| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 7/31/2005 2:29:01 PM | I have a Compaq laptop with a very large LCD screen. I paid quite a bit for the unit. It has an 80Gig drive and a 1280x1024 pixel format. I paid quite a bit for having that display on the unit. Well a friend brought some friends to my house and I found the laptop face down on my chair at my desk.
Compaq wanted $1,100.00 to replace it. I decided to look through the Internet to see if I can find the display myself. I found a company on South Loop West in Huston TX who sold me the same screen for under $500 including the backlight. So now I have a spare backlight.
I was worried at first if I could replace the screen on my own but was assured I could do it with no problem. The screen arived FedEx with in a few days. So I was committed.
I removed the four screws that held the back cover on. I found the screws by removing the rubber bumpers to cushion the lid when closed. The back came off with the aid of a butter knife. The screen was there in all its broken glory. I found out I had to remove three screws at the base of the laptop itself and there was a plastic strip that streched across the laptop above the keyboard. This allowed me to unplug the LCD from the motherboard. I then unscrewed the broken screen from the chassis. I could hear the glass crackling as I lifted it out.
To one side of my display where the wires for my WiFi antena. I used a piece of tape to hold them out of the way. Now it was time to sweat.
I took the new display out of the packaging and placed it where the old display was. It wouln't go! I looked at the two and compaired them closely. I found four tabs on the new display that were not on the old display. After a closer look I could see that the tabs were removed from the old display.
After trimming the tabs off the display I set the new display into my laptop. If fit like a charm. I put all the screws back in and ran the wires down to the mother board and plugged them in.
Before I finished putting everything backtogether I turned on my laptop. My heart was beating a little fast. I am thinking is this really the right display? Did I zap it with a static charge? Then I heard the beep and a familiar flash of my screen. The words "Enter Password" in crisp blue and white letters. It worked.
I brought up a family video and it was just as I remember it. I then realized I just saved myself over $600.. I was one happy camper.
I snapped the back cover back on and put the screws back into the face of the display and then the little rubber bumpers. It was as good as new. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 7/31/2005 3:33:03 PM | bravo........compaq sucks
just so you know for next time, you can hook up ( one the back) a regular monitor to your laptop while you're waiting for the new part to arrive. used monitor can be very cheap ( 100 to 150 ) | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 7/31/2005 7:17:09 PM | What is wrong with Compaq? I did a lot of research before I bought this computer. No other company had what I wanted. Sony, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, Gateway and many other would not do what I wanted it to do at the time.
If I wanted to do video editing none of the others would do it. I also have two serial ports that are at the ends of my USB cable standard. It hooks up to my DVC (Digital Video Cam) for real time recording. Far better than an Analog input device. Linux runs on it with out having to hunt the Internet for drivers. The battery monitor on Fedora Core4 works with how having to hunt the Internet for it.
This was a Load and Go machine. So tell me why Compaq sucks? I know the tech support is below par but as soon as I put Linux on it, all bets were off anyway.
Speeking of tech support. I wish out companies would quit using India!!! | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 7/31/2005 8:28:48 PM |
So tell me why Compaq sucks? I know the tech support is below par
I worked in a call center for many years and we supported compaq computers ( both laptops and desktops). I have never seen computers breaking down as often and as quickly than compaq. So it is a personal experience. I will never recommend a compaq to anyone. Noow, if you want numbers to back up this claim, you can check cnet.com. they do reviews of hardware and hp and ccompaq (now the same company) are always at the bottom.
there is even a site compaqsucks.com if you want to find out more.
my personal preference would be dell and toshiba. sony tend to be too proprietary. I have bought a couple of dell pc's and they are work horses. my 733Mghz doesn't want to break down so that I can replace it with something faster. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/1/2005 11:43:34 AM | When I looked at C-Net and PC-World both rated the Compaq I purchased #1 and #2. Also at the time no other Laptop had a DVI connection on it or two serial ports. I have needed to use two serial ports at once so many times I can not count.
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,121206,00.asp | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/1/2005 11:49:45 AM | | well, maybe they had a bright idea ( like a delta function: nothing then a pick then nothing ) when they made your model... | |
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dudio
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Joined: 1/30/2005
Msg: 7 | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/1/2005 6:31:20 PM | I have had 2 Compaq Laptops ... never a problem with either one.
The latest one I picked up in 2001 has been through outdoor excursions, been run in a 4x4 through logging roads, and still to this day not a thing ever went wrong with it.
Mind you, I paid premium coin for the "E-500" ... but its never failed me.
