"Are you drinkin' with me Jesus? I can't see you very clear, If you're drinkin' with me Jesus, Won't you buy a friend a beer?" - Lou and Peter Berryman
I think I am being screwed by some computer repair people.
I would really appreciate it if you could tell me if I am right or wrong.
Currently, my laptop refuses to be charged. I have had this problem once before in the past and it was successfully repaired. They had to replace (forgive my nontech speak) a piece in the back of the computer where you put the plug in. It was a fairly simple procedure.
Now, my computer seems to be doing the same thing, and a different repair shop says that the motherboard was burnt up by this flaw. They say that they can't repair my computer, but for 150 dollars they can save some of my files.
Could my motherboard be damaged by the plug not working correctly, or are they trying to pull a fast one? What do you guys suggest that I do?
anotherben.. said at 6:24 PM 06-15-2004: power down all non-essential units and return to the mother ship immediately. if at all possible do not engage the natives. do not hesitate to use deadly force if the situation becomes perilous. code598.
Sesur said at 6:29 PM 06-15-2004: They're trying to screw you about saving your files. $150 is an extreme charge to get some files off a working hard drive.
Sesur said at 6:30 PM 06-15-2004: The power jack reciever in the back, if it gets loose, can definitely fry your jonx when you plug in to charge. But really, its unlikely that it did. I would get my puter back ASAP, tell them to fuck off. You can boot your laptop floppy up with a desktop pretty easily, just read on the web about this. So you can salvage your files this way, without paying 150. Also, the jack in the back thats screwed up can be repaired with super glue and a soldering iron. Josh has a soldering iron and some new electronic solder. Id check it out if I were you.
joseph [email] said at 7:54 PM 06-15-2004: Thank you for your help. What websites would you suggest to learn how to boot up a hard drive on another computer? I did a few searches, but all I am finding are companies that provide services or software.
Sesur said at 8:21 PM 06-15-2004: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/cablesonline/25hdmounkitw.html
get this thing for 7.00, and take your laptop hard drive out, and plug it into the ide cable your desktop harddrive is on, and set your desktop jumper to cable select. Then the laptop drive will show up as just another drive on your desktop, and you can get your data off.
Your laptop is fixable with super glue and solder. Its just the power jack receiver that has broken off the board. I know its sounds sketchy, but its really not bad to fix.
Michael [ url ] said at 6:32 PM 06-15-2004: Yeah, your power supply was f-ed before and they replaced that, sounds like. Power supply surges etc can screw up your motherboard, sure. Recovering files, assuming the drive isn't bad, is a piece of cake. How much do they want? How old is the laptop?
PS - you say that it won't charge - will it run when it's plugged in? If so, the motherboard should be fine...
joseph [email] said at 8:04 PM 06-15-2004: My laptop is about three years old. I think I am just going to get a new one.
When I say it won't charge, I mean that when I plug the working cord into the power supply, the computer won't take the electricity. For a while, I could move the cord around and it would switch from "battery" back to "power outlet" with a little fiddling. Then it just stopped taking the charge all together and the battery finally ran out. (I may sound like a simpleton here, but I don't know a more sophisticated way of describing it)
Michael [ url ] said at 8:22 PM 06-15-2004: No thats fine. I agree with Pete's advice below. Depending on how long ago the original service was done, they should be willing to do something for you. Don't tell them that you took it somewhere else, just tell them it stopped working again. If the motherboard really is fried, fine, but see if they'll burn you a CD or two with the important data from the hard drive for free - they owe you something, and its not that hard to do.
Michael [ url ] said at 8:32 PM 06-15-2004: PS they DEFINITELY owe you something, because if you could make it work by fiddling with the cord, they didn't fix it right (or at least not completely) last time.
amy [email] said at 3:57 AM 06-16-2004: omg, joseph. my computer is having the EXACT same problem. luckily its under warranty but im afraid to take t in cuz last time they kept it for 6 weeks!
pete [ url ] said at 7:17 PM 06-15-2004: cant you just take it back to the first place, bring your old paperwork with you and show them that they didnt resolve the problem? maybe not but thats what id do, followed by calling the laptop manufacturer/browsing forums to see if anyone else has had the same problem.
Dont give it back to the guys trying to charge you $150.
milky [email] said at 10:15 PM 06-15-2004: Joseph, laptops usually only live for a few years.
I'm losing my third laptop for similar reasons. Sheldo fixed one with the problem you described; the second, well, the plastic piece snapped from the motherboard, severing the power connector; the current one has a battery that won't take a charge.
And don't talk to any of those idiots in India over the phone. They don't know what the hell they're talking about. Just tell them a cow is living in your laptop and they won't give you any advice that'll kill it.
Sesur said at 1:14 AM 06-16-2004: I'm telling you when the plastic receiver for the power cord snaps off the mother board it is still repairable! Can anybody hear me? Is anyone at home?
Sesur said at 1:47 AM 06-16-2004: Your sense of empathy would be admirable if you would express it in a viable manner. You will get little suffering mimicking me.
seth [email] said at 1:23 PM 06-16-2004: My friend has replaced the power cable thing many times and had to ship back the laptop to get that piece in back replaced twice. Once I came in the lab and saw the full beauty of his desperation. Wires everywhere, he had somehow wired it himself with something like a paper clip sticking in there and some tinfoil. Amazing.
