is an lcd panel with a broken ribbon cable unfixable brands

So, the main board and power board and cables are good (replaced them all), screen gets power and lights up full with no issues, however it goes into a boot loop when everything is connected. WHEN I disconnect only the ribbon cable (which is new) the TV boots full, the sound lets me know it is in the operating menu and clicking around dings and selects things properly. Obviously because the ribbon is disconnected the screen (which is on and backlit fine) just has no picture. So the only thing left is this long thin (about 1 in) strip of computer board that runs along the entire bottom of the back that the ribbon cable is plugged into and has connectors that wrap to the front LEDs (I also replaced the metal Y connectors that go to this long stripy board thingy). I cant find this long thin stripy board part anywhere. Please let me know if this is fixable, and how to find this part if that is the answer. Thanks so much, mahalo. - Mike

If your TV isn’t working properly, there are still a few things to consider before you give up on it. Generally, you’ll have a few warning signs that things are not exactly right.

Of course, sometimes, the TV is beyond repair and you should replace it instead. If the screen is broken or the TV doesn’t turn on no matter what you do (or if the sound stopped working completely), it’s time to check out a new set.

But, before it comes to that, let’s talk about TLC (Television Love & Care). If you start suspecting something’s not right and begin noticing imperfections on your

Few things are as off-putting as a dead pixel in the middle of your screen. Whether these dots are black or green, they’re incredibly inconvenient. Before jumping to the worst conclusion, however, you might want to make sure that it’s indeed a dead pixel, not a stuck one.

The difference is that stuck pixels usually happen because of a problem with a transistor; they often have different colours and are usually just simply out of place. If it is a dead pixel, then the TV should be sent for repairs, as, unfortunately, the issue is a difficult one to fix.

You may also want to check out if the problem is, indeed, with the screen. You’d be surprised at how often a small piece of dirt or dust can look like a dead pixel, so clean the screen before assuming you’re dealing with a big problem. Then use the screen to try games or connect it to your computer; if the pixel disappears on a specific media, then the issue could be the connection.

If the colours on your screen appear distorted, then your TV might be malfunctioning. Traditionally, this issue tends to occur gradually, meaning that you might not notice any difference at first. This is due to the common factor that one colour tends to weaken at a time; therefore, no obvious changes happen overnight.

Phantom colours are also a problem; if there are smears of bright colours in areas that should be completely white, you can be pretty sure that there’s a problem. Colour distortion is relatively simple to correct, so don’t despair! Contact a professional for advice.

If your screen starts to display bars and lines, this tends to indicate that there is an issue with a connector. This can occur when something magnetic has been placed near the TV and, in turn could mess with the picture quite considerably, even potentially de-magnetising the screen.

The issue can be due to cables that have become loose inside the screen as well, which is an easy fix, although it may require a professional because the TV may have to be opened.

This is often known as screen burn-in, although this definition is not entirely accurate. Screen burn-in is a more serious issue that involves the permanent degradation of the screen and occurs by leaving a static image on a screen for a long time.

Image retention, while frustrating, can be more easily fixed. Image retention occurs when the image sticks on the screen even when you change the channel or input different media – this tends to only appear for a few moments.

You may be able to do something about this by adjusting the levels of brightness and contrast on your TV and playing different types of content to see if the problem goes away. You can also enable your TV’s Pixel Shift feature; when this feature is turned on, images on the screen move a bit to vary the pixels used. Pixel Shift is often included in modern sets and might clean out the phantom image.

Another common problem is when the image displayed on the screen appears to be fuzzy or blurry. The smaller details tend to become lost and the quality of the picture displays poorly, very quickly taking your enjoyable movie experience to one of discomfort and stress.

This issue could occur if the signal received is a digitised standard (480p), as there’s a discrepancy between the resolution and the display. It’s also worth noting that the digital signal your TV receives can be affected by weather conditions as well, so the image can appear fuzzy and glitchy.

However, the good news is that, when this happens to modern televisions, there is a high chance of it being fixed, so you can still enjoy your TV for a long time.

If the TV is on but the picture is faded on some areas of the screen, it’ll be difficult for you to actually enjoy the content. You may try to ignore the stain-like mark but there is no denying that this will impact your experience. Faded spots are not that rare and can be accompanied by other serious issues, like your image fading to black after you’ve turned the TV on.

We offer repairs as well as a vast range of products so, if you find that your current TV is well past its sell-by date, be sure to browse our amazing

Back in the day, when a TV broke, the immediate next thing to do was get it repaired. TVs were kept for what seemed like forever. Now we have more prevalent warranties to quickly replace defective TVs. We can also fit the bill of buying a new TV as well. Replacing a broken TV with a brand-new one is no longer a rarity as costs have come down.

