How to reinstall factory OS

In this post I explain how to reinstall factory operating system. This should work for most laptops running Windows Vista or Windows 7 OS.
This could be useful if your OS stopped working properly, got corrupted or infected with a virus.
WARNING! Running system restore utility will erase all personal data on the hard drive and re-image it back to factory defaults. Make sure all personal data is backed up before reinstalling the OS. Also, make sure the laptop is running on AC power during the recovery process.

How to repair broken touchpad connector on motherboard

In this post I explain how to repair broken touchpad cable connector on a motherboard.
Let’s say you were fixing a laptop yourself and accidentally damaged the touchpad connector or any other similar connector. The problem is the touchpad connector soldered to the motherboard and it’s impossible to replace it with regular soldering tools. Also, these connectors are not sold separately which makes the replacement even more impossible.
Let’s try to repair it. We’ll do it using the same technique as for fixing the keyboard connector.
On the following picture you see a typical touchpad connector. The connector has а white base (permanently attached to the motherboard) and locking tab (moving part).
In order to unlock the connector you lift up the left side of the locking tab. The locking tap opens up at a 90 degree angle and releases the touchpad cable. After that you pull the cable from the connector.


On the following picture you see the damaged connector. I wasn’t careful enough and separated the locking tab from the base.
Unfortunately there is no way to attached broken tab back.

Here’s how I fixed it.
Insert the touchpad cable back into the connector. The touchpad cable has contacts on the bottom side – the side which is facing the motherboard.
In order to work properly the cable contacts have to touch contacts inside the connector but it’s not happening when the locking tab is missing.

Find a small piece of plastic. It has to fit inside the connector and be thick enough to fit tightly between the four metal hinges and touchpad cable.
Insert this piece of plastic into the connector. Make sure the touchpad still seated inside.

On the following picture you see the connector “fixed”. It doesn’t look the same as before but nevertheless the cable secured inside.
The piece of plastic applies pressure on the cable and it makes good connection with the contacts. The touchpad works again!
Now you can secure the connection with tape.
This simple trick fixed my touchpad.

Here’s another type of touchpad connector.
The locking tab is broken and also separated from the base.

Position the broken tab the way it was plugged before but do not push it into the connector yet.

Now insert the cable. In most cases it goes under the tab.
Push the cable all the way into the connector.

While holding the cable, push the tab into the connector.
Even though the locking tab is broken, it should secure the cable.
Again, apply some tape over the connection to secure it.

Most common hardware problems

In this post I will summarize most common laptop hardware related problems and give some suggestions how to troubleshoot or repair them.
Problem 1.
Computer doesn’t turn on at all.

When you plug the AC adapter into the laptop, there are no lights turning on at all. When you push on the power button, nothing happens. The laptop appears to be completely dead, makes no sounds, no indications of life.

Possible problem:
– The AC adapter failed and the battery has no charge left. In this case test the AC adapter with a voltmeter. If it’s dead, replace it with a new one.
– DC jack failed and the motherboard doesn’t receive any power from the adapter. In this case the DC jack has to be replaced.
– Motherboard failed. The motherboard has to be replaced, if it’s not too expensive. Otherwise get ready to buy a new computer.
Here are some tips for testing AC adapter and DC jack.
Also, make sure to read step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting dead laptops.
Problem 2.
Screen is blank.

The laptop turns on, power LED lights up, cooling fan works but nothing appears on the screen. The screen is completely black and blank. There is no image on the screen at all.
Possible problem:
– This can be memory failure. It’s possible one of the memory modules failed. In this case you can try reseating memory modules to make sure they are making good contact with the slot. You can try removing memory modules one by one and test the laptop with only one module installed. You can try replacing memory modules.
– If reseating/replacing memory doesn’t help, try removing the hard drive, DVD drive, modem, wireless card, keyboard, etc… In other words, disassemble the laptop to bare minimum and test again. If the laptop still doesn’t turn on, most likely you have failed motherboard or processor.
Read this guide for bare bone system troubleshooting.
Problem 3.
Laptop turns on and off repeatedly.

The laptop turn on without showing any image on the screen. After a few seconds it turns off by itself. Then it turns on and off again.
Possible problem:
Most likely this is motherboard failure. You can try reseating/replacing memory as I described in the Problem 2. If it doesn’t help, probably the motherboard failed.
Problem 4.
Laptop makes noise while running.

The laptop turns on and everything works fine, except it makes some constant weird grinding or rattling noise.
Possible problem:
In most cases this noise is coming from the cooling fan or hard drive. Take a closer look at the cooling fan.
If the fan doesn’t spin but the the laptop makes noise, probably it’s coming from the hard drive. Back up all personal data as soon as possible and replace the hard drive.
Also, you can remove the hard drive and stat the laptop. If the laptop still makes noise, most likely it’s bad fan.
Problem 5.
Laptop shuts down or freezes.

The laptop runs properly but after a while it freezes or shuts down without any warning. When it happens, the bottom feels hot. Also, the cooling fan runs louder than usual.
Possible problem:
Most likely this is heat related issue. It happens because the fan heat sink is clogged with dust and the processor not cooling down properly. Cleaning the fan and heat sink from dust should fix it.
Here’s how you fix heat related problems.
Problem 6.
Battery not charging properly.

The battery stopped charging properly. It doesn’t charge at all or charges only after you adjust the position of AC adapter plug inside the power connector.
Possible problem:
– Failed battery.  If it doesn’t charge completely try reconnecting the battery first. Also, try running the laptop just from AC adapter with battery removed. If it runs fine from AC adapter, most likely it’s either bad battery or failed motherboard. Try replacing the battery first.
– Failed DC power connector. If the battery charges only after you adjust the position of AC adapter tip inside the connector, most likely this the DC jack failed.
Here are some tips for charging problems.
Problem 7.
Screen light fails.

The laptop starts properly but after a while the screen light turns off. The image still appears on the screen but it’s very dark.
In some cases the screen light never starts and all you can see is a very faint image.
Possible problem:
Most likely it’s either failed screen inverter or backlight lamp (CCFL) failure.  When either one fail, the backlight stops working.
In order to troubleshoot this, you’ll need some spare parts: either new working inverter or known good backlight lamp.
Read how to troubleshoot backlight failure.
Problem 8.
Strange or garbled image on the screen.

