open.net.nz : Questions And Answers browse

This is the Q&A area, feel free to post question here, it's our free technical support service and you should get an answer within 24 hours. Please leave your contact details here if you ask for a quote (email or phone number), this will be removed from the website once we get the message.

Thanks for the speedy reply on the Compaq Armada M700. Your mention of the battery gave me the idea of pulling out the battery (which is long since having enough power to be useful) and trying again. Worked immediately! Perhaps it was in hibernation or something. Thanks again. (Cheers, thanks for the update)

Q:Hi, I have a Compaq Armada M700 which is dead and shows no lights when powered up, although the power adapter is lit. I noticed it abruptly shut down once or twice lately. Any ideas?

A:It's likely an open/faulty power component, will it power up by the battery?

Q: Hi, I have as Asus A8M with Four busted keys, a large book landed on it. Can I get the replacement plastic widgets that hold the keys in place or must I replace the entire keypad? Thanks

A: You should be able to get a replacement keyboard from Asus's agent here, or send us a close-up photo of the part, we have a few k/bs can get the widgets if they match. Cheers.

Q: Hi, I have a compaq presario 700 bought in 2002. The battery only lasts for about 7 minutes now. Its a CMB001A (14.8V, 3.6Hr), compaq part number 246437-001. Do you reckon you could fix this one? Will I get a few hours out of it on a charge, once it is fixed? Cheers.

A: The battery has a problem of overheating, and somehow cause the controller to misbehave. It might works fine if the power management in the laptop is turned off, can only get about 3 hrs under this condition after a rebuild. Thanks.

Q:Hi, I have a Toshiba Tera 8100 from about 5 years ago. When switching on, only the 'on' light and the DVD light come on. Is this a problem with the motherboard, the CPU or the HDD? In view of its age, is it worth repairing or is it better to get a cheap laptop? Many thanks.

A: It's a problem with the motherboard, could be the CPU, RAM, onboard display etc. You can try to reseat the RAM module and CPU (if it's socketed). Solder the RAM sockets(need good soldering skill) might also help. Cost of repair by us is between $100-200 and it can last a while if the harddrive's still in good condition. So it all depends on your laptop use and $ position.

Q: Hi I have a Packard Bell ipower laptop. The back light for the display is not working and the battery is no good. Please can you advise on the posability of repair please. Cheers Dave

A: Thanks for the question, it's possible to repair the back light/its control circuit and the battery. Cheers Jun

Q: Hi can you give a cost for repair to Packard Bell above. Thank you.

A: I need to know the model of the laptop/size of the screen to give a specific cost, please emialme: jchenATopenD0TnetD0Tnz thanks.

Q:I have a compaq e500 with blinking power and battery lights (no code). Have already changed dc-dc card- any ideas- thanks

A:What happens if you remove the main Li-ion battery, unplug the AC adapter then plug in again? It should start by itself. Can only say it's system board power circuit problem for now.

Q:Hi i also have a packard bell easyone silver. Its back light/screen light is not coming on, and the battery is practically useless. holds charge for about 2 mins max. battery number is 442670800002 10.8 v and 4500mAh. Is it just my battery causing this? how much to fix? jacinda

A: Thanks for the Q, It's not the battery. $80 to fix the screen light(part extra, an inverter costs around $60 if it's faulty), Nimh battery $120 for a repacked.

Q:You mentioned you have fixed a Dell C800 by changing a CPU power supply IC, can you identify the IC more exactly? (have 2 laptops with this error)

A:I don't find it in my database, but it shouldn't be hard to find, normally a multi pin(28?) IC closest to the CPU (could be on the other side).

Q: hi i have a compaq presario 2200 displaying same signs as in one of your previous fixes. LCD lighting up on start up then fading to almost indecipherable. any idea how much this would cost to fix?

A:If it's inverter(I need to confirm that by doing some fault finding as it could be the system board's fault), cost $60 + part. Thanks for the question.

Q:Hi there I have the toshiba m50 latptop and recently I bring to recovery the coputer but after that I find someone put the bios lock, so I can't edit the computer's bios, so I want to know can you crack the password for me, and how much does it cost, also what is your office hours? and address? Thanks

A: sorry can't do this model

Q:following the last question, why it can't be fix? so can I change the bios chip? Thanks

Q:HI there Just want to know can you change the bios chip? how much it cost?

A:Can replace the chip with the right bios s/w, $150 regardless it fix the fault or not. Cheers.

Q: I have a Compaq Armada E500 P3 900. The rear usb socket is broken (plastic tab missing). However, the power cable was inserted by accident into the adjacent USB slot. Computer boots up as normal (may make a single beep), will run fine for a while then starts to beep more often. Eventually it opens search pages and my computer on it's own and says ctrl key is depressed. I have, reloaded the bios, same problem, tried another hard drive could not complete a disc erase (before beeping kicked in). Can you help, as the computer is is still in A1 shape. Could it be RAM...what do you think? Cheers, Kev in Oromocto, NB

A:Could it be a stuck keyboard?

Q: Hi. I have a Clevo M375EW I think is the right model number. The DVD/CD (both read/write) hasn't worked for ages in it (won't open on eject button push). I seem to remember someone forcing it shut with the ribbon cable sticking out. I think it's a Matshita (Panasonic) UJ-820? something or other. Likely to be able to be fixed, or is a replacement cheaper? Yeah... Pulled it apart and there's a tear in the ribbon cable... Any idea's on where I can get a replacement ribbon cable?

A:Cable can be fixed but don't think it's worth fixing. Either replace the drive or find a dud drive with head problems which should have a good cable. Cheers.