You can repair your TV if it has a minor electrical issue and has readily available parts that cost less than a brand new TV. Replace the broken TV if you have been using it for years, it’s in its last phase and develops an issue, and/or you are just due for an upgrade.

Although costs have come down, TVs are still delicate, and constantly replacing them is not economically feasible. And since it’s one of the most frequently used electronic items in the majority of households, its chances of breaking are higher.

Generally, this issue requires expert attention. However, you may try disconnecting the power cable from the electrical unit and plugging it back in after a few minutes. This should work if the power connection problem was temporary or a simple power transmission issue. Call your technician if your TV still doesn’t respond.

If your TV sounds normal, but the screen is black, the backlighting system is probably at fault. A backlight issue is usually looked at by an expert. However, a black screen might also mean the LCD (liquid-crystal display) panel is at fault and may require a replacement.

An LCD replacement is usually required if the screen is entirely black. If some portions of the visuals are visible, it’s the backlight, which means you have hope or the LCD need not be replaced. The service professional will change the backlight inverter board instead.

If multiple vertical lines can be seen running across your TV screen, it might be a sign that the LCD panel is showing signs of aging, and it requires immediate replacement. Replacing the LCD is a major expense, and it’s usually recommended to buy a new TV instead of replacing the LCD.

Multiple lines radiating from a point on the display and seeming to spread each time you turn on the TV is an indication that something or someone has come in physical contact with your TV, causing the internal glass to break. This issue, too, cannot be repaired and will need a change of panel.

This is the opposite of the problem mentioned above. When the picture is visible, but the audio is amiss, one or multiple things could be the cause(s). Most people readily put the blame on the speakers, which is understandable. But before doing so, check if the TV’s sound is low or on mute.

If you have a surround sound system or receiver connected to your television, check whether that’s on. If it isn’t on, turn it on because your TV will not produce any sound if it is turned off.

If the sound issue is still there, chances are the circuit board has malfunctioned. If the board is fine, the speaker hardware might have developed problems.

A flickering screen is a common issue, particularly with TVs that have lived fully. This issue usually surfaces without any sign or warning, and when it does show up, it brings down the TV with it. Turning the TV on again, however, could temporarily restore the picture.

This screen-flickering problem can be attributed to the TV’s main processor board. In other words, the board could be communicating with the backlight system through the control line to turn off the TV. You may try fixing this issue yourself at home if you know what a jumper wire is and how shorting two pins works. If all this sounds alien, contact a professional.

To fix the problem, your serviceman would have to replace the processor board or LED strip. In either case, you may have to shell out a considerable sum of money.

This could be an issue with the aspect ratio of your TV, which can be easily fixed by heading to the settings section in your TV’s interface and restoring the aspect ratio to the original ratio. This is perhaps the most straightforward issue and corresponding fix of all the TV problems listed here. If you cannot access the settings of your TV, perusing your TV’s manual or seeking help online would help.

Such weird outlining around objects and people on the screen could be due to the TV’s sharpness levels being too high. To set things right, head to the menu option on your TV and reduce picture sharpness.

Another possible cause for this could be your TV using some edge-enhancement processing, which may not be needed on high-definition screens. If this processing is the issue, consult your manual to find a fix by accessing the television’s service menu.

If the screen has partially greyed out, inspect the input devices first. Switch off the television and disconnect it from a media device(s), if connected to any. Now check whether the issue persists. If it does, check if tweaking the picture settings remedies the problem. If not, do a system reset.

The system reset functionality may not be the same for all TVs. On Samsung TVs, for instance, head to “Support,” “Self-Diagnosis,” and then “Reset.” If this doesn’t help too, it’s quite likely your TV’s T-con board is broken, soldered incorrectly, or some connection inside your TV is damaged. Professional assistance is mandatory in such cases.

If the image flickers like a strobe light, inspect all the input equipment attached to the TV. If the input devices are fine, inspect the power supply next. Surges could cause such flickering and flashing. If needed, switch off the TV, disconnect it, and long-press or keep pressing the power button for around 15 seconds to initiate power cycling. Turn on your TV after a couple of minutes.

If these steps do not fix the flickering, there could be an issue with the bulb, LED, or backlight within your television. When the light has reached its final phase, a flicker is a tell-tale sign. Not to mention, this issue needs professional care too.

If your TV is not too old and has current-gen specs, and it is from a reputable brand such as Samsung, LG, Sony, and the likes, it’s worth reviewing the issues of the TV or letting a technician look at it.

