my son spilled soda onto new dell laptop and now wont turn on. any ideas.
Odds are it probably wont ever turn on. That's one (probably the only one, aside from price vs performace) advantage that desktops have. Alot of stuff probably shorted out inside, even if it was turned off bc capacitors inside could still be charged (this is the reason that your TV tells you not to open it up even if its unplugged because it can still kill you). I could be wrong though. One time a friend's phone went through the washing machine (with a dead batt.) and worked!
Beat your son. Seriously though, I spilled some beer on my computer a few weeks ago and it wouldn't turn on. Mind you, I don't have a Dell- but I believe they are all built very similarly. It cost me $900 to fix my computer; they had to replace my keyboard, ram, and motherboard. I believe you'll be okay with your hard drive- they are water proof. I am assuming you don't have a warranty for physical damage to the computer- chances are you're looking at $400-1000 for the parts to be replaced/installed. Sorry!
Each day i get more and more happy i own a desktop! Me being me, i still managed to mess up my desktop recently though. I was cleaning dust out of the system, and now it wont tiurn on either. The fans used to come on, but nothing appeard on the screen. Later, the fans would only come on momentarily. I didnt even touch anything inside. I just blew 1 yrs worth of dust out (there were dust bunnies the size of my cat in that thing.) I guess the dust rubbing together created enough static to mess something up. Hopefully its just a power supply problem though, as my computer went off warranty 25 days ago and i obviously would not have told them i opened it up when placing a warranty claim!!
900 for keyboard, ram, and motherboard? Keyboard - 20$ Ram - Probably 100$ (could be less) Motherboard - 60-100$ (could be less) No one should buy the prebuilt computers - they use the lowest quality parts to make a huge profit margin. Do some research for a week or so and you could build your own computer without any troubles. It would be considerably cheaper, not to mention higher quality, than anything you could buy.
My labtop is a Sager- the same people who make Alienware.. My computer is custom made to my specifications (2.66ghz, 15.1 monitor, 1024 ram, dual monitor ready, 4 usb slots etc- its a monster)- they had to replace the motherboard that allows for all those add-ons as well as the 1024mb of ram. Don't forget the service/shipping from CA - 800-900 isn't that outrageous.
I used to repair laptops and I would not recommend trying to power it up again until it's been to an authorized service facility, or at least to someone who is framiliar with Dells. I don't know of any vendor off hand that would cover a repair under warranty due to something spilling on it, usually that voids the warranty due to misuse/neglect. Ultimately, that decision is up to the particular tech that troubleshoots the computer. Techs may be bribed with beer & pizza I hear. From my experience, soda is the messiest thing that can get in the laptop. It usually wrecks whatever board/component it gets into and is just a PITA to clean up before the new boards are put in place. The system board w/cpu ,RAM and keyboard are usually killed by something like that because thier circuitry is not sealed. As mentioned above, your hard drive is sealed and should still be OK. good luck, John
So i guess i should see if the place where i decide to take my comp to get fixed (im not fixing it myself, im going to swallow my pride and have someone else fix it since im afraid of messing it up again) will let me suply the parts. Or should i try to fix it myself? I definately could do it, even thoug the only comp hardware sutff ive ever done has been installing an ethernet card onm thr comp im on now and installing a cd-rom and sound card back in like 95 into an old old gateway. I dont even know whats wrong with it though. I did try installing some more RAM from an older dell we used to have at the same time i cleaned dust out. I also tried to install an older HD from that same dell. It never booted up after this, just a blank monitor that said it wasnt recieving a signal.
Not to be ******, but this was pretty impressive- "PowerBook G4 cooked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. The machine still booted, video and all...Please note that I DID NOT BAKE IT. It was brought in for repair at the store I work at." Tried to find the pictures, but was unsuccessful. Impressive to say the least! Your's is still under warranty, just wait 'till it dries out, and send it in "I dunno why, it won't work anymore, you fix it" Admit Nothing(tm) Best! Ben.
ohhhhhhhhh I thought you were talking about a desktop, my bad by the way, nice choice in the laPtop sager is very nice
Thank you- you've had good experience with them? My family/friends have a total of 5 and mine seems to be a tiny bit of a lemon and the customer service is that of a Ferrari dealership (lacking) lol.. When its working it's the Enzo of laptops- but it's as reliable as an 850csi BMW .
Not personally, but I have been reading a ton about computers/laptops lately (need to buy new comp/laptop, probably gonna get a tablet) for school next year (college), and they seem to be regarded as the ferrari of laptops... I guess there are a few different brands out there (including sager) that are all made by the same company... voodoo clevo sager alienware etc., not entirely sure, but they are very nice (albeit for a hefty price) here is a link for sager's, although the color scheme is sort of :ugh: http://talknotebooks.com/
Pulling the hard drive and buying an identical model to install the hard disk in is going to be your cheapest fix if you are beyond the warrenty period.
