Couldn't believe it. My main system AND my redundant system both went kaput on the same day -- well, the redundant system SMOKED, never a good thing to see (or smell). Being a geek with a lower-case G, I was able to determine it was either my power supply or MoBo, but I don't futz with the innards of the beast when it comes to anything electrical. Problem: Who to call -- and how to find their number? (Haven't had a phone book in years.) Another problem: Can't get online! My lousy old iBook doesn't talk to my router. I was screwed... three projects on deadline, all due the next day at noon, and here it was almost 4 pm. I knew I'd be replacing that smokin' PC within hours, but I needed my main PC fixed and back in my house ASAP. Gotta love the new cell phone and that fat keyboard (Samsung Impression, sidebar props to you!), I was online and searching immediately. Looked for the GeekSquad number first, dialed, this is brilliant: THEY DIDN'T EVEN ANSWER THE PHONE. Okayyy, welllll, back to the search. And I immediately found Alex. Pretty swift calling yourself Arlington VA Computer Repair and snagging the URL. I had no idea who he was or whether he was good or could be trusted, but it's thanks to the kind words on Yelp that I gave him a call (thank you other people for taking the time). He was great on the phone, dealt with my loquaciousness like a champ, arranged a meeting within the hour, and off I went with the broken beast. He's SO convenient to anybody in Arlington, located right smack in the middle of our little burg. His office is part of a home, but save its residential location you can barely tell. Very nice presentation, extremely professional, and yikes, most laboratories aren't this clean! I filled out forms in a tiny waiting area while classical music played in the background, and he had me processed and outta there in ten minutes flat. An hour later I called to ask a question, and he told me he'd already determined my problem (yes, power supply, phew!) -- and two days later the beast was back good as new, cleanly and affordably. He goes above and beyond the call of duty, though, offering tips/suggestions for things we can all do towards better computing. All small businesses should run so well and with such friendliness. I've given his business card to two people already. If you're reading this don't hesitate -- Alex rocks! read more

Alex at AVCR was a consummate professional and very personable during the entire process. Each visit (drop-off and pick-up) resulted in a short and pleasurable wait in the waiting room because of the jazz music. My notebook computer was severely infected (anti-virus and firewall had failed) and performance was abysmal. Internet research led me to AVCR. Being in law enforcement for over 30 years, I did my due diligence and was not disappointed. Alex had my notebook ready in only 2 days - free of infection and at optimal function. Alex took the time to explain what had happened and what preventive measures to take in the future. Alex even cleaned the fans in the notebook and made the notebook look brand new. The fee was very reasonable. I also now have a cooling platform that my notebook sits on, per Alex's advice. A picture of Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard) behind Alex's desk was icing on the cake. If I could give a 6-stars rating, I would. AVCR is the real deal. Thank you AVCR! read more

I know this repair store received many great reviews but I am afraid I was very disappointed in my service. I think this place is WAY OVERPRICED for the service and Alexander played a fast one on me. When I found out another place that could repair my computer for 1/3rd of the price, I called him 2 hours later after dropping off my computer, and he said the job was almost done. Very hard to believe, when he initially gave me a quote of 2 days to complete the job. He then wrote me a long e-mail and gave me a long "sob" story explanation in person, as to why the cost was so high and his family issues, etc. I'm sorry but I can't recommend this place and I'm still annoyed because the hard drive he sold to me to back up my information is not compatible with my MAC computer so I can't save any more files to it. What a joke. I also found this place after a google and yelp search and would not recommend it. Virginians there are more affordable places in DC to fix all sorts of issues FYI. read more

Timely and expert service. I recently experienced a hard drive failure with my HP desktop. It started with the infamous blue screen and then Windows simply refused to start. I took it to the Best Buy folks at Geek Squad not knowing any better. They informed me that the OS was corrupt and for a price of $285 they offered to backup my files and reinstall Windows Vista. In seeking a second opinion, I went looking on Yelp and found Arlington Virginia Computer Repair. I didn't have to look any further. Alexander, the business owner, was responsive to my emails and was able to see me immediately. I explained the situation to him and upon diagnosing my system, he confirmed my worst suspicion - the hard drive had failed. Within five business days, he was able to recover all my files and gave me a ten percent discount on labor. The price was very reasonable and I am completely satisfied with my experience. I would highly recommend this business. read more