Besides the age of the TV, the size is a clear indicator of how relevant and modern your TV is. If your TV is less than 32 inches (81.3 cm), such as a 24-inch (61 cm) TV, it’s likely to be from the archives since 24-inch TVs are a bit too small as per current TV screen size standards. The now-ubiquitous 40 (101.6 cm) and 55-inch (139.7 cm) flat-screen TVs were not doing the rounds less than a decade ago.

And if the TV is around 65-inch (165 cm) or even bigger, it’s not recommended to throw the TV out willy-nilly. If a TV is 45 inches (114 cm) or bigger and only a few years old, it warrants a professional inspection.

Not all old TVs with problems should head to the dumpster or the recycling center. If you’ve had a TV working without any issues for half a decade or more and it has only recently encountered problems, check if you could salvage it before giving up on it. Several older LED or LCD televisions have better build qualities than modern televisions and may last several years after repair.

If your LED or LCD TV makes clicking sounds repeatedly or won’t turn on, you can safely put the blame on your TV’s capacitor. Repairing your TV’s capacitor might sound complicated, especially if you’re a total noob, but it’s not that complex once you dig in and put in the effort to learn how it’s done.

Issues with your TV’s power supply are also something that can be repaired easily. Though a power supply problem is not as minor as the aforementioned capacitor issue, it still could be fixed by yourself if you’re willing to do some homework. Similarly, HDMI issues, audio problems, etc., can be fixed too.

If your TV is physically damaged, such as a crack in the panel, a warped or broken frame that’s hindering TV function, etc., it’s not worth trying to restore the TV to its original condition. You may not be able to fix a physically hampered TV in the first place completely.

Even if you manage to get the TV’s physical condition to be 90% of what it was before the damage happened, it may have some workability issues that won’t come to the fore right away.

A few months or a year down the line, a certain aspect(s) of the TV may start giving you trouble, and diagnosing the matter will help you get to the root of the problem, which would lie in the physical damage that happened a few months or a year ago.

If you live in an area or region where skilled and experienced TV technicians are not available, or if the likelihood of the ones available ripping you off or indulging in unethical business practices is greater, repairing your TV is not worth the money, time, and hassle.

Some shady TV repair shops may charge you a diagnostics fee or for a service call and then would never get back to you or only call back to let you know the components for your TV aren’t available anymore. For such futile service calls, you could be charged up to $100. For that price, you can buy a new TV instead, albeit modest.

One easy, effective way to ascertain if you’re dealing with a dependable technician is getting on the phone with them before doing business. Talk about the issues you’re facing with your TV and check what the technician has to say. Their response will give you a reasonably good idea about whether the technician knows his trade or not.

Ask the technician about what they have seen with your brand of TV, what to expect when diagnosing and fixing the problem, and other relevant questions to make you feel at ease.

If you want more basic information, ask about their credentials and experience. You can also visit their office or place of service in person. If TV technicians and similar tradespersons are accredited by the state or local governing bodies in your region, find out if the technician you’re considering for your job has any to their credit.

If you’ve set your eyes on the latest OLED or QLED TV that your favorite brand just released and you were looking for an excuse to upgrade to it from your existing TV, go ahead and buy the new TV. If the one you want is out of your price range, set a savings goal to figure out when you can buy one. Don’t do rent to own or make monthly payments to an intermediary. It’s sometimes good to make impulse buys, but never good to make stupid financial decisions.

Perhaps, you’ve recently renovated your house, and your decade-old TV is sticking out like a sore thumb in the grand scheme of things. Maybe the bezels are too thick; the screen is not big enough anymore; the tech built-in is outdated; it’s not “smart,”; etc. There could be multiple reasons why it just may not be worth it to repair your old TV.

In several scenarios, a TV not working properly may not be a fault inherent to the TV itself. For instance, it could be the power outlet or the TV’s power cable not plugged in properly. If the TV is acting up, switch it off, unplug it, and let it remain unplugged for a few minutes.

In most cases, this should fix any issues you may have been facing with your TV, and unplugging and plugging in your TV is not even technically “repairing” it. In other words, even some of the major TV issues could be due to a silly cause or an overlooked error. This happens more often than not. Working in the IT field, especially early on, I saw this type of thing more often than not.

In a few other instances, the remote or cable box/satellite receiver could be causing issues. The remote, for example, may not have been programmed well. If your TV turns on, but there is no sound or picture to boot, check your cable box. Try resetting your satellite receiver by unplugging it from its source and plugging it in again after a few minutes.

