Laptop Repair or Replacement

[jasonbar]

Oh wait, they're called "Notebooks" these days...

Lots of computer experts here, so I'll throw out a line & see if I catch anything.



My 4.5-year-old HP Pavilion DV1411SE died this morn.  I think it was on or half-on all night--I closed the lid last night when I went to bed, which should put it into hibernate mode--I don't think it went all the way there.  Now, upon power-up, I get lights across the media control buttons (play pause, FF, rewind, etc.), the power light works, the battery charging light works, & the fan blows for a couple of seconds.  Then, the BIOS screen is *supposed* to come up & the hard drive is *supposed* to kick in Windows is *supposed* to start loading.  Instead, I get nothing--the lights stay on, the fan stops blowing, & nothing at all happens.

I checked the following: battery (doesn't last long but is providing power), AC adapter is putting out the correct 18.6V, lid-closed switch is functioning (if I try to power on while holding that plunger switch down, I get nothing at all--not even the lights & fan), & I popped out & reseated the HDD & the 2 RAM modules.

I'm out of ideas to try.  Got any others?



It's probably not worth fixing (HP doesn't even sell the HDD or mobo if I wanted to buy them), & HP wants $250-$400 to repair it.  No way.



So, I believe that, if my HDD (ATA/IDE Hitachi Travelstar model IC25N080ATMR04-0 is still good, I can plug it into an external adapter & retrive all my data, with this product, or something like it: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232002.  Is that correct?



And, for when I do buy a new computer in the near future, does anybody have recommendations on manufacturers, stores, where to get good deals, etc.?  I don't need anything fancy.  I want a relatively small screen & keyboard (no numeric keypad), I like the lightscribe DVD-RW drive in my broken HP, & some method of hooking up a TV is nice (I have a handy S-video port on my broken HP).  Oh, and it would be nice to get one with Windows XP on it.  (Let's not start a 7 vs. Vista vs. XP debate!)



Thanks in advance for any help.

-Jason

[BobA]

If you have a recovery disk you could try repairing the op sys or recovering the software from the recovery partition.

[Burn4Evr]

Personally when it comes to computer repair I put data over hardware in terms of priority.
If I was in your situation (which I have been many times) the first thing to buy is a laptop hard drive enclosure. I would find something fairly easy to take apart (one that uses screws instead of plastic snaps or tabs)

Backup all your data.

Then, plug in a monitor (in case the LCD on the laptop is a culprit) and use Linux on a stick (USB drive with a "live" OS on it, I recommend ubuntu)
ubuntu live will allow you to see if you have any hardware issue before trying to fix a OS issue in windows and the like.

As far as suggestions on a replacement, I like netbooks, Asus 10 inch screen with XP for around $230 - 250.
These are surprisingly powerful and should do well to replace a 4 year laptop if you can deal with the lack of a CD drive built in.

I recommend Asus in general for laptops and netbooks.

[trevski]

You can't go far wrong with one of these for a 1 time use if you have no real use for an enclosure (assuming you have access to a desktop PC)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-5-Laptop-3-5-Desktop-IDE-Hard-Driver-HDD-Adapter-/270614375219?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item3f01dfab33
Just sits between the drive and a 3.5" connector and molex. I use one fairly frequently for getting files back for customers.

As for the laptop - Try this: Disconnect the power. Pull the battery. Leave it overnight. Put the battery back in. Connect the power. Boot.
In fairness I've never seen a HP respond to this (Acers mostly) but it costs nothing so its worth a try.

[Dr Zero]

I have had a few of the newer HP come in for repair they are the models with Nvidia video and AMD processors the intel have been ok.
Not saying either are bad its just the combo of boards and chips was not  a good mix.

Wal mart has a Acer for less than 3 bills with Win7 64bit that is a pretty neat machine the boss just picked up one and he is happy with it.

XP is end of life even though its not bad Win7 is what Vista should have been I would give it a chance.

