Need to find parts for a decade-old laptop

clearshot01

I've had a HQ Presario Compaq CQ61-120SA for about ten years now, and as of last week the screen no longer works. While I normally wouldn't be too bothered given I got a newer laptop a couple of years back, I was in the process of copying some old roleplays from Skype onto a word document I'd kept on a portable hard drive, and I need to fix it so I can finish before the laptop dies for good.

The repair shop I took it to can't source the parts, so I'm looking for them myself. They said to look for LCD cables and screens, and finding the screens is easy enough, but every time I try to look up cables for it, it just shows me more replacement screens, none of which make any mention of including a cable with them, so I can't be sure if I'll get one if/when I buy one of said screens.

If anyone has some suggestions of where I could look, I'd really appreciate it.

Alanstrainor

Why replace the screen at all, can't you hook up an external monitor using a VGA, or whatever video out the laptop has?

Kimbot

If there is no video output then why not just buy an external HDD reader and just take the contents off the HDD?

Alanstrainor

jonnycivic wrote: »

If there is no video output then why not just buy an external HDD reader and just take the contents off the HDD?

I'm surprised any computer repair show wouldn't have suggested either of our solutions...

clearshot01

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Why replace the screen at all, can't you hook up an external monitor using a VGA, or whatever video out the laptop has?

I'll give that a try. Fingers crossed that it works.

Kimbot

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I'm surprised any computer repair show wouldn't have suggested either of our solutions...

Well with the VGA they dont get any money and the adapter might not be one that they have in stock.

Most places now only want to fix easy problems and thats all.

Lu Tze

Yeah go with the VGA cable option first, at 10 years old there's a good chance that the hard drive has an older connection (ide) and won't suit most adapters for sale, it would be worth checking out the hard drive before buying any adapters in case they don't suit

mordeith

Lu Tze wrote: »

Yeah go with the VGA cable option first, at 10 years old there's a good chance that the hard drive has an older connection (ide) and won't suit most adapters for sale, it would be worth checking out the hard drive before buying any adapters in case they don't suit

If this is the same model then it should be a sata drive.

Kimbot

Plus the likes of this means its handy now:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AKORD%C2%AE-Drive-Reader-Convertor-Adapter/dp/B00EQ7UEK4

PropJoe10

If I was you, I wouldn't go near that PC repair shop again. Sounds like a crowd of cowboys to me, if they didn't suggest the solutions mentioned here! If you get stuck and are in the Dublin area, PM me and I'll have a go at it for you.

kierank01

it is likely to be difficult to source individual parts for an old machine.

external hd caddy & external monitor are obvious solutions, but if you cannot get those to work, it might be possible to source a full working second hand laptop of the same model, and boot from the hd in the broken laptop.

bonzodog2

I believe the HP G61 and Compaq CQ61 are the same. Cables look easy to find:
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/HP-G61-LCD-SCREEN-VIDEO-DISPLAY-CABLE-/182161110607?hash=item2a69a5f64f:g:7-YAAOSw2GlXISdE
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Genuine-Hp-G61-CQ61-15-6-LCD-SCREEN-CABLE-w-INVERTER-DD00P6LC801-577068-001-/182160343181?hash=item2a699a408d:g:bpUAAOSwnDxUrAM8

and here's a partly working donor
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/HP-Pavilion-G61-110SA-2-1GHZ-4GB-RAM-FAULTY-/191890124863?hash=item2cad8af03f:g:BasAAOSwepJXVXjV

this screen may fit
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/15-6-FL-LCD-panel-Screen-HP-G61-laptop-WXGA-HD-NEW-/120667538647?hash=item1c185884d7:m:mPh6uRdqWE27TLpfYzhqT2g

Personally I'd use an external monitor, or maybe connect to it with Teamviewer

Alanstrainor

bonzodog2 wrote: »

I believe the HP G61 and Compaq CQ61 are the same. Cables look easy to find:
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/HP-G61-LCD-SCREEN-VIDEO-DISPLAY-CABLE-/182161110607?hash=item2a69a5f64f:g:7-YAAOSw2GlXISdE
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Genuine-Hp-G61-CQ61-15-6-LCD-SCREEN-CABLE-w-INVERTER-DD00P6LC801-577068-001-/182160343181?hash=item2a699a408d:g:bpUAAOSwnDxUrAM8

and here's a partly working donor
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/HP-Pavilion-G61-110SA-2-1GHZ-4GB-RAM-FAULTY-/191890124863?hash=item2cad8af03f:g:BasAAOSwepJXVXjV

this screen may fit
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/15-6-FL-LCD-panel-Screen-HP-G61-laptop-WXGA-HD-NEW-/120667538647?hash=item1c185884d7:m:mPh6uRdqWE27TLpfYzhqT2g

Personally I'd use an external monitor, or maybe connect to it with Teamviewer

Just a heads up. Teamviewer had a huge security breach lately. I would immediately uninstall from any computer. I'd say they have it patched now, but peoples machines were getting hijacked.