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Laptop computer repair is a little different in that the laptop is a whole computer in one device. This means all components are all connected in a small space. With such a compact design, there are certain skills needed when working on a laptop. Most importantly, you need to be very detail oriented. The last thing you want to do is disassemble a laptop, and then forget where all the screws go to put it back together! That, and after putting everything back if you forgot to connect the speakers, you won’t be having a good day. Next, you need to be patient. Testing laptop components requires a lot of time. Testing memory, hard drive and motherboard problems are all lengthy tasks. You also need to be able to troubleshoot. This means you can figure out the root of the problem. In a laptop, it is very hard to determine which of the dozens of parts is causing the problem if you don’t know how to troubleshoot and find that single defect. And finally, you need that magic touch. The ability to find the part that no one can find, or the get the costly replacement part for a fraction of the cost. This is critical in laptop repair, because if it costs too much to repair the laptop, you might as well buy a new one! In terms of cost, we strive to find the best and most cost effective way to repair your computer.
Some of the common laptop issues we see are:
• Bad hard drive
• Cracked LCD screen
• Overheating / random shutdown
If you are having problems with your laptop, please give us a call to talk with an expert technician about your problem. We are happy to answer any questions you might have!
If your laptop turns on but nothing shows on the screen, there’s a good chance the backlight is out. The backlight in a laptop is the small CCFL bulb that illuminates the screen, usually from the bottom of the screen. The light then bounces off of different plastic sheets, passes through the actual LCD pixels, and displays an image. If this bulb goes out, or if one of it’s critical components go out, the laptop screen dims and it’s extremely difficult to see anything on the screen.
The best way to check is to turn on the computer and let it boot. A tell-tale sign that it’s the backlight is if the computer boots normally – you hear the log on sound, for example – but nothing shows on screen. Next, grab a flashlight and aim the flashlight at a sharp downward angle on the LCD. If you can make out some colors or see your desktop, then you know the backlight isn’t working. This is one simple test to see if this is the problem you are having.
Other symptoms:
• Dim or fading screen
• Random flickering of the screen
• Red tint to the screen
The above symptoms are signs that there is something wrong with the backlight or other components. The backlight might not be getting enough power or may have a loose connection.
If you think your backlight is out or you’re not sure, let us check it out. We will:
• Disassemble the LCD screen enclosure
• Diagnose if it’s the backlight, inverter, or LCD itself that is failing
• Find the most cost effective repair for the problem
• Replace the defective part and test for function
• Reassemble the laptop and run a stress test
Getting this problem fixed really comes down to a good diagnosis. Where someone might think it’s the LCD or the bulb itself that is bad, sometimes it is the LCD inverter that is the problem. The inverter is a small device that transforms the low voltage of the laptop into a higher voltage – enough to turn on the backlight. In many cases, both the inverter and the backlight are out at the same time. It takes knowledge and experience to find out which part needs to be replaced. If you have any questions about an LCD backlight repair, or computer repair in general, please give us a call to speak with one of our expert technicians!
Have you spilt tea, coffee, or any other liquid on your laptop? Before we tell you how we can help, you must follow the following instructions to give your laptop the highest chance of survival:
• If your laptop is plugged into the power, turn it off at the mains and unplug it from the laptop.
• Power down the laptop immediately by holding the power button until the laptop turns off.
• Remove the battery.
• Try to drain as much liquid out of the laptop is possible, and mop up what you can.
• Put your laptop into an upside down “V” shape. We recommend that you put the laptop on a towel.
• Contact us, and do not turn the laptop back on (for about three days).
• We can repair most laptops which have had liquids spilt on them, no matter which make or model your laptop is.
SuperTech Geek Laptop Repair should be able to help recover your laptop from a liquid spill, for a price that cannot be beaten. Since every laptop is different, please contact us for a free quote where we will give you our best price for your laptop. Our prices include parts and labor. There are no hidden costs, so contact us for a free no obligation quote now.