[smalltownguy]

Now, upon power-up, I get lights across the media control buttons (play pause, FF, rewind, etc.), the power light works, the battery charging light works, & the fan blows for a couple of seconds.  Then, the BIOS screen is *supposed* to come up & the hard drive is *supposed* to kick in Windows is *supposed* to start loading.  Instead, I get nothing--the lights stay on, the fan stops blowing, & nothing at all happens.

CLASSIC symptoms of motherboard failure. I'd bet my last dollar that if you plugged that laptop drive into another desktop computer, you'd be able to access all of your files no problem. Your mobo's toast. Get this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390222234294

With some time & patience, you can replace the motherboard in that laptop without too much trouble. In fact, I'm typing away right now on a little Gateway Solo M320 that I got for free from someone on Freecycle that was giving away a 'free laptop A/C adapter' because their laptop died. I asked them for the laptop, diagnosed almost EXACTLY the same issue as you described, and swapped the motherboard. Voila, $40 later I'm back in business with a nice little Pentium 4 mobile with a decent 15" screen.

Turns out my issue was the onboard graphics chip was beginning to fail, causing intermittent booting problems. Yours could be related to this too. Or, it could be an important diode, resistor, capacitor, pick your component. Sooner or later heat takes its toll on all laptops.

Don't be afraid to do some google searching to figure out how to disassemble it. Most laptops are the same -- pull off some kind of trim up by the power button, and that reveals some screws, which leads to more screws, which leads to more screws, etc. Just be sure to draw a diagram of your laptop (top and bottom) on a piece of paper so you can keep track of what screws came from where so you can put them all back in the correct place when you're done. Actually TAPE the screws to the paper on the diagram -- it really helps.

There are several laptop / desktop IDE adapters available, from all kinds of online sellers. If you have patience, you can get one for just a few bucks on the 'bay and wait for it to come from a slow boat from China. Otherwise check out NewEgg for some more instant gratification options.

Or, if you want to mail it to me in a USPS medium flat rate box ($11) I'll buy the motherboard, replace it, and send it back to you for a decent price. Maybe we could work out some kind of barter -- I'm always looking for more arcade goodies. Shoot me a PM if you want me to help.

****EDIT: $95 seems kinda stiff for a older lappy mobo. If you can wait (or search) you should be able to find a working donor laptop with a cracked LCD or other bad parts to rescue a mobo out of.

[gryhnd]

Been there, done that. I went through every possible trick in the book, including baking the MoBo of my Acer 4420 at 400F to try and resurrect it. Jump to my jukebox thread in my .sig and you'll see the hell I went through.

[ark_ader]

Bet dollars to donuts its not a mainboard issue.

Some BIOS(s) have hibernation on by default when the battery gets too low.  If the battery has been exhausted (not bad if the battery is 2 years old) and indicates that it is charging, the bios cannot determine if the battery is fully charged.  XP has a funny way of doing this pre SP2, that is why you should not use hibernation mode.  Use standby instead.  You have to clear CMOS to reset the laptop.  ASUS laptops are very similar to the HP types, and I have had this problem when I accidentally switched off the power brick and left it running.

You will need to find the replaceable battery holder and the wire that connects to the mainboard.  Most of the time it is under the keyboard, and unplug it, and the battery for 2 mins to drain CMOS.

Replace both and let the battery charge all the way up.  Or you can remove the battery and use AC after doing the above and just let it go into POST.

You should be greeted with either a cmos mismatch error or straight boot into your chosen OS.

Hope that solves your problem.

[smalltownguy]

Pull the hard drive and see if the behavior persists. If you power on with no hard drive and there's no change in the behavior, you can be pretty sure the problem lies upstream from the hard drive.

[mvsfan]

Don't be afraid to do some google searching to figure out how to disassemble it. Most laptops are the same -- pull off some kind of trim up by the power button, and that reveals some screws, which leads to more screws, which leads to more screws, etc. Just be sure to draw a diagram of your laptop (top and bottom) on a piece of paper so you can keep track of what screws came from where so you can put them all back in the correct place when you're done. Actually TAPE the screws to the paper on the diagram -- it really helps.

