الاثنين، 25 أبريل 2011

PC Troubleshooting and Laptop Repair - Fix Computer Hardware Problems

PC Troubleshooting and Laptop Repair - Fix Computer Hardware Problems


Illustrated Laptop Repairs and Upgrades

One laptop failure that is usually worth repairing is the hard drive. Laptop hard drives have a higher failure rate than desktop hard drives, assumedly because they get bounced around more while operating. Notebook computer hard drives come in two flavors - the ones that are easy to get at, just a single screw or a even a slide in component, and those that require you to crack the laptop open. This Sony VAIO laptop hard drive repair is one of the latter. One of the few upgrades you can actually do on a notebook computer is the memory, and then only if the maximum isn't already installed. Memory upgrades are usually pretty trivial, providing you purchase the correct upgrade component. A 256 MB Toshiba laptop memory upgrade is illustrated. Notebook computer LCD screens rarely suffer from electronic failures, a dim screen or failure to work at all is usually due to the inverter, backlight or video controller. However, sometimes the screen gets cracked, or the LCD develops so many bad pixels that it drives you nuts, so I illustrated replacements for a number of different models, starting here with a Powerbook LCD replacement. When your laptop screen works, but is so dim that you can only read it in a dark room after eating carrots all day, the problem is likely the backlight or the inverter. Replacing a Dell notebook backlight provides a somewhat standard illustration, and I show how to replace a Sony laptop inverter for variety. All the screen related laptop repairs are highly similar, in fact, the components are often made by a single manufacturer, with Sharp being a leading supplier. Of course, you can always go the homemade laptop route:-). I just posted the first draft of a series of laptop troubleshooting flowcharts, starting with laptop power problems, when the laptop just won't turn on. Next came laptop screen problems, battery charging, laptop overheats, hard drive failure and wireless internet connectivity.

PC Topics

Laptop Topics

PC troubleshooting and repair Troubleshooting PC hardware can be quite a challenge for the unitiated, even with the help of books, web resources, etc. Troubleshooting skills tend to come with experience and training, and if you don't have any, it's tough to know where to start. I'll cover some of the most basic things to check before delving into the case, and then I'll refer you to the troubleshooting flowcharts and illustrated repairs on my other website.... Laptop Repair and Troubleshooting In some ways, laptop repair and troubleshooting is easier than PC troubleshooting. The reason is that laptops are so highly integrated that many problems you can fix on a PC require replacing the mainboard of a laptop, which is not cost effective on second hand models. Replacing the battery is often a solution to power related problems (though costly), but repairing the charging circuitry is beyond the average home user....
Should I Buy a Second Hand PC? The short answer is it's worth the software installed on the hard drive, even though transferring the ownership of the software may be legally questionable. The value of the hardware itself is near zero, whatever the previous owner paid for it, unless it's a recent model (less than two years old) PC that was very high-end (more that $2500) when it was purchased. In that case, it may be worth $250.... Buying a Used Laptop I wish I could tell you that you can save a ton of money buying a second hand laptop, but you can't. You can only save a ton of money if somebody gives you a hand-me-down laptop for free. The main reason is that used laptops command a high price with uneducated shoppers, who keep the market inflated. You can buy a brand new notebook from a name brand manufacturers like Toshiba, Dell or HP for $500 most weeks, just by shopping for a closeout model with rebates....
How to upgrade PC hardware Upgrading a PC is much easier than upgrading a laptop from the standpoint of getting the case open. The parts are much cheaper, easier to install and extremely compatible, unlike notebook parts which are usually brand and model specific. Even Dell, HP and eMachines computers can be upgraded. The main problem with upgrading a used PC is drawing the line between replacing a couple parts and building a new one. ... How to upgrade an old laptop computer There are a few upgrades you can make to a used laptop computer that will really improve the value and your ability to run software and actually use the thing. The good news is that as long as your laptop has USB 1.1 or better connectivity, you can use pretty much the same peripherals as brand new notebooks. The bad news is if your laptop doesn't have any USB ports it's going to be a challenge doing anything new with it....
Computer Repair Training and Teacher Resources Back in the day, training to repair computers was strictly on-the-job. There weren't any college courses or textbooks for teachers and students. Today, computer and laptop repair are taught in vocational schools and institutes in addition to colleges. Books like Rosenthal's diagnostic flowcharts help speed training and provide teaching materials for IT education... Extending Laptop Battery Life Many new laptop users are disappointed to find that their battery life doesn't even come near the rosy estimates of the manufacturer. That's especially true with older notebooks, whether the batteries are also used or have been sitting in the laptop on the shelf for a year. You can extend the life of your laptop battery by managing the power settings, and it also results in quieter operation.
I've published two books of troubleshooting flowcharts for training computer repair technicians and hobbyists to diagnose and fix computer hardware problems, with interactive versions on my other website for computer repair. I've also done a whole series of illustrated pages for replacing PC components for either upgrades or repairs. These pages will be linked directly from the text, as will the pages for laptop repair. The books are used in college and government programs for training technicians, and are even more popular with hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers looking to improve their diagnostic skills. The laptop book takes a more holistic approach than the PC book, and discusses the financial trade-off between repairing and replacing laptops, and simply bypassing failed laptop hardware with USB devices. Now, there are millions of second hand laptops on the market, though they are almost always overpriced in comparison to simply finding a deal on a new laptop. The basic approach of the New Hand-Me-Down PC will be to treat used notebooks and desktop computers separately, but to cover the same issues: what are they good for, what are they worth, can they be upgraded and how to repair them.


