Frequently Asked Questions

Nine times out of ten in our Arab shop, the answer is a spinning hard drive that should have been retired five years ago. Swapping it for a solid-state drive (SSD) and doing a fresh Windows install brings a laptop back from the dead for under $200 in most cases. Other common causes: too much bloatware running at startup, too little RAM, a dying battery throttling performance, or a quiet malware infection.

At CS Computer Repair in Arab, remote support runs $75 per hour, standard repair and cleanup is $75 to $125 flat, and a full system revamp is $100 to $200. Parts (SSDs, RAM, screens, batteries) are billed at cost plus a fair markup and always quoted up front. Diagnostics are free — you approve the work before we charge a dime.

For most people, the antivirus built into Windows (Microsoft Defender) plus common-sense habits is enough — don't click suspicious links, don't install sketchy "free" software, and don't trust phone numbers that appear in popups. Paid antivirus is worth it mostly for businesses that need centralized management and reporting, not for home users.

Sometimes. The first rule is turn it off, flip it upside down, and bring it in without trying to turn it back on. If liquid hits the keyboard or trackpad, a keyboard replacement usually solves it. If it reached the motherboard, it's a bigger job — but we'll diagnose it before charging you. Sugary drinks (sweet tea, soda, coffee with cream) are worse than water.

Yes — most out-of-warranty MacBook repairs (battery, keyboard, screen, storage, RAM where possible) are straightforward. Some newer Apple silicon MacBooks have soldered components that can't be swapped, and we'll tell you up front if your model is repairable or not.

Most drop-off repairs at the Arab shop turn around same-day or next-day. A full system revamp usually runs 24 to 48 hours so we can run a full reinstall, updates, and burn-in testing. Emergency jobs can often jump the line if you call in the morning.

Yes — anywhere in the U.S. Chad uses 256-bit encrypted remote software to connect to your computer, see what you see, and fix it. Remote sessions are $75 per hour, billed only for actual time, and most problems resolve in under an hour.

Usually, yes — if the drive is still spinning and recognized by a computer, standard data-recovery tools can pull most of your files. If the drive has failed mechanically (clicking sounds, not recognized at all), we'll recommend a specialty data-recovery lab for physical recovery. We'll never pretend we can do something we can't.

The laptop or desktop, the charger, and the login password if you know it. That's it. Don't try to "clean it up" first — we want to see what it was doing when it broke.

Yes. Upgrades, rebuilds, thermal repastes, power-supply swaps, diagnostics on stability and crashing, and custom builds from scratch. Chad will tell you honestly whether your current rig is worth upgrading or whether a fresh build makes more sense.

It means an outside IT person (Chad) acts as your office's IT department on an ongoing basis — handling new employee setups, password resets, printer problems, server maintenance, patches, security cameras, POS support, and whatever else comes up. Usually billed as a monthly arrangement so the cost is predictable and you always have priority access.

Yes — email, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, license assignment, multi-factor authentication, user provisioning, migrations from older systems, and day-to-day admin. If your team uses Outlook or Teams, we can handle the plumbing behind it.

Absolutely. Business-grade access points, proper mesh or roaming setups, guest network separation from internal network, and documentation so the next tech (us or anyone) can pick it up cleanly.

Yes — IP camera systems with local recording (no monthly subscription required), remote phone viewing, motion alerts, and placement designed to actually cover the entrances, parking, and angles that matter, not "a bunch of cameras pointed nowhere."

We set up, support, and repair POS systems for retail, restaurants, and service businesses. If the terminal stops taking cards mid-shift, you need someone who answers the phone — that's the whole value here.

Not unless you want to. Most of Chad's business IT relationships are month-to-month. If we're doing a good job, you stay. If we're not, you leave. No exit penalties.

Almost always. Chad doesn't believe in "rip and replace" unless your current setup is genuinely broken. We'll document what you have, keep what's working, and only change what needs to change.

WordPress is great for some uses, but for most small business websites it means constant plugin updates, security vulnerabilities, slow page loads, and dependencies on authors who might stop maintaining their plugins next year. Hand-coded sites are faster, more secure, don't break when a plugin author retires, and rank better on page-speed metrics that Google actually measures.

It depends on scope. A simple one-page hand-coded site is affordable; a multi-page business site with custom features (booking, portals, inventory) runs more. Chad quotes every job after a short conversation about what you actually need. No templated "packages" — real pricing for real scope.

