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Laptop Whoas; Hoping someone can help
Topic Started: Nov 29 2012, 09:06 PM (1,436 Views)
DesmondGhostRider
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Private message Oden he knows all abt computers
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Scoobs
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:D

sounds like when you dropped it, your hard drive dropped a sector, id get a new hard drive, and reinstall.
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Jittney
Anchorage 92 XFi

Getting a new harddrive......~ $50
New Operating System....not so cheap.
:hmm Unless you go Ubuntu.
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HelterSkelter
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#1 Pizza Driver

Horn12007
Nov 29 2012, 10:22 PM
my laptop is from 2006 iirc (toshiba satellite a105)

Its not too bad. Updated to microsoft 7. office 2007 and increased RAM

Now it is starting to crash every once in a while though.


toshiba makes stonger laptops that most. they can survive falls better and i ever accidentally plugged mine in over seas with no adverse effects for 6 months, after which the mother board fried.

they are also hella cheap. the geo of the laptop world, i think.
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Cobrajet25
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HelterSkelter
Nov 30 2012, 03:04 AM
Horn12007
Nov 29 2012, 10:22 PM
my laptop is from 2006 iirc (toshiba satellite a105)

Its not too bad. Updated to microsoft 7. office 2007 and increased RAM

Now it is starting to crash every once in a while though.


toshiba makes stonger laptops that most. they can survive falls better and i ever accidentally plugged mine in over seas with no adverse effects for 6 months, after which the mother board fried.

they are also hella cheap. the geo of the laptop world, i think.
:gp

I always buy Toshibas. Typing on one now.
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94RHDRollerskate
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Forum Stud Muffin

.
Vista bashing noted. Upgrade planned. But, need to rescue data from this current HD. That's my immediate concern. Have already rebuilt my iTunes library twice (3800+ songs) and don't want to have to do that a 3rd time. Most of my library is from burning my own library of CDs, and obtaining from friends.

.
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rmcelwee
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The strange restarting is a function of software. If it were mine I would back it up with Norton Ghost then restore to the same HD after a full format. The format will mark sectors as bad and might fix everything. If that does not work reinstall the OS and see how it runs.
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robertino
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Take out the old HD and put it in a external usb 2.0 enclosure (Sabrent is super cheap http://sabrent.com/category/hard-drive-enclosures/SBT-EKU25/) then get a new HD . You'll have to install a new OS but you'll have all your old files on the external.

Just a thought. I'd go more into detail on what to do but this would be your safer option.
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mauurgp
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absolutely fresh fish

we still dont have enough detail. if it doesnt 'reboot' like posted, then seems like software which would hint that it is not necessarily related to the fall - if you meant that it would not 'boot', then most likely hardware; but even then, what piece of hardware, or the nature of the problem with that piece of hardware will depend on the details of what happens when it doesnt boot - when you alluded to safe mode not working, does that mean you are getting to that option, or are you failing to reach even there?

i agree with the other posters that you should start with just making sure all the connections are tight (if you havent already) because it is simple and free - start with those type of solutions first, before you start throwing money at the problem.
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94RHDRollerskate
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I removed and replaced the memory sticks and the HD, to fix any possible loose connections there. Still not working right. Took it into work with me to see if a few coworkers had any ideas. By the end of the day, we have managed to get it to start and go into recovery mode of sorts. I get a box asking for language, and select english. Then it goes to a different box asking me to select which system from a list. And if nothing is listed, then select next. (Sorry, I don't have the specific verbage at the moment, but I know it has System32 in the top box above where the list would be.

I did manage to get it to get all the way to a desktop (default looking), but it's not my usual one that was there before this happened. I was even able to check a few folders and saw my pics and docs and such. I ran and grabbed my previously unused external HD to try and backup said files. But, it says it can't completely install the HD. So, next idea would be to burn onto a CD. Disconnected the HD and waited. (Tasks seem to take forever to complete). Next thing I know, it must have restarted somehow. Now I'm seeing the default background screen and 'Vista Home Premium" near the bottom, but no task bar.

Still messing with it.


.
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94RHDRollerskate
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mauurgp - 'reboot' should be 'boot'. If I pressed F8 and went to where I could select Safe Mode, and did so, it would start doing it's thing (scrolling list of drivers being installed) and then shut down suddenly and restart.

