Strange problem after installing netbook screen

[Eric@noware]

I have a Gateway LT 27 that came in for a screen replacement and optimization.

I ordered the screen, in the meantime I hooked up to an external monitor and did the optimization no problem.

The new screen came in, I installed it, and went to boot and nothing. The power light comes on and the fan whirs for a split second then off.

I've already tried reseating the ram, did an atx/cmos reset, tried booting with the old screen in, and am at a loss...

Any ideas?

 

[NYJimbo]

How deep did you have to go to put in the new screen ?

 

[Eric@noware]

Not very at all. 2 screws on the bezel, and 4 on the bracket. Normal netbook configuration.

Removed the pin, then the screen. Then reversed the order.

I noticed the problem before replacing the bezel (I always like to be sure everything works before closing up).

One thing I must note; While I was doing the optimization I noticed that the charge light was orange and not blue. That's the only oddity I can think of.

 

[NYJimbo]

I wanted to make sure about how deep you went (I know this model doesnt really need a tear down) because that would make a big difference.

If you haven't already I would take the whole LCD back out, disconnecting it from the lcd cable and see if it boots.

Sounds like it could be a short. Maybe in the LCD, lcd cable or something else. Of course it could be one of those situations when a computer dies in your shop for no obvious reason, but I would eliminate the LCD and its mounting/cables just to see if it boots.

 

[Eric@noware]

I just tried you suggestion of disconnecting the LCD cable and attempting a boot, and nothing. The power lights flashed and the fan whirred for a moment and it went out.

Another thing to note, when I put the battery back in the device the power LED went from off to orange... It couldn't be as simple as I need to let it charge for a time, could it? That would make no sense...

 

[NYJimbo]

Do you know what's the back story on this machine ? Why is the LCD being replaced ? How long was is out of service ? Was the optimization an afterthought to the screen being replaced ?

You could be dealing with two issues but the customer only reported one.

Put the battery in, plug in the charger and leave it for a while. If you can, use a different a charger, I am not sure but I think thats a pretty standard 1.65 tip (targus A/S14/L108).

 

[Eric@noware]

The back story was that the customer needed an LCD replacement, which is what brought her in. She had dropped the device, which shattered the LCD. The optimization was an afterthought on her part, as before the drop she had noticed it was running a bit slow.

Now, with a drop like this I like to make sure the machine will even power on before taking the job. Which is why I hooked it up to an external monitor to see, and sure enough, it worked.

Funny thing about the charger; When they brought it in (Wednesday) they had forgotten the charger, so I hooked up my multi adapter, which worked (aside from noticing that the LED was orange). When I went to turn it on today, it wouldn't work. Luckily the customer brought in the original charger thinking that it might come in handy.

Right now I have it plugged in with the original charger, the orange light is blinking, and I'm googling my heart out looking for a solution.

 

[NYJimbo]

Funny thing about the charger; When they brought it in (Wednesday) they had forgotten the charger, so I hooked up my multi adapter, which worked (aside from noticing that the LED was orange). When I went to turn it on today, it wouldn't work. Luckily the customer brought in the original charger thinking that it might come in handy.

Right now I have it plugged in with the original charger, the orange light is blinking, and I'm googling my heart out looking for a solution.

Chances are your charger wont charge the battery but theirs will. Chances are. Check the wattage (volts x amps) just to be sure yours can handle the draw.

Whatever, the drop is a concern, but the non-boot issue might be charger/power related so I would focus on that for now.

 

[Eric@noware]

Chances are your charger wont charge the battery but theirs will. Chances are. Check the wattage (volts x amps) just to be sure yours can handle the draw.

Whatever, the drop is a concern, but the non-boot issue might be charger/power related so I would focus on that for now.

That's what I'm focusing on right now. One thing at a time, and the biggest issue is it not booting. I'm hoping that it's just a matter of having to use the original charger.

The drop was a little bit of a concern. The only physical damage that I could see was to the exterior of the LCD side of the lid. Well, and the LCD itself.

Thanks for the help, Jimbo. I appreciate it.

 

[Porthos]

Does it post?? If not do a hard reset by pulling the battery and ac plug and hold the power button down for 10 seconds. make sure the external monitor is plugged in at power up. Please excuse the appearance of "talking down" to you with my post.

 

[kisk]

Is it possible that your optimization was done on pure battery? Was the battery charging when you did the tune-up?

Its possible the drop damaged the jack if the adapter was plugged in when it fell. Even if not, its still worth a look to break it down to the mobo and check voltages/resistances on the mobo's jack points. Check voltages on the battery terminals as well. That may be why you were getting the orange light. I suspect further damage than just the LCD.

 

[Eric@noware]

Does it post?? If not do a hard reset by pulling the battery and ac plug and hold the power button down for 10 seconds. make sure the external monitor is plugged in at power up. Please excuse the appearance of "talking down" to you with my post.

Nothing to forgive, I would have asked the same thing.

It does not post, and I've already tried to do the reset last night, to no avail.

 

[Eric@noware]

Is it possible that your optimization was done on pure battery? Was the battery charging when you did the tune-up?

Its possible the drop damaged the jack if the adapter was plugged in when it fell. Even if not, its still worth a look to break it down to the mobo and check voltages/resistances on the mobo's jack points. Check voltages on the battery terminals as well. That may be why you were getting the orange light. I suspect further damage than just the LCD.

I've come to the conclusion that the optimization was done on battery alone. That orange light nagged the back of my mind, and the more I think about it the more it makes sense.

I'm thinking that I just might have to break it down and check the voltages...

Before I left last night, after reading articles about quite a few people having similar problems with the same model, I decided to plug it in and see if maybe, just maybe the battery would charge. I plugged it in and still got the blinking orange light. I turned away for a second (I was watching Dr. Who... lol), and when I turned back the LED was blue... That was different... So I've left it "charging" all night. Hopefully when I get to the shop this morning it might actually post...

I'll keep you guys posted.

 

[Eric@noware]

Okay, got into the shop this morning and tried to power the machine on and...

...Wait for it...

Nothing.

So I am left to assume that we've got an authentic power issue here.

The question now is how much deeper do I want to go with this?

Advice and opinions are welcome.

 

[kisk]

I would say that's up to the customer. Let them know the deal and that additional work will have to be done to get the machine running again.

In situations like this where the total bill might as well buy a new laptop/netbook, I offer the customer an option to donate the computer for parts to cover the diagnosis/work done and tell them I would be happy to help them transfer over their files for them if they decided to decline the fix and get a new computer.

 

[Eric@noware]

Okay,

After talking things over with the client I finally got the whole story:

Apparently the netbook was sitting on a bookshelf when the whole unit collapsed, and was crushed. The customer admitted that getting it fixed was "a shot in the dark", and that he didn't really expect it to be repairable.

I explained to him the power issue, and the potential risk of getting additional work done and having something else go wrong, and we decided that it just wasn't worth it for a netbook.

In the end he paid for the part, we ate the labor cost, but we all parted with a handshake.

Thanks for all your help fellow nibblers.

The lesson learned here is as Kenny Rogers said "you've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em..."