Q:Howdy. Sent you an Easynote C3-246DW for repairs about a fortnight ago (s/n 103021180130). Courier says they delivered it on 09 Feb. Just wondering roughly how long until you get around to giving a diagnosis.

A:Sent an email last week (13 Feb.) to your stormnz account, no reply, rang a few time can't get thru, please emialme: thanks.

Q:Hi there, have a Clevo D470V all the right lights come on when I switch it on, HDD spins once or twice, after a few minutes all the fans come on as well. But nothing else. Tried the Li battery nothing. Also tried the HDD on another laptop, seems to be ok. Changed RAM as well no change. CPU gets warm (current seems to be flowing. Tried a different power adaptor and with and without battery pack. All the same results. Any suggestions would be greatly welcomed. Cheers Harry

A:Not a lot you can do, reseat CPU, test the RAM in another laptop and try an external monitor. A printer port or mini-pci test card might tell more if you have one handy. Cheers

Q:Hi, can you repair old laptops? What if I just need more RAM? Can you upgrade my RAM (need about 64MB EDO), and how much would it cost (need to know so that can decide if it's worthwhile to do it)? Thanks.

A: Should be able to if it's a standard SODIMM module. Cheers, cost $60

Q:Hi i have a compaq evo n1015v. Display has been showing similar symptoms as some you have previously fxed (display inverter) i have replaed the inverter and problem continues. Have taken off lcd and found the display inverter cable has seperated (part # AAB150500007S0 R00). Is it possible to just get the part from your business? Thanks Sandy Haynes. alexander.haynes@gmail.com

A:Hi Sandy, we don't have the part sorry, we only fixed the cable before, not replace it. try empr.co.nz ? Cheers, Jun Chen.

Q:Hi I have a dell 640c. when i got it the battery was bad and if you unpluged the power cord the cmos would lose it's memory and the clock would reset itself. I have since then replace the battery and it no longer loses the cmos. the battery is at 31% when I bought it. The laptop will not charge it. the charge light will swicht frorred to green like it is trying to charge the battery. It will either go a green light or go off completly. windows sees the battery and says that it is charging. I know i will have to replace the cmos battery. Do you think it may be the charging board or somthing else? Do you have the part or the part number? Thanks so much Mackall Acheson Macheson@gmail.com

A: C640? It may be the battery or the laptop charging circuit's fault, there's no charging board in the C640. You can try the other battery bay and see what happens. Cheers, Jun Chen.

Q: Hi. I ahve managed to fix the faulty laptop screen (previous post) by purchasing a second hand cable. However, my battery is not accepting a charge. Laptop works perfectly when plugged into AC power, but not when on batery alone. How can i test whether this is an old battery and needs to be replaced, or whether it is a faulty charging board. As battery's for this model (EVO N1015V) cost over $100 i would rather find out for certain if this is the fault before replacing it. Thanks. Sandy

A: Some HP/Compaq laptops have a Battery Calibration program (part of power management), which can tell you the battery's condition, or find a good battery from friends/colleague(a few models use this type) to try.

Q: Hi there. I have an IBM Thinkpad R40 (Pentium 4M model) which I acquired from work. A year ago it stopped working with the problem being that it simply does not power on whatsoever (no indicators or activity at all). When connected to mains the charging indicator doesn't light either, although the battery gets quite hot after a while. IBM quoted a replacement motherboard at $1000 so the laptop was decommisioned and replaced. I'd like to know if you would be able to repair it and perhaps if you could provide a projected repair cost? Thanks.

A: You might have a faulty mainboard and also a faulty battery, try removing the battery and power up. We don't normally charge over $200 for motherboard fault. Thanks.

Q:Hi I have a NEC Versa P440 laptop.I have a problem to remove the DC jack.Is there any tip to remove the DC jack from the board.Thanks.

A:Use a hot air gun, set to 250C, ground surronding circuit. Cheers.

Q:Hi there. I've got a Sony Vaio VGN-S56GP (Model No: PCG-6HCP) with a faulty hard disk. I tried replacing the drive with a compatible SATA one but found that the new drive had a power connector port as well as a data one, whereas the old drive simply had a power port with no pins in the data one. The laptop itself only supplied a power connector and no data one either. I installed the new drive regardless but found that it wasn't detected by the BIOS (although I could hear it spinning up). The computer detected the old hard disk when it was placed back. What I'd like to ask is, would you be able to source the correct replacement hard disk for this laptop (perhaps of 80GB or higher capacity) and if so, what would be the cost? Thanks.

A:Is there a data connector/adapter on the old drive? it should be a normal SATA drive, what's the part number? Cheers.

Q:Hi. I have a toshiba satelitte 2410 having no power.I have disassemble it and checked the fuse is OK.Input is 15V.I am figuring out where I can check the 5v,3v and 1.8v on the components.I appreciate if you could help and I would happy to buy any laptop repair guide from you.Swapping board is not satisfying

A:Look for Max1631, Max1632, Max1999 or some other 28 pin IC, should be able to find datasheet on the net, you need a very fine multimeter probe! or causing more fault! P.S. if no power means no lights/won't charge battery then it's not the 5/3V, check 15V.

Q:Hi. I have a Dell Latitude C640. At start it works like 5 sec. and dies. After repeating starting couple of times the laptop won't give any sings of life. But if I'll leave it for a wile it will do the same. What could be wrong? Thanks

A:Can only say it's a mainboard fault as it can be caused by differet faulty components, cheers.

Q: Hi , I have a compaq EVO N610C ,when i turn on the laptop it asks for a bios password altough i had set a password once before and then removed it , strangely the bios wont accept the old password it does the same if i try to enter the bios menu. If I leave the laptop for about 20-25 minutes and when it gets a little warm i restart it and it wont ask me for any password and it boots up all fine. I tried to reset the bios by removing the RTC battery but no success. what could be wrong?