Ive always been a firm believer in good diagrams and such. I used to draw the most anal diagrams before i got a digital camera.
ill suggest just using one, printing it out and then sticking your screws through the holes. i do it every time i take anything apart these days and i always take twice as many shots as i think that i will need, whereas in the old days i would spend at least a day drawing out the most detailed diagram that i could.

just a suggestion.

[mvsfan]

Don't be afraid to do some google searching to figure out how to disassemble it. Most laptops are the same -- pull off some kind of trim up by the power button, and that reveals some screws, which leads to more screws, which leads to more screws, etc. Just be sure to draw a diagram of your laptop (top and bottom) on a piece of paper so you can keep track of what screws came from where so you can put them all back in the correct place when you're done. Actually TAPE the screws to the paper on the diagram -- it really helps.

Ive always been a firm believer in good diagrams and such. I used to draw the most anal diagrams before i got a digital camera.
ill suggest just using one, printing it out and then sticking your screws through the holes. i do it every time i take anything apart these days and i always take twice as many shots as i think that i will need, whereas in the old days i would spend at least a day drawing out the most detailed diagram that i could.

One more thing. If you ever get the message that your Bios battery is failing, just do the easiest thing possible. Grab your camera, turn the flash off, and start snapping shots of your bios screens before you change the battery. Works every time, unless someone knows of a good utility to install to pack any bios into a printable file. thats the only thing that i know of that would be easier.

just a suggestion.

[jasonbar]

All--thanks for the very helpful replies--I knew I'd get a lot of help here!   


Update: a few of the times I've turned on my laptop now, I've gotten a normal boot sequence, made it to BIOS twice, made it to the Windows loading screen once, & even booted Windows all the way & used it for about 1 minute.  Then, it goes dead again.  Well, mostly dead.  The blue media control buttons are all still lit, as is the power indicator on the front of the laptop.

So, my guess is that there's some component that's loose, loose in its socket, or a bad connection, or something in there that's nominally working but the slightest heat (or vibration?) causes something to expand & lose contact, or to heat up & fail by some other method.  Or maybe a heat sink is off the CPU or other critical component & it gets hot really fast & shuts itself down for self-preservation?


@BobA: nope, when the laptop turns on & is "dead", it doesn't even get as far as spinning the optical drive to boot from my recovery disk.  The hard drive seems to be OK, as I could boot Windows fine once.

@Burn4Evr: I agreee--data's far more precious than the hardware.  I'm on the prowl for a laptop hard drive enclosure or 2.5"-3.5" HD adapter.  Laptop's screen is fine.  I don't know if I can boot on a USB stick, but my later tests show that the OS seems to be OK & that the hardware is mega-flaky.  I'm afraid that I can't do w/out my optical drive--definitely a laptop for me, not a netbook.  I've heard good things about Asus, thanks.

@trevski: thanks for the link--that adapter should work great.  My most successful boot lately (got into Windows for 1-2 minutes) was after the laptop sat overnight, so there might be some component that's susceptible to the slightest amount of heat before it barfs.

@Dr Zero: specs on the laptop--seems to have Intel CPU & Inel Graphics http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00491052&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

@smalltownguy: Thanks!!!  I bet you're right.  Tons of replacement motherboards on eBay, many untested, many advertised as bad...  Hmm, $65 + $20 shipping to repair the laptop--might not make financial sense (as per your edit).  Might be smarter for me to part it out & sell the bits (I need to do a little research & see what a repaired laptop would sell for to see how much $ I want to spend repairing it.).  I'm pretty savvy w/ taking things apart & troubleshooting & swapping components, so I'll set up a saved search on eBay & see what comes up.  Thanks for your offer to help!

@gryhand: Thanks--I hope I fare better than you--it seems that my HD is OK, which is what what truly matters.

