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Grey Matter Technical Services
Category: Local Services IT Services & Computer Repair IT Services & Computer Repair [Edit]
1466 18th Ave(between Kirkham St & Judah St)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
(415) 935-4739
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 1 pm - 10 pm
Fri, Sun 1 pm - 6 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
About This Business:
San Francisco's only Geek-Free computer repair and tech support. Book now and save $25 on your first appointment.
39 reviews for Grey Matter Technical Services
39 reviews in English
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Review from Chris V.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012
Rich is both personable and knowledgeable. My girlfriend's laptop had a hardware issue which was beyond my expertise to fix myself. I brought it to Rich, and he quickly diagnosed the issue, looked on eBay with me to get the best price on the part we needed, and had the laptop back in perfect condition as soon as the part shipped. He explained the work in detail and his price was very reasonable. He had even cleaned the laptop by the time I arrived to pick it up.
I would definitely return with any future issues, as well as recommend his services to my friends. Thanks Rich! -
Review from Maria M.
12/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Rich is awesome. I could just leave it at that.
I first found him on Yelp when the connector in the computer for the power cord broke inside the computer. At the time I wasn't sure what happened. But found it it just snapped and the piece was still in the computer. Rich was able to repair the piece and only charged me for less than an hour labor.
The next visit was with the BF's computer. It somehow "lost" all information about being able to log onto the internet. The BF is not particularly computer literate so after myself trying a couple of fixes with no luck I again called Rich. He took care of it and added a couple of browser options just to be safe, again less than an hour labor.
My most recent problem was bigger. After turning the computer off one morning, the screen would not power back on when I tried to get back on in the afternoon. I immediately called Rich. I brought the computer over and unfortunately found out that my motherboard died. Rich was most helpful in sending me links to other computers while I shopped around and even held on to my computer for a coupple of months while I decided what to do. After purchasing and returning a computer I did not like the feel of I decided that strictly financially speaking (since I am not working right now) I would prefer to fix it rather than get a new computer. For less than two hours labor and the cost of the motherboard I got back my computer all cleaned up outside and inside. He cleaned my fan, the keys. Cleaned my files, deleting duplicates which all meant that now my computer runs better than when I left it with him.
If you need any help this is the guy to go to. He is friendly, very knowledgeable, and reasonably priced for his amazing skills. He works from home and is a bit of a night owl so it makes it convenient for those working during the day as he is available until about 10 at night. -
Review from Alex D.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
If your pc got sick, this is a number to dial. We tried everything, over the phone tech support, other computer repair specialists, nothing worked.
Rich was the one who not only diagnosed the problem, but took care of it, and
also advised on many other pc related issues. Great bedside manners too.
Thank you Rich, will call again, Alex and Lily -
Review from Tom Z.
San Francisco, CA
10/9/2011
Rich does great work. I've taken my pc to him twice and got it back both times the same day. I was just having a new hard drive and a new dvd burner installed, but I was worried I might have to be pc-less for a weekend. And it wasn't even expensive.
I wish I knew about Grey Matter when I got a virus on my previous pc. -
Review from anna w.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 7/26/2011
Rich is the best! My computer with what looked like terminal heat-stroke and Rich not only revived it, but now it's working far better than it was before.
I cannot recommend Rich enough for electronic crises. He is super competent in computer fixing and has a wonderfully calming demeanor. And his pricing is extremely reasonable. He will totally treat you right.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/10/2011
I can't say enough good things about Rich. I had an unyeilding school deadline and a flight to… Read more »
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Review from Dorothy H.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2011
WOW! This is the tech guy you've been looking for!
After my computer went down, like any good Yelper I went down the list of companies for computer repair and from my first phone call with Rich, I was impressed by how polite he was.
Not only did he accept my broken computer late THAT evening, but he had it working THE NEXT DAY! Yay :) Which as a small business was imperative to me as other computer repair companies had quoted me anywhere from a few days to 2-3 weeks.. eek! He also gave me some great advice, added some helpful software, cleaned my machine and now it's working as good as new. I couldn't have been happier with the service :)
Honestly, he's one of the nicest people I've ever met and as far as business goes, he went above and beyond to help me. I highly recommend Grey Matter! -
Review from Monika E.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2011
My husband and I can't get over how fortunate we are to have found Rich! We have now brought 3 laptop computers to him and he has provided phenomenal service to us on all three! We are now considering having him do a house-call to help us with our wireless routers and help us network our computers.
