I phoned the local computer geek. He said $150 and it's going to live. I gave him the Lappy and the owners phone number.

Glad to see the end of that charade!

And no one can accuse you of not even trying... $150 bucks is not too bad... did they tell you what was wrong with it? The power supply perhaps?

 

I don't know and I don't care. That was just one more fool errand caused by relatives that think I'm magical in all fields of endeavor, and magic works for free.

I don't have spare parts to swap into it. I don't have a test jig for the RAM. I don't have a cable for the HDD. The owner isn't going to buy me a Laptop diagnostic lab. I wouldn't keep a Lappy if you gave me one for free. I'm just glad to be rid of it!

 

... one more fool errand caused by relatives that think I'm magical in all fields of endeavor, and magic works for free....

the story of my life too... glad to hear you're off the hook...

 

I phoned the local computer geek. He said $150 and it's going to live. I gave him the Lappy and the owners phone number.

Glad to see the end of that charade!

And how much you finally will charge the owner?

 

until the geek gets to the clunk

 

And how much you finally will charge the owner?

How much I will charge???
I will not fix the computer. I will not deliver the computer. I will not collect money for not doing those things.

I'm just glad to be rid of it!

 

That's a pity.

 

I have a similar laptop, a Toshiba, 17", about 5-6 yrs old.
When I had a similar problem, I removed and tested the HD, and it was fine,.
I did all the standard stuff, removing RAM, and battery, etc,, and no help.
Finally, I learned that the video board could be a problem, so I took everything apart, cleaned it, and put it back together, with new Silly Putty (I'm not sure what the real name of the stuff is).

Anyway, that worked.

I've now learned how to re-flow certain chips on the boards (not in any professional way), and I've fixed a couple of ailing PCs that way.
It's a little tricky, when it's someones elses laptop, but I give them fair warning up front.

My new hobby is laptops, I now have more than 12, and a few of them I have given up on.
But hey, it's fun if I can get a dead one running now and then.

Last week, I bought an ebay lot of 3 laptops, and won the auction for $00.99 (99 cents) + shipping.
When they arrived, I swear, they are all brand new, but old, if you know what I mean.
One had Windows ME, (clean as a whistle), one had XP Home (also zero dust inside, and spotless) and one had XP Pro (also spotless).

I'm going to fix the best two (with Vista or Win 7), max out the RAM, max out the HD, and re-sell them.

I used to love fixing lawnmowers, and old CRT TV's, but I can't deal with heavy stuff, or stuff where I've got to get down on the ground to work on it.

Enjoyed reading this thread...

 

My new hobby is laptops, I now have more than 12, and a few of them I have given up on.
But hey, it's fun if I can get a dead one running now and then.

Last week, I bought an ebay lot of 3 laptops, and won the auction for $00.99 (99 cents) + shipping.
When they arrived, I swear, they are all brand new, but old, if you know what I mean.
One had Windows ME, (clean as a whistle), one had XP Home (also zero dust inside, and spotless) and one had XP Pro (also spotless).

I'm going to fix the best two (with Vista or Win 7), max out the RAM, max out the HD, and re-sell them.

I used to love fixing lawnmowers, and old CRT TV's, but I can't deal with heavy stuff, or stuff where I've got to get down on the ground to work on it.

Enjoyed reading this thread...

Based on your eperience: how would you approach a laptop whose space bar does not work and seems having lost the springy action when you press it? Otherwise it works OK.

Hope this is taken as a friendly derailing of a thread but no more.

 

Buy a keyboard to install in the computer. The last one I saw cost less than $20

A half fast method would be to plug in a USB keyboard.

 

Based on your eperience: how would you approach a laptop whose space bar does not work and seems having lost the springy action when you press it? Otherwise it works OK.

Hope this is taken as a friendly derailing of a thread but no more.

I would simply replace the keyboard. In my experience it is a separate unit. Take old one off, copy part number, order new keyboard with that part number, install, throw away old keyboard.

 

A half fast method would be to plug in a USB keyboard.

That also works.
If you don't need the lappy for travel, simply disable the "turn off when lid is closed" and attach external monitor+keyboard+mouse, now your lappy is slim type desktop pc.