An intractable Gordian knot of misery. My mother board died - I bought a new computer My Account got hacked - I changed my password Verizon locked my account, got the server wrong, and dragged their feet - I was stumped. Enter Arlington Virginia Computer Repair who after a month of dealing the intractable Gordian knot of misery that is Verizon managed to get it all straightened out. I could not have done it. I needed a geek like Alex and to him I am eternally grateful. As others mentioned, the business is in the basement of a house not a computer store. The model is more like a computer doctor with appointments and a doctors office. It did weird me out a little, but the proof is in the results. Not the Geek Squad, or any other computer shop (I did try one with negative results) could bring this case to a successful resolution like Alex did. I hope I never need his services again but if I do, I know where to go. read more

I decided to create an account just to review this place, because I am so grateful to them! I spilled water on my laptop (macbook) and the computer was completely fried. Stupid me, I didn't have a backup of any of my files, including precious pictures from the last 5 family vacations. Because of the water damage, the hard drive was corroded and contained several bad sectors. I chose AVCR because of all the good reviews on here for hard drive recovery. Alexander was very patient with my anxious emails and provided prompt and clear communication about the process and the chances of recovery. Not only did he recover ALL my files, but did so very quickly at a very reasonable price compared to other prices I was being quoted. It was a pleasure working with him and I would definitely come back if I ever need his services again (though hopefully I won't!). It's absolutely worth the trek to Arlington. Thank you again! read more

Very impressed! I called today to find out about getting my Dell laptop looked at. The tech did some diagnosis over the phone, suggested a few more options to try on my own, and because it has every indication of a failed mother board suggested I not pay them to do a full diagnostic because it will be a waste of money if the motherboard is dead (better to just get a new laptop). And THEN, he took the time to tell me how to find out from Dell's website if it was still under warranty AND explained that some credit cards offer coverage for the purchase price of failed electronics through their purchasing policy (who knew?!?). So, while my laptop is still mostly dead, I am super impressed with the service and not getting scammed. (So impressed I signed up on yelp just to write this.) read more

Let me start off by saying that I was very impressed with the good customer service over the phone, which is what compelled me to come in for an appointment to take care of my laptop. I don't know much about computers, but what I do know is that they aren't supposed to randomly shut down when you are using them. Mine kept shutting down when I was watching movies or playing games. Jennifer explained to me that the problem was likely heat-related, answered all of my questions and patiently walked me through the process. After about a week I have my new and improved computer back and it's stable, faster and clean! I can't speak enough about the wonderful service I received from beginning to end, and I definitely recommend these guys to anyone who's having a computer problem. read more

Chief Geek gets two techie thumbs up! When my hard drive would not boot on New Year's Eve-Eve, of course, I figured no in town would be available to help me. To my surprise, I completed the online form and I received a prompt reply. Communication during the holiday season -- unheard of, right? My appointment was scheduled on January 2nd, a diagnosis was delivered THAT same evening, communication exchanges were over the weekend, and mission was complete on January 5th. Puff of smoke in air and voila!! A brand new hard drive was born resurrecting all of my historical data I left for fried-n-dead. The whole process was like a symphony with the Fat Lady singing -- she hit the high note when I saw a reasonable price. Wow, my data recovery was a thing of great beauty! read more

I'm one of those computer users who never backs things up. And I mean never. So when our household computer's hard drive crashed I was in trouble. We did some research online and found AVCR and all the positive reviews on Yelp. Alex was nothing short of amazing. So helpful, so easy going. An all around nice guy - doing great work. Once he recovered ALL the data off the busted hard drive (a miracle!), he also provided tons of great advice on how to become a computer user that backs up data! Thanks to Alex, we recovered all our data, and now we have a strategy for keeping things backed up. Alex and AVCR are just terrific. I can't recommend them highly enough. read more

