Mac Repair in
New Jersey.
Done Right.

No appointment needed. Dave's Computers at 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ is open for walk-ins Monday–Friday 10am–6pm and Saturday 10am–4pm. Just bring your Mac in and we'll start the $75 diagnostic right away.

Our diagnostic fee is $75. This covers a thorough evaluation of your Mac — we run hardware tests, check drive health, review system logs, and identify the exact problem. If you choose to proceed with the repair, the $75 diagnostic fee is applied toward your total. If you decide not to repair, you pay only the $75.

Many software repairs, macOS reinstalls, and SSD upgrades are completed same-day or next business day. Logic board diagnostics, data recovery, or sourcing specialty parts for older models may take 2–4 days. We give you a realistic timeline upfront when we provide your quote.

We work on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook, iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro — from 2010 models through current Apple Silicon machines. If it runs macOS, we can evaluate it. Browse our full model table above or call us at 908-428-9558 to ask about your specific model.

We treat your data with care. For any repair touching the drive, we'll discuss backup options before we start. If your drive is failing and you don't have a backup, we prioritize data recovery first. We never access your personal files beyond what's needed to test the repair.

Dave's Computers is located at 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ 08876 — in the heart of Somerset County. We serve customers from Bridgewater, Bound Brook, Manville, Raritan, Franklin Township, Hillsborough, Flemington, Basking Ridge, Warren, and all surrounding NJ communities. Call 908-428-9558 or just stop in — no appointment needed.

Yes. MacBook Pro models from 2010–2012 (13", 15", 17") use a standard 2.5" SATA drive we replace with a fast SSD. It's one of our most popular services — customers from across New Jersey bring their MacBook Pros in specifically for this upgrade. It makes an old MacBook Pro feel brand new.

Absolutely — it's the single biggest performance upgrade you can make to a 2010–2012 MacBook Pro. Boot times drop from 90+ seconds to under 30. Apps launch almost instantly. Most NJ customers are genuinely amazed by the difference, and the cost is usually very reasonable compared to buying a new Mac.

Yes, for MacBook Air models from 2010 through 2017. These use a proprietary blade SSD — but the connector type changed between generations, so compatibility matters. Bring your Air into our Somerville shop and we'll verify the right part. Note: RAM is soldered on every MacBook Air and cannot be upgraded.

Yes. Intel iMacs from 2010–2020 that shipped with spinning hard drives or Fusion Drives can be upgraded to SSDs. The display must be removed to access the drive — we do this safely with the right tools. The speed improvement on an iMac is enormous, and it's one of the most common repairs we do for New Jersey iMac owners.

A Fusion Drive combines a traditional spinning hard disk with a small SSD into one logical volume. The HDD half fails far more often than the SSD half. When it does, the entire volume becomes inaccessible. We can replace the failed HDD and convert the iMac to run pure SSD — faster, quieter, and much more reliable.

A clicking or grinding sound from inside your Mac almost always means a failing spinning hard drive. The read/write heads are struggling to locate data. This is a serious warning sign — the drive could become completely unreadable with no further notice. Back up your data immediately and bring your Mac to our Somerville NJ shop for evaluation.

Classic SATA ribbon cable issue on 2009–2012 MacBook Pros. That thin ribbon cable connecting the drive to the logic board degrades over time and can't handle SSD bandwidth. Result: the SSD looks fine but behaves erratically and slowly. A replacement cable (inexpensive part) usually fixes it completely — we see this regularly from NJ MacBook Pro owners.

Warning signs: clicking or grinding noises, very slow file access, frequent beach balls, files getting corrupted, Mac failing to boot, or Disk Utility showing a failing S.M.A.R.T. status. Don't wait — a partially failing drive can become completely unreadable quickly. Back up and bring it in for our $75 diagnostic right away.

On Macs with a spinning hard drive, slowness is almost always a failing or aging HDD struggling to keep up with macOS. On SSD-equipped Macs, causes include: nearly full storage, RAM pressure causing swap file overuse, background processes (check Activity Monitor for anything using high CPU/disk), Spotlight re-indexing, or a software conflict. Our $75 diagnostic identifies the exact cause.