Hard to clearly explain everything in text. I'll have to see if I can post pics and/or video.


.
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Oden
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Red Metro: What Santa really drives.
[ *  *  * ]
The dropped laptop is good for little more then scrap parts till its fixed, when it dropped the hard drive broke, the most common symptom of this is the computer running for an hour or two then refusing to boot ever again. You need (at least) a new screen and hard drive, looking at about $150 in parts to fix it, plus about 2-4 hours labor to fix the screen, which a shop will charge you HUGE amounts for, so... probably cheaper just to get a new laptop for about $300, unless you can do the repairs yourself.

Replacement screen link $105
Hard drive replacement link $50

This assumes that theres no damage to the motherboard, or any other part thats needed.
Does it seem to charge properly when you plug it in?


The data on the hard drive might be salvageable, if you are lucky. Don't boot it up except for the data retrieval proccess. Theres a little spinner thingy inside that either went off its track, or got a knick in it when it dropped, it will probably only run for a few more hours at most. If you are REALLY REALLY lucky, sometimes it just damages the part of the drive where some data is stored, like the boot information, and you can write over it, and still use the hard drive. Hard to say without seeing it.

Now, what I personally would do with it. Get just the hard drive replaced for $50, get myself a nice cardboard box and a flat screen monitor off craigslist, and USB keyboard/mice.

Plug the monitor + keyboard/mouse into the computer with cracked screen, put the laptop in the carboard box to the side so you don't have to keep looking at it while its broken, and walla, you have a desktop computer for $50.


The one with broken USB ports, sometimes you can get lucky and the drivers get uninstalled, but what I have seen most in my replacements of them, is that cat hair or dust bunnies get inside the port, and cross between the 4 exposed pins there, frying the ports. The USB ports are usually split with 2 ports per USB header on the motherboard, so when fries, it usually takes at least one other one with it. On some laptops, its split even further, and can take all of them.

Try new drivers, if that doesn't work, then I can post links for replacement parts.
Sometimes the cheapest way to do it is buy a busted laptop off ebay and transfer the parts over.
Edited by Oden, Dec 2 2012, 11:34 AM.
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94RHDRollerskate
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Oden
Dec 2 2012, 11:28 AM
The dropped laptop is good for little more then scrap parts till its fixed, when it dropped the hard drive broke, the most common symptom of this is the computer running for an hour or two then refusing to boot ever again. You need (at least) a new screen and hard drive, looking at about $150 in parts to fix it, plus about 2-4 hours labor to fix the screen, which a shop will charge you HUGE amounts for, so... probably cheaper just to get a new laptop for about $300, unless you can do the repairs yourself.

Replacement screen link $105
Hard drive replacement link $50

This assumes that theres no damage to the motherboard, or any other part thats needed.
Does it seem to charge properly when you plug it in?


The data on the hard drive might be salvageable, if you are lucky. Don't boot it up except for the data retrieval proccess. Theres a little spinner thingy inside that either went off its track, or got a knick in it when it dropped, it will probably only run for a few more hours at most. If you are REALLY REALLY lucky, sometimes it just damages the part of the drive where some data is stored, like the boot information, and you can write over it, and still use the hard drive. Hard to say without seeing it.

Now, what I personally would do with it. Get just the hard drive replaced for $50, get myself a nice cardboard box and a flat screen monitor off craigslist, and USB keyboard/mice.

Plug the monitor + keyboard/mouse into the computer with cracked screen, put the laptop in the carboard box to the side so you don't have to keep looking at it while its broken, and walla, you have a desktop computer for $50.


The one with broken USB ports, sometimes you can get lucky and the drivers get uninstalled, but what I have seen most in my replacements of them, is that cat hair or dust bunnies get inside the port, and cross between the 4 exposed pins there, frying the ports. The USB ports are usually split with 2 ports per USB header on the motherboard, so when fries, it usually takes at least one other one with it. On some laptops, its split even further, and can take all of them.

Try new drivers, if that doesn't work, then I can post links for replacement parts.
Sometimes the cheapest way to do it is buy a busted laptop off ebay and transfer the parts over.
.
Thanks Oden.

.
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