I agree with Capt'n. At the shop, an expert can look at the system first hand and figure out if it is a hardware failure and if so, what needs to be replaced.

Call around first to see what each places prices are. If you have a friend that is good with computers, let them look at it. A lot of times, (I myself would) a friend will look at it for free just to get more knowledge of computers and to add another This-fixes-this solution under their belt.

A shop can also take out the Hard-drive and get all the lost info off of it if possible. There are ways to get this info back if it hasn't been written over.

If you do find someone who can look at it, involve them with this forum if they are good with computers, but need help. We can assist with vast amounts of info as a group.