The laptop turns on properly but has a distorted or garbled image on the screen.
Possible problem:
– The graphics card failed. First of all, test your laptop with an external monitor or TV. If you see the same garbled image on the external screen, most likely the graphics card failed.
– If the problem appears only on the laptop screen, this can be related to one of the following: poor connection between the video cable and motherboard or screen. Also can be failed video cable or screen.
Here are examples of failed video and explanations how to narrow down the problem.
Also read why display shows strange colors.
Problem 9.
Some keyboard keys stopped working.

Some keyboard keys do not work at all or type wrong characters.
Possible problem:
Most likely the keyboard failed and they are not repairable. Read how to replace the keyboard.
Problem 10.
Keyboard has missing or broken keys.

A key got separated from the laptop keyboard.
Problem solution:
If a key separated from the keyboard, it’s still possible to fix it.
If you have many keys missing, probably it makes sense to replace the whole keyboard.
Read how to attach a key back .
Problem 11.
Repetitive beep sound on startup.

You turn on the laptop but there is no video on the screen. Instead, it starts making repetitive beeping sound. In some cases you can “fix” the problem temporarily if you press on the keyboard keys.
Problem solution:
Most likely you have stuck keys. In this case you’ll have to replace the keyboard.
Problem 12.
Liquid spill.

You spilled something on the laptop and it’s stopped working.
Problem solution:
Liquid spills are very dangerous and unpredictable. If it happened, turn off the laptop ASAP, remove the battery and do not use it until all internal parts are inspected for liquid damage.
It’s sill possible to make it work again.
Read how to deal with liquid spills.

Liquid spill repair tips

In this post I provide a few liquid spill repair tips.
IMPORTANT: If you spilled something on your laptop you should stop using it right away, even if it appears to be running good. Right after the spill you should turn it off, unplug the power adapter and remove the battery. The laptop should be disassembled as soon as possible and all internal parts should be inspected for liquid damage.
Liquid spills are very unpredictable. Even a small liquid spill can cause serious damage.
IF YOU SPILLED A SMALL AMOUNT OF LIQUID
Let’s say you spilled less than a teaspoon of liquid on the keyboard and it stopped working properly, but anything else works fine.
In this case it could be enough to remove just the keyboard to evaluate the damage. Turn off the laptop, unplug the AC adapter and remove the battery. Now remove the keyboard and take a closer look underneath.


Search for any liquid presence under the keyboard.

– If you see liquid on the motherboard, you’ll have to disassemble the laptop completely for the further inspection.
– If the motherboard appears to be completely dry, do not disassemble it any further. Replace the keyboard with a new one. Hopefully replacing the keyboard will fix it.
IF YOU SPILLED SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF LIQUID
If you spilled a lot of liquid on the laptop, turn it off right away. Unplug the power adapter and remove the battery as soon as possible.

Most likely it will be necessary to remove the top cover and inspect the motherboard for the damage evaluation.

Search for any liquid presence on the back side of the top cover and motherboard.

If the motherboard is wet, remove it from the laptop and inspect the other side.

HOW TO CLEAN UP LIQUID DAMAGE
Wipe it out liquid with a soft cloth. Ideally, use an air compressor to dry the motherboard.
Be very careful wiping the motherboard because it has too many small components.
If you find any corrosion, you can clean it up with a toothbrush and 91%-99% isopropyl alcohol.

Make sure the motherboard (or any other internal component) is completely dry before testing it.
IF YOU SPILLED SOME LIQUID ON THE SCREEN
If you spilled liquid on the screen, wipe it out clean as soon as possible. The liquid might get inside the screen and damage it.
In one of the previous post I explained how to clean the screen with liquid damage. Believe me, it’s not easy. But if it happens, just replace the whole screen.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE LAPTOP AFTER CLEANING
You’ll have to assemble it back together step by step.
First, assemble just main components: motherboard, CPU with the cooling fan and RAM modules. Now turn it on and test basic image on the screen.
If it turns on and you can see the image, start adding other parts one by one and test after each step.

If the laptop doesn’t start after cleaning, take another look at the motherboard and other components. Maybe you missed a small damaged area. Try cleaning it again.
If it still doesn’t turn on, most likely the motherboard (or other component) is damaged.
HOW TO RECOVER DATA FROM HARD DRIVE
Let’s say the laptop is dead and you cannot do anything to make it work. You still should be able to recover personal data from the hard drive. I assume the hard drive wasn’t damaged by liquid.
You can access data using a USB enclosure.

How to recover files after OS crashed

In this guide I explain how to recover files from a laptop (or desktop PC) with crashed, failed, damaged operating system.
WHEN CAN YOU USE THIS RECOVERY GUIDE?
1. The guide will work if the OS is damaged but the computer hardware still works fine.
2. The guide might work if the hard drive has some minor damage, like a few bad sectors.
PREPARING FOR RECOVERY
For this recovery I’ll be using a Ubuntu CD (Linux OS). Also, you can create a bootable Ubuntu USB flash drive. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a Linux guru for that. The Linux interface will be very similar to Windows OS.
You need another working computer to download and create a bootable CD or USB drive.
1. Download the latest version of Ubuntu OS here. When you click on the download button you’ll start downloading an ISO image.
2. Burn this ISO image on a CD or create a bootable USB stick. It’s explained on the same download page, just scroll a little bit down.
3. Find the target drive where you going to save recovered files. You can use an external hard drive or USB flash drive. The target drive can be formatted with any common Windows file system: FAT, FAT32, NTFS.

DATA RECOVERY PROCESS
STEP 1.
Boot your laptop from the Ubuntu CD or USB.
If the computer keeps trying to boot from the internal hard drive, you’ll have to enter the BIOS setup menu and change the boot order. Set your CD/DVD drive or USB stick as first device in the boot order. Safe changes and restart the computer.
From my experience, Ubuntu OS works fine with most laptop and desktop PC hardware and you shouldn’t have any problem booting it to the desktop. It may not work if your computer hardware is too new.
STEP 2.
The computer will start booting from the CD or USB stick.
Now read carefully!
After some time a welcome screen will pop up. On this screen you can choose your language and choose between two options: Try Ubuntu and Install Ubuntu.
Select Try Ubuntu. The Linux OS will run directly from the CD or USB stick without changing any files on the hard drive.
STEP 3.
Ubuntu OS will continue loading and after a while you’ll boot to the desktop, as it shown on the following picture.