But, don't get me going on HP ... anything HP ... 5 years now of no HP ... sanity is gradually returning again ... lol | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/1/2005 6:59:04 PM | | ticket, maybe you lucked out and bought the first batch of e500/600 or/700mghz or even 900mghz before they started making them in timbuctu. But I am sure you'd have a different opinion if you had to provide technical support for people with modem problems...for years compaq kept blaming the user, the phone line and whatever else they could come up with. it took few years before they came up with a decent driver for their laptop modems. during those years and even now, I shudder when I hear the word compaq. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/1/2005 11:22:46 PM | Yeah ... I am not making any comments on Compaq on any overall basis, just the units I bought I have been more than happy with.
Actually, I bought the last of the "E-500" (700/850) as I had to have it specially ordered from Toronto.
I have no disagreement with your Tech Support or Compaq blaming Users, because I really can't say. I am sure if I had little knowledge of PCs, I would likely have been at their throats too. But I usually, no matter what is wrong, find another way to bridge any problems, which new users often do not know about.
There is 1 major bug I have come across and that was a number of Devices (as many as 5) wanting to ride the same IRQ number (under Win98se). That goes hand in hand with the Modem drivers who were notorious with shacking up with the NIC, Video Card and any PMCIA Cards in the same slot.
Hence, I could never use the cards on Compaqs, but then I preferred using the USB port anyways.
HP = 3 CD-Writers, each a lifespan of less than 9 months, then mis-burned Disks. Samething tech personel telling me to buy their own brand at 3 times the price. They mis-burned too.
(7100/7200/8100)
2 SCSI Scanners, less than 15 months each. Both refused to detect, both burned out the lamps, even with new OEM USB cabling, they died.
2 HP Printers - mechanical went to hell in less than 3,000 pages, on both. Requrired more than just a cleaning, ie. a new printer would have cost less.
1 Digital Cam = 5 months ... went dead. Warranty complications ... wasn't worth my time. Chuck!
Epson printer 860 - 5 years. after 20,000 plus pages, still going strong.
Epson Scanner - 4 years - no probs, still going, no lamp burn-outs, no detection problems, always works when I use it.
Nikon Digital Cam Coolpix 5000, 4 years ... always works ...
Plextor SCSI CD-R burner, 5 years now ... still motoring away.
Plextor DVD-R/W burner ... 2 years ... never a mis-burned disk.
HP = pure Trash !!! | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/2/2005 5:21:43 AM | | I can only agree with what you said. hp is at the bottom of the heap.......and hp and compaq getting together is a marriage in heaven. it's something like who gets to the bottom first and faster. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/2/2005 9:06:16 PM | Two years ago I was doing Tech support for HP notebooks. At that point the hardware in the compaq and HP notebooks was identical and they had started to merge product lines and web pages. They were all crapola on a stick. Especially the models they sold in Walmarts and Sam's. They had notorious heat problems and neverending failures.
Then my job got moved to India.... grrrr.
Three years ago I was doing tech support for Dell. Their notebooks were much more solid. They did have some issues that should have gone to recall but didn't, but those were few and far between. I even considered buying a Dell notebook while I worked for them but the pay and discount were too low for the cost which was too high.
Then THAT job moved to India.... grrr.
HP and Compaq both at points in the past had good quality products. Now I wouldn't reccomend either of them to my worst enemy.
If I had to reccomend a notebook that wasn't in the ivy league of PCs pricewise, I would reccomend Dell or Toshiba.
I might even reccomend a Mac notebook. Those things are solid and stable. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/7/2005 8:19:45 AM |
If I had to reccomend a notebook that wasn't in the ivy league of PCs pricewise, I would reccomend Dell or Toshiba.
My friend owns a Toshiba. She had problems with the power input and even though she bought the expensive extended warranty they still wanted to charge her a couple hundred dollars to repair it (I could of done it for under $20 my cost).
She had problems getting a box to send the computer back.
They then lost the computer on arrival
They wiped out her hard drive replacing the motherboard
They were extremely rude to her on the phone, including hanging up on her, swearing at her.. etc. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/7/2005 9:13:09 AM | ^^^^ Wow, Thats pretty much the opposite of what I have always heard from Toshiba owners. Perhaps they have gone downhill as well now.
*sigh* It is tarting to seem that the only good quality manufacturers anymore are the super expensive ones. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/7/2005 12:39:15 PM | Kudos to you for tackling the LCD replacement. I work in IT and have seen LCD displays replaced twice in latop by people sent out from Dell. I am not sure how different the replacement of a Compaq display is but to be honest I don't think I would have tackled it myself..
