dear tech collective, every time i come to see you you tell me laptop is going to die. it's a good thing you are not a collective of oncologists. i get it, i have vista--vista sucks. i have a nvidia chip or something--and nvidia sucks. my laptop is a sucky laptop, but it is a working laptop and that's all thanks to you people. $150 is pretty steep for a dose of cyber valtrex but i get it. you got to make a living. and i find most of you appealing in a "they know more about this shit than i do" sort of way. cheers. read more

My first and only yelp review - these guys were so great that I was inspired to sign up to rave about them (and because I'm too cheap to tip them with real money.) I was panicky when my laptop went down - they were nice, patient, and extremely fast and affordable. Can't say enough good things about them. I can't imagine there's a better place - it's impossible. read more

I called & was promplty answered by the attentive and all knowing Yochai (yo-high!). He and another technican, Jason, arrived promptly to my office at 1:30 pm. I work at a non-profit in the financial district. We had several computer problems and also need someone to move all our tech craziness to the SOMA/Mission. Yochai explained to me exactly what he was doing, walking me through all the processes and reasons this and that was occurring. He may have noticed my eyes glossing over a bit because he asked me if I wanted him to be specific or rather just do it (he said it a lot nicer) - but he wanted to insure that his clients knew what servcies they were getting and come away with new knowledge. I asked for the latter. Again, he was very attentive and knowledgeable. He definitely wasn't just dropping hardware names. The price for the consultation and repair/service was $69 - that is for businesses. I believe it's cheaper for individuals - $49. I'm having some computer problems at home and some friends are as well and I plan on sending them techcollective's way. TechCollective, as I mentioned earlier, is also going to move all of our e-equipment and set us up in the new office. Yochai and Jason were quite throrough in their walk through of the office & we have plans to meet up next week to look at the new office. they are very accomodating and very respectful of your time. ***also*** if it makes you feel better they are worker owned and operated and wear fun green shirts that say on the back proudly "working for democracy" - heart. Throw all your evil doer computers at them. Or lightly place them in their hands...techcollective will bring a smile to your face. ***also I was just browsing their site & found this: "Data Recovery - $99 Flat Fee (dead hard drives, accidental deleting, etc.) If we can't recover your data, we won't charge." ****(more smiles) read more

Just got my external hard drive back from TechCollective. The standard rate for hard drive recovery is now $250, not $150. The employee I worked with was great at explaining the technical aspects of what was broken and what he would do to fix it and how long it would take. He followed up by phone to let me know the status and fixed it in the estimated time. Completely solid. read more

Great service and communication as they assess what your computer issues might be and checking in with you while being cost conscious. Taran was a joy to work with! read more

Excellent experience. My Macbook hard drive crashed and Apple said it could cost me up to $2500 for recovery through a 3rd party. TechCollective recovered all my data with a $250 flat fee. Most important I have learned my lesson to back up my data. read more

This is my new go-to place for any technical difficulties. I like that they're set up like a co-op like Cheeseboard pizza. The guys are super fast and super friendly and super good at helping a technologically-challenged retard like me fix her external hard drive and a new case to boot for way less than I thought I'd have to fork over. AWESOME! read more

These gentlemen were friendly, helpful, understanding and affordable. My laptop is running great now.

This place is awesome! I came here twice for unrelated computer crashes. Both times, the service was awesome, and they clearly explained the problem, what the options were and in one instance, recovered the computer, and in the other instance, grabbed all my data off the dying hard drive. Also, I was probably going to buy a new computer when they instead pointed out I could just breathe some new life into my old one and have a perfectly good computer. read more

My HP Pavilion PC was beeping at me (two short, one long) on start-up and nothing was coming up on the screen. From the HP support website I was able to follow the troubleshooting steps to figure out I had a bad video card and called these guys (after finding them here) to see if they had one in stock. The tech asked me to bring the whole PC in so they could run some tests and I figured, "here we go, they're gonna try and find as many problems as possible and stick it to me". Still, the guy on the phone told me he had a video card for about $50.00 so I figured I'd get out of there for around $100 with labor and support a local business. After looking at the melted fan housing on the video card they agreed with my diagnosis and let me know that the motherboard actually has a video output (which HP covered up with a bit of plastic) and that unless I was a gamer didn't need a separate video card at all! The tech then tested my hard drive (it passed) and inspected the motherboard (which also passed) and pronounced me good to go. They then charged me the outrageous sum of $0.00. Yes, $0.00, zip, nada. "All I did was pull off the bit of plastic covering the video input" the tech explained. True, but I was still expecting a shop minimum of $50.00 or so and was very pleasantly surprised to be in and out in 20 minutes with a working computer without spending a dime. I'm sure they'll get some money out of me in the end because I will definitely go back the next time I have a computer problem. This is the "Geek Squad" for me. read more