STEP 4.
In order to access the internal hard drive, you click on Places in the top toolbar. You should see your internal hard drive in the drop down menu under the Computer.

STEP 5.
When you click on the internal hard drive a new window will open up. In this window you’ll see all files located on the hard drive.

STEP 6.
Now plug in your target drive into the computer.
Another window will pop up. In this window you’ll see files located on the external drive. In my case I have no files on the external drive, that’s why the window is empty.
You can move windows same way you do it in Windows OS. Arrange both windows as you like.

STEP 7.
Finally, drag and drop needed files from the internal hard drive to the external drive.
After the transfer is done, you can unplug the external drive and use it on any other computer.

IF YOU HAVE FAILED HARDWARE
In case if your computer hardware failed, you should try recovery with external USB enclosure.

How to fix motherboard with failed NVIDIA chip

In this post I explain how you can fix a motherboard with failed NVIDIA graphics chip. This repair might apply to some HP/Compaq laptops and probably some other brands. If this repair works for you, please mention the brand and model number in comments after the post. This will help other readers.
This method should work for the following models: HP Pavilion dv2000, Pavilion dv6000, Pavilion dv9000, Compaq Presario v3000, Presario v6000, HP Pavilion tx1000, Pavilion tx2000.
By the way, I just fixed my son’s Xbox 360 with red ring of death (error 74) using exactly same technique.
MOST COMMON PROBLEM SYMPTOMS
1. Laptop turns on with garbled video on the internal screen and external monitor.
2. Laptop turns on but there is no video on the screen or external monitor.
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM
The graphics chip soldered to the motherboard. When the laptop runs hot for a long time, the graphics chip separates from the motherboard and video fails.
HOW TO FIX FAILED CHIP
Before I tried baking the motherboard in an oven or use bubble-wrap. But today I’m going to fix it using a heat gun.
Basically, I’m going to heat up the graphics chip with a heat gun to solder it back to the motherboard (reflow). I think this method is more reliable and the repair should last for a while.

WARNING!
There is no guaranty this method works all the time. While doing this repair you may damage the motherboard and make it unrepairable.
Proceed at your own risk and don’t blame me if after this repair you’ll get a very expensive door stop.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing this repair, take your laptop to the repair shop.
HOW I FIXED THE MOTHERBOARD
First of all, you’ll have to disassemble the laptop and remove the motherboard.
In my example I’m using a motherboard removed from HP Pavilion tx2000.
In most laptops the graphics chip located under the CPU heatsink (and it has NVIDIA logo on it), so there shouldn’t be a problem locating the chip.

I’ll be using an Ecoheat heat gun EC-100.

In order to figure out how to position the heat gun and for how long, I tested it on a penny with a small piece of solder on the top.
The heat gun has a switch on the handle. There are two positions for the switch. Position 1 – slow. Position 2 – fast.
I used position 1 – slow.
I positioned the heat gun about 1 inch away from the penny and turned it on.

After about 40-45 second the solder started melting. After 50 seconds the solder melted completely.

To protect the motherboard from the heat I used a regular cooking aluminum foil. I cut off a piece of aluminum foil and folded it a few times to make my protection shield thicker. After that I cut off a square opening right in the middle, same size as the NVIDIA chip.
If there is thermal grease on the chip it has to be removed. You can remove thermal grease using alcohol swabs.
It’s not necessary to make it perfectly clean. Just make sure there are no large chunks of the grease on the chip.

UPDATE: Some people mentioned that I should have applied some liquid flux underneath the chip for better results. I’ll definitely do it next time when I have to fix another motherboard.
I found this video explaining how to apply liquid flux under the chip. This video was made for Xbox 360 motherboard but should apply to any laptop motherboard too.
Finally, I positioned the heat gun above the NVIDIA chip about 1 inch away and turned the heat gun into the position 1.

After 50 seconds I turned it off and let the motherboard cool down for about 20 minutes.
Don’t forget to apply new thermal grease on the graphics chip when you install the heat sink.
Some laptops use thermal pads instead of grease. If that’s the case with your laptop, make sure the thermal pad positioned correctly.
After I assembled the laptop back together, the video started properly!
The NVIDIA graphics chip problem fixed!
Will it last for a long time? I don’t know. Still testing.

Why laptop turns off or freezes?

My computer runs very hot and eventually turns off or freezes – this is one of the most common complaints I have been receiving from my customer for many years.
Why it’s happening? Is there an easy fix for that?
Most likely this problem is heat related. Take a look at the following picture.


Any laptop has a cooling module which includes two parts: the heat sink and cooling fan. When it works, the processor (CPU) heats up and the heat sing heats up too. At some temperature level, the fan kicks in and cools down the heatsink.
The problem starts when the cooling module collects too much dust inside. The dust kills normal airflow inside the cooling module. Eventually, the processor overheats and the laptop turns off unexpectedly or freezes.
This problem can be fixed by cleaning the cooling module.
Cleaning the cooling module.
Some laptops give you an easy access to the heatsink and fan. In laptops like that you can access the cooling module through the bottom cover.

In my example I had to remove the cooling module. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to remove the fan and access the heatsink.
In some models you can remove the fan without separating the heatsink from the CPU.
After I removed the fan, I found a thick layer of dust inside. Cleaning it up will fix the overheating problem.

Apply thermal paste on the processor.
You should apply new thermal paste before installing the heat sink back in place.

Remove old thermal paste from the processor and heatsink using alcohol swab.
WARNING: In some models the heatsink also covers the graphics chip. The part of the heatsink which covers the graphics chip might have thermal pad on it instead of regular thermal paste.
Do not replace thermal pad with thermal paste! Do not apply thermal paste on the thermal pad! Just leave thermal pad alone and apply thermal paste only on the processor.
I usually use Shin-Etsu paste which is relatively cheap and performs well.

