What makes moving IT equipment different
When you move a chair the worst outcome is a scratch. When you move a computer, a server or a switch, you can lose data, lose working time or lose hours working out which cable goes where. So planning differs: the priorities are order, documentation, backups and protection from shock, heat and humidity, not light lifting.
Al-Forsan moves office equipment as part of office and corporate moving, and this page covers the technology side: desktop and laptop computers, monitors, printers and scanners, servers and racks, network equipment, phone systems and accessories. We do not claim to do network engineering or systems programming; that is for your IT team or provider, and we coordinate with them.
Who does what
To avoid confusion, this is the usual split:
- Your IT team or provider: backups, proper shutdown of systems, disconnection from the network, reconfiguring network and servers at the new site and testing.
- Us: disconnecting the agreed physical connections and labelling cables if asked, packing, loading, transport and placing equipment at the marked locations.
- Your internet and phone provider: activating lines at the new site, which needs early booking because it can take time.
If you have no IT team, tell us, and we will point you to what is needed without taking on work outside our field.
Before the appointment: backup first
The most important step is a full backup of everything you care about, kept somewhere that does not travel with the equipment, such as a cloud service or an external drive carried by your IT person. Check that the backup actually works and can be restored, because an untested backup may not help. Avoid moving drives with sensitive data without a second copy. Old mechanical hard drives are shock-sensitive and are moved with extra care, sometimes by hand.
Label cables and photograph connections
The biggest time-waster after a move is the question "which cable goes into which port?" To avoid it, photograph the back of each device and its connections before disconnecting, and put numbered labels on each cable and its matching port. For servers and racks photograph the entire rack from front and back. In ordinary offices a label with the employee name or desk number on each machine and everything attached to it is enough. Keep the map in a file outside the equipment.
Packing: shock, static and dust
We wrap monitors in shock-absorbing material and keep screen faces away from pressure, place laptops in their cases or padded bags, and printers after toner and paper are removed. If you have the original cartons use them, since they were designed to protect the device. For delicate boards and loose parts we use anti-static bags where available. We avoid putting anything heavy on top of equipment, and we cover it against dust. For general guidance see electrical appliance wrapping.
Servers and racks
Servers and racks are heavy, costly and need caution. It may be better to remove servers from the rack and move them separately instead of moving a full rack, because the weight of a loaded rack plus vibration can harm equipment. Servers are numbered by their position in the rack and travel side by side, secured. Air-conditioned server rooms need special coordination with management and your IT team and may call for weekend work. A large data centre move usually goes beyond furniture-moving services and may need a specialist, whom we coordinate with.
UPS units and batteries
UPS units contain heavy batteries with shipping rules of their own. We recommend disconnecting the batteries where possible and carrying them carefully away from heat and shocks, and not switching the unit on straight after the move but letting it settle. For a large unit your IT or maintenance team is best placed to decide how it travels. We do not carry hazardous materials without prior agreement.
Printers, scanners and office machines
Printers need ink and paper removed and protection against swaying; large scanners need their read head locked if they have a transit lock. Big copiers are heavy and sensitive and may need the service engineer to prepare them for transit. Agree a time with them so they can recalibrate after the move.
Jeddah heat, humidity and dust
Electronics dislike high heat and moisture. A closed truck in Jeddah sun can get very hot, so we suggest moving in cooler hours or at night where possible and never leaving equipment in the truck or in front of the building in the sun. After equipment moves from a cold place to a hot one or the reverse, let it sit a few hours before switching on so condensation does not form. See night and weekend moving.
Confidentiality and data security
Devices may hold sensitive data. We move them without looking at their contents and do not open or power them on. We recommend encrypting drives before the move if that is possible and that your IT person accompanies the most important equipment on the trip or receives it at the new site and checks the count. A list of serial numbers before loading and after unloading is useful.
How the day of a technical office move runs
Usually your IT team shuts systems down after hours or at the weekend, then disconnects, photographs and labels equipment, and we start wrapping and loading. Servers and sensitive devices are loaded last so they sit higher in the truck and come off first. At the new site equipment goes on the desks according to the plan and your team reconnects it. Time for testing is planned before staff return. For general office advice see commercial office relocation tips.