A:Something wrong with the CMOS or the password chip, loose/change value when warm?

Q:Hello, I am trying to fix a Compaq Presario 900 for a friend. The problem: no backlight for the LCD. I have opened the screen up and found 4 little screws floating around inside and one of them had found its way into the sleeve of what I imagine is the inverter board. There is a voltage of 4.5ish to the screen which is the same as at the switch but I'm thinking there is meant to be another higher voltage being supplied that is missing. Am I on the right path? If so how what voltaage should I be looking for and where does it come from? Any other ideas?

A: there should be a >16V supply to the inverter. Cheers.

Q:Dell Inspiron 5160 not running from AC or charging the Battery; The Database mentions just re-soldering one of the power ICs. Can you point out which IC causes this issue as it is very common and here in the UK £200 is a common repair price! Is it possible to replace the IC with one with a higher tollerance or adding a bit of heatsinking?

A:I think it's a Max1999, no & heatsink won't help.

Q:I have a IBM Thikpad T22 Type: 2647-4EA which will not power up off battery or mains. When the power button is pushed, the HDD indicator flashes once and then nothing else. Any thoughts on how much this might cost to repair.

A: $100 - $150, lower being a quick fix by only removing the keyboard to access the components. thanks.

Q: Approx how much to rebuild a Panasonic CF27 Toughbook battery? It's 10.8v 3.75Ah Li-ion.

A: $90 NZ for a 5Ah rebuild. Thanks.

Q: Hi there. I am looking at buying a Compaq Armada E500 which has a cracked screen. How much to replace the screen please? Thanks.

A: will be around $300 for a new screen.

Q:My screen flashes when I change from AC to Battery power on my Gateway laptop. It is fine if I start it in battery mode. What's up with that? Thanks.

A:something wrong with the power management? could be hardware or software issues. Cheers.

Q:I need a new LCD Inverter for my 14" screen Compaq Evo N800v Laptop, the part number is: PWI3009-D LG 0205011009 B. Having trouble sourcing one in NZ. Can you help? Thanks pallladium@gmail.com

A:Sorry don't have one having the matching p/n.

Q:Hi I have a presario 900 notebook. Booted up fine, but after a few minutes the screen went dim. Could still see image in the background. Works fine with external monitor. Rebooting will restore screen lighting then would go dim again after a short while. Had new inverter installed but still same problem. It has a 15" screen. Can you help? How much would a possible repair be? Many thanks.

A:If not a power management firmware problem, it could be the mainboard, the wiring to inverter or screen, should cost under $150 for a repair. Thanks.

Q:HI ,M7 Packard Bell p4 3.06 ghz laptop ... strange LDC display once its been running 10 mins or so ... random lines in a grid like pattern ..its a different result each time the machine fires up some times its the @ type symbol at various random spots across the lcd but same result if you boot with out HDD or display on external monitor. Any Ideas ?

A:it's the graphic circuit, try changing RAM if it's shared.

Q: hi, I got a sony viao PCG-V505MNP laptop which needs repairing. However, I am not sure about the parts model number. I'm considering of whether to repair it or buying a new laptop with similar size and function instead. Therefore can I please have a quote for each of the following please? 1) cooling fan (mine's dead, hence it is a definite) 2) upgrade to 60GB hard drive 3) upgrade to 100GB hard drive 4) upgrade to 1GB ram 5) upgrade to DVD-RW drive 6) PCGA-BP2V Battery 7) PCGA-BP4V Battery 8) service charge, labour cost, hours needed on the job etc.

thanks so much for your help.

A:Please leave your contact details here (email or phone number), this will be removed from the website once we get it. Thanks.

Q:Hi! IBM Thinkpad T21 won't boot. Leds only blink for a moment. Same problem as with T22 little higher here on page. Problem is that New Zeland is little far for me to send notebook, I'm from Slovenia(Europe). Is there possibility that you give me instrucions how to do repair and I pay you over bank or paypal? I would be really greatful. My email address:

Q:hi sounds like you guys know what you are doing. please if you can tell me how to fix grey boot screen on dell inspiron 6400 had machine that was involved in a fire, bought replacement mboard (ebay)which has password set (not mentioned in item description) is there a way to rectify this that you can tell me thanks in advance, regards

A:Sorry it can't be cleared by us yet.

Q:update to above question, i have looked at both boards (exactly the same)no 24c** or similar eeprom anywhere have located eeprom no SST25VF080B (bottom of board near dvd bay) and looked at spec sheet for this does similar job (i think) could this be it and can i read it? also board involved in fire had heavy soot (no visible thermal damage) all over which was removed (with deoxit spray), it powers up runs for a while can access bios, boot a linux cd, etc but just blanks out the screen all green lights stay on maybe you can offer some advice on this. thanks for speedy reply to first question, regards

A: eeprom no SST25VF080B's the bios chip, you can try swapping the ICs, should clear password if it's password chip.
For the fired board, should try external monitor to find out it's the same or not.

Q:dell 6400 continued; when you said try swapping the ics did you mean swap sst25v.. for one on sooted board(you said bios chip)does the bios chip store the password or separate eeprom. also tried external monitor same result. fan does not seem to spin on sooted board(at start up) but does on clean board, could this be possible problem for dropout? thanks for your help so far, much appreciated, regards

A:I meant it shouldn't be hard to swap ICs and find out. The fan would cause it, but the display problem is hard to fix.

