laptop trouble Options

[Mommy]

I dont expect much to come of this, but I will try anyway. I usually use my laptop, but it's really shitty. Im talking 256 MB RAM shitty. Anyway, I was on it today watching a yahoo video and it froze, wouldn't let me ctrl+alt+del so I just turned it off. When I went to turn it back on, it just made the noise like it was turning on and the buttons lit up and then it would turn off... it would do this several times in about 20 seconds and then just stop. I tried replacing the RAM today, and that didn't fix the problem. I really don't think it was the hard drive because I wasn't noticing signs of hard drive failure...plus not even the boot screen will come up. The motherboard was replaced twice when it was under warranty, but the warranty expired in June. The last time the motherboard was replaced was in March. This really is a shitty laptop. The damn thing has caught on fire and burned me before. The power supply and battery have also been replaced in the past year. My guess is it's the motherboard again... Anyone want to share on what they think? If it's the motherboard, fuck that. I wont bother fixing it.

[Divergent Realit...]

try replacing the hard drive.

[FORSAKENR320]

YARP


sounds like what my laptop was doing to me. spinner or something going out, or a bent needle or something

[Mommy]

the thing i worry about with doing that is if its not the hard drive, i cant return the new one i buy

also i dont have a copy of windows

Whats the cheapest laptop hard drive i can get?

[pysex]

the problem with repairing old laptops is that you're going to get to the point where you're spending more on buying new components when it would just be cheaper to buy a new one

[Mommy]

well, RAM is returnable... thats why I tried that first.

[impala454]

If it has caught fire before you need to get a new one.

[Mommy]

Yeah, let me just bust out $700 for a new one...

Obviously, If I had the money for one I would have gotten one. All the parts that caused the fire have been replaced. Basically, there was a recall issue with the battery that caused it to set fire (the same issue I was having). HP (it was a gift... I would never buy an HP) listed their recalls on the site. My model number matched so I looked into it more. It said if you serial number starts with these numbers, your laptop is affected. My serial number matched. Then, it said type in the following info to get your replacement parts, so I did that. Then it gave me a message that said "your laptop is not affected by our recall." UMMMMM OK... THE FUCKING THING BURNED THE FUCK OUT OF MY HAND AND LEG, was smoking, and the back end of the laptop was melted. stupid fucks. So it was still under warranty with Best Buy so I took it there, and they shipped it off

[Mommy]

Oh and now that I think about it... I dont think its the hard drive because the boot screen wont even load. Literally it shuts off the second it turns on

[impala454]

So its getting fixed under warranty then?

[Mommy]

the laptop is almost 4 years old. the warranty ended in June... Hence why Im trying to fix the thing myself. Why would I fuck with all this if I could drive 5 minutes to best buy? Obviously its out of warranty. Anymore stupid questions.... like why don't I take out a student loan to buy a new one... or have I tried reinstalling windows? Or are you going to offer something of substance, you stupid fuck

[impala454]

Perhaps this is what made me think it was still under warranty?

So it was still under warranty with Best Buy so I took it there, and they shipped it off

I seriously hope you never need computer help on here anymore, because you sure act like a total bitch every time someone tries to help.

[Spectatrix]

Yeah, her response was pretty bitchy, but it was clear from the context of her previous post that she was talking about the time the thing caught on fire, when it WAS still under warranty.

[impala454]

I just misread it then I guess.

[Spectatrix]

Everyone misreads stuff on occasion. Some more often than others.

But yeah, Jessica over-reacted.

[Mommy]

Because he did this same shit in another thread I started. I asked for possible solutions to WHAT THE PROBLEM IS and he does everything but offer that.

Fuck it, though. I know its the MB

[impala454]

Jessica, I have done nothing in anyone's computer question thread, but try to help. I like to try to use my decent amount of computer knowledge to help people out. I misread your post and thought you meant you'd sent it out for warranty work and didn't need help anymore. When a computer shuts back off after being turned on like you're saying there's more wrong with it than some simple part you can go buy at Best Buy and replace, and it is definitely not a software issue. My suggestion to get a new laptop was not a joke. One that has caught fire before, regardless of having parts replaced, is going to have lots of problems down the road and you'll spend less money getting a cheaper new laptop than attempting to fix the one you have. I see brand new Dell laptops in the $600 range (which isn't bad when you finance it), and if that's too much, I had very good luck with a used Dell laptop I got for $300 off ebay. Another possibility is re-evaluating your need for a laptop and seeing if a cheap desktop will suffice.

[Mommy]

durrrrrrrrrrrr......


THINGS I HAVE ALREADY SAID

[impala454]

You know, you don't have to be greatful to people who try to help, but you also don't have to act like a royal bitch to them either.

[Mommy]

because all I wanted to know is things it could possibly be, so I can rule things out. Obviously I know parts are expensive. Obviously I know I cant go buy a motherboard and processor for it at best buy. I'm not stupid enough to think that I can replace a MB and Proc for cheaper than it would be to just buy a new laptop. If it's something else, though, I think anyone would agree that replacing that part myself would be cheaper than buying a whole new laptop. The part that caused it to catch on fire HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED; therefore, using that as another reason to replace it is stupid because that's not an issue anymore. You come in here and offer suggestions (not dealing with what I'm asking) without having read everything. That's annoying. It's like asking for cliff notes in NPR. I already said I knew it wasn't the hard drive because the boot screen wasn't loading. The way I see this is you're talking down to me. That's why I get bitchy. You think I'm too stupid to replace the parts myself or carry on a legitimate conversation as to what is causing the problem. You come in here and tell me to buy a new laptop when that's not what I'm asking. I happen to know a lot about computer hardware and would like to fix the thing myself. Is that a crime? But noooooo I'm a girl, and I'm not Christine so you talk down to me.

[impala454]

I already said I knew it wasn't the hard drive because the boot screen wasn't loading. The way I see this is you're talking down to me. That's why I get bitchy.

Well you were reading it the wrong way then. I would have said the same thing to any person who had posted your situation. No, what I said wasn't some magic transistor you can go buy at Radio Shack to solder onto the motherboard and fix your issue, but I felt it would help you if you didn't realize it's probably something that's not going to get fixed and not to waste money on it. Apparently you thought there was some part you could replace or you wouldn't have asked for help on here in the first place.

And by the way, I did read that the parts you said that caught fire were replaced, but it doesn't mean the laptop is back in like new condition. There may have been other parts which were only damaged and have just now finally broken.

[Mommy]

So if that was the case AND THE MOTHERBOARD WAS REPLACED IN THE FIRE then DURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR it would be something else to replace then, eh?

God, fuck, you are stupid. just shut up and stop posting. thread over. problem solved. close this please.

[Spectatrix]

Closed per Jessica's request.