Yes. Post-update slowness is often Spotlight re-indexing, which normally resolves within 24–48 hours. If it persists, the update may have created a software conflict, broken a kernel extension, or exposed a borderline drive problem that the update's demands pushed over the edge. Bring it to our Somerville NJ shop — we diagnose these regularly.

The spinning wait cursor means macOS is waiting — usually on the disk or memory. On older iMacs and MacBook Pros with HDDs, this often signals a failing drive. On SSD Macs, a runaway process or RAM exhaustion causing heavy swap usage is usually the culprit. We sort this out routinely for NJ customers during same-day diagnostics.

The most impactful upgrade is an SSD if you still have a spinning hard drive — transformative on any Mac. After that, adding RAM (where your model supports it) helps significantly. On the software side: trim login items, keep 15–20% of disk free, and keep macOS updated. Bring it to us and we'll tell you the best path for your specific model and budget.

mds_stores is macOS's Spotlight indexing process. After an update, migration, or Time Machine restore, Spotlight re-indexes your entire drive — this can consume significant CPU for hours. It's self-resolving. If it hasn't finished after 24 hours, you can force a re-index via Terminal. Excluding large external drives from Spotlight (System Settings > Siri & Spotlight) also helps.

That's a kernel panic — macOS's system-level crash equivalent to a Windows blue screen. Occasional panics aren't critical. Frequent panics point to something more serious: faulty RAM, a failing drive, bad software extensions, or firmware corruption. Bring it in — we pull crash logs and identify the pattern. Many NJ customers are surprised how often this turns out to be a fixable software issue.

Almost always fixable. A Mac stuck on the Apple logo usually has file system corruption, a failed macOS update, or a failing drive. We boot to Recovery Mode, run Disk Utility, and either repair the volume or perform a clean macOS reinstall. See our Mac software repair page for more details.

A clean reinstall makes the most sense when: macOS is deeply corrupted, kernel panics persist after other fixes, you're preparing to sell or transfer the Mac, or the system is too sluggish to clean up efficiently. We back up your data first, erase the drive, reinstall macOS fresh, and migrate your files back. It's one of our most effective repairs.

Usually, yes. macOS updates sometimes break older apps or corrupt preference files. Try deleting the app's preference file in ~/Library/Preferences/ and reinstalling the app fresh. If the issue is system-wide, a targeted macOS reinstall preserving your data usually resolves it. We handle this for NJ customers regularly.

NVRAM stores low-level Mac settings: startup disk, display resolution, volume, time zone. When corrupted, your Mac might boot to the wrong disk or display at wrong resolution. On Intel Macs: hold Option+Cmd+P+R at startup for 20 seconds. On Apple Silicon, NVRAM resets automatically on shutdown. Harmless to run, and it fixes a surprising range of quirky behaviors.

The SMC (System Management Controller) controls fans, USB ports, thermal management, and charging. Signs you need one: fans always at max for no reason, USB ports not recognizing devices, Mac not sleeping, or charging behaving oddly. The reset method depends on your model: Intel MacBook without T2 chip — hold Shift+Ctrl+Option (all left-side) + Power for 10 seconds, release, then power on. Intel MacBook with T2 chip — hold left Ctrl + left Option + right Shift for 7 seconds, then add the Power button for another 7 seconds, release, wait 10 seconds, power on. Intel iMac or Mac mini — shut down, unplug power cord, wait 15 seconds, plug back in, wait 5 seconds, power on. Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) — shut down and wait 30 seconds; the SMC equivalent resets automatically. If an SMC reset doesn't resolve the issue, bring it to our Somerville NJ shop — persistent SMC-like symptoms often point to a hardware problem underneath.

Often, yes. A completely dead Mac could have a bad power adapter, a blown fuse on the logic board, a failed power supply (iMac/Mac mini), or a corrupted SMC. Bring it to our Somerville NJ shop — our $75 diagnostic will determine the exact cause. Note: a batch of M2 Mac minis (manufactured June–November 2024) has an Apple free repair program for a power-on issue.

