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Computer Courage Computers are complicated, ever-changing, expensive, and do not come with an instruction manual. Each day, home and business users are becoming more and more reliant on their computer systems, their data, and their networks. Most of us don't understand how computers work, are never trained on how to use them, and don't have an easy way to get answers. To make things worse, product customer support is at an all-time worst: a typical support phone call involves 30 minutes of hold time and an overseas conversation with an unskilled call center worker.

We call it Computer Courage for a reason we want to help you understand and take control over your computer. We don't just fix problems, we explain why they happened and how to avoid them in the future. We take pride in teaching as we work so that you can feel comfortable with your computer systems. Our customers finish our sessions with a new sense of security and competence. This is a unique approach in the computer industry, and our clients absolutely love it.

We provide premium, personal, local support to our home and business customers. All of our staff are extremely knowledgeable, with years of real experience. Unlike our corporate competitors, we don't take unskilled staff and make them memorize a set of preconditioned responses. We take highly skilled and experienced technicians and teach them the Computer Courage way. Our staff are also friendly and personal. They all speak fluent English (we also have fluent Spanish speakers, as well as a few other languages), they all have good manners, and they all really like working with users and teaching.

We take the same Computer Courage philosophy and apply it to our website and identity work. We want our work to be personal and effective. We don't just make cookie-cutter sites out of cheap templates we hand code every site specifically for our clients. Before making a logo or a website, we always sit down with the client and learn about their business, their needs, and their ideas. With this we can create sites that actually mean something to the client and to their customers. We believe in simplicity in web and graphic design, and we believe in easy navigation. We also take pride in our ability to create advanced sites with databases, Flash animation, Web 2.0 features, and more.
Served areas
  • San Francisco Bay Area, Berkeley, Oakland, California
Highlights and features
  • Web Design
  • Computer Repair
  • Data Recovery
  • Virus Removal
  • IT Support
Services
Web Design
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Computer Courage can create beautiful, custom web sites for small businesses. We specialize in WordPress customizations, allowing our customers to edit the website themselves once it has been built.

We also offer Search Engine Optimization, E-Commerce, Forums, and more.

Call today for a free consultation.
Computer Repair
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Computer Courage can fix your computer at a reasonable price. We offer computer repair services such as hardware testing, upgrades, virus removal, operating system reinstalls, and more. Mac and PC, home and business support available.
Business IT Support
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Computer Courage can come to your office or business to support your computer systems. We offer free IT consultations to local businesses, offering a written report on your existing technologies and a proposal for various upgrades. We can offer remote support as wel as on-site IT support.
Reviews (28)
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Robert H.
Oct 06, 2021
I may have left them a great review years ago since they have been handling my tech needs for almost a decade now but here's another one. I do appreciate the professionalism, great personal attention and unflappably confident skills they have brought consistently to me over the years when I have needed help, support and guidance around my getting and keeping my system up and running after all the usual bumps and weirdnesses the equipment has thrown at me. It's not an area of expertise of mine, so I'm very happy to have found CC. Highly recommend!
Kelsey Baker
Apr 10, 2021
Our company just switched to this IT company highly recommend them! They are efficient and friendly.
Aaa A.
Feb 26, 2021
Called, no one answered. Left a message, no call back. Found another company that respect and care about customers and I gave them my job.
Sandro T.
Feb 25, 2021
Adam and his team (especially Matt) were great to work with. I had to run a long cable underground to add internet to our backyard cottage and I didn't know where to start. The Computer Courage team were super easy to work with, scoped the problem really well and gave me a few options. Not only did they help me to wire the cottage, but I was able to upgrade our entire Wifi setup and keep the parental controls that we needed to limit screen time for our kids. Overall, great team, very professional and super efficient! They even helped me to save money on hardware that I was able to source on my own!
Steve F.
Aug 25, 2018
I've had occasion to deal with Computer Courage on behalf of one of my clients, a small nonprofit doing big things (international work with dozens of consultants and many top names in global affairs, but with just one full-time staff member). The help we've requested has ranged from the mundane (setting up a new e-mail account) to the quite sophisticated (assisting with a funder's in-depth security review of the Web site). Computer Courage has been prompt, knowledgeable, accurate, and helpful, going beyond the minimum that would qualify as good service.
Steven H.
Jun 04, 2017
This is a highly reliable and efficient all-in-one computer support group that I have known for many years and seen grown because of its excellence and value. The tech comes to your home and addresses every need that you have with a significant amount of creativity. Recently the hard disk on my MacBook Air became too full with items that needed to be there. Arlo came up with an idea of installing a larger hard drive rather than spending the money on a new current model computer with more storage.