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PC Troubleshooting and Laptop Repair - Fix Computer Hardware Problems

PC Troubleshooting and Laptop Repair - Fix Computer Hardware Problems


Illustrated Laptop Repairs and Upgrades

One laptop failure that is usually worth repairing is the hard drive. Laptop hard drives have a higher failure rate than desktop hard drives, assumedly because they get bounced around more while operating. Notebook computer hard drives come in two flavors - the ones that are easy to get at, just a single screw or a even a slide in component, and those that require you to crack the laptop open. This Sony VAIO laptop hard drive repair is one of the latter. One of the few upgrades you can actually do on a notebook computer is the memory, and then only if the maximum isn't already installed. Memory upgrades are usually pretty trivial, providing you purchase the correct upgrade component. A 256 MB Toshiba laptop memory upgrade is illustrated. Notebook computer LCD screens rarely suffer from electronic failures, a dim screen or failure to work at all is usually due to the inverter, backlight or video controller. However, sometimes the screen gets cracked, or the LCD develops so many bad pixels that it drives you nuts, so I illustrated replacements for a number of different models, starting here with a Powerbook LCD replacement. When your laptop screen works, but is so dim that you can only read it in a dark room after eating carrots all day, the problem is likely the backlight or the inverter. Replacing a Dell notebook backlight provides a somewhat standard illustration, and I show how to replace a Sony laptop inverter for variety. All the screen related laptop repairs are highly similar, in fact, the components are often made by a single manufacturer, with Sharp being a leading supplier. Of course, you can always go the homemade laptop route:-). I just posted the first draft of a series of laptop troubleshooting flowcharts, starting with laptop power problems, when the laptop just won't turn on. Next came laptop screen problems, battery charging, laptop overheats, hard drive failure and wireless internet connectivity.

PC Topics

Laptop Topics

PC troubleshooting and repair Troubleshooting PC hardware can be quite a challenge for the unitiated, even with the help of books, web resources, etc. Troubleshooting skills tend to come with experience and training, and if you don't have any, it's tough to know where to start. I'll cover some of the most basic things to check before delving into the case, and then I'll refer you to the troubleshooting flowcharts and illustrated repairs on my other website.... Laptop Repair and Troubleshooting In some ways, laptop repair and troubleshooting is easier than PC troubleshooting. The reason is that laptops are so highly integrated that many problems you can fix on a PC require replacing the mainboard of a laptop, which is not cost effective on second hand models. Replacing the battery is often a solution to power related problems (though costly), but repairing the charging circuitry is beyond the average home user....
Should I Buy a Second Hand PC? The short answer is it's worth the software installed on the hard drive, even though transferring the ownership of the software may be legally questionable. The value of the hardware itself is near zero, whatever the previous owner paid for it, unless it's a recent model (less than two years old) PC that was very high-end (more that $2500) when it was purchased. In that case, it may be worth $250.... Buying a Used Laptop I wish I could tell you that you can save a ton of money buying a second hand laptop, but you can't. You can only save a ton of money if somebody gives you a hand-me-down laptop for free. The main reason is that used laptops command a high price with uneducated shoppers, who keep the market inflated. You can buy a brand new notebook from a name brand manufacturers like Toshiba, Dell or HP for $500 most weeks, just by shopping for a closeout model with rebates....
How to upgrade PC hardware Upgrading a PC is much easier than upgrading a laptop from the standpoint of getting the case open. The parts are much cheaper, easier to install and extremely compatible, unlike notebook parts which are usually brand and model specific. Even Dell, HP and eMachines computers can be upgraded. The main problem with upgrading a used PC is drawing the line between replacing a couple parts and building a new one. ... How to upgrade an old laptop computer There are a few upgrades you can make to a used laptop computer that will really improve the value and your ability to run software and actually use the thing. The good news is that as long as your laptop has USB 1.1 or better connectivity, you can use pretty much the same peripherals as brand new notebooks. The bad news is if your laptop doesn't have any USB ports it's going to be a challenge doing anything new with it....
Computer Repair Training and Teacher Resources Back in the day, training to repair computers was strictly on-the-job. There weren't any college courses or textbooks for teachers and students. Today, computer and laptop repair are taught in vocational schools and institutes in addition to colleges. Books like Rosenthal's diagnostic flowcharts help speed training and provide teaching materials for IT education... Extending Laptop Battery Life Many new laptop users are disappointed to find that their battery life doesn't even come near the rosy estimates of the manufacturer. That's especially true with older notebooks, whether the batteries are also used or have been sitting in the laptop on the shelf for a year. You can extend the life of your laptop battery by managing the power settings, and it also results in quieter operation.
I've published two books of troubleshooting flowcharts for training computer repair technicians and hobbyists to diagnose and fix computer hardware problems, with interactive versions on my other website for computer repair. I've also done a whole series of illustrated pages for replacing PC components for either upgrades or repairs. These pages will be linked directly from the text, as will the pages for laptop repair. The books are used in college and government programs for training technicians, and are even more popular with hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers looking to improve their diagnostic skills. The laptop book takes a more holistic approach than the PC book, and discusses the financial trade-off between repairing and replacing laptops, and simply bypassing failed laptop hardware with USB devices. Now, there are millions of second hand laptops on the market, though they are almost always overpriced in comparison to simply finding a deal on a new laptop. The basic approach of the New Hand-Me-Down PC will be to treat used notebooks and desktop computers separately, but to cover the same issues: what are they good for, what are they worth, can they be upgraded and how to repair them.


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