Exero – Computer & Electronics – Macbook PC Notebook Tablet Service Berlin in Lichtenrade | Best Phone, Laptop, and Computer Repair Services at Affordable Prices | Quick Fixes

The Good:
* The technician seemed friendly.
* The technician did not try to sell me hardware I don’t need
* I could resume use my computer after visiting Exero

The Full Story:
On Sunday 2021 May 28, Windows 10 took 5 hours to upgrade my desktop; afterwards it seemed fine, and I fell asleep listening to classical music on YouTube.
The next morning, I woke up and nothing would display on either of my two monitors, not even the BIOS before Windows loaded. I tried using the video ports on my motherboard instead of the graphics card, but still nothing would display. I vaguely remembered there might be a setting in the BIOS disabling it when the graphics card is plugged in, but I could not see the BIOS to toggle this. I tried pulling the video card out, but I could not get it out and was afraid if I tried too hard I would damage the card or the motherboard.
After work, I took the computer to Exero. The first thing I asked was whether the attendant spoke English. He said “a little”; I never actually observed any problems with his English, but as a former English teacher, I know fluency does not necessarily equate to good knowledge. Anyway, I told him the problem and thought he understood. He told me it would be EUR30 cash for diagnostic; if they could fix it and if I accepted their service, the cost would go towards repairs, which sounded reasonable (as other places also suggested EUR30 for diagnostic and in my experience, this is a normal policy towards diagnostic fees. After insisting he should reprint my receipt (as my name was spelled wrong), I left expecting to hear from him in a day or two.
The very next morning, I received a message informing me my computer was already fixed and I should pay EUR69 (minus the EUR30 diagnostic fee) for the repair. They asked for my password to do more tests. There was never any opportunity to accept or reject this. I asked them what was wrong and all I was told was a vague “system problem”. I asked them to confirm all the ports were working on both the graphics card and the motherboard and told them I would type the password myself when I came to pick it up in the evening and we could test it together. The technician confirmed he could get into the BIOS and said it would be impossible to test it together because it could only be tested in the workshop and I was not allowed into the workshop.
That evening, I paid the remaining EUR39 and tried to learn more about what was fixed and how but couldn’t get any useful information. I took the computer home and plugged it back into my monitors and still neither worked, though I new he had seen something since he had a photo of my login screen on his smartphone. Further correspondence through SMS revealed that he did not actually test all the video ports and he failed to understand that I could not see the BIOS. When he suggested I try a different monitor – and I was fortunate enough to have some handy – I was able to get it to work.
I can’t say whether he actually fixed anything, but I can say (except for this suggestion) he did not fix the problem I went in with, which actually still remains. As best I can figure, the actual problem: The Windows Update contained an update for my Nvidia graphics card driver. The driver update contained a firmware update. The firmware update altered the HDMI handshake for the sake of HDCP. (I had not previously realized it could be relevant, but both my monitors are VGA connected through adapters which can’t do the handshake.) So far as I know, there is no fix for my problem because Nvidia won’t provide information for downgrading firmware or disabling HDCP.
I leave it to the reader to decide whether it is fair or reasonable that I should be charged the additional EUR49, neither receiving the opportunity to approve nor a detailed explanation of the service rendered, or even evidence that anything was done to the machine at all.

Wouldn’t go back. Found the service both very unprofessional and quite unfriendly. Pricing isn’t as transparent as it should be and I found myself questioning their honesty. Furthermore I was quite dissatisfied with the work done.

Unfriendliest person ever. Bad service. As if he was doing me a favor. Save your time and money and go somewhere else. This person clearly hates his job/life. Terrible.