£300 to replace laptop motherboard..

poppy10_2

schoolrunmum wrote: »

Hi guys,DH has removed the hard drive, and it's a Maxtor mobilemax 80 GB PATA..is that an IDE one??

Yes, that's IDE

Richie-from-the-Boro

schoolrunmum wrote: »

Hi guys,DH has removed the hard drive, and it's a Maxtor mobilemax 80 GB PATA..is that an IDE one?? Sorry, but I know nowt about computers (i'm learning a lot here though!) DH reckons it's most likely the power on switch-it's been "iffy" from brand new...will let you know how he gets on...xx
Edit to say on closer inspection, the little connection pins on the HD appear to be bent..not all,just some...is that normal??

Its a bog standard 2.5 inch IDE drive, and no the pins should not be bent at different angles. If the bent ones are (1) not the ones that go to the cable and (2) not touching any other pin leave them as they are.

Bent pins ? does the cable actually fit snug with the bent pins ?

Power on switch ?, more info required.

schoolrunmum

Richie-the lappy went back to PC World twice under guarantee (within weeks of purchase)because the power on switch didn't switch it on, you could feel the switch wasn't working...anyway they eventually rectified it....whilst DH has been dismantling it, he can see they just glued the switch in, and glue has dripped into the body of the machine, glueing the motherboard to the body of the lappy. Someone in the past (local workshop?) has attempted to remove the motherboard and has bent the bins trying to get it out-we think!

Richie-from-the-Boro

schoolrunmum wrote: »

Richie-the lappy went back to PC World twice under guarantee (within weeks of purchase)because the power on switch didn't switch it on, you could feel the switch wasn't working...anyway they eventually rectified it....whilst DH has been dismantling it, he can see they just glued the switch in, and glue has dripped into the body of the machine, glueing the motherboard to the body of the lappy. Someone in the past (local workshop?) has attempted to remove the motherboard and has bent the bins trying to get it out-we think!

Hot glue guns are a standard in the industry, everyone uses them. In this case they appear from your description to have made a bit of a mess. Hot glue is a godsend and easy to put on but a bit of a pig to get off cleanly. The patch where the body of the lappie & the MOBO are stuck together if you want them separated just heat up a very thin blade and carefully cut it away. Make sure there is a [ however small ] gap twixt MOBO & case.

The on / off power switch that they hot glued years ago, are you saying that is malfunctioning because the switch is broke or the position of the switch in the case is the reason for it not working - and is it an intermittent or a permanent fault ?

schoolrunmum

Richie,it appears that rather than replace the switch they used superglue as well as hotglue (there was a plastic bit on the back of the switch that had sheared off) to repair switch.Superglue had dripped inside near the mobo and glued it in. On detailed dismantling DH has found what he calls an "earth strap" (like thick silver paper) that was torn almost completely away from the mobo,possibly by the same person who bent the pins trying to remove the mobo. He has replaced this,straightened out the pins, and we have had lappy working for an hour or so without it switching off. Fingers crossed! I have at least managed to remove all the data I wanted from the HD to a memory stick so that's good..
Can't thank you guys enough for the advice though...he's just screwing it all back together now..

Richie-from-the-Boro

schoolrunmum wrote: »

Richie,it appears that rather than replace the switch they used superglue as well as hotglue (there was a plastic bit on the back of the switch that had sheared off) to repair switch.Superglue had dripped inside near the mobo and glued it in. On detailed dismantling DH has found what he calls an "earth strap" (like thick silver paper) that was torn almost completely away from the mobo,possibly by the same person who bent the pins trying to remove the mobo. He has replaced this,straightened out the pins, and we have had lappy working for an hour or so without it switching off. Fingers crossed! I have at least managed to remove all the data I wanted from the HD to a memory stick so that's good..
Can't thank you guys enough for the advice though...he's just screwing it all back together now..

Good your getting near to doing your self what you paid a so called pro to do some time ago. All you can do after switching off is try it in the morning and see what happens.

Observations :

- if it does not switch on, you now know where to start
- the "earth strap" / switch position is your starting point

Now everyone knows why (1) lappies are expensive in man hours to repair once the case has to be opened and (2) that its nowt but common sense really to repair.

Glad your sorted ' schoolrunmum ' need anything else .. .. shout !