Check the new office first
Before we arrive confirm the new office is ready: enough power with sockets in the right places, network cabling and outlets, cooling suitable for the server room and floors able to take heavy trolleys. If network readiness is late your work may stop for days after the equipment arrives. Talk to electricians and network installers early and schedule their work.
Common mistakes
- No tested backup: the most dangerous error.
- Not labelling cables: hours spent hunting for connections.
- Moving a rack full of servers: a risk to the hardware.
- Leaving equipment in a hot truck: damage or condensation.
- Switching on straight after arrival: can hurt cold or damp equipment.
- Late activation of internet and phone lines: delays return to work.
Price factors
We do not publish fixed prices. Cost depends on the number and type of devices, whether there are servers and racks, the packing needed, the floor and lift, distance, working hours such as night or weekend, and whether we disconnect the physical connections or your team does. Send a rough list and photos and we will estimate. See furniture moving prices.
How to start
Message us on WhatsApp with the number and types of devices, whether you have servers or racks, whether you have an IT team, both sites with floors and lifts, and the working time that suits you. We reply with brief questions and then write a plan saying who does what and when.
A checklist for your IT lead
- A full, tested backup stored away from the equipment.
- A network map, photos of connections and a list of serial numbers.
- Labels, pens and anti-static bags.
- A schedule for shutting systems down and bringing them back, with names.
- Confirmation that power, network and cooling are ready at the new site.
- Internet and phone activation booked well in advance.
- Who carries the most sensitive drives and highest-value devices personally.
- Who signs for the equipment and its count at the new site.
Home offices and remote work
Not everyone moving technology is a large company; many people work from home with a desktop, two screens, a printer, a router and an external drive. Much of the above applies in simpler form: a backup, photos of connections, cartons or padded covers and carrying small high-value devices in your car instead of the truck. If you are moving the whole house see apartment moving in Jeddah and tell us about your home office so it gets its own line in the plan. Gaming machines, streaming gear and audio equipment need the same care.
Equipment we suggest you do not move
Sometimes the economical choice is not to move a device at all: an old computer that barely runs, tired monitors, a printer whose repair costs more than a new one, damaged cables. Sort before the move into what works and you need, what can be sold or donated, and what should be disposed of properly. For devices that held data wipe the drives securely before selling or discarding, never just bin them. Some organisations accept old devices for recycling.
Restarting after the move
When the equipment arrives let it sit an hour or more to reach room temperature before switching on, then reconnect according to the map, starting with network equipment, then servers, then computers. Test internet access, printers and business applications, and check data integrity. If something fails tell us the same day with photos, because telling whether the fault came from the move is far easier soon after. Do not discard cartons and wrapping until every device has been confirmed working.
Heavy equipment, lifts and corridors
Racks, servers and large copiers are heavy and long and may not fit an ordinary lift or door. Commercial buildings in Jeddah differ: some have small passenger lifts and some have service lifts. Ask management about the service lift size, load rating and hours, and send us measurements and photos. If an item will not pass we may need to dismantle it or find another solution, which we agree with you before the day, not on it. For tall buildings see high-rise and tower moving.
A frank word about the limits of our service
We are a moving, dismantling, installation and packing company, not an IT company. We take care that your equipment arrives intact and in order, but we do not configure networks, program systems, recover data or guarantee that your software runs. That is why we ask you to have someone who handles the technical side. If you need guidance we share what we know from moving experience without stepping outside our field.
Frequently asked questions about moving computers and servers
Do you move servers and network rooms?
We move equipment after your team shuts systems down and we coordinate with them. Large data centres may need a specialist we work with.
Do you reconnect the equipment and set up the network?
We place equipment at the marked spots. Network and system setup is for your IT team or provider.
How do I protect my data?
With a tested backup stored away from the equipment, encrypted drives if possible, and your IT person accompanying key devices.
Can the move happen at night or at the weekend?
Yes, which suits reducing downtime and avoiding heat, subject to agreement and building rules.
Do you guarantee no damage to devices?
We work carefully in packing and handling and do not promise what we cannot control. We suggest separate cover for expensive devices and document condition with photos.
Do I need the original cartons?
If you have them use them; they protect best. Otherwise we provide suitable packing.