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How do I fix a broken PC laptop?

Q: My Dad just gave me his old laptop. That's good, but, um, it's broken, which is bad. Is it possible to fix my own laptop, and if so, how do I go about it?

Dave's Answer:

It's usually possible to fix a laptop, providing it wasn't run over by a truck. But depending on the model and what's wrong, it may be a waste of time and money to try. Your first challenge is troubleshooting what's wrong, and the best place to start is by asking your dad if he remembers when it stopped working. The problem could be as simple as a broken wire in the AC adapter lead which would let the battery run down and even when it's plugged in, but it would be silly to run out and buy a new AC adapter just on the off chance that that's it. The power supply is always the logical first step in troubleshooting computer problems, because without power, nothing is going to work.

Laptop Repair Flowchart: Power Supply Problems

Ask your dad if the laptop displayed any symptoms before it stopped working, if he dropped it on the floor, smelled smoke, or knocked his coffee over the keyboard. Ask him if it worked on battery when not connected to the AC adapter, and whether or not the battery lasted for more than a few minutes. If it actually powers on but you don't get a live LCD, ask him if he tried attaching an external monitor (or try yourself). And if it powers up and you get a live screen but Windows doesn't launch, ask him if he had up-to-date virus software installed.

While you can troubleshoot a laptop without knowing where it came from or how well it last worked, it's a lot easier if you have a little history.

Unless you're interested in working on the laptop for the sake of learning about them, check the labels on the bottom to determine what the model number is and what version of Windows is installed. If the operating system is too old to work with the software you want to use, the laptop may just be too old even if you got it working and spent money to upgrade the memory, which is the only upgrade that makes sense on most laptops. If you determine that the model is one that you can actually use, then you can start the troubleshooting process, with an idea of what you'd be willing to spend to get it going again.

The worst thing to do is to just start guessing at parts that might be wrong, because even if you buy them used on eBay, in no time you'll spend the price of an inexpensive new laptop.

Thanks to my friend and PC expert Morris Rosenthal, bestselling author of a number of books on computer hardware, for answering this question. You can find his laptop repair ebook at fonerbooks.com.

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Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics (Article 8055)
Tagged: broken laptop, laptop repair, pc repair
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Comments

Fixing a laptop can be a bit tricky that's for sure, sometimes your a bit limited.

But nicely done Dave!
Great post!

Posted by: John Cow at May 16, 2008 8:09 AM

Lucky you getting a laptop. I am sorry to hear that it does not work. I would recommend taking your laptop to a local shop to have the problems evaluated. Most reputable shops will evaluate the problem for free or a very low fee that they would apply towards the cost of fixing it. This would allow you to verify if the laptop is in a condition that can be easily remedied or if it would be more cost effective to purchase a newer one.

Posted by: Robert Donlon at May 23, 2008 7:50 AM

first of all i would like to say nice board and appreciate any help. i have a dell c610 laptop that worked perfectly until the external power supply died. the laptop will run on battery but will not charge.... i have a new ext supply....will not run on ext supply alone i have confirmed the 18 volts is on the motherboard at connecter. i suspect when the ext supply died it must have sent a surge damaging the mother board.. i guess what i am asking is is there available schematics to guide me through this repair again thanks kbutlrtech@yahoo.com

Posted by: kevin butler at May 28, 2008 8:56 PM

Hey

I am having problem with my laptop that when ever it is switch on for work, it appears to say that its repairing problem associated with the laptop but this problem cant never be solved.

Apparently, when the laptop is switch on, the screen appears in green color. when this happen, its takes the computer a while to start, and before it starts, it also appears in blue screen displaying errors in the laptop.

Thank you for taking your time going through this note.

Regards

TOM

Posted by: Tom at July 8, 2008 5:46 AM

Ok so here's my problem like i dropped my Dell inspiron 1520 and it started stganating
And i would sometimes hold on to the screen hoping it would work it did for a while ubtil i was watching a video :[ and it cracked and i wasn't even touching the screen :[ SO PLEASE ANYONE HELP ME :[
PLEASE i need to know the cost of the fixing and what not be free to sent me emails At
Mayanprincess1@gmail.com {PLEASE HELP ME }

Posted by: Pansy at September 19, 2008 12:54 PM

i have a nice little problem with my laptop, my wireless is not working properly and the computer keeps telling me to turn it on via a switch which is already turned on. please let me know via e-mail any suggestions that anyone may have..
Cheers
rct_billhornery@hotmail.com

Posted by: Bill at February 21, 2009 10:02 PM

I just put a new motherboard on my Dell Inspiron 1150. It's look like it's charging up the power but when I try to turn it on. It start but it shut down in less the a minute. Can ypu please tell me what going on?

Posted by: Carmen at March 23, 2009 6:47 PM

hello my name is russell i just got a compaq persario and i droped i hade a wireless card in it and it broke and now i can get no signol on my modom can u help me out thanks russell

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