Q:Hey, I have 2x dell latitude cpt laptops with similar faults. Both suffer from key-groups not responding (a large thump often fixes this) aswell as power-up difficulties. One has a memory fault (suspected intermittent open circuit on 14th memory data bus line) that causes software to freeze. Both will sometimes have difficulty powering on. They display lights for 2-3 seconds but nothing eventuates. One shows no signs of life what so ever. Both were of perfect working order (keyboard problem was minimal) until a week ago. I suspect dry joints for the intermittent problems, however would appreciate any clues that you may have as to where to look when I attempt to repair the faults. Many thanks

A:For power on problems, would like to know when these happen, can the batteries be charged, laptops powered on by batteries or not? These type of dell laptops nearly 10yr old, the DC jack/socket connection and CPU/CPU socket connection could cause problems. Cheers.

Q:Re 2x dell laptops: Both laptops batteries fully charge, and both suffer from their symptoms if powered by battery or mains power. Laptop 1 suffers from the intermittent loss of key groups and intermittent complete loss of power. After turning off completely the laptop may sometimes be restarted, while other times it will no show any signs of life for a period of time. I suspect a bad main power supply connection somewhere, any ideas where? Laptop 2 suffers from the intermittent loss of key groups also, but also fails memory tests indicating the 14th data line to be shorted to ground or an open circuit. Have swapped RAM modules between the two laptops to rule out a faulty module but the problem persists so i'm quite certain it's a motherboard fault. A few days after this fault started the laptop now powers on for 2-3 seconds (no fan or screen, just power light, hard disk light, caps lock light etc) then goes dead again. No idea what's gone wrong here, any ideas? I'm going to reseat the CPU soon to see if this helps with anything, but otherwise i'm quite keen to get these working again so perhaps should send them up if you believe they are repairable. Please email if you think it's fixable,. Many thanks

A:Sorry no idea. They should be repairable like any laptops, just depend on how keen you're going to hang on to the oldies. You're welcome to send in the laptops, can only say charge no more than $150/each at this stage, will quote exact figure before proceeding. Cheers. Please email

Q: Hi,I have a compaq n 1020v that powers on intermittenly. When the Power switch is pressed the on led goes on but nothing appears on the screen. This happens on both the ac mains and on battery. It seems to be a common problem with this model. Please assist

Thanks amos

A:Without the laptop, can only say quit a few faults can cause this "no POST" problem, you should check CPU & memory first, don't think much else can be done by end-users.

Q:Hi, i have an Packard Bell iPower 5542 notebook and i have a problem with dismantling the bottom side of the laptop. I am not sure if there is a bolt or a screw that still keeps the plastic cover closed. May i ask where can i find dismantling instructions or repair instruction or how to open an Packard Bell iPower 5542 notebook? Thank you very much for your feedback, kind regards, Dan

A:Sorry I don't know if any available, I don't have one myself. I'd just undo all screws on the bottom, including memory, cpu and other doors/covers', make sure no screws inside, then start from the back seperating the bottom plastic, see if that helps. Cheers.

Q:I have a Dell Latitude D505 that does not start up after I swopped the ram. It powers on for a few seconds then goes off. But nothing shows on the screen. Also, the fan does not spin. How do I fix this problem? Arigato.

A:It could be the RAM sticks, try using only one or put them back to where they were, or bad connections on RAM sockets.

Q: Hi, I have a Toshiba Tecra laptop. I knocked a glass of water over it. In general it seems to be working alright, however the keyboard isn't working. Does it just need to dry out more or is there likely to be something more serious wrong with it?

A: It's likely something more if all keys are not working.

Q:Hi I have an r32 thinkpad that powers down when touched or bumped slightly(picked up etc).pressure on the keyboard area etc and pressing the on button will allow me to sometimes make it run but its quite worrying using it because a slight touch whilst running means total turnoff.squeezing the laptop makes it run but i cant hold it forever. cleaned my motherboard with contact cleaner to try to fix - didnt sort it but my dvd writer works now!

A:The graphic chip(BGA packaged) has dry joints, hold/push the chip to find out.

Q:Hi i have a Dell 510m with a faulty motherboard it powers on fine on battery but ac power causes to short and blacks out. i have replaced the dc socket and still the same problem. You mentioned another time when you had to replace a Capacitor on a 510m could you give me more detail?

A:There are a lot of capacitors in the circuit it's not the same one even the fault looks the same.

Q:I have 2 IBM T22's. One will not charge a known good battery and the other intermittanly freezes. On the first, I have swapped batteries and tried a different power supply. Also I have pulled the motherboard and soldered the 4 connections where the yellow power jack connects to the mobo. Still the same problem. Battery meter always say the battery is supplying the power even it is is plugged into AC. On the freeze. I have pulled all the extra devices, DVD, modem, etc and tried different memory. Freezes to the point where I have to hold the power button down to turn it off. It has frozen before during the actual XP boot process, before it even gets to the desktop. I also have swapped hard drives. It is up to date on all drivers and patches. Thanks for any wisdom!

A:The first power input circuit's fault, you need to check fuse and follow the "+" path. The second one is CPU/video chip overheating, check their supply voltages? Hope these help.

Q:Hi, I got given a broken Compaq M2000 laptop that does not power on. I have tested the HDD, Ram, Battery and the transformer. I have come to the conclusion that theres something wrong with the motherboard. Would this be correct? Can you give me a rough quote on repair costs of a mother board? Email: Thanks

A: Hi. I'm having similar problems with my Compaq Presario M2000 notebook too. I had to wiggle the adapter to the power connector of the notebook or my laptop battery won't charge and won't turn on if it doesnt have it's battery on. That metal thing which I plug into the DC gets extremely hot very quickly in matter of minutes also.

I've been looking for information on how to dismantle my notebook to get access to the DC power jack but looks like there's too much risk involved. Too many screws to look out for and thin wires in the way. Almost made me feel like Im defusing a bomb or something. Im a college student living on college budget and couldn't afford to buy a new laptop and the warranty is already up. I bought the laptop only 2 years ago.

