I sort out everyday computer and Wi-Fi problems for homes and small businesses in Smithills, Bolton. Slow laptops, Wi-Fi that will not reach the back of a stone-built house, new machines set up with everything moved across, printers and email. Same-day remote help where it is possible, a home visit where it is not.
Based in Bolton. You deal with me directly, not a call centre.
Smithills sits at the top end of Bolton where the streets run out and the moor starts, taking in Smithills Dean Road, Barrow Bridge and the houses around Moss Bank Park. A lot of it is stone: solid Victorian cottages, big 1930s semis with thick internal walls and chimney breasts running through the middle of the house.
That matters more than people expect. A router dropped in the front room by whoever installed the broadband has to push a signal through stone and brick, and by the time it reaches the back bedroom or the kitchen extension there is almost nothing left. Nobody has done anything wrong. The kit was simply never positioned or specified for the house.
The rest is the ordinary stuff that piles up: a laptop that takes five minutes to wake up, a printer that stopped talking to the tablet after an update, an email account that logged itself out and will not log back in, a new machine still in the box because moving everything over feels like a job you could get wrong.
Machines that take five minutes to wake up, freeze on ordinary jobs, or have quietly got worse every year. Usually fixable rather than replaceable.
Weak or dropping Wi-Fi diagnosed properly, routers and access points repositioned or replaced, mesh set up so the coverage reaches the whole house.
New laptops and PCs set up, files, photos and emails moved across from the old machine, your software installed and a backup in place before the old one goes.
Printers that will not connect or have gone offline, scanning to email, mail that stopped arriving, accounts locked out and passwords sorted safely.
Malware and fake warning pop-ups removed, and an honest answer about whether that phone call or email was a scam. It usually was.
Photos and documents backed up automatically rather than in theory, so a failed drive or a lost laptop is an inconvenience and not a disaster.
To be clear about what this is: computer and laptop help, setup, networking and support, including upgrades like SSDs and memory. Not screen replacements or board-level repair. If that is what yours needs, I will tell you straight and help you work out whether it is worth doing.
Dead spots, dropouts and rooms the signal never gets to are the single most common reason people in Smithills get in touch. There is a full page on how that gets fixed, what it involves and when mesh is worth it.
Wi-Fi and home networkingYes. Smithills is a few minutes from where I am based in Bolton, so home visits are easy and usually same or next day. Plenty of problems can be fixed sooner than that remotely over a secure connection, and I will tell you honestly which one yours is before you commit to anything.
Almost always, yes. In the stone and solid-brick houses around Smithills the usual cause is the router sitting wherever the broadband was installed, pushing a signal through walls it cannot get through. Repositioning it, replacing an ageing router, or adding a mesh point in the right spot normally sorts it. I check the coverage properly rather than guessing, so you are not buying a box you did not need.
Yes, that is one of the most common jobs. New laptop or PC set up from scratch, files, photos, emails and bookmarks moved over from the old one, the software you actually use installed, and everything backed up before the old machine is wiped or retired. You get it back ready to use, not ready to configure.
Both, and the home side is a big part of it. Individuals and families across Smithills and Bolton get exactly the same service as the small businesses: everyday tech sorted out, explained in plain English, no jargon and no talking down to anyone.
It depends on the machine and what is wrong with it, and I will tell you straight either way. Plenty of slow computers just need an SSD, more memory or a proper clean-up rather than replacing. If yours is genuinely past it, I will say so rather than sell you work. The repair or replace calculator gives you a quick view before you even call.
Everything I cover, and how it works, is on the main tech support in Bolton page. Businesses with staff, shared files and a network to look after are covered on IT support for small businesses. If it is a website you need rather than tech support, start with web design in Bolton. Smithills borders Heaton, Halliwell and Doffcocker, and I cover all of them.
Describe the problem in your own words, in whatever detail you have. I will tell you what is likely going on, whether it can be sorted remotely, and what it would cost, before anything starts.