Need laptop help
aspieRommel
Icrontic politicoIndianapolis, IN Icrontian
So last Tuesday, I was heading out to pick up @Creeperbane2 from Fountain Square. I always walk down there, seeing as it's about a half mile or so from my house. So as I get to the end of my walkway......I trip over a walnut. My backpack goes flying and hits the ground. I miss it as I hit the ground. So I pick it up and check my camera (It hit on the side it was on) and found it was okay, but never thought anything about my laptop. So I go about my business and never tried to use it until Wednesday. I tried to turn it on and was met with......a white screen with small black horizontal lines. I turn it off and on, same thing. So my screen is fucked. With that, I now face a question: try to get the screen fixed or get a new laptop altogether? If I get the screen fixed, how do I go about it? If I get a new laptop, what should I get? (looking for something cheap but with some upgrades like blu-ray compatibility, etc.) Need some help.
Comments
With the make and model of the laptop I can see if there is a good tutorial online for replacing it. Most laptop screens are about $60 or so from an online vendor, and replacing them isn't too difficult most of the time. Maybe an hour or so with some patience you can probably fix it.
Now I'm going to assume its the LCD and not some other kind of issue. Could you take a photo of it in its state just to be sure.
plug in an external monitor to make sure that you don't have more problems than just the display.
To piggyback off @Cliff_Forster and @shwaip, check the rest of the system thoroughly too. Run Memtest, check your hard drive(s).
Replacing an LCD can be a bit tedious, but it's definitely doable, especially if you can get hold of the service manual for your system. They usually contain teardown instructions.
Do I need a HDMI cord for that or can I use a red/yellow/white cord to hook to my tv? (p.s. This was written from my Xbox 360.)
If it's a newer laptop it'll probably have HDMI, but if it's an older one it could be DVI or VGA.
It's a 2012 Toshiba Satellite.
Bad news: I'm trying the HDMI cord but it's not working yet. Could be that laptop doesn't recognize it but I am worried.
Sorry. Just noticed the questions. 1.) It's a 2012 Toshiba Satellite. 2.) I would upload a pic but i need to find a pc to upload it to.
Been awhile since I've used extended displays on a laptop but you may have to press a hotkey to enable the external display. Should be one of the number keys.
Typically Fn plus F5 or Windows plus P
Sorry it's been a while but I have been busy with work. Anyway, I went to Best Buy about a month ago to look at replacements for my laptop. I instantly fell in love with the Windows Surface, due to the fact it could be an independent tablet as well as a laptop, thereby increasing versatility, which would be helpful with my activities at the state capitol (I will explain in a later thread). However, I was looking at about $1100 and my mother didn't want to pay for it. So we decided to try and sign up for a Best Buy credit card. It would get me the Surface as well as, in theory, help me build credit. So I filled out the paperwork in store but was not approved right away. So I waited for about two weeks for the stuff to come. It finally came and....I was denied because I had no credit record. So now I am trying to figure out how to pay for the replacement. Per @Creeperbane2 's suggestion, I also looked for an external hard drive to transfer, as well as backup, my files on my old laptop. Currently looking at a 2 TB for about $89 before tax. As stated before, I am still trying to figure out how to pay for this thing. Maybe I'll get lucky and win the lotto.
P.S. Written from @Creeperbane2 's laptop.
On an unrelated note, a good way to start building credit is to get a low-limit "signature" card from a local bank or something. They make special credit-building cards with like $500 limits so you can start building your credit. Or, get your mom (or another person with good credit) to add you to their account. It helps.
To build credit when you have none, get a secured credit card. It's like a prepaid visa. This may be what Prime was talking abour. Your credit limit is how much you back it with. When you close the account after a year or so to get a real credit card, you get the money back.
I would be terribly angry with myself if I didn't tell you to avoid credit cards at stores all together. I applied for a CompUSA card when I was 18 and it ruined my credit for years because I didn't completely understand what I was getting into. Most of the store credit cards include some awesome interest free period that lures you in. 6 months interest free sounds great until you realize that you have to pay the entire balance off in that time or you'll be dealing with a 22% interest rate. Now, things may have changed in the 10 years since I got that card, but I'll never mess with an in store credit card ever again. Use an actual bank or find a family loan.
Yeah to back up what Sono says: NEVER get a store credit card (especially to build credit). They're universally horrible.
They haven't changed as of 4-5 years ago. That was still the M/O for Best Buy.
The way to buy that laptop is to get a checking account and deposit some money in it each month until you have enough money to buy it cash.