I would really really appreciate it if anybody could give me a guide on how to dismantle my laptop and get access to the DC power jack. I's gonna cost me $120 if I were to send it to the shop to repair. My email address is hafiz_felix2000@yahoo.com or Instant Message me at hafiz_alone2006@hotmail.com

It's hard to go to sleep without knowing what's to come

Q: i saw your post where you repaired a dell c640 that would not power up. i am having the exact same problem, and i have a board to use for parts. can you tell me which part you replaced, or what it looks like? i cannot find a schematic anywhere for this thing. thank you so much for any help you can offer

A: It's normally a transistor in the 3.3V power on circuit, short circuit fault. I don't have the schematic sorry.

Q: can you tell me how i can find out which one it is?

A: Look for overheated IC, and components in the circuit.

Q:Hi,Ihave a compaq Presario V2000.It started normal but when I do a shutdown it will restart again.This happen continously during shutdown.I have reinstalled WinXP but still the same problem.Is there a hardware problem which I would like to look at it.Plis advice. Thanks.

A:Try upgrade the bios, otherwise it'd be a hardware fault.

Q:Hi, I have a Dell inspiron 4100. I have snapped the ribbon cable that connects the touchpad to the motherbaord. Is it possible to get this replaced/ fixed? Thanks Adam. My email address is:

A:.

Q:Hi, I've got a few HP 1730 LCD Screens with faulty power supplies. When I try to turn them on all I get is a flickering noise. Is there just one specific part that needs to be replaced? Can you point me to any guides where I can repair this myself? Thank you.

A:google low esr capacitors, a few capacitors need replacing. Cheers.

Q:Hi I have a IBM 600E Laptop, I had it in storage for about 6 months. When I turned it on I had an error message 161 and 163. I suspect that the battery is dead. Can you tell me if it can be repaired and how much it would cost.

A:The CMOS battery is gone, under $30 for the repair.

Q: i have a toshiba a110 that does not boot, power light goes on, fan run for a while, but no hd activity, an no boot. i tested all components but i seem that the motherboard is defective, any help?

A:You need a test card to find out if it POST or not, if no POST check 3.3V/5V and all other supply. Hope this help.

Q:Help! I accidentally plugged a charger instead of a powercable into my compaq presario 2200 laptop. It went all sort of tartan for a second and now one usb port doesnt work and when i type the curser tends to leap backwards every twenty letters or so. Its driving me nuts! Is it fixable or am I better off just buying a newbie? I'm in Auckland if you think its fixable. Thank you

A:Not too bad the damage, at least it starts up. USB port might not repairable tho, keyboard is. Cheers.

QGreat! i can manage without the usb port but I need the keyboard fixed. My email is: -------------- Please let me know approx how much it will cost and where I can get it fixed. tha nk you

A: Please ring/txt 2682268auckland/0272681268, thanks.

Q:I have an IBM T23 Thinkpad 2647 8MU. The CDRW-DVD drive fried and took out the battery charging circuit. It will only work on AC power and not the battery. I think it also took out my back up battery. The laptop runs fine except for this problem. Is there a fuse or charging circuit that can be replaced or does this require a new MB?

A: Something wrong with the battery circuit, could be the charging or the power management side. Can only decide after openning it and checking the m/b.

Q:Hi. I have a Toshiba Satellite P200 bought in Australia. I had it connected to my desktop computer by a usb cable as I'm trying to network. With the laptop running I couldn't see any connection between the computers. So I pulled the cable out of the laptop and tried another usb plug. As soon as I plugged it in the laptop shut down straight away. Now I have the AC indicator light up. But when the power button is pressed, it lights for a few seconds and goes out. Nothing boots up or works at all. Help me cause this belongs to my daughters boyfriend!

A:The USB signals go into the south bridge on mainboard, now it's most likely something wrong with the south bridge, we don't have the equipment to repair/replace it yet, will have in a few week's time.

Q:I have a Dell Inspiron 510m, It sometimes takes ages to power on, then some days it only takes 1 push of the power button. This happens on both battery and mains power. I suspect it may be the power switch board?? If so can you source another power switch board for this laptop? Part number: DA0DMTH8C1.....thanks email: j.walker@...

A:Can source one for you, but not a lot can go wrong with the board except the connection between the switchboard and mainbaord.

Q: I've had my hp pavailion zv5000 in the repair shop since jan 7th for a broken power jack and now they're telling me that my diode is broken...After doing some research, i think THEY broke my diode. Apparently, if they put the ac adapter in backards, it reverses the polarity of the input, thereby shorting my diode. Since they realized the diode was broken (about 3 weeks ago) they have been telling me that they need to find out what kind of diode it is before they can replace it. Should it really be taking 3 weeks to find this out? I'm currently taking online classes for college and REALLY need my computer back, which the repair guys are well aware of. Is there any way you could let me know what type of diode i need so i can just get my computer working and back to me? I would be extremely appreciative (and my grades would probably be better...) -Adreanna

A: The diode we worked on is a SBM1040CT, you can google its datasheet, hope this help.

Q: I'm currently working on a Toshiba A70, PSA70C-00V00E, s/n x4391086k with a memory fault. The problem is that the A70 has on board RAM. To avoid the cost of replacing the systemboard I was wondering if there is a way to disable the on board RAM through hardware by cutting the 3.3v to the RAM IC's (no option available in the bios that I could find) The thought is that if I can disable the onboard RAM then I can install a RAM module in the expansion slot. Short of trying to find a pin-out diagram of the IC or start unsoldering pins 1 by 1 I'm kind of at a loss. Thanks -chris

A: Hi Chris, there is a capacitor to each ICs, that must be connected to the supply rail?

