Laptop repairs

DaNiEl1994

I was hoping would someone have the number of a person who does laptop repairs near ennistymon?

CptSternn

I don't know of anyone there. Out of curiosity, what is the issue you are having?

DaNiEl1994

CptSternn wrote: »

I don't know of anyone there. Out of curiosity, what is the issue you are having?

Won't charge and it's not the charger that's the problem

Clareman

Is it under warranty? If you are sure that the charger is working it's more than likely the system board that's broken on it, expensive and awakard piece to replace. What make & model is it also?

CptSternn

When you say won't charge do you mean the battery won't charge or do you mean you can't even turn it on because there doesn't appear to be power?

DaNiEl1994

it wont turn on because there does'nt seem to be power its an e-machines eM350

Mrsbrady

i know nothing about the technical side of it but this happened my dads Compac and he was told cheaper replace it!

finbarrk

I have this add in my wallet, didn't use him yet so I don't know anything about him, but he said computer repairs. It was on the Tesco noticeboard in Ennis last year.
Call the Dutch Guy, No cure, no pay. 085 1393215.

CptSternn

As it was said above, more than likely this is a motherboard issue. It's not that your laptop has a power issue, it's that the board is gone or one of the components on it. The power convertor and port where the lead plugs into is integrated into the motherboard on laptops (unlike desktops) so there is no way to fix it even if it was a power related issue.

But again nine times out of ten it's something else that has failed on the board which is why it does nothing when you plug it in.

Now, before you go any further this is what you will have to do and the issues you will encounter -

First problem, finding a new motherboard. Finding motherboards for any systems older then two years is half the battle as with laptops, every single one has it's own proprietary motherboard. Unlike a desktop where you have an ample selection of cheap replacement options, the motherboard in a laptop is one of a kind, so you have to find an identical one before you can even get it replaced.

You could try contacting the manufacturing company, but I'll tell you now, they don't like to sell them. For that reason they make them expensive, last one I tried to source for a laptop new was priced at €250.00, about €60 cheaper than an off the shelf newer model complete laptop with more features. So buying them new is pretty much out of the question. Companies do this on purpose to keep people buying more.

The other route is find a secondhand motherboard. This is also tricky, but if you search eBay you might come across one there as that really is your best shot. Again, they will not be cheap because the breakers who sell secondhand parts know this and sell them at a price high enough to make them a few bob but low enough so some people might buy them. Expect to pay between €100-€120 for a secondhand board.

Now here comes the other issue, if you do source the motherboard you need and do get away paying the minimum amount of lets say €100 (a bargain), you still need to have it fitted. I usually do this for €50-€75 depending on the model. Shops charge about the same. That means minimum you are now paying is €175. A brand new laptop with double the specs a two year old one would have runs about €375-€450 these days. So you are paying half the price of a newer, better laptop to get this on running.

Then there is the final issue you may encounter. Electronic components do not exist in a vacuum, and by that I mean everything under the hood of your laptop so to speak is connected. Therefore you have the problem of what else was effected when your motherboard gave out? Did it take your processor with it? Did it fry the RAM? Is the hard drive warped or is it still intact? This is the final issue, and I have seen this before.

I have had numerous people who bring in their laptop and want it fixed on the cheap. We get lucky and source everything needed, put it all together, power it on only to find other parts need replacing. The processor alone would be another €50-€75 if that is fried. If other parts are gone as well and now you are looking at more than the cost of a new one. The problem is you will not know this until you half already spend over €150 minimum, and you then are stuck with either forgoing the recovery operation and losing the €150 or going through with it and paying as much to fix your old laptop as you would have paid for a brand new one.

Not to put a damper on your search for a repair person, but you should know the dangers up front. Anyone you do find who is willing to sort it make sure they tell you the same thing as I am telling you here. There is one shop in Ennis, I won't name it but I will say it's not the one on Barracks Street, is known for luring people in like a dodgy mechanic, doing half the job, then informing the customer of what I have told you above, you know, after they have sunk half the money into it.

Just be aware of this and use it as a guide no matter what path you choose with that laptop.

DaNiEl1994

Thanks very much for that reply,if I choose to buy a new laptop would I be able to sell my broken one I have 2 broken laptops? Thanks again

CptSternn

DaNiEl1994 wrote: »

Thanks very much for that reply,if I choose to buy a new laptop would I be able to sell my broken one I have 2 broken laptops? Thanks again

More than likely, no.

As I was saying above the biggest issue is finding parts as they are hard to come by. On the flip side of that, selling the laptop for parts is also as daunting because the chances of someone needing that exact machine is slim to nil. More importantly you don't know what is working and what isn't, so no one is going to buy what could be a big paperweight, especially if they are in the same boat you are and trying to fix a similar machine.

I dropped off seven laptops in the same state down to the recycling centre on the Gort road last week. You can if you want take out the hard drive and RAM, but chances are anything you get new will have double the hard drive size and the RAM speed will be far below what is used in todays newer machines and you probably will never find use for either, and again thats if they both are still working.

Clareman

Cpt has covered most of the bases. You might be lucky and the connector between where the power supply and the motherboard might be loose, if you know someone with a soldering iron they might be able to have a look, but considering it's a year old netbook I'm afraid you'd be better off getting a new 1 for the amount of hassle you'll have.

I would recommend taking the hard drive out of it before you dump it, not only will it be more secure and stop anyone potentially taking your information off it but you'd also be able to get an external caddy for it and use it as a backup for the future.

DaNiEl1994

Thnks lads