Rich repaired one laptop that was working painfully slowly-- it is now working better than ever. Another laptop was on the brink of collapse and he rescued all the data, advised me on what to look for in a new laptop, transferred all my data to the new computer and got it completely tuned up-- took off factory installed bloatware and installed new antivirus software and other cool items like Picasa and Hulu-- so that I was up and running with the new laptop in no time.
Rich is honest, smart, patient, and really enjoys teaching you new things about your computer. He is exactly the type of person you hope to find when you own a computer-- an independent tech person who just wants to help you get back to work on your computer and make it run better than it has in years. He's not out to sell you anything you don't want or need and he doesn't promise things he can't deliver. I would totally recommend Rich to friends. I echo what others have said-- he really is the best! -
Review from Dan N.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2011
Rich is the man! I recently brought him my virus ridden laptop, and not only did he bring it back to life it's now running better than ever. All this and he charged me less than he had previously quoted me.
The most impress part of the experience was how cool of a person Rich was, he was very informative about the repairs and services he administered. He installed a anti-virus program, that another local IT guy (Greasy Tom I call him) charged me 60 dollars for, for free! If your reading this and your in need of pc repairs Rich is your man and Grey Matter is the place, and Greasy ass Tom if your reading this Ima kick your ass when I see you lol.Comment from Richard A. of Grey Matter Technical Services 7/29/2011
The anti-virus program I installed was Microsoft Security… More » -
Review from Alexandra D.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2011
I am so excited to have found Rich that I am writing this review within four hours of meeting him for the first time.
I still need to be able to use DOS to run an old database app that I find incredibly useful for doing really complicated queries to extract weird bits of data to write puzzles for puzzle hunts. But Windows 7 doesn't support DOS, so I need to have an XP computer. I bought one several months ago on craigslist and it began to fail. power supply buggy (charges only intermittently even on AC), and USB ports failing. Plus the screen is dark and it sizzles!
Anyway I went on to craigslist to find a replacement laptop running XP and found one and only one in San Francisco - it happened to be Rich who was selling it.
For $200 I am getting a Dell Inspiron 6000 which Rich has refurbished practically from the ground up. I don't think he's going to make any money on it.
The first time we tried to boot it, it wouldn't, but then it did several times, but based on the one failure to boot, he said he wouldn't feel comfortable taking my money, so he sent me home with the computer to try it out for a week, and said that if it worked OK and I wanted to buy it after a week, he would sell it to me then.
He also transferred the data from my old laptop to the new one for a really reasonable $20.
And, while I was there, he gave me tons of tips, such as how to get around the fact that I can't use the wireless on my other laptop (a known bug in some HP laptops). He knew about this problem and gave me a couple of workarounds.
I can't tell you how great it is to have found an honest, friendly, competent computer guy here in San Francisco!!! There are so many people out there who don't know what they are doing and who charge an arm and a leg. Rich's hourly rate is a very reasonable $35.
Happy dance over here! -
Review from Dash R.
Los Gatos, CA
10/17/2011
Rich replaced the screen on my laptop and did a thorough job at a very fair price. Would recommend.!
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Review from Jacob C.
Boston, MA
4/17/2010
Rich does amazing work. On two separate occasions, Rich has saved me by saving my broken PCs. At the times I've been most despondent about data loss, hard drive failures, etc., Rich has quickly restored my faith in tech humanity, liberally spreading good PC karma.
The first time, on a friend's recommendation, I went to see Rich with a crashed laptop hard drive that held all my personal information, including my Master's thesis, the most recent version of which had not been backed up. (My bad!)
The second time, just recently, I returned to Rich with a 5-year-old desktop that had failed so badly that it would not boot up.
In both scenarios, Rich worked promptly and tirelessly, getting my systems up and running in no time! Rich recovered data that I'd figured was lost for good. On my desktop, he replaced the hard drive, upgrading parts to new standards as he went along, and invested hours upon hours to resolve my case to his high expectations. He then proceeded to apologize that he went over the quoted estimate and told me that he'd be fine to honor that, despite doing twice as much work. What a guy!!
In both cases, Rich invested more time, energy, and expertise to exact a solution FAR better than expected AND for less money than expected! In addition, all along the way, whenever I stopped by, he would provide me with tips, clues, and teach me little work-arounds!