This place is great. They took a look at my four year old MacBook, realized the hard drive was failing, quickly replaced it with a 500GB for $100, and now my baby is running as good as new! I couldn't have asked for better service. read more

Thank you thank you thank you TechCollective. My laptop's hard drive had crashed (the bad blue screen) and I of course had no back up. I had called other places and received quotes in the thousands to retrieve the data. I brought it into TechCollective and they 1) retrieved the data, 2) put it on a new hard drive, and 3) cleaned out the inside of my computer, and 4) took off programs I didn't need to make it more efficient for under $300 - and that is including the price of the new hard drive. I am not a tech-savvy person, and they clearly explained what was going on in a way that I was able to understand. They were very honest (gave me a break on the recovery fee because they said it took less effort than most badly damaged hard drives), called me to update me on what was going on, and had my laptop ready in a couple business days. (And I LOVE that they're employee owned!) Five stars does not do them justice... if I could give them 10 I would. As long as I am in SF, they will have my business. read more

Great people, super nice and informative

Yes, I concur with all my fellow yelpers. Don't you wish all businesses would: 1. Repond to you within five minutes of your arrival. 2. Give you one on one attention. 3. Be honest with what you need (or don't) 4. Problem solve and send you happily on your way You know the Geek Squad from BB? Same type of thing...oh yeah, no VW Bugs, high overhead, or skinny ties. Great local firm. Highly recommend. read more

I just came back from taking my old laptop there to fix my CD drive. They told me it isn't worth it to fix it and that I should buy a new one, but USB. He extracted the CD drive anyway to check it in a minute, said that looking at it further would be more expensive than a new CD drive. Money spent: $0. So I thought "at least I have to write them a Yelp review". Also, a few months ago they fixed an issue with my laptop fan. It was overheating so much I couldn't use it. After they fixed it it works perfectly. Very good service. read more

I called to ask for a AC Adapter and they didn't have it but where so nice that recommended an other place and I found it. Thanks for the advice! read more

I cannot rave enough about the team at TechCollective. Henceforth they are my go-to people for computer servicing. Dan repaired my crashed Windows 7 system in less than a day, tweaked a little here and there and saved me from a potential nightmare. He and his colleague also transferred some data from my very, very old box onto a flash drive -- something I could not do myself. I have learned my lesson and will be getting an external hard drive AND cloud service for backup. This team totally rocks! read more

My XPS M1210 laptop would not start right after I upgraded the RAM. Since my laptop's warranty expired I opted to pay for Dell's one-time paid support which was a complete waste of time. I basically had a "tech support" person read through a manual and talk me through the steps over the phone. After 3 hours, the tech support person concluded that my computer has a defective motherboard and should be replaced. She tried to transfer my call to Dell's other support department where I would probably have to ship my computer and pay a few hundred dollars for a motherboard replacement... But instead, I was disconnected! So I decide the hell with Dell tech support. I searched yelp for computer repair and found that Tech Collective has raving reviews -- and deservedly so. I brought my laptop in explaining I went through the entire diagnostic steps w/ Dell tech support and that they think I need a new motherboard. I was ready to leave them my laptop but they wanted to perform a diagnostic test first while I was there. After a few minutes, they found that the RAM I installed was about 1 mm away from being installed properly. They did a complete tune up as well, and after 1 hour and $60 later, I got my computer back. These guys are awesome. They save me time and money. I did not have a yelp account before because I never felt passionate enough to sign up and write a review about anything. But I was so happy with the service from Tech Collective that I decided to become a yelper. read more

100% recommed these guys! You know that problem you have with yoru computer that you can't figure out...well they CAN! Not only will they figure it out they'll charge you a reasonable rate and are 100% genuine/honest. I went to them to have old data moved to a new computer...other places were looking to charge me upwards of $100 or so but I called them and they suggested the transfer and a $35 charge. When I got there they not only removed my hard drive for me they told ME how to do the transfer and sold me an external hard drive case and it all ended up costing a mere $15 for the case. I was so grateful for the honesty I gave them my old computer for parts. These guys are computer savvy and know their stuff and aren't out to swindle anyone so give them your business because they're looking out for you. Side note: Parking isn't easy, they're on a one way street so if you have anything heavy have someone else go with you so you don't have to park/carry too far and they can let you at their offices. read more