If your TV’s display goes bust and the television is out of warranty, it’s recommended you buy a new TV as display-changing expenses can be close to, on par, or even greater than the cost of a brand-new unit. Based on the display tech, the prices will vary.

A TV display panel is made of several thin screens. A film is applied to the outside of the panel to protect it from shattering. These panels are fragile and could get physically damaged easily. When damaged, these are almost impossible to put back together.

There are different types of TV panels, and based on the kind, what goes between the thin screens and protective film can vary. In LCD and LED TV panels, for instance, a liquid crystal is used. Plasma TVs use gas, and OLED TVs use organic molecules called emissive layers.

LCDs and LEDs are the two leading display technologies. Plasma TVs are almost obsolete, thanks to the popularity of LCDs. OLED panels are relatively new to the market and are gaining quite a bit of traction, thanks to their reputation for producing “pure blacks” and being power-efficient.

If you use your TVs for four to six hours a day, expect the screen to come good for at least a decade – irrespective of the display type. But there are multiple horror stories of TV displays going bad much earlier than the claimed timeframe.

Damaged TV screens cannot be repaired, as mentioned earlier. If your TV’s display has developed a hardware issue, it must be replaced. But replacing the TV display is a major repair job.

The multiple glass layers constituting a TV display consist of thin conductor layers, which transmit a signal to the actual pixels from the controller board. When a glass layer breaks, usually the front one, the signal cannot move to some of the pixels.

As a result, the damage could be just a portion of the screen, a single line or multiple lines, or the entire screen. Regardless of the kind of damage, the conductive traces cannot be restored even if the glass is fully repaired.

Also, to change the display or let the new display go in, all the TV components must be removed. Once the new display panel is installed, the rest of the elements, such as the boards, sensors, speakers, rear panel, etc. Not to mention, replacing the TV display is time-consuming and requires a skilled TV technician.

Because changing the TV display is expensive – at times more than the actual price of the TV – it’s not worth getting it replaced over buying a new unit altogether. A damaged screen is an issue even if your unit is on warranty. Generally, a damaged screen or any physical damage is not covered under warranty. Even the extended warranty you purchased won’t come to your rescue.

If you’ve bought accidental insurance, however, you might have some hope. For instance, Samsung Premium Care is a service plan that covers unexpected, unintentional, and/or sudden external damage to its TVs, which includes water damage.

Why is changing a display more expensive than a new TV, you may ask. That’s because putting back a brand-new display into an already used TV is not the same thing or process as fitting it in a factory or at the time of manufacturing.

Also, not every technician has the necessary skills to install a new screen into a used TV. And with the vast array of models and makes, most third-party service professionals are not too keen on upgrading their skills, especially with the standards changing regularly.

If you manage to find the right technician, your service costs will go through the roof. Add labor cost to the new panel’s price, and you have a hefty bill to foot.

Sending the TV to the manufacturer is an option, but it depends on where you live and the actual manufacturer itself. If you live in a relatively busy district and your TV is not by some obscure brand, a repair is possible. If otherwise, you’re not in luck.

You may consider selling your TV with a broken display for scrap or to someone who has the expertise and is willing to repair the unit and use it or resell it, or you may even trade in your TV for a brand new one with a retailer. Not all retailers, however, will be keen on placing any value on your broken TV. Even if they do, the trade-in price would be meager.

Unlike the tube TVs of yore, flat-screen televisions are not easy to fix. The thinner any tech gets, the more difficult it becomes to dig in and repair them. The tale with flat-screen TVs is similar.

Compared to CRT TVs, modern smart or non-smart TVs have fewer parts. In other words, they are highly integrated. Service technicians might carry out necessary power supply repairs or fix a particular switch. If the issue is any bigger, manufacturer-specific spare components will be needed, and procuring them can be difficult.

Modern TV manufacturers are aware of this and choose not to do anything about it because there is money to be made with their current strategy. In other words, modern electronics such as TVs are made to fail and discarded. Companies making these TVs have newer models to sell to you, and it just doesn’t make any business sense for them to help you keep your existing TV for longer.

Therefore, instead of producing a product that lasts decades, they make a product that is durable enough to live through its warranty period and then falter or give up the ghost altogether. In economics, this phenomenon is referred to as “planned obsolescence.”

Talking about display repair (again), many modern TVs are not backed by spare displays. Manufacturers know their consumers will not pay for a repair that costs more than the actual TV’s price. They, therefore, do not bother making extra panels. All the displays they make for a particular model go into an existing, brand-new TV.