@ark_ader: Thanks, but that didn't apply in this case.  When the laptop didn't shut itself down, it got through POST & BIOS & even booted Windows fine.

@smalltownguy: Thanks, I did try pulling the HD & booting.  Same results.  I pulled both 1GB RAM chips & booted.  Same results.  The computer is (usually) barfing before it even looks for those components.  When the computer doesn't barf, those components are working OK.

@mvsfan: Thanks, those are great ideas that I know I should follow, but I usually don't...  *blush*  I'm not afraid to disassemble it, but I'm not going to monkey w/ this machine further until I've got my data backed up--I don't want to risk messing up my HD w/ these abusive partial boots & such.



If you've got any other ideas, keep 'em coming!  I looked @ some laptops @ Best Buy yesterday--how come most of them have fancy cases with engraved designs & swirls & things?  Too groovy for me!


Thanks,
-Jason

PS--most importantly, this isn't my MAME computer.  That computer's doing fine.  Phew!   

[smalltownguy]

Looks like my theory's beginning to hold some weight.

To test your 'heat' concern, put the laptop in the freezer for a few hours. Turn it on. If you get further than you've gotten before, then 'BINGO' there's your issue. It doesn't fix it, but it at least helps narrow it down.

The laptop that I repaired had EXACTLY the same issue. Onboard graphics chip was failing/overheating. Had to swap the mobo. In your case, they're not as common, but can be had if you're willing to wait or look around.

My suggestion for a laptop is the HP G60. It's available in all sorts of flavors based on the CPU (intel or AMD) and HDD size, etc. I believe they're all using Dual-core chips ranging from the high 1.x range to the high 2.x at the top end. You can snag one off of eBay for around $300 ($250 if you're sneaky) and they're well worth the $$. My wife bought one last fall, and she liked it so much that I traded in my ACER timeline for it too. I found mine on CL from some guy in North Carolina who was kind enough to ship it for me. I LOVE that laptop -- the mousepad is silky smooth, keyboard is great to type on, and it's got a decent fit & finish. Weight is hefty enough to feel like I won't break it, but it's not a brick on my lap. Get rid of the HP bloatware when you get it, though and install Ubuntu PRONTO (or Win7 if you're a Micro$oft slave) and you're good to go.

[RayB]

Could be heat or it could be what I had with an HP Pavilion ZX5000 :  Broken power jack. Do you get the "charging" icon to light up? If so, does it STAY lit up?  At first I thought it was just a dead battery and that that was why the charge light would only light for a second. So I bought a new battery and the problem turned out to be the power jack just not working right (so no power = no battery charging).  The faulty jack also causes arcing and spikes which damage the motherboard. Repairing the jack prolonged the life of the laptop by only a few months.

PS: If it still sounds like the heat issue, crack the thing open and clean out the fans. They accumulate dust.

[jasonbar]

Thanks for the extra help, smalltownguy & RayB.  I'm inclined to resist further temptation to monkey w/ the laptop for now--every time I get some partial boot, I fear that I'm endangering my HD data.  I should get a new machine & transfer my data before I succumb to my tinkering/repairing urges!

smalltownguy, I'd be hesistant to put my laptop in the freezer & then boot it up--I'd be risking forming condensation on components & really messing something up!

RayB, my battery's been quite lame for a long time (very short run time on battery), so I generally leave the battery out & leave the AC adapter connected, because I'd often see the "charging" lightning bolt icon lit up, suggesting that I was just wasting current trying to charge a battery that wasn't holding its charge properly.  The charging jack/plug connection feels tight, & the laptop's behavior changes when simply pressing the power button at different times during the day, without budging the laptop or jostling the power jack connection.  (I'm picturing a cracked solder joint from repeated plugging/unplugging of power, finally fatiguing to have a hairline crack that opens when you put pressure on it just right...but I guess such a problem joint could also become open from heat & no contact/motion/pressure.)  Thanks for the fan cleaning idea--I'm sure it's filthy in there!