A motherboard (sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, planar board or logic board, or colloquially, a mobo) is the main printed circuit board (PCB) found in computers and other technological systems. This board controls all aspects of your desktop computer or laptop. Of all of the hardware that is housed in your laptop, the motherboard is generally the most expensive piece, and also the most fragile. On top of being in control of your computer, the motherboard also contains vital data (BIOS) that keeps your computer running smoothly.
The amount of symptoms caused by a bad motherboard can range from; USB slots not working all the way to your laptop not turning on at all. That being said, the motherboard is generally the last thing we try to replace. Most computer repair shops will diagnose a bad motherboard and just go for a replacement. We will do our best to find the exact component on your motherboard and fix and or replace that component.
If you are having issues with your laptop and you think it is your motherboard, don’t hesitate to bring it in to us. Motherboards are delicate pieces of hardware that can be harmed just from the wrong touch or from electrostatic discharge (Shock you get from rubbing your socks on carpet). With our FREE DIAGNOSTIC services, we will find out exactly what is wrong, and we have the proper training and tools to be able to handle the motherboard safely.
Common for laptops which see their fair share of travel is an issue where the power jack becomes broken or loose and your power adapter no longer provides power to the laptop. This issue can be caused by the AC adapter being pulled out of the laptop power jack, or just due to being moved back and forth over a long period of time. The resulting problem is generally the power jack being broken off of the motherboard of the laptop, requiring a complete replacement with a new part. We fix this computer repair problem all the time and can have your laptop power jack replaced so you won’t have to get a new laptop.
• Diagnose the cause of the issue; sometimes it’s the AC adapter
• Provide you with a price quote for parts and labor
• Disassemble the laptop down to the motherboard
• Remove the motherboard from the laptop
• Desolder the old broken power jack
• Solder the new power jack onto the motherboard
• Reassemble the entire laptop and test for performance
This is a loose power jack. The internal connection inside the power jack is broken. Sometimes it’s the connection to the motherboard where the soldering joint is cracked. In both cases, replacing the power jack fixes the issue. We make sure to secure the new power jack so it will be more resistant to movement in the future.
In some cases, the damage is caused by a fall or some other force which breaks not only the power jack, but also the plastic shell around the laptop. In these cases, we will offer options to either secure the power jack using the existing plastic shell, or if it would be better to order a replacement shell for the laptop. Usually it comes down to cosmetics, and if you can stand the cracked plastic, it’s often better for us to secure everything and get it looking as good as possible rather than replacing the entire shell.
This is probably due to a bad AC adapter and not the power jack. We can determine the exact cause with our diagnostics. If it is the AC adapter, we will advise you on the cost to get a replacement.
We take great care when handling all the computers we work with. When doing a laptop power jack replacement, we do not touch your data at all. In most cases, we have to remove the hard drive from the laptop during disassembly. We then place it aside when doing the rest of the work to get the computer working again. And when we reassemble the laptop, we place the drive back into the laptop, and make sure everything is working when we perform our final tests. When you bring your computer to us you can be sure you will receive quality service.
You more than likely know the diagnosis to this problem. If your laptop LCD is cracked, it’s in-your-face-noticeable. Sometimes it’s a small crack running across the screen, while other times it’s a full edge-to-edge spiderweb effect. When we encounter these problems, the only solution is to replace the LCD screen with a brand new one. Although common, a cracked LCD is not the only time we have to perform our computer repair services to get the laptop fixed. In some cases, the problem is due to a bad light bulb inside the LCD screen, or a bad inverter which powers that bulb. We are able to determine the true cause of your LCD problems, although the easiest to figure out are the ones with the broken glass everywhere.
