Old Laptop Repair: Fix, Replace, or Upgrade?

When your old laptop repair, the process of diagnosing and fixing hardware or software issues in aging laptops to restore function without replacement. Also known as laptop refurbishment, it’s often the smartest choice if the core parts are still solid. That’s the question most people face when their machine starts slowing down, dying on battery, or throwing weird errors. You don’t need to toss it just because it’s five years old. Many laptops can run fine for 7–8 years with simple fixes—like replacing a worn-out battery, cleaning out dust, or swapping a failing hard drive for an SSD. But not every problem is worth fixing. Some repairs cost more than a new budget laptop, and others just delay the inevitable.

The real issue isn’t age—it’s what’s broken. A laptop battery replacement, a common repair that restores portable power in aging laptops by swapping the degraded internal power cell usually costs under £50 and brings back hours of unplugged use. A laptop screen repair, fixing a cracked or dim display by replacing the panel and inverter or backlight can run £80–£150, but if you use the laptop mostly plugged in, it’s often not worth it. Then there’s the laptop motherboard issue, a critical failure in the main circuit board that controls all components, often caused by overheating, liquid damage, or capacitor failure. If the motherboard’s fried, you’re looking at £200+ and no guarantee the next part won’t fail soon. That’s usually the sign to walk away.

Most people don’t realize how much life is left in their old machine. A clean thermal paste job, a new fan, or an SSD upgrade can make a 6-year-old laptop feel brand new. But if the keyboard’s falling apart, the hinges are loose, or the ports are corroded, those are signs the chassis is worn out—not just the parts. You can fix the screen, but if the frame’s cracked, you’re just buying time. And if you’re running Windows 10 on a machine that shipped with Windows 7? You’re fighting software, not hardware. That’s a different kind of repair.

Below, you’ll find real fixes people have tried—some worked, some didn’t. We cover what breaks most often in older laptops, what tools you actually need, and which repairs make sense financially. No fluff. No upsells. Just what happens when you open up an old machine and see what’s really inside.