! I emailed them about data recovery and Alex always replied back quickly. He managed to save all my data off of my hard drive after it crashed, and did so quickly and at a reasonable rate. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone that needs to have data recovery done, you can trust him to do a great job. read more

I'm usually very good with software repairs on my computer. I consider myself computer-savvy, but when it comes to hardware...eeks! Last time I opened up my laptop to fix the keyboard, I broke it even more. So, when my 'Alt' key became non-responsive on my Lenovo laptop, that was the last straw. Previously, I've reconfigured my keyboard shortcuts because this key wasn't working or that key wasn't working. the 'Alt' key is pretty integral to my switching between webpages, so this was a killer. I looked around the DC area for qualified IT help, but I couldn't find any higher than three stars. As a college student, this computer was incredibly important to my studies (and entertainment) and I couldn't afford to shell out another $700 for another one. When I first emailed Alexander, he replied within three hours with an price quote, diagnosis, and appointment time! First thing next week, I brought it in and he gave me a time estimate. As I dabbled in computer security in high school and college, I asked him some computer and computer security questions, and he was able to answer them clearly and comprehensively. He always gives service with a smile, and is much more cosmopolitan than his 'Chief Geek' title credits him with. Just today, I picked up my newly fixed laptop and he was at it again with his charming smile and helpful tips. He not only fixed my keyboard, but cleaned up my computer (which was held together with duct tape) and put in some screws. He even offers a 45 day warranty if something goes awry later (which I don't think I would need). The only drawbacks to his practice are price and location. In a perfect world, I would get my laptop fixed under $100, but his excellent skill set demands a corresponding price. His location is easy to find, but very far from DC. It took me two hours to get there the first time and an hour and a half to get there today. But, as he is the best in the area and a very genuine person who cares about you and your computer, I would not hesitate to trek back out to Arlington the next time my computer acts up. read more

Imagine there's a heaven... Seriously! Imagine you are in the middle of your doctoral examinations, and your computer dies. Like Dell tells you the computer is on its way to heaven as we speak. Yep, that's what happened to me two days ago. Now, I am sitting at home, with a new hard drive, new operating system, and best of all, the data I thought I would never see again! Alex is an angel. He recognized the gravity of the situation and I went in to see him that evening. He worked on it that night (late) and the next day. Sure, it costs extra because I needed it so quickly, but that was my decision, and given what I was asking, I think it was totally reasonable. Now, I have a working computer, a better operating system, peace of mind, and I can pick up where I left off. Alex is the best! He's got a good heart and a clever mind. I am so thankful to have found him. read more

UPDATE 10/21/13: We've since moved away from Arlington, but I contacted Alexander for help when my now-EIGHT year old (or maybe older) laptop started slowing down again like crazy... I contacted him on a Friday and we had a remote session set up for Monday afternoon. I prepaid for an hour of help, and he remoted in to my laptop that afternoon and freed up over 2gb, cleaned the PC registry, installed updates for antivirus, defragged the file system, ran routine maintenance and diagnosis. Going to continue using him as my go-to computer resource as long as I can!! (Oh, and YES, after writing the original review, we DID take my laptop in back in 2011 for a tune-up... so worth it... definitely got and getting my money's worth from this 'maintenance' - esp since for my purposes, I don't need a new laptop!) ORIGINAL REVIEW: My 6+ year old desktop died one day (without any sort of warning... or recent backup). We called Arlington Virginia Computer Repair (AVCR) and dropped off the CPU - he didn't overpromise, but said he'd do what he could... within a few days, Alexander called back and let us know our options, including giving us a cheaper option that we hadn't considered before. In the end, he not only recovered all the data (which had been my only goal), he also had the old PC running much faster than before. There are lots of similar customer reviews to this one, and I just have to agree (and I think so will you), that the service is just so great that we wanted to be sure to give him and his staff kudos for the good work. We're going back with our laptop soon for preventative maintenance. Definitely give this business a call if you are looking for computer help in the greater Arlington area! read more

Quick, efficient, and affordable....a rarity in the DC area. Excellent customer service, without the worry of having Big Box retailer rip you off. They will give you an honest appraisal and get your computer back to you in short order. If you have an issue make sure and check these guys out. read more