If you can get here, this is THE only place to take your computer problems. In a world where too many businesses are prone to simply take your money and give you "whatever" service in return (like The Geeks?), Sam & Company stands out as a shining example of how things should be. How many businesses these days do you know of that actually combine integrity and skill to deliver what they say they will - and at a reasonable cost? If you read the About section on their website, it mentions personal relationships with customers. That's no sales pitch - it's true. I've only had sporadic computer issues over the years and, amazingly, every time I've spoken with him, it's like talking to a friend. He knows his customers! Couple that with the fact that Sam broke away from the corporate world to bring his skills directly to the public and he's definitely earned my loyalty. read more

I have nothing but good things to say about my experience here. I took my computer in for service as I had issues I could not overcome on my own. I found the basic price for service at $99 to be more than reasonable, though I was told that it would take about two weeks for my computer to be diagnosed. I paid the $75 expediting fee and given a timeframe of 2-3 days before diagnosis. I was then happy to get a call from them the next day with the diagnosis and plan of action. The day after that, my computer was ready for pickup, good as new. Overall, very happy with the experience. read more

After realizing that some of my crucial folders were lost on my thumb drive and getting advice from a good friend, I decided to go to Restore Computer Repair to see what they could do. I had the pleasure of being served by Sam back on January 13th. Due to strong winds that day, I didn't have many customers to contend with, as Sam saw me fairly quickly. When I say that Sam saved my business life, I meant it. He was able to retrieve and restore all that I thought was lost forever. Sam was great. Lastly, the cost for this restoration was fair. I now have a backup system, in the event that this occurs again, and I can peacefully continue in my work. Thank you, Sam, for your effortless hard work and allowing me to leave with a smile on my face. I highly recommend Sam and his team for your computer needs. read more

Above and beyond my expectations! They diagnosed the problem with my MacBook Pro, changed the battery and cleaned the computer, and they had it ready for pickup the same day. In addition, the owner spent considerable time trouble-shooting and resolving a complicated memory problem that even Apple tech support could not identify and he taught me how to do the same. Their prices are fair and the service is outstanding. read more

We called and asked for them to replace the power plug in my daughter's laptop. They were told her dad tried to do it and might have messed up with the solder. They said 7-10 business days would be the turn around. Welp, it took more than a month. Many times I called and no one was there to talk to me. I'm glad we finally got it back, yes it works as it should but we were to the point of going to take back the broken laptop and getting our money back by the time it was fixed. read more

I went in with my laptop that had completely stopped taking a charge. I'd tried different chargers and had my friend with his own diagnostic equipment and experience take a look. We determined every relevant part was working fine except the battery itself, but didn't have the ability to do anything about it, so I took it in to Restore to see what they could do. Their first response was to slowly explain how to charge a computer. Seriously. Down to "plug this end of the charger into this hole here, then the other end into the wall." I thought they were joking, but they affirmed they were serious and that this was probably the problem. So I confirmed I did, in fact, understand perfectly well how to charge my computer, and went on to explain everything my friend and I had already tried to diagnose and fix it, reiterating that we were almost entirely positive that it was the battery. He said there was no way that could be it because that was rarely ever the problem, but for $50 I could have diagnostics run. No estimate of how long that would take, but I was assured that if I paid even more they would do it faster. At that point I just left. Going to any tech-related store as a woman isn't usually a great time to start with but jeez. I've never had an experience as bad as this. Edit to clarify some things: I'm neurodivergent too and recognized that Brian, the man who helped me, is also on the spectrum. Unlike the owner, however, I didn't feel the need to bring his disability into this because while autism does cause communication issues -- something I am intimately aware of -- it does not cause you to ignore/disregard everything someone tells you or to make assumptions about their knowledge. And to be crystal clear, no, I don't expect anyone to know the exact problem without running diagnostics, I just expect not to be completely written off and told I'm wrong when I say my computer isn't holding a charge and that everything points to it being a battery issue. read more

This small, family-owned/ran business combines customer care, technical know-how, and straight-up-ness that is greatly appreciated. You don't have to worry about a high-pressure up-sell... If it ain't worth the price to repair, they'll tell you (which I was what happened the first time I took a laptop here). I dig that. They recently saved my life (read: laptop with important info on it). they repaired my hard drive and recovered my data. All for a very reasonable price and with a quick turn-around. They have an unassuming shop - It's in the basement level of a residential/retail looking building right on Harford Rd., 1 block south of Putty Hill. Don't expect to be greeted by folks with lime green polo shirts with "Geeks-R-Us" or anything on it. You'll find the wife (who seems to run the front office) in everyday clothes and the husband (who is tinkering in the back) is casual as well. It's a very comfortable environment and they speak in laypeople's terms. I hope to never spill Sprite on my keyboard (first time) or have the HP-gods frown on me again (this time), but if I do, I'll return to Restore Computer Repair. read more