TV prices, like prices of most consumer electronics goods, have been on the decline. Therefore, if a TV repair presents itself and the costs of setting it right are more than half the price of a brand-new TV, it’s recommended you nix the repair and buy a new one instead.

However, not all repairs are major or unrepairable. Some issues may not need expert attention. For example, if the unit is turning on and off on its own, the fault could be at its power source. Simply unplugging the television from its electrical outlet could remedy the situation.

Most traditional "clamshell" laptops are relatively straightforward to disassemble and repair. Although they don"t contain as many standard parts as a desktop computer, most parts can be replaced and some can be upgraded.

For any but the most basic tasks, the first thing to do is to search for an online repair or disassembly guide or video. One of the best places to look is iFixit.com but a search engine will give others. Many laptops come in several variants so if you can"t find your precise model then look through the guides for the closest match and it should give you a very good idea how to proceed.

The only tools you will normally need are a set of small screwdrivers and a prying tool - a thin-bladed tool for prying open the clips which very often hold the case together. The iFixit Jimmy is ideal. A knife, preferably with a thin blade and a round end and not too sharp will do if you have nothing else.

For the intermediate level tasks you will also need a means of organising the screws. Pill boxes are an excellent choice but egg boxes will do. Be sure to record for each pill box or egg box compartment which disassembly step the screws came from. You think you"ll remember, but believe me, you won"t!

Another good solution is to stick the screws to a sheet of paper with Blu-tac. So long as you only use half the sheet you can fold it over in order to keep the screws reasonably safe if you need to put it aside and come back later to complete the job. Write the disassembly step or where the screws came from next to each blob of Blu-tac. On reassembly, if Blu-tac sticks to the screw threads you can remove it by dabbing them on a piece of clean Blu-tac; Blu-tac sticks to Blu-tac better than it sticks to screws.

Sometimes you will find arrows against some of the screws on the base of a laptop or on a motherboard. These are the screws to undo; leave any others, at least for the time being.

If the laptop case won"t come apart, remember, there"s always one more screw! If for instance you can ease it apart by a centimetre or two on the left side but only by a few millimetres on the right, the remaining screw is almost certainly close to the right hand side.

On reassembly you may sometimes find at a certain step you have more holes than screws to go in them. This will be because the other holes are for screws to hold the case on. If you put screws in those holes now you"ll have a problem later. A good disassembly guide will make this clear.

In the case of traditional clamshell laptops, many are similar in construction, though some you open from the top and others from the bottom. More modern ultra-thin and convertible laptops tend to be simpler in construction but not necessarily easier to take apart. In particular:

Some are glued together and almost impossible to repair whereas with others simply removing the back gives access to the motherboard and main components.

Batteries tend not to be user-replaceable but built-in. They are custom assemblies shaped to fit within the laptop case rather than made out of standard cylindrical lithium cells.

The various tasks you can undertake are listed below, grouped roughly according to difficulty for a typical clamshell laptop. That said, what"s easy on one laptop can require extensive disassembly on another, or vice versa.

Many laptops allow you to remove the battery simply by releasing a couple of catches. Often, one is spring loaded. With newer ultra-thin and convertible laptops you will probably need to remove the case back. Look for an online guide to show you how.

Unfortunately, sourcing replacement batteries is something of a minefield. Genuine manufacturer"s batteries tend to be outrageously expensive, and if they have been sitting on a shelf for several years they may already be losing capacity. After market batteries may or may not be worth the money and may even be pulled from scrap laptops. Some are re-manufactured using fresh cells, which is fine so long as the smart controller within them has been reset. Other things being equal, a mid-price battery could be a good choice. To protect yourself:

Check the vendor"s reputation and other purchasers" experience on independent review sites such as Trustpilot. Be aware that favourable reviews can be bought.

When the battery arrives, check whether you are required to register a warranty for it to be valid, though under consumer law this should not be necessary.

Upgrading your RAM (main working memory) is probably the easiest upgrade you can do, and at the same time, often one of the most effective. You can usually access the RAM slots simply by removing a service cover on the base. Two clips, one either side, hold each memory module in its slot. On replacement, ensure the memory module is seated as far as it will go in the connector before angling it down to engage the clips.

If your laptop has a 32 bit processor or runs a 32 bit version of Windows and has less than 4GB of RAM, then upgrading to 4GB (the maximum it can use) is generally well worth while and relatively inexpensive.

(If you"re not sure whether your laptop is 32 or 64 bit, press the Windows key and "R" and type msinfo32. Press Return. A complete run-down of your computer"s resources will be given.)

Upgrading a 64 bit laptop beyond 4GB may well be worthwhile, particularly if you do graphics, video or audio editing, or commonly have many browser tabs open.

