View Full Version : Does anyone here do laptop repairs?
I've got this shonky old Compaq Armada E500 (actually in really good nick considering the age of it) that I use when I'm down in the garage for reading cd bike manuals - it's packed up on me. I know the battery is fubar so it only ever runs on the mains charger, but now it won't boot up, it gets so far into the sequence then shuts down.
I really do find it invaluable for working and can't afford a new one so looking to get it repaired, even if it means buying a new battery and having someone sort it so it boots up again.
I'm near Bedford if anyone knows someone who can help.
but now it won't boot up, it gets so far into the sequence then shuts down.
How far does it get into the sequence? What does it say:confused:
but now it won't boot up, it gets so far into the sequence then shuts down.
How far does it get into the sequence? What does it say:confused:
Nothing, I have to slect which mode to start in and whatever one I choose it goes as far as the Windows start up screen with the flag and the moving bar below, then changes to a completely blank but backlit screen. At this point there's a noise like a frog ribbitting coming from inside. After about 2 minutes of this the thing shuts down and starts up again automatically asking me to choose 'safe mode' or 'last known good config' etc.
It's peculiar
SoulKiss
29-04-08, 07:21 PM
I usually dont touch laptops, more hassle than worth.
But I'll make an exception for you if you like Lozzo.
Mainly I will be looking to evaluate if its a hardware or software issue,if its hardware you are on your own - getting spares for laptops is difficult and expensive - unless you can find one with a different problem than yours on ebay.....
PM me and we can arrange something
David
Hit it with a hammer. :twisted:
Hit it with a hammer. :twisted:
I was thinking more along the lines of erecting a 12 foot solid fence around it with searchlight towers etc etc...but got a bit confused when it came to getting caught having carnal knowledge of a member of its family in a public place.
I usually dont touch laptops, more hassle than worth.
But I'll make an exception for you if you like Lozzo.
Mainly I will be looking to evaluate if its a hardware or software issue,if its hardware you are on your own - getting spares for laptops is difficult and expensive - unless you can find one with a different problem than yours on ebay.....
PM me and we can arrange something
David
David, I love you, but you'd have to take your teeth out before I show you just how much.
pm on its way after I wash the pots.
Blue_SV650S
29-04-08, 08:51 PM
It wont be a battery issue (as you are running on mains).
It could be a few things, but I'd say it was a faulty mother board ... some of the capacitors have blown/boiled on it ...
But that is a hunch from past experience ;)
As mentioned above, you need to isolate if it is hardware or software, presuming it has nothing of any great value on the HD, best way to do this is to try and re install the OS (windows?) if it won't install from the CD then you know it is hardware.
Could be hard drive had a bad sector ...
your first step is to try and re-install/repair off the original windows CD 8)
Blue_SV650S
29-04-08, 08:52 PM
Hit it with a hammer. :twisted:
:why:
I think I love you K :smt050
Yes if it is hardware then I would leave it alone, however if it is software I would suggest wiping your laptop after you have tried the re-install/repair off the original operating system. I have a Killsys disk which would wipe your system in seconds, hmmm could do some really damage in lots of places with that :rolleyes: (Used to use it when I was teaching IT.) You would then need to load your operating system etc... and see if that works. A friend of mine had a similar problem with theirs but couldn't get into the F8 options (safe mode etc...) I checked the hardware all seemed fine, so I put in my Killsys disk (as a last resort), wiped it clean, loaded a new operating system etc... and that worked :D. Call it cheating if you like but if it is a quick fix and works then it is worth it ;)
Blue_SV650S
29-04-08, 09:00 PM
Yes if it is hardware then I would leave it alone, however if it is software I would suggest wiping your laptop after you have tried the re-install/repair off the original operating system. I have a Killsys disk which would wipe your system in seconds, hmmm could do some really damage in lots of places with that :rolleyes: (Used to use it when I was teaching IT.) You would then need to load your operating system etc... and see if that works. A friend of mine had a similar problem with theirs but couldn't get into the F8 options (safe mode etc...) I checked the hardware all seemed fine, so I put in my Killsys disk (as a last resort), wiped it clean, loaded a new operating system etc... and that worked :D. Call it cheating if you like but if it is a quick fix and works then it is worth it ;)
If he has the original CD and has that as a boot device in the BIOS, it shouldn't matter what is on the HD as it will go for the CD ... but if it needs forcing as the HD is playing silly bu66ers your widget sounds a gem!! 8)
True and yes my widget is a gem could be quite lethal too ;)
I quite like widget gems, haven't seen them in the shops for years.
