Can I claim for software damage to my computer?
You may have a claim against the UK seller, but establish who supplied the software and how it caused the damage. Business purchases need a contract-based assessment; qualifying consumers have specific digital-content remedies. Factory software records can be gathered by Cambridge China Bridge.
Check whether this was a business purchase
Start with who bought the gadget and why. Under the Consumer Rights Act, a consumer is an individual acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. A company purchase or a sole trader's mainly business purchase falls outside that definition. Buying from a UK seller does not itself make the purchase a consumer transaction.
For a business purchase, ask your adviser to assess the agreed software, compatibility promises, setup instructions and liability terms against the damage evidence. Gather the terms accepted when ordering, rather than relying on the seller's current website. Use our claim preparation guide for the wider claim process.
Identify who supplied the setup software
Trace the actual supply route: software on the gadget, an enclosed installer, a seller's download link, or a separate agreement with an app provider. Preserve the seller's instructions, download page, licence terms, named publisher and purchase records. Ask the seller to identify the business that supplied the software under your contract. A publisher name alone does not establish the contracting supplier.
The Act does not treat a trader as supplying digital content merely because it provides a service through which the content reaches you. Establish the seller's role using our seller or agent guide. Ask for the exact installer, release identifier and factory distribution record, rather than accepting a replacement download as proof of what you originally received.
Preserve evidence before changing the computer
Stop using the suspect installer. If you suspect ongoing malicious activity, disconnect the affected computer from networks and ask a technician how to contain it while preserving evidence. Before uninstalling, restoring or reinstalling, ask for relevant logs and a preserved copy or image where appropriate. Do not rerun the software on a working business computer to demonstrate the fault.
Keep the original installer, its file hash, download address, installation messages, operating system details and a chronology of the damage. Record affected files, backup availability and the computer's condition beforehand. Ask the technician to distinguish observed damage from suspected causes and record recovery work. Save invoices and estimates separately. Our software approval guide explains release identification for future orders.
Check the remedy for computer or file damage
For a qualifying consumer, the damage remedy applies where a trader supplied digital content under a contract, it damaged a device or other digital content belonging to that consumer, and the damage would not have occurred had the trader exercised reasonable care and skill. It can cover free software supplied under a contract. An installation followed by file loss does not, by itself, establish every condition.
When those conditions are met and the consumer requests a remedy, the trader must either repair the damage or make an appropriate compensation payment. A repair must be within a reasonable time, without significant inconvenience, and at the trader's necessary expense. Present the technician's findings and documented recovery costs; ask your adviser to assess disputed items such as lost business income separately.
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Separate damage recovery from fixing the software
The ordinary consumer remedies for software that does not conform to the contract are repair or replacement, with a price reduction in specified circumstances. Their scope includes paid software and qualifying bundled software that is not generally available without payment. A price reduction becomes available if neither repair nor replacement is possible, or a requested remedy is not provided within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience.
Separate your request to fix the software from your request to repair the computer or compensate for damaged files. Send an indexed evidence pack and ask the seller to preserve the supplied release and relevant support records. Keep any gadget defect separate using our faulty goods guide. Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China can help obtain factory release and distribution records for your adviser.
Frequently asked questions
Can my business claim under consumer digital-content rules?
A company purchase falls outside the Act's consumer definition. A sole trader buying mainly for business also falls outside it. Ask an adviser to assess your contract and damage evidence.
Can I claim if the setup software was free?
For a qualifying consumer, free software supplied under a contract can fall within the damage remedy. You still need to establish the supplier, causation, ownership and reasonable-care conditions.
Should I uninstall the software before complaining?
Stop using it and seek technical help. Preserve the installer, logs and damage evidence before changes where possible. Record any urgent containment or recovery work.
Does replacing the software resolve my damaged files claim?
Treat software correction and damage recovery separately. For a qualifying consumer meeting the damage conditions, the trader must repair the damage or make an appropriate compensation payment.