After applying new paste, install the cooling module back in place. Do not forget to connect the fan cable to the motherboard!
What if the cooling module cannot be removed easily?
In some laptops the cooling module is buried deep inside the case and cannot be easily accessed and removed. In order to remove it you’ll have to disassemble the whole laptop but it’s only for experienced users.
In this case you can use the following technique. It’s not perfect but works very well.

Buy a can of compressed air or use a compressor.
1. Blow air into the fan grill on the bottom.
2. Blow air into the fan grill on the side.
Switch direction a few times until all dust is gone. Most likely this quick cleaning will fix your problem too.

Screen shows strange colors

The screen started showing strange or wrong colors. What could be wrong? I’ve been asked this question many times and today I’m addressing the issue.

In this post I explain some basic troubleshooting techniques in case if your screen started showing strange or incorrect colors.
You have to know how to disassemble your computer in order to use following troubleshooting techniques.

TEST WITH EXTERNAL MONITOR
The main troubleshooting step is testing the video output on an external monitor (or TV). You can connect your laptop to an external monitor using VGA cable, DVI cable, HDMI cable or S-Video cable, it depends on a type of connector you have.
Most models have a VGA connector, so it would be the most common way to connect.

Some laptops detect external monitor automatically and start showing image on both screens right from startup.
Other models can detect the monitor but display image only on one screen (internal or external). In this case you’ll have to switch video between internal and external using the Fn key and one of the F* keys in the top row of the keyboard. This combination varies for different brands, for example it’s Fn+F5 for Toshiba, Fn+F4 for HP, Fn+F8 for Dell, Fn+F7 Lenovo etc…
WHAT VIDEO ON EXTERNAL MONITOR CAN TELL?
If both, the internal screen and external monitor (or TV) show strange or incorrect colors or any other image distortion, this is the graphics card failure.
If only the internal screen shows bad video but external image appears to be normal (as in my example), the problem is somewhere inside the laptop display. This could be bad connection, bad LCD cable or bad LCD screen.
Let’s narrow down the problem one by one.
TRY RESEATING LCD CABLE CONNECTOR ON MOTHERBOARD

The screen receives data signal from the motherboard via LCD cable. If the LCD cable not making good connection with the motherboard, it might cause image or color distortion on the screen. Try reseating the LCD cable connector and see if it fixes the problem. Make sure the LCD cable connector plugged correctly.
In most laptops the LCD cable connector located under the keyboard bezel (aka keyboard cover). If it’s not there, most likely you’ll find it somewhere under the keyboard.
WIGGLE THE LCD CABLE
The LCD cable runs inside the display panel, under the screen. For this test it’s necessary to disassemble the display, so you can access the cable.
A pinched or damaged wire inside the cable also can cause color distortion.

Wiggle the cable while the laptop is running. If moving the cable affects image on the screen in any way (it starts shown different colors, lines, or image clears to normal, etc…) most likely the cable is defective and has to be replaced. Try replacing the cable.
On the other hand, if moving the cable doesn’t affect image at all, most likely the cable is good and you have a failed screen. In this case you’ll have to it with a new one.
APPLY SOME PRESSURE TO THE DISPLAY
Try applying some reasonable pressure to the top part of the display assembly. Squeeze it with your fingers.

If the screen starts showing different colors, lines, or clears to normal when you squeeze the top part of the display panel, most likely this is screen failure. In this case you’ll have to replace the screen.
Also, you might be interested in the following posts:
Troubleshooting backlight failure.
How to test screen inverter.
Bad video on the screen. What is wrong?
Fix video problems.

How to fix HP video problem

Today I show how to fix a known video problem on some HP laptops using bubble wrap.
Most likely the fix is not permanent but this will buy you some time, enough to backup personal files or even use the laptop until you get a new one. There is no guaranty this fix work 100%.
Here are some HP models affected by this known video failure problem: HP Pavilion dv2000, dv6000, dv9000, tx1000 tablet PC, Compaq 700, v3000, v6000 and probably some others.
If you know more models, please mention them in comments after this post.

CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM:
As I know, the video problem somehow related to NVIDIA graphics chip located on the motherboard. Overtime the graphics chip separates from the motherboard and the video fails.

SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM:
The computer turns on and all LEDs light up but there is no video on the screen or external monitor. The internal screen remains completely black and blank.
I found this trick mentioned by Walliot in this post. This trick called “towel fix” and used to fix “no video” issue in xbox360.
HOW TO FIX:
1. Remove the battery and hard drive.
2. Plug the AC adapter and turn on the laptop. Make sure it’s is actually on, all LEDs should work.
3. Wrap it up with towels so all air intakes are closed.
4. Keeps the laptop wrapped in the towel for about one hours.
5. Unplug the AC adapter from the wall the let it cool down (do not move it for a while).
6. Unwrap the laptop and try tuning it on.
I didn’t really believe that this trick might work and tried it just because of curiosity but… IT WORKED!!!!
#1. HP tx1000 Tablet PC repair.

First, I tried this fix on a failed HP tx1000 Tablet PC.
I didn’t have paper towels at work but I had plenty of bubble wrap.
I closed it in a tablet mode (with hard drive and battery removed), plugged the AC adapter and wrapped the laptop properly in bubble wrap.

After that I just waited for about two hours and unplugged AC adapter from the wall. Waited for about 30 minutes and tried turning it on.
Success!!! It starts with with video.

I just couldn’t stop and tried the fix on another one.
#2. HP Pavilion dv6000.
This is a different model with very similar failure symptoms. It failed exactly the same way as the first one.
This time I did something extra. To make sure there is no cool air coming into the case through the bubble wrap, I closed all air vents with sticky tape.

After that I turned it on from AC adapter (again with hard drive and battery removed) and wrapped the base.

It was running like that for about 60-70 minutes but then I noticed that all LED lights went off.
Not sure what happened. Maybe the motherboard overheated too much and shut down on its own. Anyway, I didn’t touch it for about 30 minutes and let it cool down.
My fix was successful again! The laptop turned on with video and booted to the desktop.

HOW THIS FIX WORKS:
Here’s my understanding of how this fix works.
When you run a laptop wrapped in towels (bubble wrap in my case), it gets very hot because there is no air circulation inside the heatsink.
The heatsink gets so hot that it melt solder between the chip and motherboard and the video chip gets resoldered to the motherboard.
Now I have to test for how long this fix last.
RELATED POSTS:
Also read backing the motherboard in an oven and how to reflow failed NVIDIA graphics chip with a heat gun.