My hat is off to you for a job well done | |
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Lavim
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Joined: 5/23/2005
Msg: 16 | |
| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/8/2005 6:25:09 PM | Nice work!
I am an electronics technician and have techs in my shop who could not replace an lcd screen let along modifying and lcd to fit. You do know that now you have technically breached into the land of the old school meaning of hacker eh:)
Hacking might be characterized as ‘an appropriate application of ingenuity’. Whether the result is a quick-and-dirty patchwork job or a carefully crafted work of art, you have to admire the cleverness that went into it.
http://www.catb.org/esr/jargon/html/meaning-of-hack.html
Pisnaz | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/10/2005 6:14:29 AM | I was asked what I used to remove the tabs. I cut off the tabs with wire cutters and then used a Dremel Tool and a vacuum cleaner to grind of the tabs. I kept the vacuum cleaner running while I ground off the tabs so no metal dust would land on the ICs on the back of the display. Not being proud or anything, My job was better done than what was originally installed in the Laptop. All my edges were smooth. No way to cut yourself.
Edit: Thanks for the comps! Everyone!
Dudio You're funny! Thanks for making me laugh. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 8/13/2005 12:44:19 PM | | Kudos to you MtG! I've been a tech geek for several years and know how daunting something like this can be to someone who's not familiar with what they are doing. Course, have read your posts on other threads and think you've got a pretty good bean in you're noggin! :) | |
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odlss
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Joined: 8/30/2005
Msg: 19 | |
| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 9/15/2005 10:47:37 PM | | epsilonbj, kinda wandered into this thread and i just got an averatec 3200 for under $900.00 canadian. had adesk top before and i just love this thing. i actually want to learn more about comp and hopefully take the plunge into linux in the future. i dont do that much with it exsept surf and never even sent an email until i logged onto this site a month ago. any feed back from anyone about this laptop more than welcome. good or bad is okay as this is how we learn and debating helps me pay the bills[check my profile] heehee | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 9/16/2005 6:33:52 AM | I have a toshiba 5200...I paid over 3 grand for it and I've had nothing but problems with it. It's been back to the shop 5 times now in 2 years; each with a different problem.
1: Wireless network card died within 2 months of getting it
2: Power adapter died after a year
3: Whole computer just stopped responding one day, wouldn't recognize the hard drive, wouldn't boot
4: hard drive failed
5: hard drive failed again, and the lcd screen hinge broke, they had it for over a month before I got it back. When I did get it back, the idiots didn't put it back together properly, the RAM cover has two screws in it, one is now super short and the other is super long, it doesn't even fit properly. Also now the screen isn't as bright as it used to be and there's a yellow tint to the whole screen, and when you close the lid for a few minutes then open it again, there's a red hue to the entire screen for a few seconds until it "warms up" again...
I'm bringing it back this afternoon and demanding a new laptop...I'm sick of this bullshit.. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 9/16/2005 5:04:54 PM | where was the repair done? india? timbuctu?
me I would simply ask forcefully for a replacement pc and if I don't get it, I would sue them or better yet post everywhere you can about your experience and send those idiots a link. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 9/17/2005 8:39:13 AM | Mountaingirl, way to go fixing it yourself! I had a fan burn out in a laptop once and wanted to replace it myself but was told it would void my warranty. So I took it to the "Futurestore" where I bought it and through 3 months of BS, including them ruining the original machine, I finally got a replacement. Even that was a buzzkill. I got the new one home and fomatted the hard drive to prepare for a fresh OS install...so I start to insert my boot disk and I notice that the swinging dust cover that covers the FD entrance is broken and wedged into the drive thus rendering it inoperable. I almost lost it right there considering the amazing amount of crap that store put me through.
epsilonbj, I agree, Compaq sucks. I've had several laptops over the years and I had the misfortune of having a Compaq for about 4 months. I was so impressed that I will never, ever touch anything with the Compaq logo on it again. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 10/5/2005 6:03:50 PM | I have a 1998 Compaq Laptop - and it still works although its been dropped and had some other issues that normally occur but I havent really had much trouble with it - especially if I hadn't dropped it...
I also have a 2002 gateway desktop that I'm using now and it's been giving me all kinds of probs...the hard drive crashed, the power supply died, etc. And i have had a time and a half finding replacement parts.
:) | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 10/11/2005 1:16:56 AM | You can put an insurance claim through your home insurance if you
have COMPREHENSIVE coverage; provided you DROPPED it and such.
Probably too late if it took this long to respond. | |
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| My LapTop LCD Screen Broke!
Posted: 11/12/2006 10:37:13 PM | MountainGirl, did you make your friend(s) pay for the repairs?!
They broke it. | |
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