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Laptop help

mel the bellmel the bell
in Chit chat
Right, mate at work just gave me his old laptop cos the screens broken (i think) i'm not that up on laptops tbh as ive only really had a second hand one for the past year or so.

Its an easynote TJ65 (pentium dual core - 2.20GHZ, 2.20GHZ with 4gb ram), noticed it has a hdmi socket too so must be hd?

Anyway i switch it on and the screen goes blank and white like he says, so i presume it is the screen thats b0rked? so i plugged it into a spare monitor and it works on that straight away, thats how i got the above info once id booted into win 7 (64bit)

anything else i could try before i buy a new screen? seen em on amazon and ebay for around £33 / £34

also the main enter key doesnt seem to work, the number pad enter key does tho, so may need to replace the whole keyboard? or, depending what goes wrong under the key just the enter key? see you can buy keys seperately too.

ive been on packard bells site and downloaded all drivers and bios firmwares and user guide / service repair manuals for later use.
Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling

Comments

  • dm_boozefreekdm_boozefreek
    Forget fixing it...

    Now you've got a bloke from works computer, do a windows files search for .jpg .bmp .gif .mpg .mp4 .wmv .flv .swf .avi, and .mov incase he's a real weirdo.

    See what interesting stuff you find related to those extensions :))
    Every night is curry night!
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    i dont need to search, the desktop was stuffed with stuff, i saved 6gb of itunes music lol, deleted the videos and pics (mainly car and motorbike pics :( ) including some scramblebike riding vids
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • Scottie_ukScottie_uk
    Fixing the screen is easy-ish, you've just got to have a steady hand and remember exactly what screw or wire came from where. When doing such a job I take notes, photographs and arrange the screws on an empty table in their relative positions within the laptop to make it easier to put together.

    Then if I was getting a computer second hand, I would re-format and start over. If you are worried about loosing the license key for the Windoze installation there are tools out there for reverse engineering the key. Then you could wipe clean and do a fresh install, provided you have a copy of the install disk or media.

    If you are curious about the previous owner, take a look in the internet history folder.
    Calling all ASCII Art Architects Visit the WOS Wall of Text and contribute: https://www.yourworldoftext.com/wos
  • ewgfewgf
    Scottie_uk wrote: »
    ...When doing such a job I take notes, photographs and arrange the screws on an empty table in their relative positions within the laptop to make it easier to put together....

    I just quickly draw the laptop at each stage of removing the screws (i.e. the underside of the case, under the keyboard, the motherboard, heat sink, etc), put an X where each screw is, then put a a bit of sellotape looped over the X marks, so I can remove each screw and use the sellotape loop to stick it to the respective X on the drawing, then when I'm putting the laptop back together then I know where each screw belongs.

    I have to use sellotape as if I just put the screw on the X on the paper, I know I'd accidentally knock the paper at some point, and the screws would fall of the desk and I'd never find half of them again.
  • andrewvanbeckandrewvanbeck
    The keyboard is most likely a rubber membrane, if it isn't mechanical, then the chances are you need a new keyboard. Laptop keys can break easily because the hinge mechanism is so small and delicate under the key, so be carefull, apply as gentle a force as you can... those little axle tabs break so damn easily. If the keys actually depress and return normally, then the membrane itself might be damaged. A replacement keyboard shouldn't cost much though and are quite easy to replace... just be sure to order an English one with Shift+2 for quotation marks, otherwise Speccy emulation can be a pain :)
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    cheers for the extra info guys :)

    anyway the guy had texted his daughter at breaktime and told her what id said thats its definitely the screen thats b0rk3d, she told him it had had a new screen fitted already not so long back, £80 they paid, must have been fitted for them? as i said ive seen them selling for around £34 / £40, anyway not so long after the screen was fittd it went white again like it is now, he says it maybe the ribbon cable is loose?

    as for knowing what the workmate is like, ive worked with him for about 10 years lol, and he aint a patch on me and mi other workmates ;)
    also he now watches porn on a kodi box so.........
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • jonesypeterjonesypeter
    edited August 2016
    Personally I would bin it and get something like an old IBM Thinkpad or similar off a reputable seller on eBay. It's not worth the hassle.

    If you are on a budget and just want to do emulation of the Spectrum and browse the web this would do you fine.

    Look at this on eBay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322237802531

    I would of course scrap Windows and install Linux Mint!
    Post edited by jonesypeter on
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    edited August 2016
    jonesypeter wrote: »
    Personally I would bin it and get something like an old IBM Thinkpad or similar off a reputable seller on eBay. It's not worth the hassle.

    If you are on a budget and just want to do emulation of the Spectrum and browse the web this would do you fine.

    Look at this on eBay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322237802531

    I would of course scrap Windows and install Linux Mint!

    nah ive got an old thinkpad and its ****, this ones more powerful than the one ive got which was the kids, which is far more powerful than the thinkpad, personally speaking, for the sake of a £34 screen, and half an hour it is worth the hassle

    4gb ram is the same as what ive got in this desktop lol oh and who mentioned spectrum emulation? :P i do far more than that, infact i dont really do much of that these days, this one is powerful enough to run the radio station player software for a start.
    Post edited by mel the bell on
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • jonesypeterjonesypeter
    mel the bell wrote: »
    jonesypeter wrote: »
    Personally I would bin it and get something like an old IBM Thinkpad or similar off a reputable seller on eBay. It's not worth the hassle.