Battery charging problems

In this post I explain how to troubleshoot battery charging problems. I will discuss most common failure examples and suggest some troubleshooting steps.

Example 1.
Laptop shuts off when AC adapter unplugged.
When you move the cursor arrow over the battery icon while the laptop is connected to AC adapter, it show the remaining charge and says “charging”.


The power meter utility (if available) also shows that battery is connected and charging.

But… as soon as you unplug the AC adapter, the laptop shuts off completely.
Possible problems:
1. The battery not seated correctly. Try reconnecting it.
2. The battery contacts got dirty or oxidized and it’s not making good connection with the motherboard. Apply some electronic contact cleaner on the contacts.
3. If reconnecting the battery doesn’t help, most likely it’s bad and has to be replaced.
4. If you replaced the battery but the problem still exists, this is motherboard related failure. Apparently the charging circuit on the motherboard failed. In this case the whole motherboard has to be replaced (or repaired on the component level).
 

Example 2.
The battery not detected by the laptop.
There is a red cross on the battery icon.

If you move the cursor arrow over the battery icon, it says “no battery detected”.
Possible problems:
1. Most likely the battery is bad. You have a very good chance to fix this problem by replacing it with a new one.
2. If replacing the battery doesn’t help, this is motherboard related failure. The motherboard has to be replaced (or repaired on component level).
 

Example 3.
The battery discharges very quickly after it reaches some critical point.

The battery detected by the laptop and charges properly to 100%.
When you unplug the AC adapter, it take normal time to discharge until some critical point (let’s say 80%) but after that the battery discharges very quickly to 0%.
Possible problems:
This is battery failed. It has to be replaced with a new one.
 

Example 4.
The battery charges only if the power plug positioned correctly.
You have to wiggle the power plug in order to charge the battery. After you find the right position, it charges properly.

Possible problems:
1. AC adapter failure. The AC adapter power cable is damaged. Here’s how to test your AC adapter.
2. If the AC adapter works fine, most likely this is power jack (connector where you plug power adapter) failure. In this case the power jack has to be replaced.

Fixing Compaq motherboard video

Here’s how I fixed a Compaq Presario V6000 laptop motherboard with “no video” issue.
Also, this fix might work for the following HP/Compaq motherboards: HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000, Compaq Presario V3000 and probably some other models.
WARNING!
This repair might be harmful for your health and baking motherboard in an oven probably is a bad idea. It could be toxic. I did this repair for myself, at my own risk. If you decide to use these instructions, please do it at your own risk.
FIXING “NO VIDEO” ISSUE BY BAKING THE MOTHERBOARD.

Problem description: I had an abandoned Compaq Presario V6000 computer. It was turning on when but after a few seconds turning off by itself. There was no video on internal screen or external monitor. I tried another AC adapter, new memory modules but it didn’t help. I was pretty sure the motherboard failed.

Research: After I did some research on the Internet, I found that this is a known problem with Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Presario V3000/V6000 motherboards and most likely related to the graphics chip failure. The graphics chip is soldered to the motherboard. Apparently, there are bad solder joints between the chip and motherboard. Overtime the chip separates from the motherboard causing all kind of video problems.
Possible solution: One guy suggested baking the failed motherboard in a conventional oven preheated to 385 degrees Fahrenheit for exactly 8 minutes. This process should reflow the chip solder joints and give the motherboard a second life.
I had nothing to lose and decided to give it a try. Here’s how I did it step by step.
First of all, you’ll have to disassemble the laptop and remove the motherboard.
STEP 1.

Remove all peripheral components installed on the motherboard (memory, cooling module, CPU, etc…). Remove all protective mylar tape. The motherboard will be baking at a very high temperature and all that can burn has to be removed.
Take pictures while stripping down the motherboard. They will help you to put all removed protective films back in proper locations.
STEP 2.

This side of the board has been stripped down.
You can see the graphics chip on the right side from the CPU socket.
STEP 3.

Remove all mylar from the other side of the motherboard. Disconnect the audio cable.
STEP 4.

The motherboard will be seating in the oven on the baking pan. In order to elevate the motherboard above the baking pan I’ll use a few screws.
STEP 5.

I installed screws in four corners of the motherboard. There are plenty holes for screws.
STEP 6.

You can see there is a 3/4 inch gap between the board and desk surface. The graphics chip is facing up.
STEP 7.

Place the motherboard on the baking pan. Make sure it’s not touching anything.
Preheat the conventional gas oven to 385 degrees Fahrenheit and place the board in the middle of the oven for 8 minutes. You’ll smell some burning plastic in about 6 minutes.
After that remove the baking pan with motherboard and let it cool down for about 30-40 minutes.
Assemble the laptop back together and see if it works.

This fix worked for me! After I assembled everything back together, it started properly right away. The video had no glitches.
The next time I explain how to repair the same issue using bubble wrap. This method requires no disassembly.
For more permanent fix check out graphics chip repair with a heat gun.

How to disassemble keyboard

In this guide I show how to disassemble a laptop keyboard.
I’m doing it for fun just to see how it’s built. I’m taking apart a damaged one and have no intention to use it in the future.


I’ll be using one of my tools shown on the following picture.

STEP 1.
Remove sticky tape securing the cable to back of the keyboard.

STEP 2.
Carefully unglue the cable from the back.

STEP 3.
Start peeling off the aluminum protective film.

STEP 4.
Remove the protective film.
After the protective film is removed it cannot be reused.

STEP 5.
My keyboard had two plastic separators on the top.

They are secured to the back via pins.
Plastic pins are melted on the back and secure separators in place.

Push all plastic pins though wholes on the keyboard.

Start removing the separator.

The separator has been removed.

STEP 6.
Now you’ll have to remove all key caps.

In order to remove the key cap carefully lift it up with your fingers.

Remove the key cap so the hinge underneath stays connected to the keyboard.

Some big keys have a different design.
In addition to the hinge, some big keys (Back space or Space bar for example) might have an additional support bracket.

Remove the key cap with the support bracket.

STEP 7.
Some laptop keyboards might have blank covers on the left and right sides from the up arrow key.