-Jason

[smalltownguy]

If you do go the route of motherboard replacement, that mobo was found in the following models:

(shamelessly stolen from an eBay listing)

HP Pavilion dv1336AP notebook PC (AP)  EE479PAR
HP Pavilion dv1337AP notebook PC (AP)  EE480PA
HP Pavilion dv1338AP Notebook PC  EE491PA
HP Pavilion dv1339AP Notebook PC  EE492PA
HP Pavilion dv1340AP notebook PC (AP)  EE493PA
HP Pavilion dv1341AP Notebook PC  EE503PA
HP Pavilion dv1342AP Notebook PC  EE514PA
HP Pavilion dv1343AP Notebook PC  EE515PA
HP Pavilion dv1344AP Notebook PC  EE525PA
HP Pavilion dv1345AP Notebook PC  EE535PA
HP Pavilion dv1346AP Notebook PC  EE536PA
HP Pavilion dv1347AP Notebook PC  EE537PA,  EE537PAR
HP Pavilion dv1348AP Notebook PC  EE538PA
HP Pavilion dv1349AP notebook PC (AP)  EE539PA
HP Pavilion dv1350AP notebook PC (AP)  EE540PA
HP Pavilion dv1351AP notebook PC (AP)  EE541PA
HP Pavilion dv1352AP notebook PC (AP)  EE542PA
HP Pavilion dv1353AP Notebook PC  EE557PA
HP Pavilion dv1357AP Notebook PC  EE571PA
HP Pavilion dv1359AP Notebook PC  EE572PA
HP Pavilion dv1360AP Notebook PC  EE573PA
HP Pavilion dv1361AP Notebook PC  EE574PA
HP Pavilion dv1358AP Notebook PC  EE575PA
HP Pavilion dv1356AP Notebook PC  EE576PA
HP Pavilion dv1333AP notebook PC (AP)  EE476PA
HP Pavilion dv1334AP notebook PC (AP)  EE477PA,  EE477PAR
HP Pavilion dv1335AP notebook PC (AP)  EE478PA
HP Pavilion dv1336AP notebook PC (AP)  EE479PA
HP Pavilion dv1600 (ED048AV) Notebook PC  ED048AV,  ED048AVR
HP Pavilion dv1600 (ED050AV) N)otebook PC  ED050AV
HP Pavilion dv1324AP Notebook PC  ED095PA
HP Pavilion dv1325AP notebook PC (AP  ED109PA
HP Pavilion dv1326AP notebook PC (AP)  ED129PA
HP Pavilion dv1327AP notebook PC (AP)  ED130PA
HP Pavilion dv1328AP Notebook PC  ED131PA
HP Pavilion dv1329AP Notebook PC  ED132PA
HP Pavilion dv1330AP Notebook PC  ED138PA,  ED138PAR
HP Pavilion dv1331AP Notebook PC  ED169PA
HP Pavilion dv1332AP Notebook PC  ED170PA
HP Pavilion dv1600 (ED338AV) Notebook PC  ED338AV,  ED338AVR
HP Pavilion dv1350EA Notebook PC  EF017EA
HP Pavilion dv1362EA Notebook PC  EF018EA,  EF018EAR
HP Pavilion dv1325EA Notebook PC  EF019EA,  EF019EAR
HP Pavilion dv1365EA Notebook PC  EF021EA,  EF021EAR
HP Pavilion dv1351EA Notebook PC  EF022EA
HP Pavilion dv1355EA Notebook PC  EF023EA,  EF023EAR
HP Pavilion dv1331EA Notebook PC  EF024EA,  EF024EAR
HP Pavilion dv1333EA Notebook PC  EF025EA,  EF025EAR
HP Pavilion dv1359EA Notebook PC  EF026EA,  EF026EAR
HP Pavilion dv1333EA Notebook PC  EF027EA,  EF027EAR
HP Pavilion dv1353EA Notebook PC  EF028EA,  EF028EAR
