Sound that's vanished, Bluetooth that won't pair, and a screen that flickers look like three unrelated problems. In practice they're often the same problem wearing different faces: a driver that's out of date, was replaced by a generic one during a Windows update, or has quietly corrupted itself.

The three we see most

  • No sound. Volume set correctly, but nothing plays, or the wrong device is selected without you choosing it.
  • Bluetooth won't connect. Worked before, now the device won't pair or keeps dropping out.
  • Screen flickering. A flicker or brief blackout, especially when plugged into an external monitor or under load.

When it's genuinely hardware, not a driver

Sound and Bluetooth faults are almost always drivers. Screen flickering is the one exception worth watching, if it's constant regardless of what's running, or gets worse when the laptop is moved or the lid is adjusted, that points toward the screen or its cable rather than software. That's a same-day on-site job, and we'll tell you plainly if that's what we're looking at.

What it costs

$150 per hour. Driver problems are usually a single remote session, well under an hour.

Common questions

How do you tell a driver problem from an actual hardware fault?

A driver problem usually appeared suddenly, often right after a Windows update, and the hardware worked fine before that moment. A genuine hardware fault tends to be consistent and doesn't come and go depending on what update ran last.

Can screen flickering be fixed remotely, or does that need a technician?

If it's a graphics driver issue, which is the most common cause, yes, entirely remotely. If it turns out to be the screen or its cable, that's a hardware job, and we'll tell you which one it looks like before doing anything further.

Why did this start right after a Windows update?

Windows Update sometimes replaces a driver with a generic one that doesn't fully support your specific hardware. Rolling back to the manufacturer's own driver usually fixes it.

Is this covered by a normal remote session?

Yes, sound, Bluetooth and most display driver problems are exactly the kind of thing a single remote session sorts out.