Nightmare Laptops from Hell

[uprighttech]

Certain HP laptops like the DV6 require you to remove the entire LCD assembly to replace the LCD because the two screws on the botton are too low to reach with a precision screw driver. So the entire top palm rest and keyboard have to come off before you can remove the bezel. Ridiculous.

If you have the right screw driver, you can get these out without removing the entire assembly. Took me a while to figure that out, but it's a much quicker and easier repair now. You're still going at the screw at a pretty good angle, but with a little pressure you can get it to turn.

 

[Tucson Techie]

Hmm, with my thinnest precision screwdriver I can't even come close to getting to these screws. This is the laptop I'm talking about. Author says lcd assembly must be removed before you can switch out the lcd.

http://www.insidemylaptop.com/replace-broken-screen-hp-pavilion-dv6-laptop/

 

[mikeroq]

Dells that you have to take apart to remove the hard drive.

Most HP laptops.


What I really like:
Laptops that allow you to remove the heatsink/fan without taking apart the laptop, like some dells and hp laptops I've seen.

Every laptop should have a full panel on the bottom that you can remove to access the hard drive, memory, wireless, cpu, ect.

 

[NYJimbo]

Every laptop should have a full panel on the bottom that you can remove to access the hard drive, memory, wireless, cpu, ect.

Dell was heading in that direction, so was gateway, but now they reversed course and now everything is deep inside. I guess you can't sell a lot of new laptops if they are easy to maintain.

 

[FremontPC]

I suppose our only vengeance will be in their warranty repair costs.

 

['putertutor]

Every laptop should have a full panel on the bottom that you can remove to access the hard drive, memory, wireless, cpu, ect.

Just replaced a drive on a HP probook 4530s that had a near full bottom panel, slid off with no screws. Push the latches to release the battery, push them another notch to release the panel. Full access to the hd, wireless, and memory.

 

[peter.clark]

HP Pavilion DV
Pretty much the entire DV line has graphics overheating issues in my experience. Haven't seen any from the last 2 years models with that problem though.

I second for theses being among the most hated. I have seen a lot of these come through my store with that issue.

I would say this is more of a blessing than a curse... it's a well known and well documented problem that's relatively simple to fix... I must have repaired 15-20 of these units this year alone for this exact reason.

 

[JustInspired]

This is a good idea. I had a similar thing posted on my personal blog at: http://www.hobwebs.com/laptop-repairs/stupid-laptop-designs/ (before I discovered Technibble!)

I just wanted something I could search through if someone wanted a quote for power socket, hard drive, screen replacement etc.

Ideally this would be in a spreadsheet or database but don't have the time to commit to that.

 

[Tucson Techie]

There is a Samsung laptop (the RV511) where you have to replace the entire palm rest to replace the keyboard. Not only that but it disassembles from the bottom up like a Sony or Apple so that everything is screwed into the bottom of the palm rest and you have to remove EVERYTHING including motherboard to replace a lousy keyboard.

 

[ShinyTech]

There was an HP i had to replace the hard drive on, i forget the exact model. It required me to remove the screen bezel, then the keyboard, then the top case, then the boards attached to the motherboard, disconnect the wireless cables, remove the motherboard, flip the motherbaord open, and then remove a case that heald the hard drive. So basically I had to remove everything! It was a DV series i believe.

 

[Rob_NNCC]

Dell Vostro PP37L or A860

The hard drive has 6 screws going into it, 4 from the bottom with adhesive stickers over them, two into a caddy, and that caddy is screwed to the motherboard. (the bottom side of the motherboard, you have to take the motherboard out to get the HDD out) To make matters worse, the small screws they use are junk. One was broken when I went to remove it and another one stripped despite being very careful.

 

[piloteer]

Pain in the neck

Sony Vaio
Windows 7 Home
USB ports all test good with a usb tester. The ports do not see any attached or built in devices. Batteries are crap.

 

[NYJimbo]

Sony Vaio
Windows 7 Home
USB ports all test good with a usb tester. The ports do not see any attached or built in devices. Batteries are crap.

So you hate the whole Sony Vaio line because you are having USB problems in windows on one machine ?

 

[RocklandCompRepair]

Apple
Any unibody-style laptop
Try replacing the screen. The way the cable is routed through the computer to the motherboard is just TERRIBLE. They also give you 0 slack on the LED wire to work with. Another thing to add to my hatred of Apple products. It takes me on average 10-15 mins to replace a PC laptop screen. After breaking 2 screens and LED cables (which is not hard to do on these) and spending WAYYYY too much time attempting to replace the screen, I finally have quit fixing Apple products. When I get customers I want to be confident in what I'm doing, and with Apple working against you to fix their products, I in no way do feel so.

 

[brettjameslive]

Dell Inspiron 1525

The number of these that I see that need hinge replacements is insane!

For one customer, I have fixed the same issue twice (once on each hinge) within 12 months! The design fault is that the rather heavy and not smoothly-transitional hinges, basically screw into the plastic lid which houses (albeit loosely) the screws that secure the hinge bracket. Too much movement and 'pop' they snap out.

Note: metal into thin plastic does not go, especially if it has to take a lot of strain!

 

[Mendija's Repair]

Did anyone mention the Samsung RV515? You take apart the whole freaking laptop to replace the keyboard lol

 

[PBComputer]

Did anyone mention the Samsung RV515? You take apart the whole freaking laptop to replace the keyboard lol

Oh yes I've replaced the keyboard before on one. Best option I find it to replace the whole palm rest keyboard the lot.

Paul

 

[Mendija's Repair]

Oh yes I've replaced the keyboard before on one. Best option I find it to replace the whole palm rest keyboard the lot.

Paul

Pretty much what I did lol. I mean, it's pretty cheap to do so considering.

 

[altrenda]

Apple
Any unibody-style laptop
Try replacing the screen. The way the cable is routed through the computer to the motherboard is just TERRIBLE. They also give you 0 slack on the LED wire to work with. Another thing to add to my hatred of Apple products. It takes me on average 10-15 mins to replace a PC laptop screen. After breaking 2 screens and LED cables (which is not hard to do on these) and spending WAYYYY too much time attempting to replace the screen, I finally have quit fixing Apple products. When I get customers I want to be confident in what I'm doing, and with Apple working against you to fix their products, I in no way do feel so.

Are you replacing the screen by taking off the top assembly, or doing it with everything in place? I find it easier to remove the whole assembly, and with some, like earlier Airs, to replace the whole thing.

repairing macbooks takes a little more time, but we get to charge more, too.

 

[NviGate Systems]

All the consumer class laptops are now built like UltraBooks, no panels for quick access. I have most models down to about 15 minutes if I'm feeling chipper or 30-45 if I'm slow. That's a full tear down to the logic board.

All of our current Acer notebooks we carry feature lack of:

Upgradeable hard disk/memory/battery/keyboard. The keyboard is now part of the top assembly. You used to be able to remove the keyboard by popping 4 clips, then you could ditch the multilingual and get a US ENG one. But now to do that you need the full top assembly.

Sony were among the early pioneers of break fix proof laptops, Telus (local ISP) used to give away Sony laptops if you signed up for a 3 Year contract and they always had failed HDD's and required a complete tear down to replace.

The best notebooks to service are business class. Lenovo T Series, HP ProBook/EliteBook. Good times.