Mac-specific malware and adware are increasingly common — often bundled with pirated software or fake "Flash" installers. Signs: browser redirects, random popups, unknown processes at high CPU. We provide Mac virus and malware removal for customers across New Jersey. Bring it in and we'll scan it and clean it out properly.

Time Machine is built into every Mac — connect an external drive (at least 2x your Mac's storage) and go to System Settings > General > Time Machine to set it up. It runs automatically in the background. For a second layer, consider cloud backup (Backblaze is affordable). We strongly recommend both — especially before bringing any Mac in for repair.

In many cases, yes. If the drive is functional but macOS is corrupted, data recovery is usually straightforward. Physical drive failure is more challenging but often recoverable. See our data recovery service page — we help New Jersey customers recover files from failing Macs regularly.

Very likely. The 2011 MacBook Pro 15" and 17" have a well-documented AMD GPU failure caused by solder joint cracking from heat cycles. Symptoms: distorted graphics, gray screen on wake, random shutdowns during GPU-intensive tasks. GPU reflow is a temporary fix; logic board replacement is the permanent solution. We diagnose this frequently for NJ customers — bring it in for a $75 evaluation.

The 2010–2012 13" MacBook Pro (A1278) officially supports 8GB and typically accepts 16GB with compatible DDR3 SO-DIMM modules. The 2010–2012 15" and 17" (A1286/A1297) officially support 8GB. More RAM makes a meaningful difference on these machines, especially if you run multiple applications. We can install and test RAM while you wait in many cases.

The logic board is your Mac's motherboard — it contains the CPU, GPU (on many models), and all the interconnects between components. Failures happen from liquid damage, overheating, power surges, or age. Whether to repair depends on the Mac's age vs. repair cost. We'll give you an honest assessment after our $75 diagnostic — sometimes board-level repair is cost-effective; sometimes replacement is the smarter financial choice for NJ customers.

Act immediately: power it off, don't turn it back on, and don't use a hairdryer. Bring it to our Somerville NJ shop as soon as possible. The longer liquid sits on circuit boards, the more corrosion spreads. Many liquid-damaged Macs are fully recoverable if treated quickly — waiting makes the outcome significantly worse.

No. Every MacBook Air model — from 2010 through current M-series — has RAM soldered directly to the logic board. It cannot be upgraded after purchase. If your Air feels slow due to RAM pressure, the best options are an SSD upgrade (on 2010–2017 models, which speeds up the swap file) or keeping a close eye on which apps you have open simultaneously.

No — the connector type changed between generations. 2010–2011 Airs use one format, 2012 models another, and 2013+ use a third. SSDs are not cross-compatible between these generations. When NJ customers bring their MacBook Air to our shop, we verify the exact model before sourcing any parts.

Very easy — Apple designed it for user access. The 27" iMac from 2010 through 2020 has a door on the bottom rear edge that opens to reveal four RAM slots — no tools required. The 21.5" iMac only has accessible RAM on the 2010 and 2011 models; later 21.5" iMacs have soldered RAM. We can also install RAM for you while you wait.

On Intel iMacs, yes — vertical stripes or black screens during GPU-heavy tasks point to a failing GPU caused by overheating. Dust buildup blocking airflow and degraded thermal paste are usually the root cause. We clean the internals, rethermalize the GPU/CPU, and assess whether GPU reflow is warranted. We handle this for NJ iMac owners regularly.

On Intel iMacs, a very common cause is a failed temperature sensor on the hard drive. When the sensor can't report the drive's temperature, the fan assumes the worst and runs at maximum. This happens frequently after a non-Apple HDD is installed without the proper firmware. Other causes: dust-blocked vents, a failing fan, or genuinely high GPU/CPU temps. Our $75 diagnostic identifies which it is.

Yes — this is the most impactful upgrade for Intel iMacs that shipped with spinning HDDs or Fusion Drives. A 2017 iMac with an SSD feels competitive with much newer hardware for everyday work. We routinely do this upgrade for New Jersey iMac owners. The display must be removed, but it's a straightforward repair with the proper tools.

