My 1.5 year old laptops LCD screen after 6 month use started showing 1 horizontal white pixel line (well the line color kind of depends on what colors are above the line but usually it’s white) after 3 more months second appeared and today I spotted a third one now it’s one 3 pixel thick line at the near bottom of the screen. I found that it’s monitors fault because it always shows. However I found a trick to TEMPORALLY FIX IT: by easily pushing left top monitors corner forth and right top corner back the line disappears and appears again if I release the corners.

This description sounds like a problem with the LCD screen. Unfortunately, when the laptop screen starts showing lines like that, it cannot be fixed.

You’ll have to use the laptop as is with lines or get ready to replace the whole LCD screen.

Laptop screens used to be very expensive but these days you can find a brand new replacement screen for less than $100. Try eBay, there are some cheap LCD screens there.

While playing songs, suddenly, sound on the right side internal speaker is dead but another -left side speaker is working, now only one speaker is producing sound. If I check it using headphone, sounds on both sides (left and right side) are coming. Please let me know what the reason it is.

Both channels in headphones are working and it means the laptop sound card is working correctly.

Most likely your problem is related to the right speaker failure. Apparently, the right speaker went bad and has to be replaced.

In order to replace the faulty speaker it’s necessary to disassemble the laptop, remove the top cover, unplug the faulty speaker from the motherboard and replace it with a new one.

I have a new Toshiba Satellite P505 laptop and the Num Lock stopped working without any reason. Number key pad stopped working completely. Do you know what’s going on?

Enter the BIOS setup menu and check the BIOS version installed on your laptop. I just looked though the BIOS change history for a Satellite P505 and apparently Toshiba fixed this issue with the latest BIOS update.

It doesn’t say what was wrong but in the listed fixes for the version 1.60 it says: “Fixed: NUM Lock key check problem.”

Download the latest BIOS update available for your laptop from the Toshiba website. Try updating the BIOS to the latest version. Let me know if updating the BIOS fixes your Num Lock problem.

The cooling fan was very dirty and I disassembled the laptop for cleaning. When I completed the reassembly step by step and tried to turn on my laptop it just won’t. When I press the power it starts the fan for a second and when I press it once more and it begins to start but after a second or two it dies.

Most likely the laptop will not turn on because of some connection related problem.

Here are two more common mistakes people make while reassembling a laptop:

1. The memory module is not seated correctly.
Try reconnecting the memory module, make sure it’s installed properly.

2. The CPU is not seated correctly or the CPU socket is not locked.
If you disassembled your laptop for cleaning, most likely you had to remove the heatsink. There is a chance that you pulled the CPU from the socket and now it’s not making good contact with the motherboard.

Unlock the socket, reseat the CPU and after that lock CPU the socket.

I have Sony Vaio laptop and problems with my USB port will not read USB device, I keep getting the error no USB device available. I have tried to download new device, still not working.

If you have a problem with only one particular USB port, it’s definitely a hardware related issue. Most likely the USB port is damaged and has to be replaced. It means the entire laptop has to be disassembled, the damaged USB port has to be desoldered and replaced with a new one.

If you have the same problem with all USB ports, first of all check the USB device you are trying to use. Maybe the device itself is faulty. Test your laptop with another USB device.

If you experiencing he same problem with different USB devices, the problem is somewhere inside the laptop. It could be software or hardware related.

Here are some steps you can go through to find out what is wrong:
1. Go to the device manager and remove all USB related entries from the USB controllers. Restart the laptop and let it re-detect USB ports. Test USB ports. If it doesn’t help, go to the step 2.
2. Back up all personal files and reinstall the operating system from scratch. Test USB ports. If it doesn’t help, go to the step 3.
3. If reinstalling the operating system doesn’t fix your problem, it’s a hardware related failure. Most likely there is a problem with the motherboard and it has to be replaced.

If you don’t want to replace the motherboard, you can use a PCMCIA USB card instead. You plug this card into the PC slot and get two or four USB ports instead.