I came here in a frantic state due to my external hard drive crashing suddenly in December 2013. My tech-savvy boyfriend called around to multiple shops to price Data Recovery services, and hands down, Restore was the best deal around. When I dropped my hard drive off, I was informed that there was a backlog of repairs ahead of me and that it would take 8-10 days for them even to get to my device. This was not completely ideal, however, I understand that they are a mom & pop shop and would rather give them my business vs. "The Geek Squad." Fast forward 12-ish days later - I had not heard from Restore, so I called to check on the status of the repairs. I was informed that they'd just started working on my device but were unable to give me an update of how long it would take to determine if the information was able to be salvaged. Over the course of the next 2 weeks, I kept calling back in 3-4 day intervals to check on things and was provided with limited information. Never once did Restore initiate a call to provide updates/ETAs or the like - and I felt like I was stalking them by wanting to be in the loop about my device. It took about a month for me to get my device back and they were able to retrieve most of my data which was a HUGE weight off my shoulders. Overall, they do great work, but can use some improvements with their customer relations (i.e. providing updates, general communication, etc.). I am happy to have my data back, however, had regular communication been in effect, this definitely would have been a 4 or 5-star experience. read more

They had my computer for 3 weeks and I had to call them because I never heard from them. I finally got a call to say it was ready. They said they ran a bunch of diagnostics and said they could find nothing wrong. I asked them if they tested the mouse and they said it was perfect. When I got the computer home and all hooked up, the same problem was still there. So on a hunch, I purchased a new mouse and guess what, the problem was gone. So the mouse that they told me was perfect was probably not even touched at their shop. So the entire process cost me 3 weeks and $85 for them to do absolutely nothing. I would definitely stay away from these guys as they don't seem to know how to tell the truth or much about computers. The owner called me and made a ton of extremely lame excuses and I could receive a refund if I came back to their store. It seem that they don't know to do a refund without my assistance even thought they had my credit card account on file. They should really change their name to Incompetent Liars To Scam You Suckers. read more

I took my laptop here a few months ago after it crashed. They were able to fix it for me and get it up and running again. Unfortunately he could not retrieve any information, so I lost everything. He did refer me to a company where I can send out my old hard drive and they might be able to get my pictures, but it's very costly. When I have the extra money to do so, I will. I don't blame anyone but myself for losing my files. It was the original hard drive going on 8 years, I'm lucky it lasted that long. I will continue to recommend this place, they answer any and all of my questions without hesitation. They are very helpful with everything and they did a great job. When I came to pick up my laptop I had my two young children with me and they offered to carry my stuff out to my car, which was so kind of them. Thank you again! read more

Not a good place to go teriable service just teriable took 5 1/2 weeks to get it back nothing was done never called me at all broke the support leg my tower worst place Don't go hear owner doesn't give damn ! read more

The quality and personal care really shows in this family owned and operated business. The owner diagnosed and fixed my problem quickly and accurately. The rates are very reasonable. I would highly recommend Restore Computer Repair to anyone who is having computer issues. Hopefully, we will not have any further issues with our computer, but if we do this is the place we will go. read more

I usually fix things myself if I can but I had a laptop issue this time that I spent 2 weeks trying to fix, watching tutorials online and buying replacement parts and finally gave up. I looked on yelp and found this place, so I called. Very nice to deal with, told me to drop it off and be a flat rate of $99 which wasn't bad considering I was about to trash it and buy a new laptop. Anyway, 2 days later it was fixed and working great! read more

Brought my computer here for a screen that would not turn on. Weeks later I called and I really believe he never looked at it. He talked about the cracked screen which I agreed I wanted repaired as well. He said he could order one and it would be done within the week. Weeks later again I check up on it. Again, I felt like he hadn't touched it. He said he would have it done. Checked up on it and he said it was done and I asked if it was running and the blank screen was taken care of. I'm positive he didn't know that was the original problem. So he rushed and got it all done. I like to be fair and I suspect perhaps he is understaffed. Need to take care of that to have happy customers. read more

I took my MacBook Air to Restore Computer Repair and Sam was absolutely great. He explained everything to me (I know nothing about computers), game me lots of options, and communicated with me throughout the whole process. My computer is working better than ever, I won't take it anywhere else. read more

Sam, the owner, is amazing and Jordan, who works at the front, is very helpful. I was in dire straits, about to lose all of the data necessary for completing my dissertation two days before it was due. Sam was able to recover the data very quickly and moreover, very kindly emailed me the information necessary for continuing my analyses, so I didn't lose any time. A first class experience all around read more