This is a widely reported issue, not a hardware defect with your specific unit. USB 3.0 devices and hubs emit 2.4GHz radio interference that disrupts Bluetooth on Mac minis because the antenna is physically close to the USB ports. Fix: switch to Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi, use USB 2.0 extension cables to move USB 3.0 devices away, or try a USB Bluetooth dongle. We troubleshoot this for NJ Mac mini owners regularly.

Yes. The 2010 Mac mini has one 2.5" SATA bay; the 2011 and 2012 models have dual bays — you can run two SSDs or an SSD plus HDD. These are excellent and inexpensive upgrade candidates. We can handle the RAM upgrade at the same visit if your model supports it.

Yes. We handle software repairs, macOS reinstalls, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi troubleshooting, hardware diagnostics, and logic board assessments on all Apple Silicon Macs. Important limitation: RAM and storage are integrated on Apple Silicon machines and cannot be upgraded after purchase. We'll be straight with you about what's repairable and what isn't.

This is one of the most important differences between Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. On Apple Silicon, the internal SSD is part of the security architecture — the machine cannot boot from an external drive if the internal SSD fails. This makes Time Machine backups absolutely critical for these machines. If the SSD fails, a logic board replacement is typically required.

Most common causes: dust clogging the fans and heat vents (compressed air cleaning often helps immediately), degraded thermal paste on CPU and GPU, a failing temperature sensor, or a runaway background process. Check Activity Monitor for any process using 80%+ CPU. If the machine itself is hot to the touch and throttling, bring it to our Somerville NJ shop — we handle this routinely.

Yes, eventually. Factory thermal paste dries out after several years of heating and cooling cycles. On Intel Macs over 5 years old that run hot constantly, fresh thermal paste is one of the most effective maintenance services we offer. We've seen temperatures drop 15–25°C after a proper rethermalization — the difference in fan noise alone is dramatic.

Often, yes. If all USB ports fail at once, an SMC reset usually resolves it — a classic SMC glitch. If a single port is physically damaged, board-level port repair may be needed. On M4 Mac minis, USB-C connectivity issues after waking from sleep are a known software/firmware problem. Bring it in for our $75 diagnostic and we'll tell you exactly what's going on.

First: try a different cable and a different USB-C port. Check System Settings > Displays. Reset NVRAM. On M4 Mac mini, secondary display dropping signal after sleep is a known bug — often improved by a macOS update. If nothing works, the GPU output or USB-C port may need service. Bring it in and we'll run through the proper diagnostics.

Start with software: check System Settings > Privacy > Camera — make sure the app has permission. Restart the Mac. If System Report (Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report > Camera) shows no camera at all, it's hardware — usually a failed camera cable on Intel iMacs or MacBooks. We can replace it. Call 908-428-9558 to describe what you're seeing and we'll advise before you drive in.

Generally no — on iMacs and MacBooks, the GPU is integrated into the logic board and cannot be swapped for a different model. The Mac Pro 2010/2012 tower is a notable exception — it uses standard PCIe GPU cards that can be replaced. On iMacs with failing GPUs, options are reflow (temporary), reballing (more permanent), or logic board replacement.

Yes — the Mac Pro tower (A1289) is exceptionally serviceable. Tool-free RAM bays accept DDR3 ECC memory, and four hard drive sleds pull out without any tools. We can upgrade RAM, replace drives with SSDs, and swap GPU cards. These are powerful machines that respond very well to upgrades — popular with NJ creative professionals and video editors.

It depends on the repair cost vs. the Mac's value and expected life. An SSD upgrade on a 2017 iMac for $150–200 is almost always worth it — that machine has several good years left. A logic board replacement on an older Mac for $600+ may not make financial sense. We'll give you an honest opinion after our $75 diagnostic — including when we genuinely think your money is better spent on something newer.

Well-maintained Macs typically last 7–10 years of productive use. Apple provides macOS updates for roughly 7 years after a model's release. After that, the machine still works but won't receive security updates. An SSD upgrade and internal cleaning can significantly extend a Mac's useful life beyond what most people expect — we see this all the time with NJ customers.