Two times in the last year I've had computer problems with my custom built computer. Both times I've reached out to Arlington Virginia Computer Repair and they fixed the problem without ever going in or paying a penny! Unlike other stores that make you bring in your computer and pay a diagnostic fee first without providing a word of advice, Arlington Virginia Computer Repair helped me troubleshoot the problem first to see if the problem could be fixed remotely. I am extremely indebted to this place and would like to recognize it for its excellent customer service. I am in consulting so I am acutely aware of quality service. This place was responsive and professional. read more

There's a lot of geeks out there with great IT skills, but great service is what sets these guys apart. I emailed asking for a quote to help with a haywire DVD drive. Instead of just fixing it and taking my money, Alex gave me a quote and also cheaper option I could do on my own. I have three kids and money is tight, so I took the cheaper option, but I really appreciate the focus on great service and not just taking my cash. That's rare these days in any industry. I will definitely use these guys moving forward, and recommend them friends. You'll definitely get your money's worth. read more

Called here about my laptop having problems booting and regarding a virus removal. And got the voice mail, left one, haven't received a phone call until 2 days later. Alex was probably the guy speaking, probably the owner as well, he didn't seem very convincing that he would fix the problem. Told me he needed to see the computer, but the cost would be between $130 to $300 depending on services rendered. Which is a lot, considering I can buy a new laptop for $350 nowadays. Anyways, I took it to Comp-Tech Repair Solutions in Alexandria, they did a fantastic job, and only cost me $80.00 read more

Exceptional service and expertise. Had an IMAC crash about a year ago and was very hesitant to do data recovery due to expense. Found Arlington Virginia Computer Repair and discovered that our solution was right down the street. We contacted AVCR on Monday afternoon and by Wednesday evening, our hard drive was repaired, 100 percent of our files were recovered and we had an automatic backup installed. Alex is very knowledgeable and provided some cost saving solutions for virus protection and for keeping our computer protected. Thank you AVCR - I hope you enjoy future success. read more

Long live great customer service. The Apple Store could learn something from AVCR on this subject. AVCR was willing to diagnose my computer problems and make repair/replace recommendations based on screen shots and a description of my issue. They were prompt in responding to me, offered cost and time ranges for a repair scenario and did all of this without requiring an in-person visit. Most important, I was never treated as though I wasn't valued as a customer. I will make it a habit to refer AVCR to my network of heavy mac users. read more

My son's computer crashed, and he could not access any of his research files, videos, photos, school papers, etc. Apple recommended a company that had a three-week turnaround time, and could not guarantee they could recover the files. I took it instead to Arlington Virginia Computer Repair. Alex recovered all of the files and replaced the hard drive in 24 hours. Amazing! This company responds promptly to inquiries, keeps you updated every step of the way, and lets you know up front what the costs will be. Great customer service! read more

Arlington Virginia Computer Repair is the only place I bring in my computers to. Being a power user network engineer I need the assurance that my workstations/servers are free of viruses and malware to do my work. Having Arlington Virginia Computer Repair in my corner frees up much needed time and energy to focus on my customers network needs. Their expertise and advice on computers is impeccable. I will continue to user their excellent service. Keep up the good work! read more

My husband and I have both gotten our computers fixed here and recommend them highly. I had so many problems with my hard drive, being an older computer, and until Arlington Virginia Computer Repair, the several places I tried were not able to correctly fix and upgrade anything. AVCR fixed all the problems, including getting rid of bugs. I have had no problems since they fixed my computer last autumn. My husband has also been very pleased with their work. read more

My wife's hard drive crashed. Unfortunately, the laptop was just out of warranty so we had to find a computer repair shop. Alex was able to quickly diagnose the issue, replace the hard drive, and offered options to recover the lost data/files. He was even able to negotiate with Microsoft to unblock the Windows activation key (when the company that sold the laptop was not willing to help). I highly recommend their services. read more