Safe to use laptop?

fannyanna

Hello

I've broken my laptop. One of the hinges that attaches the lid/screen to the base of the laptop has snapped and has made the casing of the laptop pull apart so that I can see some of the metal on the inside. Hopefully that made sense.

Can anyone give me any guidance on whether or not it sounds safe to use? I can't see any of the wires but I'm worried about the electricity flowing through the computer and being electrocuted.

Also, I don't know whether I can get this repaired or not as it's not the "computer components" that are broken but the plastic casing of the laptop. My thoughts are that if I took it to a computer repair shop they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

m5rcc

Make? Model? Age?

dsavvy83

well anything can be repaire, the will order you new lid cases or anything else that you need, the question is, are you willing to pay for parts and labour to fix it.

If you are quite technical you order spare parts online and repair it yourself.

ukmike

You won't get electrocuted,the supply going in to the laptop will be very low voltage,around 6 volts.

fwor

ukmike wrote: »

You won't get electrocuted,the supply going in to the laptop will be very low voltage,around 6 volts.

The supply voltage to the laptop may only (typically) be 18 volts, but that does not mean that higher voltages will not be present.

If the laptop has a "conventional" fluorescent backlight then that is likely to be running at 500+ volts, and that's going to give you a jolt if you happen to touch the wrong bare wires.

If it's an LED backlit model then there shouldn't be any hazardous voltages present.

fannyanna

It's a Dell inspiron 1545. Few years old.

I'm not technical in the slightest so would need to take it to be repaired. Don't know how much it would cost and whether it'd be just as well to buy a replacement our claim on insurance.

victor2

I replaced the hinges in an older Dell D600 laptop. It was a bit of an awkward job and involved opening up the screen and computer body to get at it, plus the screen body itself was not broken.
For over a year, the laptop was held together with sticky tape and never closed (didn't need to use it's portability fortunately) before I got round to fixing it. If there's no exposed circuitry or wires, you're unlikely to have a problem, but you may need to get someone to repair it for you. I bought hinges off fleabay for less than a fiver for the pair.

fannyanna

Thanks. I'll take it to an IT repair place and see what they say.

Notmyrealname

fannyanna wrote: »

It's a Dell inspiron 1545. Few years old.

I'm not technical in the slightest so would need to take it to be repaired. Don't know how much it would cost and whether it'd be just as well to buy a replacement our claim on insurance.

It might not be a problem at all. From the 1520 model, manufacturing took a nose dive and what happens is the screws that hold the screen hinge on to the base come undone.

If it does need a new hinge they are around £10 or so on Ebay. Depending on how confident you are it is a DIY job or no more than an hours labour at a shop.

You may need a new screen bezel if its damaged it or you can live with it. The longer you leave it, the more damage it will do and eventually it will damage the screen.