Sony has the most confusing laptop model numbering system of the major brands. There is usually a model # that starts with VGN (ex. ) at the bottom of the screen and there is a second model # that usually starts with PCG (ex. PCG-7133L) that appears on the label on the bottom of the laptop. So when looking for spare parts (batteries, power supplies, optical drives, etc.) do a search for both part numbers.
Disfunctional Sony Vaio Laptop Model Numbers
December 15th, 2008HP zv6000 Laptop Hinge Problem
December 9th, 2008
Recently we repaired a HP zv6000 laptop computer with a broken hinge inside the screen assembly. From observation of other laptop models, the part where the hinge broke looks weak. The observation was confirmed when we did an eBay search for the replacement part and found that there are numerous bids for this part. Thus it appears that the hinge assembly is an Achilles Heel for the HP zv6000.
Laptop Screen Price Fixing
December 4th, 2008Recently, 3 top laptop screen manufactures have plead guilty to price fixing and have agreed to pay fines. Shortly after, we noticed a drop in the price of replacement laptop screens. We have lowered our prices accordingly, and now it is possible to replace a laptop screen for less than $200. This new pricing makes it economical to replace the screen for an older laptop instead of buying a new one.
Toshiba Satellite P35 Freezing on Startup
October 9th, 2008We recently did a power jack repair on a Toshiba Satellite P35. The repair was successful and the battery charged again. However, on start up, the laptop would freeze at the “Windows” screen. When we did a hard shutdown, the laptop would restart normally after giving the “unexpected shutdown” options. We traced the problem to a MiniPCI wireless card, even though the card worked when the computer was restarted. The card was removed, and the laptop worked properly.
If your laptop is more than 3 years old make it a desktop
October 9th, 2008If your laptop is more than 3 years old and you can afford to do so, make it a desktop. The reason is that even the extended warranty does not last past 3 years because in my opinion and experience the design lifetime of a laptop is 3 years. After 3 years multiple failures can occur at any time. Since by its nature, the laptop get a lot of wear and tear you can extend the time to a catastrophic failure by treating the laptop as a desktop. This means putting the laptop in one place and not unplugging the power supply to keep the battery fully charged and preserving the power jack.
Dell Laptop Not Recignizing Power Supply
May 29th, 2008Dell laptop power supplies (for the Inspiron 8600 for example) are a special case in that there is an extra pin in the connector that sends a signal to the laptop. If this connection is broken then you will get an error message on startup that reads something like “the ac power adapter type cannot be determined. this will prevent optimal system performance” and the laptop will power on but will not charge the battery. If the connection problem is in the power jack, as it often is, then the power jack pin has to be resoldered very carefully on the opposite side of the motherboard from the other power jack pins. So when you take your laptop in for repair and you have a power supply with a very thin central pin in the connector, make sure that the technician is proficient in replacing this type of power jack.
Make Sure the Used Laptop You Buy Comes with a System Disk
May 15th, 2008Occasionally we work on laptops that have failed hard drives. One such customer said that he bought his used, and it did not come with a system disk. The normal fix would be to install a new hard drive and re-install Windows XP and the drivers that came on the system disk. But in this case the restoration would be more expensive without the system disk since you would either have to buy a replacement system disk from the manufacturer or buy a new Win XP operating system and hunt for the drivers. This was a customer with a tight budget, so he was not able to afford the more expensive restoration procedure. If he had the system disk, he would be much better off.
If Your Dell Laptop Does Not Turn On
May 11th, 2008We recently repaired a power jack on a Dell Inspiron B130. After the repair the laptop would not turn on and the caps lock light would blink 10 times and the laptop would then power down. Here’s the procedure to solve this problem:
- Take battery out, unplug the cord.
- Remove the two DIMM memory modules.
- Plug the laptop back in and turn it on. The caps lock and the scroll lock lights will turn on and then the laptop will power down.
- Unplug the laptop. Reseat the two DIMM memory modules.
- Turn the laptop back on and if all goes well, the laptop will start normally.
Overheating Problem with Toshiba Qosmio G25
May 6th, 2008
Consider the Cost of Ugrading Software when Deciding on Laptop Repair
May 5th, 2008The cost of laptop repair is often weighed against the purchase of a new laptop. With most new laptops having the Windows Vista operating system, the cost of upgrading installed software also needs to be considered. Many specialized software packages that were written for Windows XP will not work properly or at all on a Windows Vista computer. So when deiciding on whether to repair an existing laptop, investigate the compatibility of installed software with Windows Vista.