On JSA-can i get help towards a new lap top?

terra_ferma

michelleliverpool wrote: »

Intelligent, helpfull, much appreciated. The idiots? I would only (and do) take genuine time out of my life (as I have one) to try and offer genuine and helpful advice to folk. If I was to do the opposite-be negative-judgemental etc - well what can one say?

Thanks again for your response and other helpful posts from genuine folk. XX

Nice to see someone standing up for themselves, :T It's not uncommon for posters to be accused of lying, taking handouts, not doing enough to help themselves, (classic DM-speak btw ), by people who know nothing about their situation. Some probably end up feeling ashamed and worthless. All this spoils the true spirit of the forum IMHO.

terra_ferma

RichardD1970 wrote: »

Thank you for the apology, a rare occurrence on these forums. :T

agree, it shows integrity and confidence

imatt

When you say "your laptop had died", what do you mean?

Because depending on the nature of the problem, you could end up repairing it for a lot less than buying new or even used.

Firstly, does it power up at all? Any noises, beeps, etc? Can you see any lights come on? Does the hard disk make any whirring noise? Does it charge the battery?


If none of this is happening, then you may have a power issue. A new power adapter (which can be bought for between £10 and £20) may help.

However, it could be an issue with the laptops power jack itself. This can be a big problem for aging laptops as the power jack gets used and abused on a regular basis. This happened to my previous laptop. Repairing a laptop power jack can be done but is not for the faint hearted. It can be a DIY job but as it usually involves soldering a new power jack onto the motherboard, it is best left to a professional. I did this with my old Acer nearly two years ago. It cost me £60 at the time.

Another issue could be the hard disk. If so, this is a much easier proposition. Although it will mean popping a cover off the underside of your laptop and replacing the old duff hard disk with a new replacement. As long as you're not too ham-fisted, it really is not too difficult. Expect to pay around £40 for a 2.5" 500Gb laptop hard drive. Otherwise again get a professional (or knowledgeable friend, relative or neighbour) to do this for you.

If what I have said is not applicable or total nonsense, then consider EBay. Whilst not the den of bargains it once was, you may find something. Refurbished stock should not be sniffed at either:
http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/c/599/Laptop-Sale/

Or perhaps a PC recycling charity near your home? If you lived in or near Leeds, there are a couple I could point you towards.

Lastly, unless you need or prefer a laptop, then you may get along with a tablet. Cheap no-frills 7" models can be had for less than £50 these days. Spend a bit more and you can get a fairly decent 9 or 10" unit. I know you're on a low budget but this could work out cheaper than fixing an old laptop.
Hope this helps!

slenderkitten

as the previous poster was saying, have you done any troubleshooting on your laptop?

does it power up at all, does it DO ANYTHING when you press the on button?

the same happened to me it was the power jack, but i had to buy a new motherboard and ask someone to install it for me. but i would take the laptop to a computer store or if you know someone with a simialr make/model, try their power adapter see if it fits or the plug part to the adapter box maybe at fault/overheating.

ensure you check the fuse in the plug as well.

michelleliverpool

imatt wrote: »

When you say "your laptop had died", what do you mean?

Because depending on the nature of the problem, you could end up repairing it for a lot less than buying new or even used.

Firstly, does it power up at all? Any noises, beeps, etc? Can you see any lights come on? Does the hard disk make any whirring noise? Does it charge the battery?


If none of this is happening, then you may have a power issue. A new power adapter (which can be bought for between £10 and £20) may help.

However, it could be an issue with the laptops power jack itself. This can be a big problem for aging laptops as the power jack gets used and abused on a regular basis. This happened to my previous laptop. Repairing a laptop power jack can be done but is not for the faint hearted. It can be a DIY job but as it usually involves soldering a new power jack onto the motherboard, it is best left to a professional. I did this with my old Acer nearly two years ago. It cost me £60 at the time.

Another issue could be the hard disk. If so, this is a much easier proposition. Although it will mean popping a cover off the underside of your laptop and replacing the old duff hard disk with a new replacement. As long as you're not too ham-fisted, it really is not too difficult. Expect to pay around £40 for a 2.5" 500Gb laptop hard drive. Otherwise again get a professional (or knowledgeable friend, relative or neighbour) to do this for you.

If what I have said is not applicable or total nonsense, then consider EBay. Whilst not the den of bargains it once was, you may find something. Refurbished stock should not be sniffed at either:
http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/c/599/Laptop-Sale/

Or perhaps a PC recycling charity near your home? If you lived in or near Leeds, there are a couple I could point you towards.

Lastly, unless you need or prefer a laptop, then you may get along with a tablet. Cheap no-frills 7" models can be had for less than £50 these days. Spend a bit more and you can get a fairly decent 9 or 10" unit. I know you're on a low budget but this could work out cheaper than fixing an old laptop.
Hope this helps!

Thanks immat for your post. Very helpful and very informative!!! It doesnt get beyond a blue screen and makes a weird "churning" noise. The people, to date, I have asked have said its knackered!! Plus its considerably old (in lap-top years!)
Will deffo look in to tablets - I honestly wasnt aware that tablets had the same function as laptops-so you can still email etc? In my ignorace thought these were more for gaming etc.
Thanks again.X

imatt

michelleliverpool wrote: »

Thanks immat for your post. Very helpful and very informative!!! It doesnt get beyond a blue screen and makes a weird "churning" noise. The people, to date, I have asked have said its knackered!! Plus its considerably old (in lap-top years!)
Will deffo look in to tablets - I honestly wasnt aware that tablets had the same function as laptops-so you can still email etc? In my ignorace thought these were more for gaming etc.
Thanks again.X

For the most part a basic laptop (unless very old) will beat just about any tablet in power and versatility. Tables come into their own for portability and sheer convenience.


Emailing is perfectly possible with a tablet. Indeed it is possible to add a Bluetooth keyboard and use a laptop as a mini PC. I'm pretty sure there are downloadable office / word processing apps too.


Regarding your laptop, the BSD (Blue Screen of Death) and 'churning' noise could well be a hard disk issue. If so, a new hard disk could be a relatively simple fix. But without seeing your machine, it's hard to say.