• Diagnose the problem; broken LCD, bad backlight, or bad inverter
• Provide you with a price quote for parts and labor
• Disassemble laptop LCD screen, removing bad LCD or part
• Replace LCD or part with replacement
• Reassemble laptop and test for performance
This is usually due to a bad backlight, or a bad inverter. These two issues are very related, so it’s hard to tell without a diagnostic. The inverter is connected to the backlight bulb, so we have to test both to make sure which is causing the problem. If the inverter is bad, in most cases we have to order a replacement part for it. If the backlight is bad, we may end up replacing the entire LCD screen. Although it is possible to replace the backlight, it is extremely difficult and the results are not always perfect, so replacement is actually more cost effective.
With a laptop LCD, the model number is the most important factor when determining a replacement. We can’t just grab any 15.4″ LCD screen and put it in. The connections on the LCD might be different, even from similar models of the same kind of laptop. For this reason, we must diagnose the laptop and determine the exact LCD model before we go forward with the replacement.
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style device, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches. Following the decline of punch cards and paper tape, interaction via teleprinter-style keyboards became the main input device for computers. Keyboards typically have characters engraved or printed on the keys and each press of a key typically corresponds to a single written symbol. However, to produce some symbols requires pressing and holding several keys simultaneously or in sequence. While most keyboard keys produce letters, numbers or signs (characters), other keys or simultaneous key presses can produce actions or computer commands. Despite the development of alternative input devices, such as the mouse, touchscreen, pen devices, character recognition and voice recognition, the keyboard remains the most commonly used and most versatile device used for direct (human) input into computers. In 99% of laptops the keyboard is the largest input device present. It covers the top of the inside cover, and can be removed as a whole. That being said the keyboard is not truly attached to the laptop and dust, debris, or food can get into and under the keyboard itself. This causes your keys to become “sticky” and sometimes unresponsive. Also this could lead to potential computer damage, depending on what may fall in between the keyboard cracks.
If food or debris get lodged between your the keys and the keyboard, this can produce non-functioning keystrokes. Liquid damage would have the same effect, but also producing a “sticky” feel if the liquid contains sugar. Individual keys can get broken off or removed over time and need to be replaced. Some of the errors you could see if your keyboard needs to be replaced are:
• Missing Keys
• Stuck or Sticky keys
• Keyboard not accepting input
• Keyboard displaying the wrong keystroke, A=F etc.
If your keyboard starts acting funny, or you lose a key, bring it in to us at SuperTech Geek, and we will fix or replace your keyboard. We will disassemble your laptop, clean all of the dust and debris. We will order you a new keyboard replacement, install it, and you will be back in business! It’s that simple!
All electronics produce heat. Have you ever been using your laptop and you have noticed that it has gotten ridiculously hot? This is a common occurrence in laptops as there is a plethora of electronic components housed in a compact and mobile platform. Keeping this in mind, most laptops come equipped with 1-2 fans to keep the heat down. These fans generally exhaust under or to the side of the laptop, and need to be clear of any obstructions during operation of the laptop.
Many different symptoms can come from overheating in a laptop. Here are a few of the most common ones:
• Laptop turns off randomly, will not turn back on for a period of time (Cool down time)
• Laptop starts to become slow and unresponsive
• Laptop has no display, however it still turns on
These symptoms are the prevalent errors that we see from overheating, however heat can cause issues all over your laptop. The reason your laptop turns itself off is that your computer has a safety feature, if it senses overheating it turns off the computer to reduce heat and potential damage. Another side-product of overheating is component damage. Heat kills electronics, period.
First and foremost we will take apart your laptop and give it a good cleaning. We will remove all dust and debris from the inside and the outside of your laptop to ensure it is getting the most ventilation as possible. Next we will check your fan(s) to ensure they are working properly and are free from any foreign objects. Lastly we will replace all of the thermal compound in the laptop to ensure that you have the BEST connections and the BEST protection possible. Lastly, some laptops are just out of luck when it comes to the cooling side of the house. That being said we will recommend different ideas to keep the heat down, from a laptop cooler, to the installation of a new or bigger fan.