Laptop Troubles

[Lord S]

For the computer geeks in the house...

Query: Is it true that when your laptop's monitor goes out of whack, it's unrepairable and thus the laptop is useless?

My story: I have a Toshiba Satellite A70, and my brother-in-law (wife's 23-year-old brother) came a couple of weeks ago and used it while I was out. When I came back he handed it to me and I noticed that one of the panels on the screen had slightly faded, (because I understand that an LCD monitor is made up of several vertical panels, right?) So it was one of the panels on the left...let's say at the 30% mark. So I was kind of pissed, but didn't think much of it...as I thought it would go away.

The next day I turned on the laptop and all the panels to the right of that one panel were totally scrambled. Everything to the left was perfectly fine. I noticed that if you squeeze the very top of the screen (on the frame) then it would go back to normal...but you had to hold it. So I got a large and thick binder clip, which I mounted on top, and it seemed to do the job for about a week or so. I'd been meaning to get it checked out, but was in no hurry cause the clip was keeping the screen stable. Now even the clip is not helping. Everything to the right of that original panel is totally fucked up. I only have about four inches of usable screen space...which is to the left of the original panel. The laptop itself works perfectly fine.

So what I'm wondering is...is this something that can be repaired? Or is the laptop done?

This is obviously a physical problem...probably not caused by any overexertion or stress to the monitor, but in all likelihood my loving bro-in-law dropped the laptop when he was using it, but he won't fess up.

I'm going to have no choice but to ask him to pay for the repair/replacement costs...and if that can't be done, then he owes me a new laptop. I'll give the wife hell for the rest of the year if he doesn't pay up...cause this is bullshit.

Any thoughts?

[Drew Van T.]

Query: Is it true that when your laptop's monitor goes out of whack, it's unrepairable and thus the laptop is useless?

Not unrepairable: they can always put in a new screen, but it's an expensive option.

One common example is when you get the dreaded "vertical yellow line" on your lappie. It means a whole row of pixels has died, and the only fix is putting in a new screen.

What you have, though, is a failing backlight. Again, replacing the whole screen is probably the only fix - or that's what I would assume based on my experiences. Sorry for your loss.

[macul]

I've replaced them, but it was a pain in the butt and not something I want to do again.

[Kirk G]

Our disposable society.... sigh...

[SOGG]

You can also just plug it in to a monitor and use it as a replacement desktop....

[Drew Van T.]

Our disposable society.... sigh...

There's that, but in ths particular case, what's really needed is extended warranties. Every laptop should come with a minimum of three years by default, easily upgraded to more, which would also be an incentive for manufacturers to build them to last longer.

[Jinxer]

Our disposable society.... sigh...

What do you want him to do? Keep using a failing laptop?

[Drew Van T.]

What do you want him to do? Keep using a failing laptop?

Hey, on four inches you can play a mean round of Pong. Or even a current flash-based game.

But seriously, Lord S needs to get a price quote from his manufacturer's support service (assuming the laptop's warranty is expired). Maybe he'll get lucky and it'll only be a few hundred dollars (but it could be much more).

[Tadhg]

But seriously, Lord S needs to get a price quote from his manufacturer's support service (assuming the laptop's warranty is expired). Maybe he'll get lucky and it'll only be a few hundred dollars (but it could be much more).

Yeah, it doesn't hurt to ask; but every manufacturer I have dealt with makes it so it is a better proposition to replace the laptop than replace an LCD.

[Drew Van T.]

Right. But please don't dump the old laptop into a landfill or something. There are professional firms for disposing of them correctly.

[Lord S]

Well the warranty expired in June...but the (sort of) good news is I know somebody who does technical support at Toshiba, and maybe he can pull a few strings for me. I spoke to him yesterday and he understood the problem completely, and said it shouldn't cost me more than $400 to get the LCD replaced. He said repairing it would be too difficult, (probably impossible), since it's all liquid in there, or something. He'll get back to me on it in a few days.

$400 I can live with, (especially considering it won't be me paying), but I wouldn't mind a new laptop, either. Went to Staples the other day and man there are some really nice ones out there for $500 less than what I originally bought this for.