IF YOU ARE NOT CONFIDENT ABOUT DOING ANY OF OUR DIY REPAIRS- PLEASE CONSULT US TO DO IT FOR YOU! ALL DIY REPAIRS ARE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND WE ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM .
1. No Power - Fix
Have you ever turned on your PC / Laptop and apart from a couple of lights coming on nothing else happens?
Well it is a common problem that is easy to fix without calling us out. An easy fix if the settings are messed up
Laptop version-
Unplug it
Take the battery out
Count to 30 - SLOWLY
Put the battery back in and turn it on - voila!
Desktop version
Unplug it
Count slowly to 120
Plug in
Turn on
2. Charger Cable Fix
You know how the cable of your Laptop Charger always always frays at the charger connection?
Problem: Frayed charger cord
Time: 1 to 2 hours
Materials: Silicone sealant, protective gloves (optional)
A frayed power cord (not the one between the wall outlet and the transformer - they are cheap to replace from your local PC Repair shop, Ebay or Trademe) can be dangerous and because a notebook that travels needs to be plugged in and unplugged several times a day, the cord and connector are usually the first problems with a frayed power cord. If this happens, it's important to get a new cord or fix it right away, because it will eventually damage the system's battery through intermittent charging and also ut it can also be a fire hazard.: Just rolling electrical or duct tape over the damage and hoping for the best is at best a temporary repair. A more permanent repair is easily carried out using colour matched silicone sealant, available at any hardware store and many supermarkets, which will insulate and protect it.
Protect your working area with a cover you can discard, place the frayed area of the cord on top of it.
Next, squeeze out sealant onto the area that needs fixing. Work the sealant into place, covering the damage with a liberal coating. If you have sensitive skin, it's a good idea to wear thin protective gloves for this part.
Let the sealant cure for an hour or two until it is firm, and you have the equivalent of a new power cord that's flexible and ready for years more use.
3. Laptop Fan Fix
Fans are critical for the continued function of your laptop (without a good fan you would be suprised how many dead laptops we get every hot summer. Well it doesn't have to be so!
Time: 1 hour
Materials: Screwdriver, compressed air, replacement fan
A noisy or broken cooling fan is not only annoying but won't bring enough cooling air into the case, potentially causing the notebook to overheat and damage the CPU Motherboard or GPU. Fortunately, it's not a hard repair with a little DIY savvy.. In fact, if you're lucky you may not need to replace the fan at all.
Many systems, particularly larger gaming and entertainment systems, have two or more fans to bring in cool air for the processor, graphics hardware and hard drive. More often than not, the fans just get clogged with dust, debris and dirt, which makes them noisy and lowers their efficiency. If your system is making a whirring or grinding noise or is overheating, this repair is for you.
Blow compressed air into the slotted grilles.
Ffind the place(s) where fresh air comes in and hot air escapes -- usually one or more slotted grilles on the side or bottom of the system. There could be two or three vents, so don't give up easily. Insert the plastic straw from a can of compressed air into each vent and blow out all the dust that you can; you might want to put on a dust mask or have a vacuum cleaner running because there can be a disgusting amount of dust.
If this doesn't fix things, it's time to open the case. There are generally about a dozen screws on the bottom of the case that you'll need to remove to open the case, but it varies depending on the notebook -- for instance, some models require you to remove the keyboard to get inside. If it's not immediately obvious, check your manual or do some online research to find out how your case opens.
After carefully opening the case, find the fan and blow away any additional dust or detritus. While you're there, take a good look for anything stuck in the fan's blades that might be impeding it. Twirl the blade with your finger, and if it makes noise or doesn't spin freely it needs to be replaced.
If so write down the model number of the fan and go online, type in the model number and "cooling fan." Chances are that even for a five- or six-year-old computer, there will be fans available from several spare parts stores, Trade me or Ebay.
Once you have the new fan and are sure it's the right one, you can take out the old fan. First, unplug the fan's power connector. Each system is different, but you'll probably need to unscrew a frame that holds the fan in place, and then undo some screws holding the fan to the frame.
Now gently remove the fan. It might take a little finesse to work the fan loose because it's generally a tight fit in there. Many notebook fans are connected to the heat sink, a thin silver- or copper-colored tube that draws heat off of the processor or graphics chip. The heat pipe usually snaps or screws into the fan assembly. Try not to bend the heat pipe when you're removing the fan because that will reduce its efficiency at cooling the processor.
Slip the new fan in and carefully screw everything back in place. Before you screw the bottom of the case back on, plug in the power connector and fire the machine up. Don't worry if it doesn't start right away because the fan may turn on only after the system heats up. Once you've verified that it's working, close the machine up and get to work.
4. Keyboard Fix
What really frustrates us, is when we have a sticky or missing key on our keyboard. On a Desktop it's fine just buy another one and plug it in - ready to go.
Laptops are no different really - and the repair is quite simple enough for anyone to do.
time:- 10 minutes to 1 hour
Materials: Screwdriver, replacement keyboard
One of the most common and frustrating ways good notebooks go bad is with a stuck or missing key.
In some cases you can get individual replacement keys, but they are quite expensive and in most cases, a full keyboard costs only a little more and is a better deal in the long run.
Start by locating a replacement keyboard for your system. There's a good chance that you'll find several online stores or Trademe or Ebay will have the right keyboard for between $5 and $20 for a refurbished or used one and between $15 and $100 for a new one.
Some laptops have a locking bar above or below the keyboard that holds it in place, others make you remove screws from the bottom of the case before the keyboard can be removed, and still others require you to open the whole case to get at the keyboard. Your best bet is to search the web for a manual or leaf through the system's manual if you have one.
When you have got it, remove the retaining screws / bar etc., lift the keyboard slightly, but before you remove it completely, make sure you unplug the ribbon cable that connects it to the motherboard so you don't damage either piece. With the keyboard safely unplugged, lift it out. After plugging the new keyboard in, slip it into place and put everything back as it was.