Troubleshooting DEAD Laptops

I repair from 5 to 20 laptops a week and thought I would pass on a few tips on
resurreting Dead !supposedl"# laptops$
Dead means a di%erent things to di%erent people but usuall" means from
trul" dead to &o Displa"
I ha'e ( di%erent 'ersions of dead laptops ) It alwa"s inludes &* DI+,LA-
.$ &o indiation of 'iabilit" ) no lights ) no fans ) ool to touh
2$ &o indiation of 'iabilit" ) no lights ) no fans ) warm or hot to touh
/$ Lights ) fans ome on ) lights don0t follow normal boot se1uene !no 2iker
) usuall" sta" on#
($ Lights ) fans ome on ) lights follow normal boot se1uene ) appears to
boot with no displa"
3a'eats ) if "ou are attempting the more e4tensi'e repairs "ou will need a
stati free work area and the appropriate tools
inluding a D56 !digital 'olt meter#
7or a laptop e4hibiting s"mptoms under ondition .$
8emo'e batter" ) test in another laptop if possible
If "ou ha'e another batter" tr" it
Test laptop for power up without batter"
Test power adapter with D56 ) usuall" measure .9 'olts but hek the label
If the abo'e doesn0t remediate the situation
*pen the laptop so "ou an get to the loation where the power adapter
reeptale
attahes to the motherboard ) with power adapter plugged in hek for
'oltage on the
motherboard ) if "ou ha'e 0'd replae the onnetor !this usuall" in'ol'es
soldering ) if "ou0'e ne'er done this ha'e an e4pert do it ) if "ou burn the
traes o% the motherboard it is trash#
If "ou ha'e somewhere between 0'd and .9'd something is loading down
the power
adapter ) tr" a seond power adapter ) if it still measures out of range )
unplug E5E8T:I&; from the motherboard ! memor" ) fans ) hard dri'e )
D5D<3D ) wireless nis ) 'ideo ablememor"#
) if measurement is still unhanged "ou ha'e a bad motherboard replae it )
if
'oltage omes up to spe than one of the items "ou unplugged is ausing the
problem )
replae them one at a time until "ou identif" the defeti'e omponent $
7or a laptop e4hibiting s"mptoms under ondition 2$
8emo'e batter" ) test in another laptop if possible
If "ou ha'e another batter" tr" it
Test laptop for power up without batter"
Test power adapter with D56 ) usuall" measure .9 'olts but hek the label
If the abo'e doesn0t remediate the situation
*pen the laptop so "ou an get to the motherboard ) identif" the soure of
the heat = it will usuall" be in one of ( areas ) d onnetor ) 3,> ) ;,> )
sreen in'erter
If "ou ha'e somewhere between se'eral 'd and .9'd something is loading
down the power adapter ) tr" a seond power adapter ) if it still measures out
of range ) unplug E5E8T:I&; from the motherboard ! memor" ) fans ) hard
dri'e ) D5D<3D ) wireless nis ) 'ideo able =memor"# ) if measurement is
still unhanged and "ou still ha'e a warm area onsider 3,> ould be
replaed or remo'ed and make another 'oltage hek
;,> ma" be unsoldering its self from the motherboard !aused b" poor
design or e4essi'e heat# ) pressing on it with a ?nger while powering up
ma" ?4 the problem ) if it does either ha'e the ;,> re2owed or replae the
motherboard
:ot areas around the d power onnetions an be a bad power onnetor
!worn out raises resistane and auses heat# or failing omponents in the
motherboard power onditioning iruits ) replae the power onnetor or
motherboard as neessar"
L3D In'erter ) powers the sreen ) if it0s hot the" are relati'el" heap to
replae ) this supplies the power to operate . or 2 2uoresent t"pe lights that
baklights the L3D ) will not be present on an LED t"pe displa"
7or a laptop e4hibiting s"mptoms under ondition /$
8emo'e batter" ) test in another laptop if possible
If "ou ha'e another batter" tr" it
Test laptop for power up without batter"
Test power adapter with D56 ) usuall" measure .9 'olts but hek the label
If the abo'e doesn0t remediate the situation
>nplug from the motherboard !fans ) hard dri'e ) D5D<3D ) wireless nis )
'ideo able#
*pen the laptop so "ou an get to the motherboard ) ;,> ma" be
unsoldering its self from the motherboard !aused b" poor design or
e4essi'e heat# ) pressing on it with a ?nger while powering up ma" ?4 the
problem ) if it does either ha'e the ;,> re2owed or replae the motherboard
3,> ould be replaed for a test
8eplae memor" for a test
7or a laptop e4hibiting s"mptoms under ondition ($
Laptop is probabl" booting with a displa" failure ) usuall" in'erter
After the laptop is turned on e4amine the sreen 3L*+EL- for a 5E8- dim
displa"
If "ou don0t see an"thing ) shine a 2ashlight on it and e4amine it for a displa"
If one of the abo'e is true !'er" dim displa"# hek the in'ertor input plug for
@90'a ) if ok replae in'erter ) if that doesn0t remediate the baklight the