HP Pavilion dv1366EA Notebook PC  EF029EA,  EF029EAR
HP Pavilion dv1358EA Notebook PC  EF030EA,  EF030EAR
HP Pavilion dv1352EA Notebook PC  EF031EA,  EF031EAR
HP Pavilion dv1356EA Notebook PC  EF032EA,  EF032EAR
HP Pavilion dv1326EA Notebook PC  EF033EA,  EF033EAR
HP Pavilion dv1332EA Notebook PC  EF034EA,  EF034EAR
HP Pavilion dv1354EA Notebook PC  EF035EA,  EF035EAR
HP Pavilion dv1345EA Notebook PC  EF036EA,  EF036EAR
HP Pavilion dv1354AP Notebook PC  EH027PA,  EH027PAR
HP Pavilion dv1355AP Notebook PC  EH028PA,  EH028PAR
HP Pavilion dv1362AP Notebook PC  EH038PA
HP Pavilion dv1363AP Notebook PC  EH043PA
HP Pavilion dv1364AP Notebook PC  EH076PA
HP Pavilion dv1365AP Notebook PC  EH077PA
HP Pavilion dv1366AP Notebook PC  EH078PA
HP Pavilion dv1363EA Notebook PC  EH664EA
HP Pavilion dv1362TU Notebook PC  EJ854PC
HP Pavilion dv1363EA Notebook PC  EH664EAR
HP Pavilion dv1375EA Notebook PC  EH665EA,  EH665EAR
HP Pavilion dv1420US Notebook PC  EH439UA,  EH439UAR
HP Pavilion dv1430US Notebook PC  EH440UA,  EH440UAR
HP Pavilion dv1440US Notebook PC  EH441UA,  EH441UAR
HP Pavilion dv1420CA Notebook PC  EH447UA,  EH447UAR
HP Pavilion dv1440CA Notebook PC  EH449UA,  EH449UAR
HP Pavilion dv1432US Notebook PC  EH450UA,  EH450UAR
HP Pavilion dv1439US Notebook PC  EH451UA,  EH451UAR
HP Pavilion dv1427US Notebook PC  EH454UA,  EH454UAR
HP Pavilion dv1368TU Notebook PC  EL094PA
HP Pavilion dv1369TU Notebook PC  EL095PA
HP Pavilion dv1371TU Notebook PC  EL114PA
HP Pavilion dv1372TU Notebook PC  EL127PA
HP Pavilion dv1370TU Notebook PC  EL135PA
HP Pavilion dv1373TU Notebook PC  EL143PA
HP Pavilion dv1374TU Notebook PC  EL144PA
HP Pavilion dv1375TU Notebook PC  EL149PA
HP Pavilion dv1376TU Notebook PC  EL150PA
HP Pavilion dv1377TU Notebook PC  EL151PA
HP Pavilion dv1378TU Notebook PC  EL152PA
HP Pavilion dv1379TU Notebook PC  EL153PA
HP Pavilion dv1380TU Notebook PC  EL154PA
HP Pavilion dv1489ea Notebook PC  EK891EA,  EK891EAR
HP Pavilion dv1367TU Notebook PC  EL073PA
HP Pavilion dv1600 (EK298AV) Notebook PC  EK298AV,  EK298AVR
HP Pavilion dv1600 (EM482AV) Notebook PC  EM482AV,  EM482AVR
HP Pavilion dv1600 (EM483AV) Notebook PC  EM483AV,  EM483AVR
HP Pavilion dv1500 CTO Notebook PC  EM286AV
HP Pavilion dv1317LA Notebook PC  EN794LA
HP Pavilion dv1520us Notebook PC  EP344UA,  EP344UAR
HP Pavilion dv1530us Notebook PC  EP345UA,  EP345UAR
HP Pavilion dv1540us Notebook PC  EP346UA,  EP346UAR
HP Pavilion dv1550se MV IUR Notebook PC  EP347UA,  EP347UAR
HP Pavilion dv1580se Notebook PC  EP348UA,  EP348UAR