Search for an online guide. Quite commonly, all you have to do is release a series of catches along one long edge of the keyboard in order to lift it out. A ribbon cable will still be connecting it to the motherboard, and you can release this by carefully lifting or releasing a clamping bar. (See Ribbon Connectors.)

On some laptops the keyboard is additionally held in place by one or more screws which you have to unscrew from the bottom of the case, or hidden under a snap-on bezel between the keyboard and screen. On others, the keyboard is integral with the case top, but still not that hard to remove.

Replacement keyboards for most models of laptop are available online for around £20. Make sure you get one for your exact model. Also, make sure you get one with the right national keyboard layout, otherwise you may find some keys in unfamiliar places.

Very often you can access the hard disk simply by removing a service cover on the base. On some laptops, particularly consumer grade ones, a first level of disassembly may be required.

Replacing a hard disk with a solid state disk is probably the most effective way of injecting new life into an old laptop. But if it"s running slowly because of unwanted software, pop-ups or viruses then you should tackle those first.

If you are running out of storage space then fitting a larger hard disk is easy. Laptop hard disks are highly standardised in size though they do come in several different heights. If you are fitting one with a higher capacity, check that it"s no thicker than the old one.

If you"re happy to reinstall your operating system on your new disk then that"s the easiest way to go. To copy your existing system you will need appropriate disk cloning software. Copying a hard disk to a smaller SSD requires an extra step to shrink the file system.

A faulty CD/DVD drive is easily replaced, or you might wish to replace it with a better one, or a Blu-ray drive. They are all a standard size, but come in a couple of different heights.

The CD/DVD drive normally just slides into the laptop shell, but it"s retained by a screw at the back, somewhere around the middle of the laptop. Quite often you will be able to remove this screw with no more disassembly than removing the service cover on the bottom.

WiFi is supposed to be standardised, but nevertheless a particular brand of adapter will sometimes refuse to work reliably with a particular router. The WiFi adapter is often a small easily replaceable board.

It may be very easily accessible along with the RAM and the hard disk under a service cover on the bottom of the case. Gently lift off the two antenna connectors and remove one or two screws holding it in place, then remove the adapter from the socket it fits in, which similar to a RAM socket but smaller.

After a few years it"s very common for the fan (or more usually the cooling fins) to get clogged with matted dust. This will cause the laptop to overheat, the fan to run continuously and perhaps noisily, and may cause the laptop to crash.

Cleaning the fan is not difficult but usually requires fairly extensive disassembly of the laptop, which may be daunting. Don"t be put off. Given a good disassembly guide, this is perfectly doable.

A damaged power connector which no longer connects reliably is not uncommon. In many cases it"s replaceable. As with cleaning the fan, this is likely to require fairly extensive disassembly but often, the power connector itself is easily removed from the case and simply plugs into the motherboard via a flying lead.

If you"re unlucky you may find the power connector is soldered directly to the motherboard, in which case you will need to be confident with a soldering iron to replace it. Or you might find the problem is that the laptop case is broken around the power connector so that you can"t push the plug fully home.

All laptops contain a small backup battery, often (for historical reasons) erroneously called the CMOS battery. This keeps the clock running when neither mains power nor a main battery are present. (Removing this battery will not reset the BIOS settings and BIOS password as sometimes thought. These have been held in flash memory similar to a memory stick in all computers since about the 1990"s.)

This battery is usually a non-rechargeable lithium coin cell, or sometimes a rechargeable nickel battery in a plastic sleeve. Either way it may fail after maybe 10 years or more causing the computer to lose its time and date on loss of power. If you"re lucky, it will be on a flying lead connected to the motherboard via a miniature plug and socket, or it might be a coin cell in a socket. Otherwise it could be soldered in and a certain level of disassembly may be required to access it. If you can"t get hold of an identical replacement, provided it"s the same voltage and the same chemistry it should be fine. If you need to improvise at all, make sure you get a "tagged" battery having tags spot-welded to it which you can solder to. It"s not possible to solder directly to a battery of any type without damaging it.

A broken laptop hinge is a very common problem. Unfortunately it"s nearly always the plastic the hinge is attached to that is broken rather than the hinge itself. The hinge screws usually screw into brass bushes set in plastic pillars which are part of the case moulding. These pillars are simply not strong enough in many laptops and break off.

Repair can be quite difficult. If you glue the plastic pillar back to the case it has to be positioned very precisely if it"s not to be strained when you screw the hinge back to it. If possible, it"s best to glue the pillar back to the case, still attached to the hinge, in order to position it accurately. Rapid setting two part epoxy glue is best, and once it"s lightly secured, build up more epoxy around the break to reinforce it.