He pointed out exactly the model to order and them installed it with little fanfare. Just an example of multiple needs addressed by Adam Schwartz and his crew many times. Kudos!
Stu Sweetow
Dec 13, 2015
My company has used Computer Courage on two occasions. the first was when our regular computer repair guy said we needed a new DVD drive in a laptop. Computer Courage said we needed only a driver and saved us money. Just recently our customers were getting error messages when purchasing from us online. Computer Courage came to the rescue and did a fix within a day that corrected that problem. Update: We are now using them to help update our website. They showed me how to use WordPress and were very fast with questions that came up.
Marilynn A.
Aug 11, 2015
If you're like me, someone who is running a small business, who absolutely goes cold with fear when her/his computer goes nuts, don't hesitate for a nano-second to call Computer Courage. They're amazing! I'm usually next to tears when I call, panicked it is the end of my work/life/professional existence as I know it.and then comes Ray (or one of the skilled techs) who not only solves the problem(s), but also listens to how I use my computer and makes suggestions about how to make everything run more smoothly. I've been a fan of theirs since Adam began the business.and as the years keep rolling on, Computer Courage is still a name that means the highest quality service. I'm not a person who usually writes reviews, but I'm such a fan I really thought the world should know how great CC is.
Camille Moore
Apr 20, 2015
I've worked with Adam and his crew for three years and they have been fabulous to work with. They created my entire website from sketchy ideas that I had. As a creative person in a techy world, I needed mucho help and Adam has been full of creative ideas, getting the job done far better than I had hoped. I will be adding a second website this year and you can bet that Computer Courage will be the ones to create it for me. Cheers to Computer Courage for another successful year! -Camille
Elizabeth L.
Apr 16, 2015
Pooperdoopers. CC is so popular they do not allow drop-offs anymore. They only have housecalls, which begin at $100. I cannot afford that, so I have to look elsewhere. Too bad.only the wealthy can afford their stellar service, now. *****sigh*****
Alan Koenigsberg
Feb 03, 2015
We have partnered with Computer Courage on various projects. The team is responsive, considerate and you can count on the highest quality work each time. I would highly recommend them for your next project.
Tracy G.
Sep 08, 2014
We have been working with Computer Courage for five years. They have become our computer department. Whenever I have a problem I email them and help me quickly. They recently assisted me with purchasing a new computer and I was up and running without a hitch within a week. That's service! Thanks Computer Courage for always being there when I need you!
Rob Dunn
May 01, 2014
Great people doing great work at very reasonable rates - could you ask for more?
Ohmega Salvage
Jan 13, 2014
We employed Computer Courage to do a complete re-design of our website and we are SO happy with the result. Adam, Sam, Jacob, Hart and the Computer Courage team really worked with us to understand what our company is all about and what our needs are. The entire project was completed in a very timely and professional manner and at a great price!
Molly P.
Jun 24, 2013
These people are awesome! I am a restaurant consultant and needed some IT work done for the restaurant I am working for. So glad I called them. They were polite, punctual, knowledgeable, professional and efficient. Would happily recommend them and will definitely use them again!
Miranda S.
Mar 28, 2013
LOVE LOVE These guys! My mac started having issues with the hard-drive and I called to get a quote. They were extremely helpful and knew what the problem was right away. I took it in and it was fixed the next day! They didnt charge very much either and I was extremely happy. Will definitely use them again if my computer gets sick.
Emily Schnitzer
Dec 27, 2012
Computer Courage was AWESOME! I took in a hard drive that I was told was completely broken. Not only did the Computer Courage team get all of my information off it, but they also transferred it to my new hard drive! Allie was incredibly helpful at the front desk and Thai the IT guy knew it all! Thanks so much! I will absolutely be returning for all my computer needs.
Robert Uomini
Jul 01, 2012
I brought my Windows XP desktop to Computer Courage after it experienced problems starting (this was following a power outage which seems to have corrupted the boot sector). Tai, the technician, diagnosed the problem as hardware and told me that the mother board needed to be replaced. I replaced it with a new board that I bought myself, but the problem continued.

I suggested that the problem was due to a corrupted boot sector and that all that was needed was to rewrite that part of the disk. Unfortunately, he didn't have that level of knowledge, so I ended up having to buy a new system. He did manage to back my data up onto an external drive, which I was later able to recover on my new computer, but I would have preferred not having to buy a new computer for what should have been an easily fixable problem.
Jonathan Wishnev
Apr 12, 2012
Adam, Beth and Thai all were incredibly helpful. I would highly recommend working with them. They are fast and efficient, knowledgeable and affordable and easy to get to.
Heather P.
Feb 11, 2011
I was on a business trip to San Francisco when my (usually reliable) IBM Thinkpad slowed to a crawl and started trying to sell me antivirus software. I knew something was wrong, as it kept pushing for a credit card number, so I consulted old faithful (yelp.com) and called Computer Courage. A friendly, real person (Beth) picked up the phone and instantly reassured me that the virus could be removed, the data could be saved, and that she could get me back up and running before my trip home.

For $150 flat they offered me a simple solution which would fix my computer and bring it back to normal. I dropped off the computer, and nervously awaited a call back. Within 24 hours, Beth called me back to tell me that the virus was gone and that I could come in to pick up my computer. Upon my arrival I received an explanation of what had happened and how I could prevent it again in the future (seems it may have been Skype-related).

