TIMS is a certified hardware service provider approved to repair the recommended systems for Lehigh University's community. The Computer Technicians can help service systems in a variety of ways such as obtain parts for systems in and out of warranty, bios updates, driver downloads, hardware upgrades, etc. However, the cost and method of hardware repairs they can perform for systems in warranty depends on the maintenance service plan the "original" purchaser acquired with the system. Computer vendors offer several extended hardware maintenance service plans, with an associated price increase, to extend the initial computer's hardware warranty and technical support (technical software support are not discussed here, but these support services are available from the Client Services teams). Typically the warranty period begins when the system is shipped and covers replacing the normal wear and tear of failed parts and associated labor for one year. Each vendor describes their extended plans differently and it could be confusing which option best meets your needs.

It is strongly recommended that you review the service options available by your preferred vendor and determine which plan is best for your life style. No plan insures that the data and programs stored on the hard drive are maintained. Recovery of the hard drive is only done by having the original system/recovery disks, application program disks and customer file backup disks. An overview of the common types of service plans and considerations include:

• Extended warranty service. This plan usually extends the warranty period from one year to three years and is available only at the time the system is purchased. For laptop computers, it is highly recommended to purchase a plan which extends the initial hardware warranty period to three years; strong consideration should be given to extending the warranty period for desktop computers as well. Laptop computers are moved around more and therefore subjected to more blows and breakage. Some elements of a laptop are also a bit more fragile then a desktop computer and experience more repairs. Warranty or extended warranty covers normal wear and tear of failed components and labor; it does not cover costs associated with improper handling, vandalism, acts of god, spilled liquids, etc.
• Accidental damage protection. This plan adds additional protection to the warranty plan by covering most costs associated with repairing a system damaged by events like, spilled liquids, dropping, power surges (with surge suppressor), water leak damage, etc. These repairs can be expensive, e.g. a laptop CPU board $600, a laptop LCD display $1300. TIMS has experienced a high occurrence of spilled liquids with laptop owners. Read the vendor's plan to see what is covered but often exclude events like theft, fire, reckless abuse, etc. Consider this extra service if your lifestyle dictates this extra protection. (Note: TIMS can attempt to clean components if spillage occurs when an accidental protection plan has not be purchased; however, this is time consuming and therefore labor costs are high, and there is no guarantee that components will work properly after the cleaning, which may require a second repair to replace affected components. If this is the case, labor and parts are charged.)
• Depot repair. A system purchased with a "Depot repair" plan, by definition, has to be sent back to the vendor for repairs and the client pays for shipping in one direction. Under this plan, one can not obtain the parts to do the repair locally, but Lehigh's technicians can provide assistance to ship the system back and check it out when it is returned. This is typically the cheapest plan to extend the warranty; however, it provides the longest repair time, e.g. 2-3 weeks.
• Customer repairs. Some customers prefer to do their own work and not have a technician intervene. If you are savvy enough to diagnose and replace a failed component and interface with the requirements of the vendor's technical support personnel, a replacement component can be shipped directly to you for installation. You will be responsible for returning the failed component. You will also be responsible for proper installation,
• Priority service plans. There are a variety of express plans that may be considered as well. These plans may be expensive and include overnight shipping of parts, on-site technician support, same day service if diagnosed before a certain time, etc. Unless the system is providing server services to a enterprise or group of individuals, this level of service is usually not required. It is particularly not recommended for the student population as their schedules usual preclude the immediacy required of the support vendor, i.e. they are in class when dispatchers calls to schedule an on-site technician