HP Pavilion dv1515cl Notebook PC  EP351UA,  EP351UAR
HP Pavilion dv1532us Notebook PC  EP433UA,  EP433UAR
HP Pavilion dv1520ca Notebook PC  EP436UA,  EP436UAR
HP Pavilion dv1530ca Notebook PC  EP437UA,  EP437UAR
HP Pavilion dv1540ca Notebook PC  EP438UA,  EP438UAR
HP Pavilion dv1600 (ER428AV) Notebook PC  ER428AV,  ER428AVR
HP Pavilion dv1600 (ER498AV) Notebook PC  ER498AV
HP Pavilion dv1600 (ER499AV) Notebook PC  ER499AV
HP Pavilion dv1600 (ER821AV) Notebook PC  ER821AV
HP Pavilion dv1600 (ER822AV) Notebook PC  ER822AV
HP Pavilion dv1381TU Notebook PC  EQ534PA
HP Pavilion dv1382TU Notebook PC  EQ535PA
HP Pavilion dv1383TU Notebook PC  EQ536PA
HP Pavilion dv1384TU Notebook PC  EQ537PA
HP Pavilion dv1385TU Notebook PC  EQ538PA
HP Pavilion dv1386TU Notebook PC  EQ544PA
HP Pavilion dv1387TU Notebook PC  EQ551PA
HP Pavilion dv1388TU Notebook PC  EQ565PA
HP Pavilion dv1389TU Notebook PC  EQ575PA
HP Pavilion dv1390tu Notebook PC  EQ603PA
HP Pavilion dv1391tu Notebook PC  EQ604PA
HP Pavilion dv1392tu Notebook PC  EQ606PA
HP Pavilion dv1393tu Notebook PC  EQ610PA
HP Pavilion dv1394tu Notebook PC  EQ619PA
HP Pavilion dv1395tu Notebook PC  EQ625PA
HP Pavilion dv1591ea Notebook PC  ET341EA
HP Pavilion dv1535la Notebook PC  ET409LA,  ET409LAR
HP Pavilion dv1396tu Notebook PC  EU496PA,  EU496PAR
HP Pavilion dv1620us Notebook PC  ET891UA,  ET891UAR
HP Pavilion dv1622NR Notebook PC  ET896UA,  ET896UAR
HP Pavilion dv1624NR Notebook PC  ET898UA,  ET898UAR
HP Pavilion dv1629us Notebook PC  ET899UA,  ET899UAR
HP Pavilion dv1657CL Notebook PC  ET900UA
HP Pavilion dv1656US Notebook PC  ET901UA,  ET901UAR
HP Pavilion dv1600 (EU039AV) Notebook PC  EU039AV
HP Pavilion dv1600 (EU100AV) Notebook PC  EU100AV
HP Pavilion dv1530la Notebook PC  EX679LA
HP Pavilion dv1540la Notebook PC  EY780LA
HP Pavilion dv1301AP Notebook PC  PY867PA,  PY867PAR
HP Pavilion dv1310AP Notebook PC  PY887PA,  PY887PAR
HP Pavilion dv1311AP notebook PC (AP)  PY888PA
HP Pavilion dv1312AP notebook PC (AP)  PY889PA
HP Pavilion dv1313AP notebook PC (AP)  PY890PA
HP Pavilion dv1314AP notebook PC (AP)  PY891PA
HP Pavilion dv1315AP notebook PC (AP)  PY892PA
HP Pavilion dv1316AP notebook PC (AP)  PY900PA,  PY900PAR
HP Pavilion dv1317AP notebook PC (AP)  PY901PA
HP Pavilion dv1318AP notebook PC (AP)  PY902PA,  PY902PAR
HP Pavilion dv1319AP notebook PC (AP)  PY903PA
HP Pavilion dv1320AP notebook PC (AP)  PY904PA,  PY904PAR
HP Pavilion dv1321AP notebook PC (GC, AP)  PY916PA,  PY916PAR
HP Pavilion dv1321AP notebook PC (GC)  PY918PA
HP Pavilion dv1720la Notebook PC  RD252LA,  RD252LAR