If the laptop has been dropped the case may be cracked or broken. A cover or bezel or the clips that retain it may be broken, causing it to keep falling off. This may be challenging to repair properly. The simple, if somewhat inelegant solution is to secure it with sticky tape. Black PVC tape will probably match the case. Gaffer or Duct tape will be stronger.

If the strain of the hinge is causing the case to start to crack you can maybe build up a layer of reinforcement across the crack with epoxy glue, or glue a piece of an old circuit board (with the components removed!) across the crack.

A laptop screen can get cracked though physical abuse, or may become faulty, for example showing horizontal or vertical bars across the screen. There are two options: either you can change just the LCD display panel or you can replace the entire laptop lid with a spare, probably taken from a scrap laptop of the same model. Which you choose may depend on availability of spares, ease of disassembly of the laptop, and whether the existing lid itself is damaged and in need of replacement.

Replacement of the the entire lid will require a fairly extensive disassembly, but don"t be daunted! In addition to the screen data cable there may be another cable for the screen backlight, probably two for the WiFi antennae and another for the webcam, if fitted.

Replacing just the LCD panel may be easier. Typically there will be a couple of screws securing the bezel, with adhesive covers hiding their heads for cosmetic purposes. After removing these, the bezel can be unclipped from the shell of the lid using a prying tool. The screws holding the LCD panel in the shell will now be revealed, and removing these allows the panel to be carefully angled forwards enabling you to disconnect the data cable.

In most traditional clamshell laptops the processor is in a socket rather than soldered to the motherboard, and in principle, can be fairly easily replaced. You might want to do that if you believe that a faulty processor is causing frequent crashes, though it would be hard to make that diagnosis with any level of confidence. You could perhaps fit a slightly faster processor to bring it up to the specification of a more powerful variant of the same model of laptop but it"s doubtful whether the effort and expense would be worth the benefit.

The heat pipe and cooling grill are permanently attached to the heatsink, and this can be detached from the processor by removing the screws or clips that hold it in place. A lever or quarter-turn screw will then release the processor from its zero insertion force socket. It"s critical that all the old heatsink paste is cleaned off and new applied exactly as recommended otherwise the processor is liable to overheat.

It may well be worth saving the RAM for use to upgrade another laptop, though the older it is the less likely it is that you will ever find a use for it. Why not pool your RAM with your fellow repairers?

This is probably the easiest. For a modest sum you can obtain a USB enclosure for a hard disk allowing you to use it as an external USB disk for backup or offline storage. Having removed the hard disk from the laptop it will often still be in a laptop-specific carrier. This is removed simply by undoing two screws on each side. The hard disk will now fit directly in the new enclosure.

If you find that these days you hardly ever need a CD/DVD drive and could manage just as well with an external one, you may be able to get a caddy for a hard disk to fit in your CD/DVD drive bay. If you"ve upgraded your hard disk to an SSD with less capacity then you could use this to house your old hard disk. The heights of the of the drive bay, the caddy to fit it and the hard disk to go in it are the only important things to check.

Similar USB enclosures can be obtained for a CD/DVD drive. Just as with a CD/DVD drive bay enclosure for a hard disk, you will need to ensure the height of the enclosure is sufficient for the CD/DVD drive. The drive will probably have a laptop-specific bezel which can be unclipped and replaced by one that comes with the enclosure.

CD/DVD drives often take more current than a USB socket will supply, and so the enclosure may have an extra USB lead to plug into a second USB socket for additional power.

If the laptop has a good high resolution screen it may be worth saving. You can obtain a controller for around £20 to turn it into an external monitor for your new laptop or to use with a Raspberry Pi. These controllers are often generic parts which the supplier must configure for your specific screen. The part number should be printed on the back of the screen and it"s essential that you obtain a controller for that precise part number, including any suffixes or version numbers, otherwise there"s a strong chance it won"t work.

Alternatively, you can take the LCD assembly out and separate the LCD panel from the backlight. The backlight can then be used as a lightbox. With bigger screens such as flat screen TVs you can use the backlight for illumination. The way the light is concentrated in a direction perpendicular to the screen can give the impression of light coming through a window or skylight, as shown in this Youtube video.

If the laptop has a camera in the top of the screen, you may be able to make a USB webcam out of it. The camera chip itself is usually mounted on a small circuit board which also contains a USB interface chip. The cable connecting this through the hinge to the mainboard will contain 4 or 5 coloured wires, the colours typically being the same standard colors as a USB cable. All you have to do is match them up with the wires inside a scap USB cable, and you"re done.