Rich is just an all-around PC fix-it wonder! If ever you have a problem with your PC, go see Rich, never hesitate to give him your money, you will always be happy with results!! -
Review from Bill T.
San Francisco, CA
2/26/2011
Rich does great technical work, and is a really nice guy, but his scheduling ability and follow-up on commitments left me hanging on more than one occasion. I took a deep breath after he reneged on his first two commitments to help me -- these commitments came came complete with dates for the work to get done -- and gave him one more try with a couple WEEKS of advanced notice. Again the commitment was not honored, and no response to emails.
By all means, use Rich to work on your laptop, but just be aware that he may not honor his commitment to help you. He can do better, and I hope he will improve his scheduling process because he is really a nice guy and can do excellent technical work. . -
Review from David N.
San Francisco, CA
4/12/2010
The Best!!! Rich is a fantastic resource for anyone with a PC desktop or laptop who is not tech savvy, moderately tech savvy or just wants someone to take on the time consuming work that comes with PC maintenance.
I cannot recommend him highly enough for any PC issues you have, whether repair, general optimization work or installing new drives/chips etc.
His hours are a little unorthodox as he is a night owl but his professionalism, informative manner and amazingly fair prices mean I cannot but give him my highest recommendation.
Trust Rich with your machine he will work wonders! -
Review from Joseph W.
San Francisco, CA
4/6/2011
Managed to drop my wife's (Samsung) laptop and break the hinge. She was *not* amused, to say the least! Found Rich via Yelp. He looked over the machine and we discussed options. He quickly figured out what parts would be needed (in fact he'd done some pre-research before I brought in the laptop), and gave me a estimate. Parts were ordered (he kept me updated via email), and shortly there after, my laptop was fixed!
Great job, great price, great service - thanks! -
Review from Sue U.
San Francisco, CA
11/27/2010
Seriously thought i was going to have to buy a new laptop - brought it to Rich and he made it better than new - highly recommended!!!
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Review from Lucius A.
San Francisco, CA
12/17/2008
Rich Rocks!
What a multi-talented guy. Anything technical he has the answers. For next to nothing he got my nearly dead PC back on track. It is humming, never remember it being faster.
Thank you Rich!!!! -
Review from Lyn R.
San Francisco, CA
11/18/2010
Just had my first appointment with Rich, and I am very happy to have found him via Yelp! I've worked with lots of computer techs, many of whom were unreliable, had questionable hygiene, worked slowly, etc., but Rich was friendly and professional, resolved my problems, and had a very fair price. He's my new computer guy!
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Review from eve t.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2011
Rich fixed my very broken computer and then spent even more time making sure that I was comfortable with everything he had done. He is extremely knowledgeable, easy to work with, and his prices are reasonable. I'll be using him again (if needed) and recommending him to my friends.
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Review from shelly l.
San Francisco, CA
5/8/2010
Rich has very fair prices, he is knowledgeable, and amazingly helpful. What's even better is he is not some big electronics retailer with an agenda; since, as it turns out , I need to buy a new computer. I took my note book to Richard not knowing why it wouldn 't boot up...anything. Diagnosis: fried mother board. Rich offered to fix it, but after researching the cost of a new one it's really not worth it; you see, my notebook is an older, refurbished, exotic model, LOL. Rich migrated my hard-drive data $35 to a loaner (which he supplied and did not charge me for) and that's pretty awesome. So while I figure out what to buy to replace my old laptop, I am still able to keep my business going using the loaner. Rich is pretty awesome!
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Review from Leslie C.
San Francisco, CA
11/4/2008
Rich is AWESOME! he fixed up my little PC so it is as good as new. He can fix ANYTHING- and his prices are beyond reasonable. I love knowing I've got Rich in my corner.
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Review from Debbie G.
San Francisco, CA
11/29/2008
I've been long overdue in writing this review. If I could give 10 stars, I would. Rich has helped me twice in repairing my keyboard on 2 different laptops when other people thought it was a lost cause. Not only that, he was willing to help me out in an emergency situation (I was going out of town) with just an hour's notice. He's extremely knowledgeable, thorough, and has excellent customer service skills. If you have any hardware or software issues with your computer, run, do not walk to see him!
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Review from Eva L.
