Computer diagnostics

Laptops are one of the most successful inventions of computer developers, concerning the functionality and compactness as well as price. As I have used a desktop computer for a while, I can assure that laptops are the irreplaceable instrument for a frequent business traveler or an executive whose main job is making contacts with clients and doing presentations.
The bad thing is – they also break as every home appliance, especially being much more fragile than desktop computers.

I have managed to write the most frequent and common laptop problems and solutions that most of laptop users have dealt with. The way of fixing things for a laptop might not be cost free – it is hardware we are talking about, after all.

1. Laptop screen

Fractured laptop screens and broken hinges. I myself have not personally encountered such laptop display issues, but judging from the Ebay offer and demand statistics – those are the most frequent spare parts for laptops. It always happens in homes full of children or pets, or anywhere where there is some party going on. If a power wire, attached to the power source and laptop jack, is not hidden and lies carelessly on the floor – the chances of catching it and smashing the whole laptop on the floor are even greater. Besides, people may leave their notebooks on the edge of a table or the surface might be slippery and even rubber padding wont help.
There are some laptop manufacturers that pay much attention to the safety of their products and make hinges thicker and less likely to break, as well as reinforcing the whole laptop screen lid, so it won’t flex causing laptop LCD problems and breakdowns. Still, those models are pretty expensive and they still can break.

Therefore, have in mind where are you placing your laptop and don’t let the wires stick around. If your screen is irreparably broken – I suggest browsing Ebay for a used laptop screen for a hundred bucks or so. The only thing you have to be sure is the type of your screen and the exact size. You may also consider bringing it to the laptop repair company, in case you don’t want to waste time doing all the laptop screen replacement and broken PC hardware diagnostic by yourself.

2. Laptop power supply

Broken DC jack socket. The mentioned trouble with the wire every too often brings another headache – broken DC jack. It usually happens when the power wire is folded near the DC socket area or the connecting socket holds the plug firmly. It usually is replaced by the new DC jack socket, though you will have to bring it to the computer repair shop anyway, as it is always sweated to the main board.
To prevent laptop power problems and failures, you might want to place your laptop power wire in the area least likely to be crossed and reached. Working on a battery charge is also an option, if you have the luxury of changing batteries every year. If the worst happens and your DC jack gets broken, there is not much you can do here, except bringing it to the qualified technician for repair. I won’t suggest fixing it yourself, even after watching some flicks on Youtube. This part is usually soldered to the motherboard.

3. Spilled liquid on a laptop motherboard parts and keyboard

The spill not only damages the keyboard, but also internal motherboard parts. Once you happen to spill over some water or alcohol, do not try to tint it, but pull off the wires and quickly turn off the computer.

You can wait till the water evaporates or apply some heating device, not too close though, otherwise some parts would melt. If you can take out the keyboard (usually it’s not that hard to do) – do it, for it will ease and speed up the whole vaporization process.

After the liquid trace has disappeared you can try to turn on the computer and if your system is not functioning – try to heat it up more. If the keyboard is water resistant it might keep the liquid out from reaching the motherboard and other hardware parts and you won’t be needing laptop motherboard replacement or repair.

However, vast spill may damage more than you expect. If this happens – taking it to the local computer repair company might not be a bad idea. After running a few hardware diagnostic tools, they should be able to tell you what’s exactly wrong and to what extent. The one and only advice I may give you, is not placing any liquids near your laptop, though, I guess, only a few readers would listen to this advice. It’s hard to get rid of such a habit isn’t it?

4. Laptop keyboard

Broken or missing keys of a keyboard are the identification card of almost every old, used laptop. This often happens with time – keys tend to break and kick off from a stronger tap or jab. They are not hard to replace – you can find any key on Ebay. The cost is approximately 1 – 5 pounds or dollars for one. Replacing keys isn’t a quantum physics science – you may do that yourself after watching some clips about keyboard key replacement on Youtube.

5. Laptop battery

As laptops are the only foldable computer having this kind of hardware, they are the ones having this particular problem. The batteries loose their charge over time and soon you may discover that it won’t hold even 10 minutes. It may happen due to extensive laptop battery usage, which drains the battery more quickly overtime. There is no cure against this: just try to save power as much as possible and apply proper battery calibration, once you buy a new one from the store.

Those are the most popular, so to speak, notebook breakdowns I have covered in this post, including a few tips on troubleshooting laptop problems. The number of all PC failures can be countless even on the hardware level, but with proper care and maintenance they can be successfuly avoided.