Q: Hi Ive got a hp 1730 monitor with the same fault as the one descrided in your repair database. I was wondering if you would be able to supply the replacement part or if not how much you would charge to repair it.

Cheers Bruce.

A: Hi Bruce, we can supply parts if you let us know what you need, Cheers

Q: Hi, I bought a Compaq Armada-E500 laptop from E-bay and no instructions came with this item. It was shipped to me and I have been looking it over and trying to open the CD Bay. I am new to this laptop stuff. I have a PC at home and wanted one I could take with me too. Do you know how I can get a booklet or anything that would help me in this matter?

A: try this HP site: http://tinyurl.com/ypd38t

Q: I was recently using my Inspiron 9300 in my truck on an 12V inverter and the AC power pack that came with my laptop. The inverter kicked offline and the computer shut down. I found that my battery was no longer holding a charge.

Now, everytime I fire up the computer, the CPU fan starts and stays on high. In addition, the CPU utilization jumps between 33% and 100% while I have nothing running and when I do run anything, that program is SLOOOOOOW. The system is also VERY slow to boot up. It also took a good solid 60 seconds to get to the bios screen once I punched F2.

I did replace the battery.

Anybody have any idea how to fix this issue?? Please help.

CPU - Pentium M, 1.6 GHz 2GB RAM OS - XP SP2

A:Sorry for the late reply, first I'll flash the bios, find it on Dell's website with laptop's tag... if no luck then try removing/replacing the harddrive/optical drive, and see if the laptop recognizes the AC adapter/battery in the bios, battery charging and powering up the laptop fine? even slower by battery power? Let me know what you find? Cheers.

Q:Hi I have a Thinkpad T40 which runs fine from the power supply but the battery does not charge. I have tried different batteries/charges & suspect the charge circuit. What IC/components make up the charge circuit / is there anything specifically I should be looking for on the motherboard?

A: It's an ADP3806, check the MosFETs linked to it for short/open circuit first,then the working condition of the IC... Cheers.

Q:hi, I see in your repair database that you removed a Tecra A4 password with a SMSC LPC47N249-AAQ chip. I have a Satellite A10 with the same chip and no parallel port for the dongle. Can you advise the metheod? Is it shorting particular pins or reading an eeprom? thanks

A:a usb dongle was used, not shorting.

Q: I am working on a hp ze 1000 mainboard that does not power up.It only has 2 to 3 volts at the dc power connector.The dc adapter is outputting the right voltage so I assume there is a short.The 2 IRF7811 and 4 SI4362 transistors check good but there is a FDS6982 dual mosfet that shorts or blows on the bottom of the board near a Maxim 1632.I also found a 10 ohm resitor that is connected between the supply voltage and the Maxim open circuit. I had no supply voltage as long as the resistor was in circuit with the FDS6982 but I changed the FDS6982 and took out the faulty resistor and now the supply voltage is back but without 5 volts at any of the switching transistors or the FDS6982 components.What could be happening here and is there any way to check this Maxim 1632 before or after I replace this 10 ohm resistor?

A:Please read max1632's document and it's best for you to have a working circuit to play with, the following pins should alway have the voltage readings: REF=2.5V, VL=5V, BST3,BST5=4.7V, depends on circuit, pin7/28 should be enabled(high) for the IC to work.

Q: Am visiting sydney from UK & celebrated by spilling wine on my old Dell Latitude CPTs laptop, which was a perfectly working machine before it succumbed to the grape. I gather I need to dismantle it & clean the MB but havent seen any site to show how to dimantle it. can you point me to something please?

A: Please find a copy of CPT service manual online, sorry can't help you much.

Q: Hello, I have a few Sony VAIO VGN-FS series motherboards that will power up (active LED lights, fan activity, etc.) but not P.O.S.T.. I recognize this is a common issue with the motherboards for this line of laptops. I have been told that this issue is *not* RAM-socket related as may be the case with other Sony motherboard issues. I am also certain that the problem is not due to faulty SODIMM modules or a bad CPU. There isn't very much discussion on repairing the boards for this series on the Internet. Have you encountered these models in the past, and can you offer some insight? Is it due to a faulty MAX1999 IC? Deballed/cold solder joint in the Southbridge chip? What is the most likely and common culprit for this issue? There are a few sites offering repair indicating that this is the result of one specific issue on the board, but of course they are not generous enough to indicate what is at fault.

Q: I have a Compaq evo n610c that will no longer start, one day it just would not turn on. My LED lights are flashing yellow 8 times then green 1 time, over and over. Does anyone know what the problem is and how it can be fixed?

Q: Greetings. (Sorry repeated, my fault late returning) Dell Latitude C800, blew MB capacitor C404. Dead, removed the remains, now boots for 5 sec then off. MB circuit avail? What was capacitor value? Can you help for Brisbane Aust resident? Suggestions? With thanks, Tony

Q: Hi, I see on the fixed list you've recovered passwords from HP NX9010.

 Has this been from using the system hash code (retrieved by pressing F12 on the password enter box).

If so have you the software for retrieval or can you decrypt my hash code to my password. My hash is 10338.

A: No, not from hash code.

Q: Hello my friend has a prime dospara custom pc model number D400S the dvd writer and the battery are dead so he runs it on the ac mains it fires up ok from a cold boot but once u start doing stuff the screen goes blank and pretty much have to yank the power it seems to pumping out a lot of heat any ideas if it can be fixed??? email james at

Q: hello there sir's i have a compaq presario M2000 no booting just leds on hdd batt and or ac if plugged in i was able to dismatle the laptop and measure voltage.. it this correct? " mosfet F7821 i get 18 volts from D and O volts on S .same with F 7832.. should there be voltage from D? (drain) i have no schematic so i really need help here.. basic skills in eletronic troubleshooting ...or send atleast voltage test points .. pleasee..