That should assist in finding a steal of a deal on eBay, should you go that route.

[smalltownguy]

Interesting auction to watch...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110566149343

[Havok]

Just skimmed this, but use compressed air to blow out the fan exhaust. Most likely you have a ton of dust in there, which of course will impair the ability of the machine to cool itself during operation.

Failing that, remove the drive and get a usb adapter which can be had on eBay for about $10 shipped from China and just move the data over to a newer machine.

[jasonbar]

@smalltownguy: Thanks for doing all this research for me--I've been swamped--you're a pal!  That auction ended very favorably: $75 for a laptop w/ 2 missing keys, a dent on the speaker grill, & an intermittent screen!  I think it's definitely worth fixing mine!

@ Havok: Thanks--when I open up the laptop, I'll definitely clean out the fans from the inside out.


Progress: couldn't get ahold of a dock to hook up an internal drive to USB, so IT found me an old laptop @ work, we popped my drive in that laptop, I downloaded & burned a Slax boot disc, I booted from the CD-ROM, I plugged in my external HD, & I copied all of the internal HD over to the external HD.  Everything seems to be intact.  Caution: Slax barfs on filenames with accented letters in them--I had to manually manage a good 15 or so iTunes album & song names on folders & files to back those up.

I ordered a new laptop--I should have it in a few days: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030XZNME/ref=oss_product  $470 shipped, after $50 rebate.


Thanks for all your help--I'll post after I get my new laptop & verify all my backed-up data & start digging in to the repair job!

-Jason

[smalltownguy]

Excellent, you went with the G60!! I'm using one right now as we speak. GREAT GREAT machine. Love the fit & finish, and it handles everything including transcoding blu-ray rips. You won't be disappointed.

While you're at it, get this too:

http://www.buy.com/prod/cables-unlimited-super-laptop-cooler-with-3-port-usb-2-0-and-card/q/loc/101/208387211.html

It's showing as 'out of stock' right now, but it's a handy little laptop cooler. Works very well.

Keep us informed on the repair work!

[jasonbar]

I'm happy w/ my new HP G60 laptop.  I transferred all of my data from my old laptop to the new one & finally got around to testing/troubleshooting the old laptop a little while back.

Whaddya know, that son of a gun old laptop is working *perfectly* now!   

I left it on for 3 days straight in a warm garage, screen on, running SETI@Home non-stop.  Nary a hiccup.  I tried to put the laptop in stressful situations to recreate its problems & failed--the thing is mocking me by being rock solid!   

I removed the many many screws on the bottom of the case in an attempt to reveal the motherboard & tinker around, press on solder joints, clean the fan, etc., but the case proved to be still held together pretty tightly, even after removing all the screws that I could find, so I decided against tempting fate & decided to leave the motherboard alone.

-Jason

[Santoro]

I'd bet money heat buildup is hosing up the GPU solder.  This is a very common issue.  My wife's 3 year old HP Laptop computer had it and I figured since I had nothing to lose, I'd try to fix it using the heatgun/penny method as outlined <here>.  Worked like a charm.  It's a bit scary but if you are comfortable around electronics you can do it. 

[jasonbar]

Thanks, but it wasn't just video failure--the whole machine was shutting off after a moment of running, or not powering on at all (except for the blue indicator lights on the dedicated buttons & the status buttons on the front of the laptop).

-Jason

[Santoro]

She had the exact same symptoms!  I think the machine was sensing a missing GPU and saying 'screw that' and powering down.

[jasonbar]

Gotcha--could be!  I was taking the text and contents of that video literally--it said that the video was not working, but it didn't say that the whole system was powering down because of it.

I'm generally handy, but the teardown for my DV1000 () didn't seem to be worth the effort, considering that it was no longer acting up.


Thanks,
-Jason