95spiderman, sorry for getting off subject but.. My brother and his friend (who both have Sagers) have never had any problems with them whatsoever. I have had several issues. Although it's not really seen as a major problem- my computers power cord died, causing me to send back my computer in a frenzy ($50+ bucks to the west coast) to see why it wouldn't boot. They sent me a new cord but I still had to pay shipping. I brought my computer home a few weeks later with the intentions of sending it back to fix my inoperable USB connection(s) and of course, the night before I send it back, I got it wet which fried various parts of the computer. They fixed the computer and sent it back (rather timely); however, they never told me I had to reformat the hard drive to get it working 100%- which, in the long run, was a pain in the ass. Since September I have had the computer back at the factory 2 times, costing $1000+/- between replacing the motherboard, ram and keyboard, as well as shipping costs and insurance. It's been nothing but trouble but as of recently its back perfect. When working, the computer is unbeatable as a desktop replacement. The pros and cons of Sager (from my personal experiences) +When working, it's better then any Dell I have worked on -When not working, you have to leave a message on their machine and they will get to you eventually, usually at the most inconvenient time, and their customer/technical support guy is really hard to understand +You can customize their computers to a much higher degree then any Dell/Micron etc -When/if problems arise, you're not dealing with a huge corporation who are willing and able to give you a full refund; they'd rather walk you through the long process of fixing your computer; when my last Dell desktop (a loaded 1.5 GHz P4) started acting up, they were willing to take the computer back and give me a full discount -My computer is HUGE- 10-15 pounds easily- definitely not portable- but then and again, I got it as a desktop replacement that I could bring home during breaks. -My computer is ugly- but its a computer, so who cares! What to take into account when buying a laptop for college: -Most people don't bring their computers to class, chances are you won't. It'd highly recommend you get a laptop over a desktop- even though they are more expensive they take up significantly less space and, when necessary, even the biggest laptops can be taken to a study session/home on a break. Desktops stay put (obviously). -Weight really isn't an issue, get the model with the biggest monitor or at least make sure your computer is able to have a second monitor plug into it; in that case (if you have the money), get a flat panel. I am always working on my computer and there is nothing worse then starring at a 12.1 inch monitor. Once it's on your desk, who cares if its light/portable? -Get lot's of USB connections (or get an external USB hub)- I take up all 4 slots on my computer with my Extigy (I'll explain that next), USB mouse, printer, and flash card drive for my digital camera. -If you like music, laptop speakers generally suck. Get a "Soundblaster Extigy"- its an external sound card that plugs into your USB which allows you to connect 5.1 speakers (significantly better speakers) - which allows you to listen to those great MP3's you download off your college network. I have Altec Lansing THX speakers which are amazing- I highly recommend picking them (or comparable speakers) for your room. -Get an optical USB mouse- much more convenient. - You will have food/beer around your computer, get another keyboard to put on your desk and try to cover up your laptop keyboard. I learned the hard way and ended up paying close to 1k by spilling on computer, not fun. - Although the new Pentium M (mobile) chip it makes the computer lighter and more battery efficient, as well as having built in wireless networking is nice, it is NOT NECESSARY, and I would not recommend it. Your computer is plugged in 99% of the time, both into the power as well as into the ethernet. Most colleges dont allow for wireless networking (security breach) so its pointless unless you have a wireless network at home. I do, and have an external wireless card. -I dont play games, but if you do, dont cheap out on the processor. Again, youre going to have your computer for at least a couple years so you might as well have the best of the best. Computers get dated quickly so if you get a great deal on a 1.5 GHz M laptop today, chances are, in a couple years, it will be obsolete. -Regardless if you do play games or not, get AT LEAST 512mb ram. If I could do it all over, Id get 2 gigs. Even if you dont download, your school will mandate that you have a virus program as well as various other security measures. I am using 348 megs of my 1024 simply typing this post (as well as being on 2 instant messengers, 2 websites and Kazaa). -Get 80+ gigs of hard drive space if you intend on keeping your computer over 2 years. I have a 60 gig and currently fill 30 of it; 20+/- with Microsoft applications alone. I have a 100gig external USB2 hard drive to back my pictures/mp3s up... Ahh, cant think of anything else. If you have any questions whatsoever feel free to ask. I hope this post makes sense .
thanks kenny, but does no one really bring their notebook to class? I don't know if you have seen tablets but they are basically what they seem - electronic tablets... you can fold them over and write on them. Very useful for someone like me who is terrible at organization/taking notes. If I get one of these I obviously would want to be able to use it in class. Do people not bring them because it is annoying, or because they are not allowed to? I also am kind of a comp geek so I most likely will get both a laptop and a desktop (for the room).
I'd say only 1% of the class brings a laptop, if that. I have the worst handwriting and am relatively disorganized, and I love computers- but I still prefer to take notes by hand. The computer is a hassle to carry, not only is it heavy, but its a pain in the ass. It seems like the guys who bring their computers to class seclude themselves a bit and are seen almost as outcasts- they end up playing solitaire anyways- so its a waste. Tablets, at the point, aren't worth it (to me).
if its not insured or under warranty Pull it to bits (as much as poss) spray lots of electronics cleaner (same stuff you use for cleaning the contacts in your cars electrics) let it all dry out put it back together and it may work I did this with a dell a couple of years ago after spilling cofee all over it! and it's still working
Kenny's right. Last year i saw one kid brought his laptop to class to take notes, but that was it. This year, a kid brought a laptop to a materials science class i took, but he just used wireless internet to talk on AIM and watch dvd movies during class. At least for me 1/2, if not more, of my notes is working out example problems, which are all math. I also draw alot of diagrams and stuff since i take all math or engineering classes this year anyway. for this reason i got a desktop, i wouldnt bring my laptop to class if i had one. the only other advantage of a laptop is you can push it aside on your desk so you have alot of room for notebooks when youre doing homework. I solved this problem by getting a, 18" flat panel LCD monitor. I have more room on my desk than if i had an open laptop. With a laptop i woiuld have to close it and take it off my desk to get the kind of space i have now. Desktops are also less expensive and when i bought my comp lsat year, they didnt make laptops this fast.