Q: Hello, I have a toshiba A55 laptop that will not post, the amber power led blink 8 times (s-s-l-s-s-l-s-s)s=short, l=long but will not turn on. Do you have any clue as to what the problem maybe? thx

A: It's to do with the power or power control circuit, try if you can take it apart and put it back...

Q: hello i have a dvd-rw/ram drive in my laptop (sony vaio sz series) an it doesnt play my dvd discs only my cd discs it used 2 play dvds but everytime i stick a dvd in the drive it run an stop three times then it wont go but the cd's just works fine is there a way 2 fix the drive other than buying a new one??? ive already upgraded the firmware 2 but its not working im thinkin its something 2 do with the hardware

A: have you tried cleaning the head? I'm afraid not a lot you can do.

Q: Hi, could you give me a quote for replacing a (possible) broken power jack on an Dell Inspiron 6400? Someone ripped the power cord out on an angle and since then the laptop will not work, not even with a different, working, adapter. email -- Thanks!

Q: Hi, I have a Compaq Presario V2000 and shortly after I upgraded it's RAM, when ever I'm running both my internet web browser and msn messenger it is easily prone to overheating, black screening and then freezing; forcing me to restart it. The only thing I can think the problem might be is that the two pieces of RAM I have in there aren't working well together(originally the laptop came with two 256's but I replaced one 256 with a 1G), is my assumption correct or is it something else?

Q: Hi, could you please me give me a quote for replacing a screen for an Asus A8M? Unfortunately I dropped it and the screen cracked.

Q: I have a Toshiba Satellite PSP26A-0J2R9, that won't power on. This problem appears to be similar to another machine you have listed in your Repair Database. Can you please outline what repairs were necessary to rectify the problem as I am concerned the fault is quite serious.

A: You need to follow the DC supply circuit.

Q: Could you give me a quote for repairing a cracked screen on a sony vaio vgn-tx57gn - screen size 11.1"? . Thanks

A: Sorry I need the laptop to find out, or you can take apart to find the screen's part number. thanks.

Q: Could you give me a quote, about how to repair notebook at component level?. Thanks

Q: Hi, I have a Compaq nx6110 that does not boot. When powering on, the screen is extremely dim, but you can make out the HP logo, and there is some message on the lower left but I can't read it. After about 15 seconds the hard drive light goes off, but the logo remains on the screen. Removed battery, hard drive, DVD drive, second DIMM, no difference. Tried plugging in a monitor - same dim screen on the laptop, nothing on the external monitor (not even a green light). Removed both DIMMs, and then no screen at all, as expected... but that's the only thing that made any difference. I hesitate to try to fix the display when the system doesn't even boot. Is it a reasonable bet that a motherboard replacement might solve both the booting problem and the display?

A: Plug in external monitor, turn on, push Fn+F4 to see the screen there or not...

Q: Hello there I have Nec P440 notebook.When power up the power light is on and I can heard the hdd is spinning but it cannot boot-up.I used the BIOS postcard and found out that the postcode number is "FF00" and the 3.3V,5V and CLK Led is ON.I would greatly appreciate if you could help me what signals or voltages on the components I should check for regarding no post problem.This seem to be a tough problem for me to solve because all the critical voltages like the cpu core and crytal is working normally.I have few Nec unit having the same problem. Thank you.

A: Not easy, most likely south/north bridge, can only suggest checking CPU, RAM and all connections.

Q: Hi..my laptop (compaq presario m2000) will not start up at all. HP's advice - removing all power sources, draining residual power from the notebook then attempting to start from only mains power - has no effect on the notebook. The power LED does not even light up..help..

A: Will need to find out if a working battery can power the laptop or not, if yes power input circuit, no it's the 3.3 5V power section. Good luck...

Q: I have a Compaq M2000 that refuses to power on. I disassembled the laptop and found that the PQ44 and PC55 chips are burned up. I see that in the past you have repaired this very issue. Could you please tell me the capacitance rating for the PC55 SMT capacitor?

A: Sorry I don't have the rating on hand, I used one from a similar board, it's not that critical, most of the time is for the main 19V rail.

Q: Hi, I have a Compaq Presario B1900. The screen has stopped coming on and nothing happens if I plug an external monitor into the VGA port either. I opened the panel that gives access to the CPU and ram and noticed what looks like three SMD (surface mount) resistors have burnt out. Could I get a rough repair quote?

Regards Adam Ben-Dror randomstuff.co.nz

Q: Hello, I've got a Compaq Presario 2200 that I bought back in 2004/2005. The Screen's backlight appears to not be working. I can see an image, but it's very faint, almost all black. However plugging it into an external monitor is fine. Is it possible to fix the backlight or will I need a new screen?

Thanks

Q: Hi, I've got a problem with two HP NX9105 laptops (similar to zv5000) They have both been in storage for a few years and now won't hold the time / date in the bios. Suspect CMOS battery failure. Have stripped one of the machines but what I THINK is the cmos battery is soldered to the motherboard. What I'm looking at is a small silver disc slightly larger than a shirt button to the left of the socket for the keyboard ribbon cable. I reckon I could solder in a suitable replacement but don't know the voltage. Any experience of NX9105 OR ZV5000 CMOS?

A: Sorry we don't have info on hand re this particular model, but similar models use 3V primary lithium button cells, you should be able to find marking such as "CR1016" on the faulty ones to confirm.