I quite like widget gems, haven't seen them in the shops for years.
yes and if you put them in your laptop then it def wouldn't work :-k ROFL
the noise you are hearing could be the hard drive.......which is not expensive to replace.....and I'm happy to help if you need a replacement
MiniMatt
30-04-08, 07:25 AM
Yeah, tbh the "ribbit" noise sounds like a hard drive issue. Either partial bad sectors or suffient bad sectors to kill it for good. Given that it gets into the boot process is a good thing, means part of the drive is working at least.
Either way, you're probably looking at a rebuild, ie. loss of all information on there and start from scratch again (obviously there are recovery tools that can retrieve info but best to give the worse case scenario), but a disk repair tool (hell even Scandisk would probably do it) should be able to mark the bad blocks and then you can reload Windoze and everything else. Or, should the disk prove terminally fubar then it's just a case of another 2.5" drive (can probably find one around £100, been a while since I looked, they're more expensive than 3.5" drives), take the old one out, remove the adapator plate from the old one, stick it on the new one, insert new drive. And again rebuild Windoze.
I get my PC bits from www.microdirect.co.uk
you can get a HDD for a max of £50.....
http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(34303)Western-Digital-160GB-Scorpio-25-inch-5400rpm.aspx
the noise you are hearing could be the hard drive.......which is not expensive to replace.....and I'm happy to help if you need a replacement
+1.
Sounds like the disk is crunching. In the past this has happened because the spindle inside has collapsed. New laptop hard drives are pretty cheap, and easy to fit in most cases.
TBH, the whole issue sounds like it's hard drive related. It'll boot as far as the Windows splash screen, then hangs. Replace hard drive, and maybe pull data off the old drive.
SoulKiss, you have my address, if my suspicions are right about the hard drive, stick it in the post to me. I have a mate that has a vacuum environment and owes me a favour. Offers there to get what I can off the magnetic discs & stick it on CD/DVD.
Blue_SV650S
30-04-08, 08:47 AM
I get my PC bits from www.microdirect.co.uk (http://www.microdirect.co.uk)
you can get a HDD for a max of ?50.....
http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(34303)Western-Digital-160GB-Scorpio-25-inch-5400rpm.aspx (http://www.microdirect.co.uk/%2834303%29Western-Digital-160GB-Scorpio-25-inch-5400rpm.aspx)
It could be that it just has corrupted data on it and a format/repair and he is ok ...
Anyway, he is not gonna want to spend ?50 on an old nail of a laptop ;) ... If it is that, I've got an old laptop hard drive I can give him ... 8)
Its only going to be a tiddler, but if all he wants in an OS and a perhaps a PDF reader on there, then I don't see that as a problem :)
It could be that it just has corrupted data on it and a format/repair and he is ok ...
It could be, yes, but that doesn't explain the frog that's apparently trapped inside it! :lol:
It could be that it just has corrupted data on it and a format/repair and he is ok ...
Anyway, he is not gonna want to spend ?50 on an old nail of a laptop ;) ... If it is that, I've got an old laptop hard drive I can give him ... 8)
Its only going to be a tiddler, but if all he wants in an OS and a perhaps a PDF reader on there, then I don't see that as a problem :)
Since it's his money and laptop I left it up to him to decide if he wants to spend the money or find a HDD for free or bin the whole thing.
Lozzo can probably make up his own mind - no need for me to spoon feed him
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