Unfortunately, I can't answer your questions (I generally replace my computers before they break -- Macintoshes).

However, I know of a gentleman who has written a bit about how he ran a productive (and profitable) repair business like the one you describe. I know it's not what you're looking for, but I thought it may be of interest.

The gentleman's name is Steve Litt and he's written an excellent e-zine called Troubleshooting Professional. You can read all the back issues here:
http://www.troubleshooters.com/tpromag/archive.htm

The same author also has a page of general tips for PC repair:
http://www.troubleshooters.com/tmicro.htm

Best,
Phil




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