🔒 Locked

Laptop problem

Started by BradDaBug May 2, 2003 at 9:27 PM 11 replies 350+ views

Original Post

May 2, 2003 at 9:27 PM

Well, this brand new used laptop we got suddenly has a problem. The screen won''t work! It lights up like its getting power, but its just all black. I used to be able to almost close is and the picture would come on, but it kinda stopped doing that. Then I discovered that if I sort of applied pressure to the hingy thingy with the ribbon underneath it''d work, but now that doesn''t work either. Whats wrong with it? It''s not a bad screen, is it? Is it anything I can fix myself? (like is the ribbon that connects the screen to the computer bad or somethin?)

Nervo

May 2, 2003 at 9:38 PM

I''m no hardware tech, but certainly a look at the connection from the video card (which should be integrated with the board) over to the screen is a first move. What brand laptop do you have?

I took apart a laptop once without any directions. It can get complicated as some of those tiny screws are many in number and go into some strange parts of it. Good luck. If it is brand new just ship it back, but I imagine from what you have said it sort of implies that you might not have a warranty.

BradDaBug

May 2, 2003 at 9:51 PM

Its an old Compaq. I''m 99.9% sure it doesn''t have a warranty anymore.

Michalson

May 2, 2003 at 9:52 PM

That occured with my old laptop (P120, bought as a demo unit. Surprise you would get it with a new one). The cable connecting the screen is loose. Unless you are very brave this is not the kind of thing you fix yourself (you need to take apart the laptop). If it''s still on warrenty get them to fix it.

BradDaBug

May 2, 2003 at 9:54 PM

I''m kinda willing to open it up since there''s no warranty and taking it somewhere to get it fixed would probably cost just as much if not more than what we paid for it ($100).

Michalson

May 2, 2003 at 9:55 PM

Old Compaq laptop? Would it be the LTE 5280? (That''s what my old unit is, everything maxed out [2GB HD, 80MB RAM, PCMCIA 24X CDROM, 56K modem and 10/100 network])

BradDaBug

May 2, 2003 at 10:01 PM

The numbers on it are "1235." Its got a 266 MHz Pentium (might be P2, I''m not sure), 2 GB HD, 32 MB RAM, not sure about CDROM, not sure about modem, and no network anything.

Michalson

May 2, 2003 at 10:11 PM

That''s a Presario line, which used the AMD K6 MMX. It should have a 24X CDROM and modem, though it sounds like someone must have replaced the harddrive (or it''s been incorrectly formatted as a single Fat16 partiton), since most Presarios including the 1235 used 4GB and 4.3GB harddrives. It also has a passive screen.

BradDaBug

May 3, 2003 at 11:34 AM

I opened up the laptop and played with the ribbon going to the screen, but that didn't help. Hey, at least I didn't destroy it when I opened it up! I was even able to put it back together, with no screws missing or left over!

EDIT: Oh yeah, I'm not sure about the hard drive size. I remember it being 2 GB, but its perfectly possible I'm not remembering right, OR that the hard drive really is incorrectly formatted/partitioned. I had an old Compaq desktop that had a 6 GB hard drive partitioned as a 3 GB.

[edited by - BradDaBug on May 3, 2003 12:36:07 PM]

BradDaBug

May 8, 2003 at 11:30 AM

Ah HA! I''ve opened up the laptop screen, and there seems to be a tiny cut on the data ribbon going from the laptop to the screen! Its where the hinge seems to stress it when its opened and closed cause there''s a nice crease in the ribbon where I believe the cut is. (I tried taking a pic of it but my camera can''t focus that close

)

So now I guess I need to get a replacement ribbon. But where am I going to find that? Does it have to be a special one from Compaq? How much would it cost?

BradDaBug

May 8, 2003 at 12:17 PM

AH! I''ve found the ribbon (Compaq spare 330939-003) and Compaq only sells the ribbon with the screen! $500! I''ve foud the ribbon by itself other places, but its over $100! FOR A STUPID RIBBON!

I can''t believe what a ripoff all this is! I guess I''ll just see if I can''t TAPE the stupid ribbon together!

terminate

May 8, 2003 at 4:52 PM

Might try looking on ebay or around where you live for broken laptops of the same brand/model. Perhaps you could salvage a cable.

Ravuya

May 8, 2003 at 11:28 PM

I''m not familiar with soldering cables, but maybe you could pull this one off? A glob of solder would be a heck of a lot cheaper than even buying off ebay..

Resist everyone
Talk on RavForum(tm)

Topic Locked

This topic has been locked by a moderator. New replies are not allowed.