A friend of mine broke the DC-IN jack on her Toshiba Satellite p105-s6147. I have been able to replace the jack but there is a retaining clip that holds the DC jack to the casing. This has also been snapped. So now I need this retaining clip. Anyone have any ideas where i can get one? Thanks in advance for the help!

In a Toshiba Satellite P105 the DC-IN power jack mounts on the base assembly. If the jack mounting bracket is broken, you’ll have to replace the base assembly.

Here are instructions for taking apart a Toshiba Satellite P105 laptop. In order to replace the base assembly you’ll have to remove the motherboard.

The base assembly part number is A000005670. You can search this part number on eBay or google it.

I have a Toshiba Satellite R15 with Windows XP. It doesn’t boot, it says that \system32\hal.dll is missing. I have a recovery disc, but nothing happens when I put in. Is there something special I should do?

Do you understand that running the recovery disc will erase everything from the hard drive? Please back up all personal files before starting the recovery process. All personal data (music, videos, pictures, documents, etc…) will be gone.

In order to backup all personal files, you’ll have to remove the hard drive and connect it to another working computer using an external USB enclosure.

Here’s how you can boot your Satellite R15 laptop from the recovery disc and start the recovery process:

1. Insert the recovery disc into the DVD drive.
2. Restart the laptop and as soon as Toshiba logo appears on the screen press on the F12 key. This will take you to the boot device menu.
3. Using the arrow key, select the CD/DVD drive and press enter.
4. The laptop will start booting from the recovery disc.
5. Follow instructions on the screen.

My Compaq Presario was working fine then all of a sudden last week,it started to switch off unexpectedly, sometimes when i turn it back on it switches back off after it loads windows.

I think this is heat related problem. The laptop switches off unexpectedly because it overheats. It’s a very common problem with many different laptop brands.

Usually you can fix the problem is you clean the cooling module – cooling fan and heat sink. Most likely the cooling module is clogged with dust.

For cleaning the laptop cooling module I usually use an air compressor. Spray air inside the fan until all dust is gone. This will remove most dust from the cooling module and should cure the problem.

Also, make sure the cooling fan spins when the laptop works. There is a chance that your laptop switches off because the cooling fan has failed.

I just drop my Dell 1420 laptop and ask for some technicians , there is a display but there is no light, they said my laptop’s problem was LCD LIGHTS. Can i just buy any 14.1 LCD lamp?

Most likely the screen has no light because you damaged the backlight lamp. The backlight lamp is mounted INSIDE the LCD screen. It’s very hard to replace the backlight lamp and if you try, there is a good chance that you damage the screen. Do it only if you have nothing to lose. You can use these instructions for replacing the backlight lamp.

The display disassembly instructions could be found in this service manual for Dell Inspiron/Vostro 1420 laptops. It is not necessary to separate the display panel from the laptop. Simply remove the screen bezel, disconnect the screen from the video cable and replace it with a new screen.

Here’s a guide for replacing the screen in Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop. The guide shows how to separate the inverter board from the LCD screen. Just in case if you purchase a new screen without inverter. You can find a new replacement LCD screen on eBay.

I accidentally dropped my HP Pavilion dv9700 notebook and the LCD screen got cracked. Can I replace the screen my self or it’s too complicated? Do you know how to remove the broken screen and where I can find a new one?

Yes, you can try replacing the broken LCD screen yourself. You’ll find step-by-step instructions in the manual for HP Pavilion dv9500/dv9600/dv9700 notebooks. You’ll have to read the instructions and find out if it’s too complicated for you or not.

HP uses two different types of LCD screens in these models. Some screens come with single backlight lamp and other screens come with dual backlight lamp.

You’ll have to do some research and find out if your laptop has a single or dual lamp screen. Replace the broken screen with a similar one.

All LCD screens (and their part numbers) used in HP Pavilion dv9500/dv9600/dv9700 notebooks are mentioned on the page 69 in the above mentioned manual.

In most HP laptops the screen/display part number is shown on a sticker glued to the video cable (somewhere close to the connector). In most cases you can find the sticker under the keyboard bezel where the video cable plugged into the motherboard. Find the display part number and google it or search on eBay.