    If you are on a budget and just want to do emulation of the Spectrum and browse the web this would do you fine.

    Look at this on eBay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322237802531

    I would of course scrap Windows and install Linux Mint!

    nah ive got an old thinkpad and its ****, this ones more powerful than the one ive got which was the kids, which is far more powerful than the thinkpad, personally speaking, for the sake of a £34 screen, and half an hour it is worth the hassle

    4gb ram is the same as what ive got in this desktop lol oh and who mentioned spectrum emulation? :P i do far more than that, infact i dont really do much of that these days, this one is powerful enough to run the radio station player software for a start.

    Thats assuming it all works after you spend that money and the time

  • mel the bellmel the bell
    thats why im asking people who maybe experienced on the matter first ;)
    they may know reasons why the screens white and blank, if its the screen or maybe video drivers?
    or any other issues etc

    gotta be worth a shot
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • jonesypeterjonesypeter
    mel the bell wrote: »
    thats why im asking people who maybe experienced on the matter first ;)
    they may know reasons why the screens white and blank, if its the screen or maybe video drivers?
    or any other issues etc

    gotta be worth a shot

    Good luck with it

  • polomintpolomint
    I'd be very tempted to get it opened up and disconnect, clean, and reconnect the screen ribbon cable, sounds very much like a bad connection. I've had phones/tablets/laptops all do the same thing..
    So far, so meh :)
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    polomint wrote: »
    I'd be very tempted to get it opened up and disconnect, clean, and reconnect the screen ribbon cable, sounds very much like a bad connection. I've had phones/tablets/laptops all do the same thing..
    yeah i was thinking about doing that, same with the none working enter key, cleaning under the keys etc, although its only that one i think that doesnt work so...........

    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • polomintpolomint
    A compressed air can if you have one would be handy for blowing under the keys.. A hoover does the trick too if you are sure the keys won't fly off lol.
    Tbh, most keyboards can be picked up on ebay for around 10 to 15 quid or so, I usually just buy a keyboard and fit it.. I have noticed on ebay that sometimes a single key can cost around a fiver lol
    So far, so meh :)
  • polomintpolomint
    edited August 2016
    First hit on ebay for that keyboard gives this @ £11.95, I'd check the screen first just in case it is not just the ribbon before buying this..

    HERE
    Post edited by polomint on
    So far, so meh :)
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    cheers fella
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • RetroTechieRetroTechie
    I recently got a few old laptops, of which the most recent one wasn't all that old - dual core / 4 GB RAM (all without power adapter). But you know what? It just isn't worth my time.

    That 'best' laptop is on par with my desktop - RAM wise. For that desktop, I've got mainboard full specs / drivers etc. Quad core cpu, expandable to 32 GB, all connectors I'll need for years to come, the works. I'll take any of those laptops for portable uses if it fills some specific need - not bloody likely. Apart from that: if it powers up -> parts are working -> pull CPU, RAM, HDD, and sell the rest for parts.
  • andrewvanbeckandrewvanbeck
    Even an old working XP laptop with a floppy drive is worth keeping hold off. I have a right dinosaur on my retro shelf - it plays .tap files to the C64 and Speccy, and burns floppies for the ST - damn handy thing that I'd be lost without. Plus its powerful enough to emulate these systems regardless.
  • MatGubbinsMatGubbins
    Even if you can't get a new screen and/or a new keyboard, you can always plug it into an external screen, add a USB keyboard + mouse of your choice and use it that way. As long as you can switch it on and have access to the DVD drive then it can be bundled under the external screen or inside a desk drawer and used that way.
    You can also remove the non-working screen and the lid and use it that way if the on/off button needs easy access - yeah, it may look a little messy, but at least it is working and doing something when the main PC is chugging along with the radio show.
    The laptop looks fast enough to last many more years, until the graphic chip goes pop.....
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  • mel the bellmel the bell
    MatGubbins wrote: »
    Even if you can't get a new screen and/or a new keyboard, you can always plug it into an external screen, add a USB keyboard + mouse of your choice and use it that way. As long as you can switch it on and have access to the DVD drive then it can be bundled under the external screen or inside a desk drawer and used that way.
    You can also remove the non-working screen and the lid and use it that way if the on/off button needs easy access - yeah, it may look a little messy, but at least it is working and doing something when the main PC is chugging along with the radio show.
    The laptop looks fast enough to last many more years, until the graphic chip goes pop.....
    as i said it works perfect on the spare monitor i have, even the whole keyboard works fine apart from the one enter, just have to remember to press the enter key on the numeric pad instead lol.
    it has a hdmi socket so i could plug into a hd tv etc?
    program wise it has power dvd (which ive not used for about 9 years lol), photoshop elements which ive not used for a few few years too, theres even a ham radio program on it Oo
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    woohooooo workmate says hes got another lappy i can have, this one works, just a lil slow, so he doesnt like it and bought two new ones

    not up on laptop architechture as a whole but hope i can stick the 4gb ram from the screen knacked one into this one? he also says the batterys knackered, but i know they can be bought easily
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
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