Lift up and remove the blank cover.

All key caps and plastic separators have been removed.

STEP 8.
Now you can start removing key hinges – key lifting mechanisms.

Carefully separate the key hinge from the keyboard body.

Each key hinge has two parts – external and internal pieces.
When you remove the hinge, try to keep the internal part inside the external. Do not separate them.

If they separated, put them back together.

The lifting mechanism (hinge) assembled.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I’m taking this keyboard apart just for fun. That’s why I don’t care about removed parts.
If you following this guide to repair the keyboard, I would recommend to keep all hinges in the right order.

STEP 9.
Remove the sheet with silicone (or rubber) plungers.

STEP 10.
Remove the second sheet with traces.

Both sheets have been separated from the base.

STEP 11.
The sheet with traces has two layers and all traces are running between these layers.

STEP 12.
You can separate these layers from each other.

The keyboard has been disassemble.

Can you repair a keyboard? My answer is NO! Keyboards are cheap and not designed to be disassembled.
Also read how to repair individual keys.

How to fix broken keyboard connector

In this guide I explains how to fix a broken keyboard connector on a laptop motherboard.

The connector is a very delicate mechanism. It’s very easy to get it damaged if you apply too much force while trying to unlock it.
The cable retainer (locking clip) is made of thin plastic and if it’s damaged, you are in trouble. Unfortunately, this part is not sold separately.
Well… let’s say it happened. The damage is done. How to fix it now?

On the picture below I show one of the most common connector types. It has the base (white in my case) and cable retainer (brown in my case).
When the connector is closed, the cable secured between the retainer and base.
The retainer applies some pressure on the cable and it makes contact with the pins inside the connector.
To unlock it properly, you have to move the retainer about 2 millimeters in the direction shown by two yellow arrows.
IMPORTANT! The retainer must remain attached base.
After that you can pull the keyboard cable and remove the keyboard.

If you are not careful enough, you can move the retainer too far and break it.
On the picture below you can see the retainer broken on both sides. It is missing the both locking hook.

IMPORTANT! Do not though away the retainer. You still can use it.

The cable will not stay inside the connector without the locking clip.

Here’s how fix this type of damage.
Position the broken piece the way it was inserted before.

Carefully insert the cable into the connector. In this case the cable goes above the retainer.

While holding the cable, carefully push the broken clip back in place. You can use a small screwdriver for that.
The clip fits tightly into the connector even though it has two broken hooks.

Secure the connection with sticky tape and test the keyboard. It should work just fine.

Here’s another connector type. The only difference – the keyboard cable is routed under the locking clip. Fix it the same way as the previous connector.

On the next picture you see another type of connector. The cable is inserted vertically.

In order to unlock the connector, you’ll have to move the locking clip (brown piece) about 2 millimeters up in the direction shown by two yellow arrows.
After that you can pull the keyboard cable (green arrow) and remove the keyboard.

If you move the locking clip too far, you can break it.
In my example one side of the retainer got damaged.

Insert the keyboard cable into the connector, position the broken retainer correctly (behind the cable in my case) and carefully push it in.
Even with a broken retainer the cable should be secured inside the connector.

Here’s the same connector shown from the opposite side. You cannot even tell it is broken.

If this trick worked for you, it means I just saved you big bucks on the motherboard replacement. And I’m glad I did.
REPAIR TIPS FROM READERS:
Thank you to Alex for the following suggestion:
I found another way to fix it…
Have you lost the broken “Locking clip”?
Then do this…
Get some “electrical tape” on the back of the “flat cable” to make some “thickness”.
Make sure you are putting the tape on the right side, where there are no visible connections…
Then very carefully push the cable into the connector… It will not come loose and the keyboard will work just fine!
Also read this post explaining how to repair broken touchpad connector.

How to fix hardware problems

In this guide I show how to work around some common laptop hardware problems without taking it apart.
1. Network port failure.
Most motherboards have the network port permanently attached. If the network port fails (I’m talking about hardware, not software failure), the whole motherboard has to be replaced.
Instead of replacing the motherboard, you can use a PCMCIA network card. You plug this card into the available PC slot in your laptop and you are back in business.

If you computer doesn’t have a PC slot, you can use a USB Ethernet adapter instead.

2. USB ports failure.
Most laptops have a few USB ports available. If one of them stops working, usually it’s not a big deal because you still have two or three more working ports left.
But what if all of them stopped working at once? Let’s say the USB controller on the motherboard went bad and the laptop stopped recognizing any device plugged into any USB port. Again, I’m talking about hardware, not software failure. In order to fix this problem you’ll have to replace the motherboard.
Alternatively, you can use a PCMCIA USB card. You plug this card into the PC slot and get two or four USB ports instead. It depends on the type of your PCMCIA card.

3. Internal wireless (Wi-Fi) card failure.
What can you do if the internal wireless card failed?
You can replace the failed wireless card with another one or use a PCMCIA wireless card instead.

4. Internal flash memory card reader failure.
Most newer laptops come with a flash memory card reader. Usually the card reader is soldered directly to the motherboard and if it fails, you have to replace the whole motherboard.
Alternatively, you can use an external USB flash memory card reader. All you have to do is plug the card reader into the available USB port and it’s ready to go.

5. Internal CD/DVD drive failure.
You’ll find an internal CD/DVD optical drive in most computers. If the optical drive failed and stopped reading discs, it has to be replaced with a new one.
Instead of replacing the failed drive, you can use an external USB drive. Simply plug this drive into the USB port, let your computer detect the drive and it’s ready for you.
Also, you can use this optical drive with any other computer which is very convenient.

How to test screen inverter

In this post I explain how I test the inverter board in a laptop.
The inverter failure is very similar to the backlight lamp failure. In both cases the screen gets very dark and the image becomes very faint, barely visible under a bright light.

There is only one reliable way to test the inverter – replacing it with another one and see if the screen lights up after that.
Alternatively, you can connect a new backlight lamp and see if your presumably bad inverter lights it up.

