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What is the difference in meaning between the two following sentences?

  1. Should there be any problems with your new computer, our store's technicians will fix it free of charge.

  2. Should there be any problems with your new computer, our store's technicians would fix it free of charge.

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"Would" and "Will" are both auxiliary modal verbs.

..our store's technicians will fix it free of charge. (=The technicians will fix it free of charge) (surely they will.) (strong probability) (unavoidable)

..our store's technicians would fix it free of charge. (=The technicians will fix it free of charge) but (not strong probability)

We use "Will" to talk about: promises, offers, facts about ability or capacity, habitual behaviour, (for the events that are unavoidable) (definite future)

We use "Would" to talk about: invitations, hope, desire, requests, asking permission, to indicate the consequence of an imagined event or situation. etc.

Would you like to join us? (invitation)

I would like to have a cup of tea. (desire)

(We use "Would" as the past tense of "Will" too but the question is related to the future)

(Note: The question is about "Will" and "Would" and not about "Should". ("should there be any problems with your new computer" means "if you have any problems with your computer")

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  • "Will" is a promise, unconditional. "Would" is conditional or even a brush-off; the person claims a desire to fix it but that he might not actually fix it. "Would" carries an "if" or a "but", which either limits it or negates it. "I would if I could but I can't" sounds friendlier than "no"; "would" can be equivalent to "will not". Or "We would fix XYZ if that breaks, but not ABC."
    – fixer1234
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 1:27
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Your sentence is a little bit hard to understand, why would you say: should there be any problems?

Should there be = You think that your computer should have a problem, it doesn't make sense.

I guess the company that you purchased the computer from is telling you that in the possibility of having any defects with the computer, you may contact the techinicians and you will get a free repair.

If that was what you meant (what actually makes sense), then there are two ways to rephrase it using will and would:

If there were any problems with your new computer, our store's technicians would fix it free of charge.

Because it is in the past- Would (Would is the past form of Will)

If there are any problems with your new computer, our store's technicians will fix it free of charge.

*Because it is in the present, which means a possibility - Will.

I hope you understand, if there is any left doubt, I will try to get it clear :)

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  • Why do you think the sentence is hard to understand? It seems perfectly clear to me, if maybe a little wordy.
    – stangdon
    Commented Jan 28, 2017 at 13:25

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