My PC was infected with a virus, took it in they delivered on time and for a reasonable price. Fixed it perfectly and installed a new anti-virus program. I am super happy with these gentle geeks, they were freagin' awesome and very nice to boot! read more

THESE GUYS ROCK!!! This is the second time I've taken in my dinosaur of a Dell computer, circa '04 I think, for a problem with the screen loading...and they patiently and thoroughly investigated my problem (something with the video driver). Although the tech pretty much knew what the problem was, he still took the time to go through at least 3 different tests to rule out other, less-likely scenarios and resurrected it from the dead, AGAIN! Even though he sat there with me for about 45 minutes and concluded with telling me that the fix is only a band aid and I will HAVE to get another computer, he didn't charge me, saying he really didn't do anything to require a charge...I beg to differ, Sweet TechCollective Tech!!! You have saved my sanity twice now and that's saying a lot!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I will forever go back to these guys and recommend TechCollective to any and all who will listen!! If you're looking for honesty and integrity in a business where there's people looking to rip you off at every turn, you've found it in this band of savvy computer techs!! read more

I was just back for another repair question on my old Mac and had the same great experience with the staff. Once again they were friendly, honest, available and very knowledgeable. They answered my question spending 15 min. with me and didn't even charge for their time! This is a rare find in the computer repair field in the Bay Area. read more

I just received the best computer service of my life. Matt diagnosed the problem with my laptop in under 20 minutes and provided me with a comprehensive set of options from which to choose. None of them were pleasant. Matt gave me 45 minutes of his time during which he took apart my laptop, diagnosed the problem, advised me on the best course of action, took out my hard drive and put it in a external enclosure and put it all back together. He took pity on me and charged me 32 dollars. Tech Collective has earned another Customer for life. Thank you. read more

Desparate, I looked these guys up and trundled over my seemingly dead old Optiplex 330 that runds my business....(I'm actually a MAC head). Low key, easy going...they told me it was a loose connection, cleaned out all the dust and sent me home with barely a tithe....they rock! read more

This is the second time I've worked with TechCollective and each time they've been AWSOME! I say that this time because my wireless network went down in my home office late in the day and within a view hours of me calling TechCollective Jason Luong, senior Tech was at my house and did a really great job, not only getting my network working but expanded it with a second router and enhanced the speed and security. Jason also took the time to explain what he was doing so I feel that I at least get the idea of how my network works now. If you need computer or networking work done call TechCollective. read more

My girlfriend and I were watching a movie, things heated up, I put my labtop on the floor, things happen, then I get up and step on my laptop. Nice. I brought it into TechCollective to get an estimate and they were super nice. Took a look right away, found another keyboard, gave me a very reasonable estimate ($55 I believe), and were very understanding when I told them I was going to go with a USB keyboard. Cool little place, knowledgable staff/owners, and a cool idea for a repair shop. Wish them the best. read more

Super awesome. These guys are like the super cool old-school motorcycle mechanic for PC's, but way nicer than your average wrench monkey (not that ALL mechanics are touchy - viz http://www.yelp.com/biz/recommended-service-san-francisco). I know a lot about computers, enough to install a new hard drive, but not enough to rebuild the entire PC when it died. These guys answer answer questions intelligibly, give reliable estimates, do quality work, and are even sort of fun to chat with about the guts of how the machines work. Pretty awesome! read more

OK I never write reviews but Yonus was the man and I had to give him some props on helping me. He instantly began helping me and diagnosing the problem as I walked in their shop. Great guys I wish our business was right next door to them. read more

After reading all the reviews on yelp i decided to drop off my laptop yesterday. All the guys are extremely nice even tho they called my laptop "ghetto" they told me the turn around would be 2 days but i just got a call saying it was really. That was really fast! read more