In most cases I go with the second method – using my test backlight lamp. Why? Because the same backlight lamp will work with many different inverters as long as they have matching connectors.
Usually the inverter is mounted inside the display panel below the screen. In most cases you can access it after you remove the display bezel. The inverter has connectors on both ends. The left side connects to the LCD cable. The right side connects to the backlight lamp which is mounted inside the screen. Check out this display diagram.
To make sure that inverter gets power from the motherboard (via the LCD cable), you can test it with a voltmeter. In my case I connected the “+” lead of the voltmeter to the pin 1 and the “-” lead to the ground trace around the screw hole. I got about 19.4V DC on that side of the board, so it’s getting power from the motherboard.
WARNING! If you accidentally short something on the inverter while testing, you can damage it. Proceed on your own risk! Not sure? Don’t do that!

So far we know the inverter is getting power from the motherboard, but the screen still has no light. Apparently, it’s either bad inverter or failed backlight lamp.
Now let’s test it with a known good backlight lamp.
1. Unplug the screen backlight cable from the right side of the inverter.
2. Connect a known good backlight lamp.
Turn on the laptop.
1. If the test backlight turns on, the lamp inside the screen is bad. In this case you’ll have to replace the screen. Also, you can replace the backligth lamp which is not easy and not recommended.
2. If the test backlight doesn’t turn on, most likely we have inverter failure. Replace it and test the laptop again.

There are two different types of backlight connector, you can see them on the picture below. The top one (big) is not as common as the bottom one (small). I mostly use lamps with a small connector.
IMPORTANT! When you buy a new lamp for test, make sure the connector fits your inverter.

On the following picture you see how I’m testing the laptop with a new lamp.

Related articles:
Troubleshooting backlight failure.
Screen shows strange colors.
Troubleshooting video problems.

How to modify damaged DC jack

In this guide I explain how to modify damaged DC jack. While replacing the DC jack a few days ago I accidentally damaged one of the thermals on the motherboard.
I pulled out the internal copper coating (I name it a sleeve) from the inside of the “+” terminal as it shown on the picture below.


The the sleeve removed, it cannot be installed back. If you solder the DC jack back in place without this sleeve, it might work but the connection between the “+” lead and motherboard will not be reliable.
The following guide will help you to modify damaged DC jack terminal. This modification should work for most motherboards with soldered power jack.

Remove the copper sleeve from the “+” terminal on the jack.

Find a small resistor or capacitor with thin leads. Cut off one of the leads. I’m going to use it to modify the motherboard terminal.
Shape the lead as it shown on the picture below.

Put the lead on the “+” connector on the power jack.

Solder the lead to the power jack.

Now I’m going to modify the “+” terminal on the motherboard.

Carefully scrape off green varnish around the whole on the “+” terminal on the motherboard. You can use a small flathead screwdriver.

If the whole is not big enough for your modified DC jack, you can widen it with an awl.

As you see, the hole on the terminal is now larger. Apply a fresh coat of solder on the clear area of the trace.

Install the power jack on the motherboard. Make sure there is no gap between the jack and motherboard.

Here’s a view from the top side of the PCB.
Solder all pins except the modified “+” pin.

Now, when the power jack is secured, you can shape the lead as it shown on the picture below.

Solder the lead to the terminal. Remove excessive flux with an old tooth brush soaked in 99% alcohol.

Here’s a view from the bottom side of the motherboard.

Be very careful. Doing this modification you can damage the motherboard and make it unusable. Proceed on your own risk.

Installing USB Bluetooth adapter inside

Here’s how I installed an external USB Bluetooth adapter inside my laptop case.
My old computer wasn’t Bluetooth ready, it didn’t have the internal connector and antenna for it. I decided to modify my USB dongle and move it inside the case.

I didn’t want to use my laptop with an adapter sticking out from the side.


First of all, I installed Bluetooth adapter software on my computer to make sure everything is working fine while it’s connected to the USB port.

For this modification you’ll need:
1. Laptop disassembly experience.
2. Soldering skills and tools.
3. Inexpensive USB Bluetooth adapter.
This modification is only for experienced users.  You can damage your computer. Proceed on your own risk!
This guide should works for most computers as long as you have enough space to mount the Bluetooth module inside the case.
First of all, I disassembled the case and found a place for the adapter.
In this guide I’m modifying a Toshiba Satellite A105.

My idea was simple. Remove the Bluetooth adapter circuit board and solder it directly to one of the USB ports.
NOTE: after this modification one of the USB ports will not work.

I found some thin wires laying around.
Make sure that wires are long enough for your project.

Disassembled the adapter and remove the circuit board.

Unsolder the USB connector.

The circuit board easily fits into the empty place inside the laptop.

I soldered four wires to the circuit board. I used terminals for the USB connector.

After that I soldered wires to the back of the USB port.

At the last step I installed the Bluetooth circuit board into the case and routed wires to the USB port.
I secured wires to the motherboard with electrical tape.

Finally, assembled the laptop and tested it. There is no on/off hardware switch for the Bluetooth module but I can turn it on and off through software.

Later I found that the reception range wasn’t as good as for external adapter but it was enough for me.

New screen installed but not working

If you installed a new screen into the laptop and for some reason it doesn’t work, there may be a few  things you could have done wrong.
Lets figure out step-by-step how to troubleshoot and  and fix the problem.
First of all, I assume that your new LCD is compatible with the original one. If the screen looks identical, it doesn’t exactly mean it’s compatible. Double check the compatibility between the original and new LCDs.


Troubleshooting LCDs with CCFL (backlight lamp)

The old style screens have a backlight lamp inside and require an inverter board which is usually mounted on the lower part of the display assembly, as you can see on the following picture.

On the following picture you can see how the screen connected to the laptop. Also, check out this display diagram.
The video cable routed from the motherboard to the display through one of the hinges. Somewhere close to the hinge, the cable splits. The wider end connects to the screen (supplies data signal) and another one to the inverter board (supplies power for inverter).

If your new screen lights up but has no image make sure the video cable plugged correctly. It’s possible that during the reassembly process you accidentally pulled the cable from the connector.
Reconnect the cable, secure the connection with sticky tape and test the laptop. There is a chance that now the screen will work properly.

The video cable has to be seated properly, all the way down into the connector.

Some older LCDs have very thin pins inside the video connector as it shown on the following picture.
Take a look inside, make sure there are no damaged (bent) pins. It’s possible that you accidentally bent them while trying to plug in the cable.
You can straighten bent pins with a very small screwdriver. Be careful, they are very fragile.
Fortunately, most newer LCDs have a different type of connector, without any pins inside.