2uoresent tube is defeti'e ) replae it or the whole L3D if "ou are not
mehaniall" inlined to replae them
If "ou don0t ha'e @90'a to the in'erter plug hek that the plug on the
other end is ?rml" plugged into the motherboard ) if it is replae the
motherboard as the in'erter power suppl" is bad
If there is not e'en a 5E8- dim displa" as abo'e then )
:ook up a an e4ternal monitor to laptop then power on ) if "ou ha'e a displa"
hek < replae
the following order
L3D 'ideo able plugged in on A*T: ends
L3D able replae
L3D ,anel replae
6otherboard replae
:ook up a an e4ternal monitor to laptop then power on ) if "ou don0t ha'e a
displa" hek < replae the following
6otherboard replae
BA8&I&; = &*T ALL LA,T*,+ A>T*6ATI3ALL- +:*B A DI+,LA- *& A&
ECTE8&AL displa"s ) "ou ma" ha'e to let it boot
up and test with the ke"board 'ideo swith i$e$D7&E72 et
8e'iew *7 :3L ;*5E8&6E&T LA,T*,
Displa" D ./FF4GFHI .(J InhesI :D Displa" with .FD9 8atio wide
sreen
,roessor D A6D Turion 42 Dual 3ore 2$F ;:K ! better lok speed than
,entium #
5ideo 6emor" D . ;A ATI 6obile 8adeon :D (250
6ain 6emor" D 2 ;A DD8 / !Upgradable to 8 GB#
:ard Disk D .F0 ;A !&o D5D Dri'eIBebamIBi?#
*perating +"stem D Bindows G ,ro L Linu4 A*++ ($0
Beight D 2$F Mg
Aatter" D F 3ell Li=Ion !((00mha# 6inimum / :rs
Display:
:as a :D standard L3D .( J inh Displa" with 1366 x 768 pixels with 16:9 ratio Wide
Screen whih is e1ui'alent to 1280x720 with 16:9 ratio Wide Screen$ -ou 6ight
E4periene little ;lare while 'iewing at a di%erent angle but still It is a good Displa"$
Processor:
E'er"one might think A6D is weak N Aut "ou are wrong this A6D Turion 42 is e1ui'alent to Intel
Dual 3ore e4ept for the ahe memories$ +till it has a faster cloc speed !2"6#$%& than the
Intel ,entiumOs 2$/ ;:K$ Ideal for mid range omputing$ Aut ;aming in this mahine might be a
head ahe but dont lose hope "et this thing an pla" games whih where released before 20.0
!'ested (a)or *a+es ,y +e# os it is baked up b" a ;,> of . ;A of 'ideo memor"$ Trust
me this -(D has lot of potential"
(ain (e+ory !.-(& :
It has a 2 ;A DD8/ 8A6 whih can ,e /p*raded to 8 #0 at the prie of 8s$.200 = 8s$.500$
Its 3loked around .0F0 6:K whih reall" fast N but there are still .//0 6:K one whih "ou an
get if "ou lo'e multitasking$ 8unning on the 2 ;A is ideal if "ou are not a gamming fan or 6ulti
tasker lol get ( ;A and "ou will lo'e this Laptop$Bant to know more about inreasing 8A6
Click here$ !I urrentl" :a'e F ;A 8A6#
$ard Dis:
The" shrunk the :ard Disk apait" from /20 ;A to .F0 ;A this "ear thats little disappointing
but we an blame it os its 78EE$If "ou are wondering J1 ha2e only 120 #03 where the hell
is the other 40 #05 J thats os Linu4 A*++ ($0 oupies (0 ;A D, if "ou want to know how to
get that (0 ;A bak and how to remo'e LI&>C A*++ 3lik :ere$ Its a standard +ATA dri'e
whih an be replaed with a new hard disk with higher apait" but who wants to lose a
original Bindows G ,ro$
6ideo (e+ory !#raphics 7ard& :
It has a onboard memor" of 1 #0 -'1 .adeon $D (520 whih is awesome$ This is almost
prett" basi but still "ou an pla" man" games if "ou upgrade "our 8A6 to ( ;A$ Totall" this
one is Awesome i Pust tested some maPor games like ;TA I5 whih ran smoothl" with 6edium
;raphis 3on?g$
8peratin* Syste+:
The laptop is preinstalled with Windows 7 Pro 9 :1;<= 08SS 4"0$ Lets start with linu4I
LI&>C A*++ is reall" old but has lots of eduational softs I am not interested in LI&>C so i Pust
deleted it$ Bant to delete "ours 3lik here$ &ow windowsI This thing has a Windows 7 Pro
which is freain* aweso+e and the best partI it is original so "ou an get free anti'irus
from 6irosoft and more updatesI and as it is ultimate all softwares are supportedI people who
think W1;D8WS =P S8>'S don?t wor in Windows 7 are wron* Bindows G /2 bit now
supports 90 Q of Bin C, softs so go get used to Bin G and "ou will lo'e it$
0attery:
:as a brilliant batter" that lasts 3 $rs$ Its a F ell +tandard Li=Ion batter" with ((00 mha
whih is lower than that of leno'oOs (G Bhr but uses less power than leno'o so Aoth batteries
are e1ui'alent$
Wei*ht:
Beight is not a matter if "ou dont tra'el with "our Laptop or if "ou dont use it on "our lapI but
some olleges ask students to bring the Laptop to ollege e'er"da" so weight does matters$
Leno'o weighs about 2$H Mg and :3L weighs Pust 2$F Mg but still 200 * does not +ae any
+a)or di@erence"
Speakers
+peakers are not loud enough but its better than nothing$ There is a software to boost
Audio b" a lot to download that soft lik here$ or "ou ould Pust use a :eadphone or
Earphone D
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