That's not always realistic. If the laptop is $2000 and you need it for school or skills advancement or something and you can only save $100 a month or whatever, you can't just "save up for it" because it will be obsolete or perhaps you needed it for a certain thing at a certain time in your life. Not everybody is in a position to live the "optimal financial strategy" life.
In this specific situation, which isn't a I need a $2,000 laptop as a personal investment or as a requirement for work/school, do you really think a personal credit card is a good idea for someone with no credit? He said I want something cheap that has bluray support, and then leaped to a $1000 hybrid tablet without an optical drive.
If money is this tight and there is no credit history or good regular income, I don't see the argument for anything more than a cash purchased $500 laptop. A well standing checking account establishes credit. If it is a requirement for school, then there are things like grants,laptop rental programs, libraries, or zero interest student loans for stuff this small.
ANYWAY, yes there are people that need credit cards and it makes sense. You are correct and I applaud you for standing up for them. :P
It's hard for me to not go out and drop 2,000 whenever a new laptop comes out. Man self control SUCKS.
Edit: Realistically though cash is the best way to pay for everything electronics especially because their lifespan is short and you don't want to keep paying for it if once it's usefulness is done. Everyone in here is talking through a pure credit standing but monetarily it's incredibly dumb.
Say you take financing at Let's use Dell's published highest as that's what someone with no too bad credit will get at 29.99% per year. 1000 dollar 12 month loan.
Throw it into a Payment and NPV calculator You get this.
Essentially you will be paying a 170 dollar premium for that computer that sells for 1000.
Take a credit card APR that you are likely to get at 22%.
You will be paying a 123 dollar premium on that comoputer.
Now take a personal loan of 12.99%.
Paying 80ish dollars.
Since it such a small amount relatively speaking it just doesn't make sense for these options. Heaven forbid you don't pay it off in that time then you can just wreck your credit.
EDIT2: Yes that is the monthly interest rate not the APR forgot to adjust my title my bad.
Self-control in your 20s pays massive dividends in your 30s. You may think it sucks now, but the utility you get out of owning a brand new whatever dies in months. The utility you get out of financial stability in life doesn't go away.
Now that we've sufficiently lectured you on our Dave Ramsey ways, let's get back to the old laptop. Is there any chance of fixing that? Is it the GPU or motherboard broken, or just the connectors to the screen? How comfortable are you tearing a laptop apart?
oh my fuck you guys. Sorry for the threadcrapping, Aspie. Good ol' Icrontic. We sure do know how to suck the joy out of hobbies with our REAL LIFE LECTURE series.
Wait....
and then...
and then...
Man Spock's smokey eye is on point.
Doesn't mean we can't diagnose the broken one does it? It's unusable, and he's looking at replacing it. What's the harm in tearing it apart and looking for the broke?
Map what screws you remove from what. Use the dude from Tomb Raider's retarded method of screw tracking if it helps, but don't think your going to remember how it all goes together if this is your first rodeo. Do this somewhere you can leave it sit for weeks while diagnosing, not the kitchen table because moving it around you're bound to lose screws and whatnot. You're going to be looking for broken circuit board or wiggly parts that shouldn't wiggle.
Okay, I feel I need to say something before this gets out of hand:
I just want to point out that the thread that came from a point of want rather than necessity.
Technically, this laptop will be useful at my other "job", which I will explain in the next post.
So, as I stated in the last post, I have another "job". I advocate to the Indiana General Assembly on issues related to neurological disorders. As implied, this means that I talk to a lot of State Representatives/Senators about bills that I am working on (which, if I still have @primesuspect 's blessing, I will be chronicling during the next session, starting in January). As such, I have had to master the "walk-and-talk", seeing as the best time to speak with legislators, without appointment, would be when you catch them in the hallway. Because of this, it became the main reason why I was drawn towards the Surface Pro. Rather than try to do everything on a clunky laptop, I can use the tablet feature to pull up the bill registry, find the bill, speak with the legislator ("Representative/Senator X, I have a few questions about House Bill 1437. It's about this language here...) and be able to show him/her the language right then and there. This was not a decision based on what is the latest and greatest, it was one based on what would be able to help me the most with what I do.
I hope this clears up a lot of things.
Is the non pro Surface 3 a better alternative for you? Seems like you have some options to pick from. Go with the non pro, give up gaming for a while and save some cash, get the Pro version and game only a little and pay the premium or forgoe the convenience of the tablet style and get a regular laptop that can do everything you need. Newegg has been having some sales on Lenovo laptops quite a bit lately. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a decent deal and PM you the links.