OK, you have reseated all cables but it still doesn’t work. What’s next?
If your original screen was cracked but undamaged areas still work and show some image, you can use it to test the laptop.
Disconnect the new LCD and install the old damaged one back in place. If the old screen still works but the new one doesn’t, your new screen is defective. Send it back to the seller for a replacement.
Here’s another scenario. The new screen kind of works. You can see a very faint image but there is no backlight.
Disconnect the new screen from the inverter board and plug in the old screen instead (I assume it has working CCFL), as it shown on the picture below. If the original screen lights up, apparently the new screen has defective backlight lamp.

 

Troubleshooting LED-backlit LCDs

Newer LED-backlit LCDs have only one cable connected to it. This cable supplies data signal and power for LED backlight.

If your new screen doesn’t work, check the connection first. Make sure the cable seated properly, all the way down into the connector.
You can test the computer with the old, partially working screen, as we did earlier. If the old one still works, but the new doesn’t, your new screen is defective or not compatible.
Also, you might be interested in how to troubleshoot bad video.

Battery not charging if connector moved

This laptop has a power problem. The battery stops charging when I move the AC adapter connector inside the jack. When the connector or power cord moved, the battery charge LED light on the front goes on and off.
Let’s troubleshoot this problem and figure out if this is DC jack related failure or the AC adapter is defective.

First of all, I tested the laptop with the battery removed. It turns on and runs properly from the AC adapter but as soon as I start moving the connector inside the jack the laptop shuts off and it loses power immediately.
If you have a problem like that, most likely it’s related to the AC power adapter or the DC jack.

First of all, I tested the adapter with a voltmeter. The power didn’t cut off no matter how badly I wiggled the cord. I was reading 15.45VDC all the time. It helped me to make a conlcusion that there is nothing wrong with the adapter connector or cord and most likely there is a problem with with the power socket inside the laptop.
The next step was the DC jack inside the laptop.

In order to access the jack I had to disassemble the laptop and remove the top cover assembly with the display.
You can find disassembly instructions for most laptops in their service manuals.

In my case the DC jack was attached to a cable and I easily disconnected it from the motherboard. I tested it with the voltmeter as it shown on the following picture.
When the adapter cord didn’t move, I was reading 15.45VDC.
But as soon as I started wiggle it, the voltage dropped to 0VDC.

The DC jack harness is defective and had to be replaced and the new one fixed the problem.

In some models the DC jack is soldered to the motherboard.
If the battery stops charging when you move the adapter plug, test the AC adapter first. If it pass test, replace the jack.

Laptop is dead. How to troubleshoot.

In this post I’ll explain how to troubleshoot a dead laptop and find the problem. The following troubleshooting tips are not model and brand specific.
Let’s take a look at different failure scenarios.
Example 1. The computer is absolutely dead. 
When you plug in the AC adapter and press on the power button, there are no signs of life at all. It appears to be dead.
What you can do ?
1. Make sure the wall outlet is working and the AC adapter is getting power from the outlet. Try another wall outlet.
2. Test the AC adapter, make sure the voltage output is correct. You can test the adapter with a voltmeter.
3. If the adapter is good, try reconnecting the battery. Remove the battery, wait for 1-2 minutes, plug in the adapter and try turning it on again.

If the adapter doesn’t pass the test with a voltmeter, replace it with a new one and test the computer. I always recommend buying an original replacement adapter from the manufacturer, not a generic one.
There could be more than one adapter available for your model.
The voltage output on your new adapter must be exactly the same as on the old one. The amperage, on the other hand, can be the same or higher.
If previous troubleshooting steps didn’t help, it’s possible your computer has a problem with the motherboard or DC power jack. In this case it’s necessary to disassemble the laptop and test the DC jack.
Example 2. The computer turns on and makes normal startup noises, the LED lights turn on but noting appears on the screen.

First of all, take a closer look at the screen under bright light. It’s possible the screen shows the image but it’s very faint. In this case you’ll have to troubleshoot the backlight failure.
On the other hand, if the screen shows no image at all, test the laptop with an external monitor (or TV) connected to the VGA port or DVI port or HDMI port.
You can toggle video output between internal and external modes by using Fn keys:
– Fn and F4 keys simultaneously on HP laptops
– Fn and F5 keys on Toshiba laptops
– Fn and F7 keys on IBM laptops.
Other laptops may use different key combinations.

If the external monitor works fine but the internal screen has no image at all, the problem can be related to:
– Poor connection between the video cable and screen or motherboard. Try reconnecting the video cable on both ends and check out if this helps.
– The screen failed. Replace it with a new one.
– The video cable failed. Replace it with a new one.
– The motherboard failed.

If both, the internal and external monitors show no image, the problem can be related to:
– Failed memory (RAM).
– Failed motherboard.

– Try reconnecting the memory module, maybe it’s not making good connection with the slot.
– Try cleaning contacts on the memory module.
– Try moving the memory module into another slot.
– Try replacing the memory module with another one.
If you have two modules installed you can try removing them one by one, it’s possible that one of the modules failed. Try moving modules from one slot to another.
If changing or reseating memory doesn’t help, you can try this:
Removing the battery, hard drive, DVD drive and other components you can easily access. Try turning on the laptop without these components installed.
It’s possible one of them failed and it’s preventing the entire computer from starting up properly.

Also, try turning on the laptop with an external monitor while the video cable is unplugged from the motherboard.
If external image appears after you disconnected the video cable, apparently there is something wrong with the cable. Replace it with a new one.

If the computer is still dead, try removing other internal components (wireless card, modem, keyboard, etc…) and test it with an external monitor after each removed part.

The last step is testing the laptop as a barebone system.

On this picture you see my final test. The motherboard has been removed from the base and I assembled a basic barebone system on my bench.
The bare bone system includes:
1. Motherboard (like in most cases it has onboard graphics chip).
2. CPU with the cooling module.
3. Known good memory module.
4. The power button board.
5. Known good AC adapter.
If the system still doesn’t turn on, it’s either bad motherboard or failed CPU.
If you computer shows garbled or distorted image, check out this post.