San Francisco, CA
5/1/2008
When the ac jack on my laptop got messed up I felt so helpless. I went to craigslist and searched for all the computer repair technicians out there in San Francisco. Don't get me wrong there were tons! But when I called each and everyone of them their prices where way out of my budget. I
don't think that it is worth paying $300 for fixing something like the ac jack. I almost decided to buy a new laptop when I found Rich's Ad on craigslist so I immediately emailed him about my baby. He replied so quickly I though it was a fake post. I emailed Rich back and he gave me the diagnostic and everything, he also gave me a quote of how much the entire job was going to be.........to my great surprise his price was soooooooooooo convenient that I almost cried. So i dropped off my baby at Rich's, and he kept me updated everyday. There is not a day that went by that Rich didn't email me with an update which I think is the greatest thing in the world. It took him about 3 days to fix my baby. When I went to pick it up there my baby was all brand new and in top shape, it was like when i first bought it. I couldn't believe that it was running. Rich also updated everything in th laptop (which I doubt any other technician would have done). I am so happy with the results and the price. I will never look on the net again for another technician because Rich is the best. Thanks Rich!
Eva -
Review from Michelle F.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 5/5/2010
2nd time using Rich , and never disappointed. Im actually getting ready to call him again to help me set up my new router. He is my go to tech. guy : ) Absolutely the best !!!!!!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/18/2008
WOW! Rich is very good at what he does, and hes prices are very very cheap. I just got my firs… Read more »
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Review from K B.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2010
As a newbie laptop user, imagine my chagrin when I tripped over my recharger cord and crashed my new laptop to the floor. I'm new to the area, an IT idiot and it's a Sunday afternoon....the perfect storm.
I called Rich after reading the great reviews on yelp. Not only did he make time to see me on Sunday evening, he stayed up all night, found and repaired the problem (my computer is so new he couldn't even order a replacement part; he had to fix the part that I had destroyed), and even upgraded my driver to make my touchpad work better. All in all, I ended up with a better computer than when I turned it in to him. ALL WITHIN 24 HOURS. He was friendly, courteous, efficient and knowledgeable. His prices are great too. I most definitely recommend Rich. -
Review from Matt P.
San Francisco, CA
3/1/2011
Rich is the real deal for the knottiest tech issues! Super generous, he has a genuine concern for your technical well being. He's helped me troubleshoot random computer crashes, upgrade to windows 7, figure out how to spot a good deal on a new computer & today- taught me about the bitchen "system restore" feature in windows 7 after I had stepped in some weird virus. That last piece of advice was on the phone, on the fly, & on the free. Rich is a good human! I wish him many more happy customers.
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Review from William Preston W.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2010
Rich is a very friendly, very helpful guy, and overall cannot be described as anything less than awesome.
Even though I didn't get a chance to use his services (I threw a hail Mary and fixed the problem myself) I will be calling him the second I do need anything extreme done to my pc.
He even suggested I may not need a professional, talk about trustworthy.
He was insanely knowledgeable, capable, and easy to talk to.
Need technical support? CALL HIM NOW!!...if he's open. -
Review from Corin F.
San Francisco, CA
3/29/2011
Top class. Goes way beyond expectations. Honest assessment of the issues and costs to fix. Could not be better.
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Review from Big Head B.
San Francisco, CA
7/21/2009
This is my first Yelp review and I've had an account for probably 2yrs. I'm saying this because my experience with Rich was really that awesome. They don't really make people like him too much anymore: honest, hardworking, non-schiesty, competent, going beyond the call of duty, and reasonably priced. I took him my desktop first which he made new again and then I brought him the Wifey's laptop which he brought back from the dead and actually made it better than it was before. All for a price that I actually felt kinda ashamed about. Trust me, Rich is the best thing going with computer repair.
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Review from Joanne K.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2011
Rich is, simply put, honest and reliable. After my laptop's fan crashed on me, I searched on yelp for affordable repair services. Good thing I found Rich! Even though he had an appointment with someone, he agreed to take a look at my laptop as soon as possible. Note for future customers: you need to call him and arrange an appointment beforehand. He gave me a diagnostic report and I left, knowing that my laptop was in good hands. A week later, I went to pick up my laptop and he patiently explained how he ordered a new fan for me at the lowest price possible, and showed me pictures of the dust that accumulated in my old fan, which had caused the fan to overwork and overheat. He also cleared up a lot of unneeded programs and junk on my laptop, and now it's running as if I bought it new. My new fan is silent now. I am really glad I went to Rich for computer help. He's friendly, reliable, and honest. Go to him!
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Review from stan s.
