Repair & recovery guides
What's wrong,
and is it worth fixing?
Practical guides to device problems, important files you can't access, and the questions to ask before paying for a repair or recovery.
Recovery guides
Can you recover photos from a phone that won't turn on? What a phone that won't turn on means for your photos, why encryption matters, and what to tell DeviceBytes before a recovery assessment. Read the guide → External drive not showing up: when to ask for recovery help Recognize the symptoms of an inaccessible external drive, preserve important files, and prepare the details for a DeviceBytes recovery assessment. Read the guide → What affects data recovery cost? Understand DeviceBytes' $100 recovery diagnostic credit, what to ask about a recovery quote, and how to define the files you need. Read the guide →
Start here
Your phone got wet: what to do in the first hour The steps that actually improve your odds after liquid damage — and the popular advice that makes things worse. Read the guide → Before your repair: five minutes that saves the visit What to do before a technician arrives — backups, passcodes, and the one setting that can stop a repair from being finished at all. Read the guide → Why one screen repair costs $99 and another costs $329 What actually sets the price of a repair — and why the same job on two phones can differ by three times. Read the guide → Mail-in or come to you: which to choose Both get the same repair and the same warranty. The difference is your device, your schedule, and where you are. Read the guide →
Phone guides
Is a cracked phone screen worth repairing? How to work out whether a screen repair is worth it on your phone, and the three cases where it usually isn't. Read the guide → Phone won't charge: port, cable, or battery? Three different faults with one symptom. Here's how to tell them apart in about five minutes, before you pay for the wrong repair. Read the guide → Six signs your phone battery needs replacing What a worn phone battery actually does — and how to tell it apart from a software problem that a new battery won't fix. Read the guide →
Console guides
No picture from your console? How to tell if it's the HDMI port Five checks that separate a failed HDMI port from a cable, a TV input, or something more serious — before you pay anyone. Read the guide → Controller stick drift: what causes it, and what actually fixes it Why analogue sticks start moving on their own, which fixes are temporary, and when replacing the module is the honest answer. Read the guide →
Rather just ask someone?
Repair diagnostics are $50, credited toward repair. $100 diagnostic — credited toward recovery. If your problem isn't covered here, start with a call or inquiry.