Are you worried about your computer? Do you value your money? Are you skeptical of most tech companies because you have no idea what's going on under the hood and are wary of being hoodwinked? GO HERE. I cannot stress this enough. In fact, let me rephrase that. DO NOT STRESS, GO HERE. The young men at TechCollective are not only beyond capable of fixing most any problem you come in with, they are also honest enough to tell you when the problem is not worth fixing. They have saved my day a few times, once for the low, low price of nothing! There was no work involved that time, of course, because they gave me solid, straightforward advice before taking my machine and my cash (or credit card or check). What a novel idea! They wouldn't even take a tip I offered and instead asked me to write a yelp review. This is my first one ever as there has never been a company that I have been so passionate about. Honest business makes for returning customers. And yet, you have not stopped stressing and left your house (or job or bed) to fix your problem. I haven't earned your trust, you need another reason. Alright...do you like competitive market capitalism? Great! Go here and give your money to these tech workers in exchange for their competitively priced goods and services. Do you dislike corporate capitalism? Is that a mild way to put it? Excellent! Go here and give your money to a company that is worker owned and operated and therefore promotes job stability and integrity. This may or may not cause you to feel as if your money is being doubly invested in both your computer and a new, more solid social framework. Whatever your decision, I wish you the best of luck with your tech issue. Even if it doesn't work out when you go somewhere else first, don't worry. TechCollective won't judge you for your misinformation, former bedfellows or other general bad ideas (porn included). Still not convinced? TechCollective is a quick BART ride away, practically equidistant from the 16th and Mission and 24th and MIssion stops. Drop off the old ball and chain and treat yourself to a taco. You earned it. read more

Thank you Tech Collective!! After a horrible experience w/ Bay Computer Repair (see review) I took my dying HP laptop to Tech Collective. They did a free, quick diagnostic right away and basically told me it was toast; not shocking. However I was pleasantly surprised that they could transfer the laptop's hard drive to an external HD that would only cost me $26 plus tax. In addition they have an excellent flyer w/ specific laptop recommendations for those in need. Matt was incredibly genuine and helpful. When I called him back later in the afternoon he graciously spent some time answering questions about possible replacement models. You guys rock! I will be singing your praises to anyone with computer repair needs. read more

Joonas "Plague" Siltanen saved my non-backing-up ass with his data recovery wizardry. "Deleted" .pst files flew out of the hard drive like doves from a magician's hat. I'm out of the doghouse and back in my baby's arms. FEAR THE BEARD! AND GLASSES! read more

Nothing but positive experiences! They are super nice, knowledgeable and professional. I took my Mac in December 2008 because it was running slow and they fixed me up with a new hard drive and installed a new version of iLife. I did have to take my computer back to them because it was still running slow, but they fixed it and didn't charge me (even though one of the techs had worked on it over the weekend). Thanks guys! read more

Went here yesterday to see if they had a motherboard I needed. They had 1 motherboard with the ASUS specs that I needed, but one of the techs warned me that it had one of the problematic NVIDIA chipsets and that they only use it for testing. Sharing knowledge over profit! He also gave me his recommendation on where to buy the motherboard I needed. Awesome. read more

Great computer tech shop. I went to have my laptop checked out and the person assisting me opened it right up and started investigating the problem, to give an initial assessment. He was straightforward with me about my options, and they offer services at very fair prices. read more

stopped by this saturday and 2 guys were working, who were having a lot of fun and were super friendly. installed memory in my netbook fast and did a great job. they even did some web research to see if i could re-use my original memory in a different slot for me. fast, friendly, helpful, affordable, knowledgeable, and competent! yay! read more

As good as it gets! These guys are great ... smart, communicative and responsive. I had an odd but urgent problem with a laptop after a senior engineer-type on my job monkeyed with some of my settings. I called TechCollective and asked if they could take a look while I waited. They were as nice on the phone as in person ... I showed up and they quickly understood the problem, put their heads together and tried 2 quick fixes - the 2nd one worked! I was already delighted but then they charged me a very reasonable "quick fix" rate. I highly recommend these guys for computer fixes and advice! read more

I concur with everyone else's opinion. Super friendly guys who call when they say they will, describe your problem in a way you can understand, and meet the deadlines they give you. They also gave me options with prices for how to resolve my problem. My issue was a corrupt boot script in Vista (shocking I know). Any large commercial repair service would have made me reinstall Vista and lose all my additional programs and configs in the process. These guys rewrote the boot script by hand which saved all my programs and preferences for me and it's faster than it ever was before. Bravo Guys! oh...and the guy with the glasses and sandy brown hair is awfully cute too...blush;) read more

I am psyched these guys are in my neighborhood. Had trouble with a faulty airport express. Yochai gave me a call back right after receiving my email, walked over and spent only an hour isolating the issue. read more

My computer had a virus. Spyware the whole works..I brought it in and it was ready by the next day! I found them on yelp! What I loved best was that they were up front about prices. and the most reasonable! Awesome service...def bring your comp here. read more