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Solve : motherboard hit by lightning? |
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Answer» My Hyundai M-Life laptop was too slow and hangs. The agent says mobo hit by lightning and need to be replaced - a used one cost $160. How come laptop works but only too slow and no startup. Should I go ahead or have a second opinion? Thanks. If your motherboard was 'hit by lightning', you most likely would not have a functioning laptop in front of you. How come laptop works but only too slow and no startup. And o the following; 1. Diagnose RAM 2. Diagnose Hard drive 3. Reformat hard drive if the above are 100% good 4. Make back-ups Reinstall Windows 5. Clean fan and cooling duct. Hi Raptor, Thats it, now I know I am in the right track. 1. 701 Mb cleaned and memtest done. OK 2. HDD replaced with new one - no change - still slow. 3/4. Already reformat drive and installed Win 98, XP or Ubuntu - still slow. 32 hours to complete installation 5. Fan already cleaned and running fine. - does not start automatically when power on, have to ctl, alt, del. Thanks - need your help please. If your reply is only 12 minutes from Raptor's suggestions there's no way you could have run MemTest... Along with what else was mentioned.Hi Patio, All these were done before the laptop was sent to the agent. Did memtest twice, reformat several times, installed and reinstalled OS, ran many AVs, downloaded drivers thru USB drive ( there is no FDD ). Sent it to agent as last resort - I, too, feel it is not the mobo problem. I don't want to be fleeced with that much money. Could it be something to do with Bios settings - I set to default. Well, if you've done all that and SOMEONE who opened it up and said it was damaged.. I guess you're out of luck. 160 dollars for a new laptop mainboard isn't a lot, by the way. Especially not if that includes labour and warranty!Actually the laptop is insured for 3 years and warranty is for normal failure not for lightning strike. The agent ( in Malaysia) is reputable as they represent the mother company in Korea. Anyway, I think there is no choice but to go ahead and repair it, as I have spent alot of my time on it. They have assured me it will work and gives 3 months warranty on the second-hand mobo. Thanks, so much for your help.Understood. See if they may offer an extended warranty on that MBoard...90 DAYS will fly by. But i agree with the above...a new board installed for $160 on a laptop is a good deal.If I take care of my laptop that is to detach the power and internet cables when not in use - can I avoid any surge or stray lightning strike? The board is a second-hand one , a new one will cost $360 ( incl of installation) with a one yr warranty - but that is about 1,250 Malaysian Ringgit which is more than what an average office clerk earns in a month. A new laptop of this brand will cost $600. What do you think; is it worth spending the $160 and maintain protection of laptop or trash it and look for a new one? It is less than 3 years old. Is warranty period really important? Thanks.Quote If I take care of my laptop that is to detach the power and internet cables when not in use - can I avoid any surge or stray lightning strike? The probability of a lightning strike damaging your laptop that way would diminish a lot, yes. Nothing that can lead the excess energy towards your laptop that way. Quote A new laptop of this brand will cost $600. What do you think; is it worth spending the $160 and maintain protection of laptop or trash it and look for a new one? It is less than 3 years old. Is warranty period really important? I think it all depends on whether you're willing to take the risk of having a good laptop again for 160 dollars with 90 days of warranty or rather play it safe and buy a new one that comes with better warranty. In Europe, there are usually two types of warranty; factory-error warranty that covers hardware and damage that is the result of a design error or failing hardware. This is the cheapest warranty available. Then there's the all-in warranty that covers theft, accidental damage and divine intervention. It is the most expensive but it is worth purchasing if you TRAVEL a lot with your laptop or if you're in an area where you might easily damage your laptop. Of course, this may differ per country so you should inform yourself well before purchasing a new laptop. You can often buy extended warranty at the same store they sell the laptop from. If not, you might be able to purchase it from the manufacturer's website. Compaq and HP have the 'all-in' KIND of warranty and so does Acer, I believe. But I'd never recommend buying anything Acer related. Other than that, it's all up to you and your budget. Like I said, 160 dollars for a new system board, labour and 90 days of warranty is not a bad deal in my eyes. Oh, thank you so much Raptor for all that useful information you gave me. Anyway I will go for the $160 and 90 days warranty and take care and precaution to keep the laptop away from lightning surge. ( Malaysia being a tropical country is prone to frequant lightning and vendors are reluctant to INSURE for divine intervention! ) Your advise on warranty will surely come useful for me and my friends when we intend to purchase a new laptop in the future. Best wishes and warmest regards. MahaAlright, good luck! Hi Friends, I am now working with the Hyundai M-Life after the main board was replaced. The technician returned the broken board and showed me little black strips of carbon layer near the modem connector plug and a couple of burnt resistors. They were right; the board was hit by lightning, which may not have caused extensive damage, as the laptop was still functioning though too slowly and could not start-up or shut-down. Now it is working superbly and the agents d/l all the reqd drivers and also gave me a cd with drivers and operating manual burnt-in + 90 days warranty - all for $160. I will be extra careful not to leave the cables ( modem and power ) attached to the laptop all the time and try not to work the laptop on rainy days. Thanks.Good News indeed...thanx for stopping back to let us know... |
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