My PC was knocked off a surface by my cat, falling roughly 30 centimeters, and it stopped powering on afterward. I opened the case but couldn't see any obvious damage, and I don't have the equipment needed to test the components, so I brought it to a repair shop. After a full week, the technician still hasn't identified the fault. He said electronic diagnostics can take longer, especially after physical impact, and that he would contact me once he knows what needs repairing. Is waiting this long normal, or should I ask for an update or take the computer somewhere else?
3 Answers
It isn't automatically suspicious, but you are not obligated to wait indefinitely. Ask for a specific timeline rather than just waiting for them to call. If they cannot tell you what tests have been performed or when they will continue, pick up the PC and get a second diagnosis from another reputable shop.
A week can be reasonable if the shop has a backlog or is tracing a fault on the motherboard, but they should still be able to give you a status update. Call or visit and ask whether the machine has actually been tested, what components have been ruled out, and when they expect to have an answer. You may also want to confirm whether there is a diagnostic fee if you decide not to proceed with the repair.
For a small shop, several days of backlog is possible, and diagnosing impact damage can involve testing the power supply, motherboard, memory, graphics card, connectors, and case damage separately. However, many technicians can usually provide a preliminary opinion within about a week. Give them a firm deadline for an update—perhaps another couple of days—and ask for the computer back if they still cannot explain what has been checked.
I already contacted him and he said the problem still hadn't been found, so I was mainly trying to work out whether that delay was typical.