Laptop & Computer Repairs - Sales & Service

Laptop Repairs - Desktop Repairs - Sales & Service - Chesterfield

Common Laptop Computer Faults

Below is a list of some of the most common Laptop computer faults.

This is by no means a diy repair guide, if you are attempting to take on a repair yourself please be aware of the risks involved to you and your laptop.

Screen seems dark / dim

A very dark laptop display is commonly due to a faulty laptop screen inverter, typical symptoms are :

Very dark / dim display, however the computer still boots and behaves as usual.

The purpose of a laptop's screen Inverter is to convert low voltage DC power to high voltage AC power necessary to power up your monitor's backlight bulb.
If your laptop has a very dim display but you can still make out an image then a possible fault is with the laptops screen inverter. However although this is a typical fault there are many other components within a computer that could cause the same symptoms. i.e.

• damaged lcd cable
• backlight bulb
• faulty screen
• sticking screen switch
• incorrect cable seating
• faulty motherboard

If you can see no image at all even when shining a light onto the screen then the problem usually isn't an Inverter failure.

The inverter board on laptop computers is located inside the the monitors casing and in most cases is quite a simple component to replace. If you are confident enough to attempt a replacement yourself, please remember computer plastics and internal components are fragile and can easily be damaged. Also be aware of electrostatic discharge (circuit boards are very sensitive to this), without proper grounding of you and your equipment you stand a risk of passing an electrical charge from yourself, to any component within a computer you come in to contact with, in the case of a circuit board this could render it useless.

If this is your fist attempt at a repair then its always a good idea to try to locate a service manual specific to your laptop, this will show screw locations and will also identify the Inverter itself.

Another common failure with lcd screens is the backlight or ccfl (cold cathode fluorescent light) bulb. Over many hours of use your computer screen tends to get dimmer, this is usually due to the backlight bulb within your laptop losing its strength, another sign of wear is a change in the hue of the screen from a white to a pinkish colour. eventually your bulb will have reached the end of its useable life and you will need to replace the bulb if possible, or the screen.
A ccfl bulb is an integral component of a computer screen and in some cases can be replaced, although it is a far more complex repair than changing an inverter.

Smashed / Cracked Screen

Although screens on the whole are durable, a hard knock or drop can crack them, fortunately they can be replaced. Prices are dependent on screen size and also the manufacturer of the monitor. Please contact us for a quote.

Screen display distorted

If your computer laptop is displaying a distorted display i.e. strange stripes or colours then the possibility is that the problem is either a

• failed video card
• damaged cable
• faulty LCD
• damaged motherboard

The only way for an exact diagnosis is to let us take a look, we can then provide you with a free quotation for the cost of repair.

Laptop fails to switch on or charge

Another common fault in laptops is the DC socket or power socket becoming loose, this will render the laptop unable start up as it cannot take a charge from its power adaptor. Usually a visual check of the socket itself is enough to diagnose the Jack as the culprit, often this problem occours as a result of accidental damage ie tripping over the mains lead whilst plugged in to the laptop - however it is always worth checking other power related components before diagnosing your laptop as needing a jack replacement.

• Check the power flow from your adaptor. With the use of a voltmeter its possible check that your laptop is recieving a charge from the power supply, if no voltage is recorded from the meter then your adaptor is at fault & not the DC socket.
• Plug your computer into another wall socket. If you always charge your laptop from the same outlet then it is possible the wall socket itself is malfuctioning, giving you the impression of a faulty laptop.

Broken sockets are usually just a symptom of wear and tear over time. Although it is possible for a diy repalacement of your broken socket, extreme care must be taken when doing such a repair - always remember the real possibility of damage to your circuit board through ESD (electrostatic discharge). Also be aware that sometimes a damaged DC jack can mean damage has been caused to your motherboard, in which case a repaired jack wont fix your problem.

In order to get to your laptops dc socket for replacement you have to completely remove the mainboard & all its connecting components from the outer case, this is a major strip down process, if attempting this job yourself try finding an engineers manual for your laptop.

Once the motherboard is removed from the laptop the old socket can be removed and a new one soldered in place.

We carry a wide range of laptop dc sockets available to buy in our online store, we also supply soldering irons & soldering wire. Solder suckers are also available to aid in the removal of old solder from the motherboard.

If you would like someone else to carry out this repair procedure then please contact us for a free quotation.

Heat Issues

Laptop boots up but shuts down after a few minutes of operation.

A typical cause of this kind of instability is due to a laptop overheating and shutting down as a safety response, a heat build up is commonly caused by dust gathering inside the machine disrupting the correct air flow, thus causing the laptop to overheat.
The only way to fix this issue is to strip the laptop down enough to give access to internal components and to thoroughly clean dusty components with compressed air.

Hard Drive Failure

Disk not recognised / fails to spin up

Unfortunately as there are no repairable parts within a hard drive, a physical failure means a replacement drive is required. However just because your Laptops hard drive is behaving differently than usual doesn't necessarily mean its physically damaged.
Other factors such as bad sectors or viruses can cause errors and boot problems.

In cases where physical failure hasn't occurred we should be able to repair a damaged / corrupted drive. Please contact us for a quotation.