A full startup disk slows macOS significantly — the system needs free space for virtual memory swap, Time Machine snapshots, and normal operations. Keep at least 15–20% free. Clear: the Downloads folder, duplicate photos, unused applications, large video files, and Time Machine local snapshots (run "tmutil deletelocalsnapshots /" in Terminal to remove these silently-accumulated snapshots).

AirDrop requires both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth active simultaneously on both devices. Check that your firewall isn't blocking it (System Settings > Network > Firewall). Set AirDrop to "Everyone" temporarily for testing. On Mac mini M1/M2, USB 3.0 Bluetooth interference can break AirDrop — our Mac mini Bluetooth troubleshooting covers this.

Yes — it's one of the most upgrade-friendly Macs Apple ever made. The White MacBook A1342 accepts DDR3 SO-DIMM RAM and uses a standard 2.5" SATA drive. Both an SSD upgrade and a RAM upgrade are straightforward. A properly upgraded A1342 with an SSD and 8GB of RAM handles modern browsing, email, and office tasks without complaint — a great value for NJ customers not ready for a new Mac.

Yes significantly. Every app that launches at startup consumes CPU and RAM during boot and keeps running in the background. Go to System Settings > General > Login Items to see and remove items you don't need. Trimming this list — especially removing old antivirus software, cloud sync apps, and trial programs — is often one of the fastest free performance improvements available.

Yes. We replace batteries on MacBook Air models from 2010 through 2017 at our Somerville NJ shop. If your Air isn't holding a charge, dies suddenly at 30–40%, or macOS is showing a "Service Recommended" battery warning, it's time for a replacement. Bring it in for our $75 diagnostic and we'll confirm the battery condition before recommending a replacement.

Yes. MacBook Air screen replacement is one of the more common repairs we do on Air models. A cracked, dim, or water-damaged display makes the machine almost unusable. We stock screens for the major Air generations — bring your Air to our Somerville NJ shop and we'll confirm the right part for your model before ordering.

Yes. Sticky keys, dead keys, water-damaged keyboards, and butterfly mechanism failures are all things we handle. MacBook Air keyboard replacement is straightforward on most Intel Air models. If your keys are unresponsive, physically broken, or faded beyond use, bring it in — we'll assess it during the $75 diagnostic.

In some cases, yes. A MacBook Air with a failed logic board isn't automatically a write-off — it depends on the model and what caused the failure. Liquid damage and power surge failures are the most common causes we see. We'll run our $75 diagnostic to determine if board-level repair is viable or whether the cost outweighs the machine's value. We'll give you an honest assessment either way.

Yes. iMac screen replacement is one of the most requested services we do for Intel iMac owners in New Jersey. The display panel bonds to the glass on many models, which makes it more involved than a laptop screen swap — but it's a repair we handle routinely. If your iMac has a cracked panel, dead pixels, persistent vertical lines, or severe backlight issues, bring it to our Somerville shop for evaluation.

Yes. iMac internal speakers can blow, distort, or fail entirely over time — especially on older Intel models. If your iMac produces crackling audio, very low volume, or no sound at all and you've already ruled out software (check System Settings > Sound and try different apps), the speakers themselves may need service. We diagnose and replace iMac speakers for New Jersey customers regularly.

Possibly — and acting quickly dramatically improves the odds. Unlike a laptop, you can't flip an iMac over to drain it, so the first step is simply to power it off immediately and leave it off. Do not attempt to turn it back on. Bring it to our Somerville NJ shop as soon as possible. Liquid damage on an iMac typically affects the power supply and logic board — the sooner we can assess and clean the corrosion, the better the outcome. We handle iMac liquid damage cases for New Jersey customers regularly.

On Mac mini M1/M2, AirPod microphone input is particularly problematic — audio output works but mic constantly drops. Cause is typically USB 3.0 2.4GHz interference. On all Macs, switching your router to the 5GHz band (instead of 2.4GHz) improves Bluetooth stability since they won't compete for the same spectrum. Also try: Bluetooth preferences > disable "Bluetooth devices wake this computer."