Yes — sites built by Pro Star Planet are hosted on servers Chad operates directly. SSL certificates and business email are included. When something goes wrong at 2 a.m., one person owns every layer of the stack.

Typically 2 to 6 weeks depending on complexity, content readiness, and how fast approvals happen. Simple sites can ship in a week; custom portals and integrations take longer.

If you want to, yes — we can build you a simple admin interface for the sections you'll update regularly (news, events, products). For the design and structure, Chad is usually the faster call.

Both, depending on preference. Chad writes SEO-focused city and service pages well; you usually know your own product and story better. Most projects are a mix — you supply the bones, Chad polishes for search.

Yes. This is one of the most common jobs — taking a WordPress site that takes 8 seconds to load and rebuilding it hand-coded so it loads in under a second. Usually the SEO improves noticeably inside 60 days because page speed is a real ranking factor.

Yes. Most of Pro Star Planet's work is delivered remotely, and clients can be anywhere. Phone, email, and video calls handle every stage of the project.

Real results typically start showing in 60 to 90 days, with meaningful ranking improvements by 6 months. Anyone promising results in 30 days is either lying or using tactics that will hurt you when Google next updates.

Chad's focus is organic SEO (free traffic earned through ranking). Ads management is available but the core specialty is making your site rank without having to pay per click forever.

Search is moving from "ten blue links" toward AI answers — Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity. Those engines pull short, well-structured passages from pages that clearly answer real questions. "AI SEO" is writing pages in a way that makes them easy to quote. It's mostly a return to writing clearly, honestly, and completely — which is what good SEO always was.

For "near me" and local searches, almost always yes — local signals (Google Business Profile, NAP consistency, reviews, local content) can consistently beat national brands in a specific city.

Schema is structured data tags you add to pages so Google understands "this is a business, this is a person, this is a FAQ, this is a service." It's invisible to users but it's how rich results (star ratings, FAQ dropdowns, business info cards) appear. Every page on this site has schema markup for exactly that reason.

Pro Star Radio is a 24/7 Christian internet radio station owned and operated by Chad Sanders. It streams hits, worship favorites, and positive music, plus Christian news headlines and local weather. Listen at prostarradio.com.

Yes — Pro Star Radio runs ad spots for local businesses. Web clients of Pro Star Planet receive two free daily ad spots as part of their website arrangement; other businesses can purchase ad runs directly. Call (256) 550-1988 to discuss rates.

Yes. Chad writes and produces custom jingles for local businesses — short, memorable, hook-driven audio that locals actually remember. Many Pro Star Planet web clients get jingles bundled in, and those jingles often end up in rotation on Pro Star Radio.

Yes. We produce broadcast-ready audio that can run on any station — terrestrial or streaming. The jingle doesn't care where it plays; it just has to sound great and stick in your head.

Directly on prostarradio.com, with 24/7 live streaming, listening history, and integrated Christian news and weather.

The primary stream is at prostarradio.com. For the latest on other platforms, call (256) 550-1988.

Yes — Chad is a singer, songwriter, and composer who writes original music outside of his tech work. Some of it airs on Pro Star Radio; some is written for clients as part of jingle or radio-ad projects.

Yes. Original compositions for ads, videos, openings, and small projects are part of the creative side of Chad's work. Scope and licensing are quoted case by case.

Chad Sanders is an Arab, Alabama-based IT professional and entrepreneur. He owns and operates CS Computer Repair LLC (also known as Arab Computer Services), Pro Star Planet (web design and hosting), Pro Star Radio (24/7 Christian internet radio), and Chad's Tools. He is also a songwriter, composer, and photographer. Chad was registered with Mensa International from 1995 through 2016.

Since February 2006 — more than 20 years as of this writing. Same town (Arab, Alabama), same owner, same phone number.

Yes. Same person. Chad owns and personally operates both businesses, along with Pro Star Radio, Arab Computer Services, and Chad's Tools. When you call any of them, you're calling Chad.

Chad's direct business number is (256) 550-1988. He answers calls himself during business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), with after-hours messages returned as soon as possible.

235 Guntersville Rd, Arab, Alabama 35016. Drop-off computer repair is welcome during business hours. On-site service covers Marshall County and surrounding cities; remote support works anywhere in the U.S.