Great Service By Sam. Took my Mac laptop computer on Friday and it was ready for pick up on Wednesday!! Sam is very personable and the work was fast, efficient and the cost reasonable. Will keep coming back to the store. read more

Straightforward, honest repair. The hard drive died on my 2011 iMac (sadface). I was just about to order an expensive repair kit to install a new drive on my own (iMacs require special equipment to get open), when a friend recommended Restore. I'm really thankful I took it them. Parts and labor cost less than half of what the equipment would have cost for a self-repair. I decided to get a solid state drive. The guy at Restore quoted me a flat labor fee and actually talked me out of an upsell on a higher priced SSD, explaining that it would be better to just get an external drive for data storage. That's class. The repair took longer than expected. That might normally have sucked, but they explained to me in direct, non-condescending terms what the issue was, and why it was taking longer (honestly, that's all I ask for--just let me know why there's a good reason it's taking a while). Even though the repair was tougher than anticipated, the original, reasonable labor estimate stood. read more

Worst customer service. DO NOT GO HERE !!! I took my MacBook air here, because all of a sudden it wouldn't turn on. Apple store told me there was water damage and corrosion from when a glass of water spilled on it a year ago. Why all of a sudden it stopped working a year later I have no idea. Took it here for repair, dealt with the owner! He took the laptop and said it would be a few days. He was going to open it up, place it in a alcohol solution and then said the logic board needs to dry for two days before he puts it back together to see if it works. Very nice on the phone when I called to get service and price quote. I went with my sister to drop it off, and there were no issues. He said he will call when he had a diagnosis and I told him to call me instead of my sister because she has no idea about machine parts. He called my sister and told her that there was no corrosion like apple store said there was but then she needed to order a 500 dollar part with him and that he doest warranty the product . He also said after 1 day that he cleaned the laptop twice and tried to see if it would start but how is that possible if he said it needed to dry for two-three days. I thought I go surprise him and see if it turned on because he said the laptop was already put back together. and it didn't work. I arrive to test this out my self and its in pieces. No way for me to test if him cleaning it really fixed the issue or not. I ask him questions about getting the data off the machine and how I don't understand how it needed to dry for two-three days but how was able to place it together after one day. He started yelling at me and told me he didn't care if I understood the process or not. Did I want the laptop fixed or not. He was very rude, told me not to waste his time. Mind you I called before heading over and he was still open during hours he has on the front door, and told me this is the time he works and I need to leave. Long story short I tell him I want the data off the hard drive so I can get my laptop an leave. Tells me I need to go buy one and then he will get to it when he can. Go to drop off the hard drive, finally come back after 2 weeks, to pick up machine that he said my mac was put back together and ready. I get there and its in pieces. Told my sister ur bother said he's selling the parts not to put it all back which was not the case at all. He's a lier. Im told to come back in another week to get the laptop I was told to come get the week before. DO NOT GO HERE !!!!!!!! read more

I have only been here once, but when my next computer breaks I will certainly go back. I went in nearly panicking over a laptop, and they talked me off a cliff, took care of me, and had the laptop back to me within 2 days, running perfectly, and the price was exactly what I had hoped to pay. I hope I get so lucky again next time! read more

I have taken 3 different computers there over the last 2 years. They are reasonably priced and do great work. The only downside it that they took a long time getting to the last one that I took there. Overall I would definitely recommend them. read more

Absolutely the worst computer service..EVER !! DO NOT USE THIS BUSINESS !! Took in my computer to have the my data and programs backed up and Windows 10 installed and and the data and programs reinstalled. Dropped off the unit with the owner and he said "NO PROBLEM", it will take 2-3 days. Called next day at opening to see if service could be done any faster. The owner said "NO PROBLEM", for an extra $75, I would be placed at the head of line and would be finished before the end of the day. Called an hour before closing and got the "I'm working on it as we speak". Of course he never called back one way or the other. The next day went to his shop several hours before closing to see what was going on. Again, I got the "I'M WORKING ON IT AS WE SPEAK" , of course I lost it. I picked up the computer the following day and was unable to work with it. GREAT !! All my security and many other programs were GONE. I could use hardly use the system. I called the help line for my security provider, after they checked the system, I got the bad news. This shop DID NOT back up my data !! ALL THE DID WAS TO REMOVE WINDOWS 7 AND INSTALL WINDOWS 10. They wiped out all I P addresses and either corrupted or eliminated 173 of 263 driver services. The computer support service had MICROSOFT replace the drivers @ $1.14 each ($197.22). The total cost from the support services was $347.22 + over 3 hours on the phone, (They also gave 3 years FREE 24/7 support). The total from Restore Computer Repair was $174.00 to make a mess of my system. I got a good piece of advice from the computer support co. NEVER USE A SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT IS NOT CERTIFIED BY MICROSOFT. read more