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Degradation of the fine ribbon cable in older TI graphing calculators is a familiar problem, manifesting as missing rows and columns in the LCD. Otherwise perfectly functional calculators are put to waste over two relatively short-lived ribbon cables, one of which is unreplaceable, with long-term repair methods elusive.

As the LCD is integral to the very purpose of the calculator, I was interested in correcting this common issue for the sake of correcting it. Something as trivial as "exercising" missing lines in the display would often reinvigorate them for about a day, which prompted me to investigate a more reliable repair.

Though TI does not specify the assembly method actually used, many similar ribbon cables are applied by hot press. While this entails expensive, specialized equipment, I learned to imitate the hot press process using inexpensive, readily-available components through a video on automobile instrument panel repair. Note that I modified the method since we are not able to install a new cable.

I have applied the method to seven graphing calculators exhibiting fine ribbon cable failure. In the 20 days between the repair and this writing, I observed a high degree of success across the calculators repaired.

Before continuing, check whether the fine ribbon cable is culprit. Missing or intermittently functioning lines are prime indicators of fine ribbon cable degradation. If the contents of the screen are garbled or corrupted, the coarse ribbon cable will need to be repaired first:

These are available on eBay for about US $7. The point of this is to distribute heat and pressure along the ribbon cable connection in a similar manner to a hot press. If given a choice between a tip for 30W, 45W, 60W, etc. choose 30W unless using a larger unregulated iron.

Use a soldering iron that fits this tip, which generally goes down a shaft without screw threads and is secured by a screw on the side. An iron with temperature control is preferable, though I have found that a 30 watt unregulated iron will do, if you are skilled or inclined to use one.

Install the T-tip with the silicone pad trimmed to size and allow the silicone contact surface to reach around 150 C. The 30W unregulated iron I tested reached this temperature as well.

Remove the circuit board from the calculator. Locate where the fine ribbon cable connects to the edge of the LCD glass. If there is foam padding attached, gently peel it off and set it aside. Be sure NOT to tear the ribbon cable off either end, which will ruin the chances of a successful repair.

Locate where the fine ribbon cable connects to the board. Set the LCD face down on a flat, non-abrasive surface and place the iron flat on the connection as such:

Use firm, even pressure on the connection and slowly slide the iron across the width of the cable. Take ~20-25 seconds for one pass. Do another pass. Alternate to the glass side and place the iron flat on the glass/cable connection as such:

Make two passes across the connection as before. The edge of the LCD may change color as heat is applied, but if it is turning a dark or purplish blue, move the iron faster to prevent overheating.

Now reassemble the calculator and test if the display looks good. If any defects remain, do another pass over the cable connections. There is the possibility, however, that some lines do not resolve even on the second or third attempts. These, unfortunately, will remain unrepairable.

Note: From my testing, the silicone pad is necessary to distribute heat and pressure along the cable. It will also wear out when used multiple times. Replace it when it no longer slides smoothly over the ribbon cable connection.

The TI-85 and 86 feature two ribbon cables, one on top responsible for vertical columns and one on the side for horizontal rows. Determine which one needs repair and move the side ribbon cable out of the way if necessary. I have yet to attempt a repair on the side ribbon cable, which appears more challenging to access than the top cable.

One TI-82 has one column that will start working once something is displayed on it. Despite two repair attempts, this column would not stay put when the calculator was powered off for a longer period of time.

Ideally, an economical, readily-available replacement LCD assembly without such a flawed ribbon cable would be available to prolong the useful life of TI graphing calculators. This is currently in the works as we see with KermMartian"s Surget. In the absence of a finished replacement LCD, this currently is the most effective method I have found to breathe new life into aging calculators, restoring the majority of, though not all, missing LCD lines.

Across a sample of seven calculators over 20 days, each LCD line that was repairable and repaired remained functional. The long-term viability of this repair method remains to be discovered, though it is one that vaguely emulates a common method of LCD ribbon cable assembly at the factory. In the meantime, I will take note of and post any significant changes that I notice on the calculators I have repaired using this method.

TI-80: Several missing columns and a missing row appeared. All but four columns returned to normal almost immediately. After moderate use of the screen, one column remained blank.

All calculators, except for the 0197I TI-85 (used daily), were largely unused in storage throughout the five-month period. I am not sure whether that made a significant difference.

No further repairs were attempted. Hopefully the repairs on the TI-82s and the TI-85 will continue to last a while more. I"d say this was a rather fun experiment and I will continue posting any significant developments.

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