Dead machine? Bring it back.
PCs, networks, retro consoles, and the projects most shops pass on. Independent repair serving the hilltowns Greenfield and North Adams don't drive to. Nearly three decades of experience, a flat bench rate, and a written quote before any work starts.
What I fix.
If it has a processor, a battery, or a network connection, it's probably in my wheelhouse. If not, I'll tell you straight and point you somewhere that can help.
Also available: small business IT support, smart home installs (Ubiquiti and similar), self-hosting help (NAS, Proxmox, Home Assistant, local LLMs), Arduino and ESP32 projects. These start with a conversation — if you've got something unusual in mind, call and we'll see if it fits.
Phones and tablets: I take Android case-by-case, focused on the repairs that make sense (charge ports, data rescue, bricked devices). For Apple repairs or standard screen swaps, Rubber Duck Tech Repair on Main St in Greenfield does solid work.
What I actually charge.
Most jobs are flat-rate. When hourly applies, it's $95/hr residential, $110/hr business. Diagnostic is $45 and waived if I do the work. Written quote before anything starts.
- OS reinstall + data migration$110
- Virus / malware cleanup$95
- Tune-up & optimization$70
- Login / password recovery$60
- SSD upgrade w/ data migration$85 +drive
- RAM upgrade$45 +RAM
- Thermal paste + deep clean$75
- Laptop battery replacement$75 +battery
- Laptop screen replacement$110 +panel
- File recovery (software-based)quoted after initial look$120–240
- Data transfer to new machine$95
- Router / mesh setup (home)on-site$110
- Printer on network$60
- NAS setup & config$150–300
- VLAN / business networkquoted
- Camera system (Ubiquiti, etc.)quoted
- 5-hour prepaid block$90/hr effective · 6-month expiration$450
- 10-hour prepaid block$85/hr effective · 6-month expiration$850
Retainer clients outside Zone 2 get travel included on all visits.
Parts pricing depends on the job. For on-site work, I'll tell you exactly what to order and where to get it — you pay the retailer direct, no markup. For in-shop work where I source parts, it's cost + 15% to cover sourcing time.
30-day labor warranty on all repairs. Every job gets a written quote before work begins. If the fix comes in cheaper than quoted, you pay less. If it's going to run more, I call first.
Diagnostic: $45. Waived if you authorize the repair. If I look at it and the fix is simple enough to handle in the same visit, the diagnostic rolls into the job — you pay the repair price, not both.
The hilltowns, mostly.
Rowe is home base. I'll drive anywhere on this list for on-site work.
Travel is a flat tier per trip, not per mile. No fuel surcharges.
Multi-stop discount. If you can wait a few days to line up with another trip to your area, travel is reduced by 50%. Ask when you book.
Travel waived on larger jobs. Zone 3 travel is included on jobs $175 and up. Zone 4 travel is included on jobs $400 and up. On-site network, camera, and NAS installs typically qualify.
Business retainer. Clients outside Zone 2 get travel included on all visits during the retainer period.
Outside Zone 4? Contact me directly with the job details. Serious work justifies a serious drive.
Run by the Head Nerd himself.
Frank Wheeler runs the bench. Decades of taking things apart and putting them back together working — started at thirteen, in 1997, on a beige-box Pentium that his family had just stopped understanding. Senior IT generalist by day at a local nonprofit, covering networks, servers, WordPress, and the full stack of things that break. True Nerd Tech is the independent shop on the side, built on the idea that rural Western Mass shouldn't have to drive to Greenfield or North Adams every time a computer fails.
No corporate ticket queue, no outsourced call center, no pressure to replace when a fix will do. If a repair doesn't make sense, I'll tell you — even if that costs me the sale. Honesty outlasts any individual job.
For the unusual work — vintage hardware, specialty modding, deeper projects that benefit from a second set of hands — I have a network of specialists I've worked with over the years. If your project is something I want to take on but need backup for, I'll tell you up front who's involved and what the timeline looks like. No black-box subcontracting.
Honest limits.
These jobs belong with specialists. Sending you to the right person saves us both time and gets your device into better hands.
- Platter and head recovery on physically failed drives. Requires clean-room facilities. If your drive is clicking, grinding, or won't spin, you need a data recovery specialist. I can make the referral.
- Board-level microsoldering on phones and tablets. I can handle charge ports and connectors. BGA rework, logic board repair, and component-level diagnosis on modern phones belong to shops that specialize in it.
- PCB swaps on failed drives. Specialist work — same reasoning as above.
- Apple repairs beyond basic software support. No logic boards, no T2 chip work, no Apple Silicon internals, no Mac screen replacements. Apple's repair ecosystem requires authorized parts and tools I don't stock. Rubber Duck Tech Repair in Greenfield handles most Apple work well.
- New computer sales. I don't carry inventory. If you need a new machine, I'll help you spec the right one for your use case and budget — no markup, no referral fees.
- Inkjet printer internal repair. I'll get printers onto your network and sort out driver issues. Mechanical repair on consumer inkjets usually costs more than a new printer, so if yours is failing I'll help you pick a better replacement instead.
- Password recovery for lost account credentials. If you've lost access to a Gmail, Microsoft, or Apple account, the platform's own recovery process is the only legitimate path. I'm happy to walk you through those steps if you get stuck, but I can't bypass account security — and a shop that offers to isn't one you want touching your data.
- Modern vehicle electronics. I've done head unit installs in older vehicles — pre-CAN-bus era. Anything with body control modules or manufacturer-paired components should go to an auto electronics specialist.
Not sure if your situation fits? Call or email anyway. If it's in my wheelhouse we'll scope a price, and if it's not I'll point you at the right person. Either way you leave with a useful answer.
Bring in what's broken.
Call, email, or submit a request below. Free initial consultation, written quote before any work begins.
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