Mill Valley, CA
Updated - 8/19/2010
Rich Auslander put my netbook back together after other shops told me it was 'unsalvagable' - and did it for an extremely reasonable price. In fact, later that day someone asked me if it was 'new.' He also got another old, slow, 'old' machine zipping around corners at 100mph. He always goes 'beyond the call' and takes personal interest in your laptop.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/24/2009
I concur with the other reviewers. Rich is knowledgeable, dedicated, thorough, a nice guy, and very… Read more »
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Review from A S.
Boston, MA
12/25/2008
Rich is amazing!! My computer broke and I called Dell and several other contractors who way over quoted me and didn't take the time to figure out what was really wrong with my laptop. Upon meeting, Rich asked me questions to figure out what was wrong with my PC and got the diagnosis spot on (and it was a MUCH cheaper problem than what the others quoted me). My three-old computer now works like it's brand spanking new. He's made it so fast - and added all the right upgrades - that I seriously feel like I got a brand new computer. Rich is awesome, professional, and a generally nice guy. Highly recommended!
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Review from Daniel w.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2008
My computer was near death. Rich worked dark magic and it arose again like the Phoenix! I got a seriously bad virus on my computer and and it basically became a sputtering unfuctioning hulk. My off the shelf anti-virus program was no use. Sub-directory upon sub-directory was corrupted. This was not a job for Geeksquad (I should know, I've had terrible experience with them). Rich is a great guy; he is a professional at this so he understood the problems and was very dilligent in solving them. My computer needed to be wiped because of the amount of corruption, but Rich was able to copy all my old stuff and re-install my programs so that when I got it back, everything was familiar and it was working better than before the troubles started. He even included some new programs which are very helpful. He was very good with follow up and expert advice. All this and his rate are VERY reasonable! I will go to Rich everytime I have computer problems. In short, if Rich lived in the middle-ages, he'd be called a warlock for the way he brought my computer back from the dead.
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Review from Melissa J.
San Francisco, CA
6/10/2009
I just got my old computer fixed (old like Pentium 4, windows XP) and it is so clean and works like it is brand spanking new! Rich Auslander from http://greymattersf.com is awesome and so reasonably priced. he really does a thorough job and goes above and beyond. he is really as good as it gets when it comes to service and knowledge. call this guy if you need computer help! seriously!
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Review from Flora K.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2008
By the time my patient teenage daughter, who apparently has an unbelievably high tolerance for pop-ups, finally came to tell me her computer "wasn't working very well", it was pretty much a doorstop. I called Rich, and he asked me to drop her computer off at his house. When we got it back a couple of days later, it was running smoothly and all the pop-ups were gone. He told us about the long list of viruses, trojan horses and assorted malware that had infested her machine. He cleaned everything up, installed a free anti-virus program that doesn't slow everything else down and then sat with my daughter and showed her what he had done and how she can keep her computer clean. He was really patient and kind and treated both of us with respect. Next time I feel like throwing my computer out the window, I'm definitely going to contact Rich again.
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Review from Boris S.
Oakland, CA
9/21/2008
The greatest service I have ever had. I am not kidding.
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Review from Anastasia K.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/31/2009
I already left a glowing review on here after the first time doing business with Rich. I've had to go back for parts in the ensuing half month and Rich and his service were once again too good to go without comment. I can't impress upon potential clients enough how terrific, reasonable, and generous Rich is. They'll simply have to check it out for themselves!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/14/2009
At the risk of sounding like a broken record--it's true what they all say, Rich is incredible. Not… Read more »
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Review from marvin w.
Pacifica, CA
Updated - 3/18/2009
Rich is a brilliant computer whiz and does fine work at reasonable prices. Thanx Rich!! Keep up the good work !! Marvin W.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/4/2009
Thanks Rich ! Indeed, someone who's smart, efficient, reasonably priced like you will always be in… Read more »
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Review from Matt F.
Berkeley, CA
8/17/2009
Rich is the computer equivalent to the local car repairman who is not only highly competent but also uncommonly honest and helpful. He diagnosed my desktop problem over the phone and gave me the option of taking care of it myself. (I took it to him anyway). Efficient, helpful, inexpensive and someone I would recommend very strongly. He works out of his home so hours are flexible and always good to support an independent contractor.
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Review from marci m.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2009
I have used Grey Matter twice now and have been very pleased. Rich is so thorough, patient and helpful, and he does a great job. Really goes above and beyond. And his prices are very reasonable.