In a world of horrible customer service and unfair pricing Computer Courage is a diamond in the rough. They fixed the problem exactly as promised, all while keeping it simple. The computer runs great and I haven't had any virus issues since. Thanks Computer Courage!
Colleen C.
Jun 09, 2010
I could list the various long stories associated with each desperate call to Computer Courage. But i will save you. Just know, as I do, that that call to Computer Courage is the road to rescue. My confidence is based on multiple experiences (multiple computers and different problems) and especially the urgent situations or home visits. They have been my go-to company for almost two years now, and would not consider anyone/any other company. cc
Mazzy M.
May 20, 2010
I ran across Adam through Berkeley Parents Network and my company has been using him for all of our Tech needs. We have now been using Adam and his crew for going on 3 years. He and his crew are sufficent, professional, and make it easy to understand the complex computer issues that arise on any given Monday. Very personable and easy to deal with.

Not only do we use Adam for our work related computer issues, but we have expanded to most of the employees personal home computers and we recommend him to our clients and friends who also give positive feed back after having their computers serviced by Computer Courage.
Stephenie T.
Oct 22, 2009
Brought in my desktop and laptop for repair. Desktop had a nasty virus on it and I thought the charger input on the laptop was bad. Fixed up my desktop beautifully and Beth gave me some great pointers on how to keep it running fast all the time. Turns out the power cable for the laptop was bad so they helped me order a replacement. The folks who work there are pretty friendly and didn't talk me to like I was an idiot (although when it comes to computers, I pretty much am!). I hopefully will not need their services again, but if my computers go on the fritz, I'll be knocking on their door.
Katy B.
Jun 06, 2009
So the reason I made it to Friday in one piece this week is because of Computer Courage. On Monday morning I went into my office, pushed the big on button on my desktop, and started to make my daily cereal and tea. Oddly, my dear desktop did not begin to sing it's little Bill Gate/Microsoft song. Uh, oh. Within a twenty minutes my dear tech-savvy friend had arrived to find me eating raisin brain and attempting to cope with the fact my professional life in a box was not turning on.

He opened it up, found lava-like dust, and dangling heat sinks. Heat sinks? How about my heart sinks? Before he could begin explaining my options, I began to freak out. I needed my data. My data. So, three hours later, (Yes sometimes you just have to give up and go to lunch with people that love you when your computer doesn't wake up on Monday morning.), I was led by Yelp to the multiple reviews of beleaguered thesis and paper writers as well as regular Berkeley folks that had already found Computer Courage.

I called at 4:45PM and then actually received a call back at 4:57PM from the phenomenal Beth. She told me CC could come to me, or I could come to them in the AM. She told me everything was going to be okay. Ah, I went home and went to sleep. I could not even make eye contact with my desktop. The next morning I jumped out of bed and took my desktop to CC at MLK and Virgina (Bonus points for being in the neighborhood of my beloved Montessori elementary school as well as for having a SUPER diverse staff of techies--- yes so diverse, I, a Berkeley-borne and raised person, was impressed.). Beth told me it was okay to put the desktop down. (Yes, I was literally clutching it too my chest.) She said it maybe the power supply or the mother board and CC would call me as soon as they knew.

The next day I just happened to be in the neighborhood at the BAR office. I stopped by and found Adam sitting with my dear desktop's remains. He reported the motherboard was melted, BUT the data was alright! Oh yeah! My data! My data! My data! (I promise, I promise I will back up for the rest of my life!) He popped it into a case. Barely flinched when I started writing notes on his business card and laughed at my joke that I could now store my data under my pillow.

Little does he know. I was able to pay with VISA---their first official customer to charge it, arrange for the remnants of my dear desktop to be reused/recycled, and on my way in less than 24 hours. That' what I am talking about. All I can say is TGIF and TG for CC.
Lisah H.
Aug 13, 2008
One of our computers at the gallery died a quick, unexpected death over the weekend. Sad, but these guys rocked! All data saved thanks to David and Adam. They are very reasonably priced and were so easy to work with. We have a few things to tighten in the office and plan on working with this neighborhood biz again. They have a lot to offer! Thanks again!
Justin Weintraub
Computer courage is simply the best. Weather you are building a massive website, or need have a particular corporate need. Computer Courage seems to have a friendly answer with proven ideas.
David S
Computer Courage saved my computer! I thought my laptop was dead - it wasn't booting and I couldn't access my family photos. I brought my computer to Computer Courage and they gave me a flat-rate price, a 2 day turnaround, and just "did it". I got my computer back, working perfectly, with all of my documents safe and accessible. I don't understand how they do it, but I appreciate it! These guys are the best in the area!
Sarah H
Computer Courage has been a life saver for our businesses for years! They are capable, patient, and professional, and have maintained reasonable prices since we started using them 4 years ago. I highly recommend Computer Courage for business IT support needs!