Q Hi there, I have a Acer 3680 with broken power socket, have removed main board but need the socket replaced any idea of a cost to replace, cheers 0272411434

Q: Hi, I've an Acer 3003wlmi (i think that's correct, it's not in front of me) with a power socket that needs replacing (the pin has broken). How much do you charge for this kind of job? Thanks. ATgmailDOTcom

Q: Hi, i have a toshiba satellite psm40a-038009. It starts fine cold but once on usually wont shut down properly/ go into hibernate /standby or restart without a "tweak". Once a hot restart occurs often the toshiba power saver fails and the icon of a not-working touchpad appears on bottom right tool bar. Any ideas or how much to fix? thanks m**@xtra.co.nz

Q: Hi, I have a Fujitsu S6240. The battery has been only lasting 10mins max after being charged. Do you guys repack this battery? Thanks.

A: Sorry we don't, find out if the laptop can run battery calibration in the BIOS, or try running the battery on XP's safe mode till it shuts down.

Q: Hey, I have a Toshiba Satellite M50 that I bought in 2006. For a long time the screen has been playing up, refusing to show anything other than a whole bunch of colours and what I can only describe as "warped screenshots coupled with fluoroscent colours. Do you know what is wrong with it and how much it would cost to get it fixed?

Thanks, JD

A: please try connecting to an external monitor, find out same fault on it or not.

Q: Hi, I noticed on your repair page that you fixed an nx6120 by replacing faulty capacitor - C57. I have experienced this same fault and was wondering if you could tell me the value of C57 or if you could tell me where I could find the schematic.

Thanks in advance Glen

A: It might not be the same capacitor, I normally get one off a board from my part collection, should be fine if it's from the 19V circuit. For schematics, go to www.chinaelectron.net cheers.

Q: Hi, I have a Toshiba Satalite A100, when I press the power button I get the battery light blink 10 times and the unit wont turn on. Makes no differance if the battery is connected or not. Thanks

Q: Hi, I have a Compaq Presario, sometimes the LCD monitor goes completely white but there are also times where it works fine at certain places when opening/closing the screen. I know its probably the connecting cable so how much would it cost to fix this? Cheers

A: Please email us your detail presario model thanks jun.opennetAT g m a i l . c o m

Q: Hi. I have a Gateway MT6831 laptop that is completely dead. There is 19.5 volts at the power connector but not much elsewhere. Can you tell me which IC is the voltage regulator as I only see a Maxim 8743 and a 8724 in addition to a few other ic's. Knowing where the input voltage is going would also be helpful. Thanks.

A: You need to know the components on board and then be able to follow the main voltage circuit. Cheers

Q:I have a laptop screen with only the tophalf showing a clear picture and the other half is very shaded and dark. What could this problem be?the lcd screen or inverter would appreciate your input

A: Could be the LCD cable or screen, not the inverter.

Q: Hey there, Ive got a NEC versa m400 where the screen had greatly faded and the graphics were barely viewable. I was managed to turn it onto the tv through the svideo cable while I waited for an inverter to arrive, but while waiting I lost it from the tv too and the new inverter hasnt fixed the problem. Now I cant see anything on the screen at all, but the lights turn on as per normal. Any ideas?

A: Any shortcut key to switch the display to TV? Must be the graphic card as that's the only part taking care of the screen/tv outputs.

Q: I have a Thinkpad T40 which will turn on but screen is blank. It was working 1 day then turned it on the next day and nothing on the screen

A: Hi did you try an external monitor? is it just screen?

Q: Can you tell me of a reliable way to test IC power mosfets (PQ)without removing them from a board?

A: No sometimes it's quicker to replace it if you think it's faulty.

Q: Can you quote me for the repair or replacement of a Toshiba Portege 3500 fan (it sounds like its hitting something), & clean out any dust or whatnot accumulated inside the computer? Also, would an Acer Travelmate 220 with a less than functional keyboard, no HDD, & unknown battery life qualify for your "Cash for Laptops" program (preferably credited against repair asked about previously)? contact: @gmail.com

Q: I've discovered the Digitizer on the above Portege 3500 is incompletely functional (3 separate swaths of screen where the pen doesn't register), can I also get a quote on diagnosing the problem & probable repair cost if I am to provide a working alternate screen/digitizer (which will need to be moved from a cracked shell)? @gmail.com [again].

Q: Hi there, i have an acer aspire 15" with a cracked lcd screen that needs replacing.. laptop also shuts off after 5 minutes (with cord) i think it overheats but im not too sure.. what would i be looking at $ to get this fixed?

Q: Hi. I have a Delta Electronics power board (DAC-19M005) I've taken out of a Viewsonic monitor (VA1912wb). Some of the capacitors look borked (bulging at the top) . Keen? If you could give me a shipping address and approximate pricing please. Email my name at jandaltech dot com. Cheers, Chris

Q: Hi. I have a compaq C700 laptop and the screen went white. connected to a external monitor and it works fine. so i replaced the screen with a new one, still lights up white. i got a new invertor and still white. wondering what else it could be. maybe a cable? hardware or driver issue. i do not want to dump too much cash into this as it is getting close to the price of a new laptop. thaks in advance for the help. Eric

A: it's either the cable or mainboard

Q: so by mainboard do you mean motherboard? is there a way i can check this to see if that is what it is or is it just a buy it and hope it works. also where can i get a new cable from. thanks again Eric

Q: Dell Inspiron 1501 - Won't power on, drawing .007A . Checked caps, none appear shorted, fets all measuring in M Ohm range. Reflowed Jack, still will not power on and still holding at .007. What could it be?

Q: Hi. I have a Sony Vaio PCG 5KFP with a faulty keyboard and am trying to get a replacement? Not sure where to find one as model is no longer available. Thanks!

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