Laptop repair recommendation

[peeler_feeler]

Does anyone have experience with a knowledgeable techy who can repair laptops. My kid's 2.5 year Toshiba old laptop is no longer working well. It was almost $1,000 back then. The problem is it now takes over 1/2 hour to boot up to the sign on screen. We have reinstalled Windows 7 twice now. I dropped it off to a computer repair place and after 4 days I finally get a call telling me I have to reinstall the Operating System. They will charge me $95 for OS only or $120 if includes data recovery. I told them they must be mistaken as we have already tried this twice and no improvement. Then they proceed to tell me it's likely the hard drive, and after more questions they tell me it's the mother board and it will not be worth it to repair it and will likely take a few months to get a replacement motherboard. I was not impressed, and thankfully they did not charge me their $40 diagnostic fee. It did not seem like they were too eager to repair the laptop.

I would spend a few hundred dollars if the repair would keep the laptop running well for 2 or 3 more years. But if costs more than $250, I think I would buy a new one. I thought Toshiba was a reliable brand.

 

[basketcase]

You could try running a version of linux. It takes a lot less computing power and works well on older computers.

Beyond that, laptops (like much technology) is not built to last because it will become obsolete too quickly to care. You might be better off just buying a new laptop. You could likely get a lower end laptop better than the old one was when new for $500 or so.

 

[WoodPeckr]

Does anyone have experience with a knowledgeable techy who can repair laptops. My kid's 2.5 year Toshiba old laptop is no longer working well. It was almost $1,000 back then. The problem is it now takes over 1/2 hour to boot up to the sign on screen. We have reinstalled Windows 7 twice now. I dropped it off to a computer repair place and after 4 days I finally get a call telling me I have to reinstall the Operating System. They will charge me $95 for OS only or $120 if includes data recovery. I told them they must be mistaken as we have already tried this twice and no improvement. Then they proceed to tell me it's likely the hard drive, and after more questions they tell me it's the mother board and it will not be worth it to repair it and will likely take a few months to get a replacement motherboard. I was not impressed, and thankfully they did not charge me their $40 diagnostic fee. It did not seem like they were too eager to repair the laptop.

I would spend a few hundred dollars if the repair would keep the laptop running well for 2 or 3 more years. But if costs more than $250, I think I would buy a new one. I thought Toshiba was a reliable brand.

Sounds like your 'computer repair place' don't know what WTF they are doing!!!
Any honest repair shop can diagnosis the problem in < 1 hour!

Toshiba is pretty reliable.
I spent $600 for a decent AMD dual core Toshiba laptop 4½ years ago and it still runs Vista and Linux like NEW. Have had NO problems with it.....knock on wood.
What did you get that costs ~$1000 2½ yrs ago?

If its a bad HDD a new one will run about 50-70 and is easy to install yourself and takes a few minutes. If the motherboard is bad its toast. Laptops are fragile. All you need do is drop it once the wrong way and they may self destruct. That's why I would never pay big money on a laptop. Today I can buy a brand new ASUS or Toshiba laptop (these are the only 2 brands I would buy) for $300 that is BETTER than my 4½ yr old Toshiba that cost $600 back then.

That said laptops today are pretty much throwaways not worth sinking a few hundred into for repairs when a brand new one with better specs are available at the same cost of repairs.....

 

[peeler_feeler]

Do you know an honest repair shop? I called another shop and they pretty much said it will take us 4 to 6 hours to run a diagnostic on the laptop. Cost is $40 for the diagnostic? I'm not sure what that entails.

It was a Toshiba Satellite L550-00L, Intel core i3 2.13 Ghz, 500 GB Hard Drive, 17.3" display. Total cost approx $950 Tax included over 2 years ago. Although electronics/laptops are pretty much throwaways, I would have expected a laptop to last a few more years maybe with a failed hard drive or scratehd screen. Although this laptop was used excessively for watching movies/ you tube videos, etc. I'm wondering if prolonged periods of use created too much heat for the laptop causing issues.

 

[larry]

i can't diagnose a "slow" boot, but if the hard drive is suspect, I would buy a new one just to try. if it doesn't help, no problem, use it in an enclosure as an external HDD. have you tried turning on verbose boot?
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/3247...ges-to-troubleshoot-windows-startup-problems/

 

[WoodPeckr]

Although this laptop was used excessively for watching movies/ you tube videos, etc. I'm wondering if prolonged periods of use created too much heat for the laptop causing issues.

Heat is the big enemy of laptops!
Some kids watch movies in bed for prolonged periods of time where blankets etc., block the laptop air vents from properly cooling the laptop. This will shorten the life of any laptop. You have to make sure cooling air vents are kept clear and clean. A failing HDD can cause all kinds of problems depending which sectors are going.

A LF gave me her 4 yr old HP core2 duo laptop because it would no longer bootup. She had it checked out at a couple shops and got the run around like you are getting and didn't want to sink the money into it for repairs. She got a new Toshiba netbook for less than the cost of repairs and says it works better than the failed HP laptop. Anyways I did some checking. HP forums said their laptops are notorious for HDD failures. Some guys bitched saying their HP laptop HDD failed because he slammed the laptop cover down too hard after a shutdown! Anyways her laptop would not boot Vista but it ran Ubuntu beautifully off a 'Live CD' because the HDD was bypassed. Tried installing Ubuntu and the install failed. Ubuntu reported to me the reason for the install error was a failing HDD! Got a new HDD for 40 bucks on sale at Best Buy. Took 2 minutes to intall and that HP core2 duo laptop now runs better than ever. I use it now to turn my HDTV into a 'super smart' TV.

BTW I would NEVER buy any HP laptop since HP comes in dead LAST for reliability.

 

[Toronto_IT_Guy]

Download Linux that can boot from a USB stick. USB is quite fast so it will tell you if it's just your hard drive or not.

Unetbootin.sourceforge.net will do everything for you. Just put in a USB key and let it download and set it up. Once you have it boot from USB and see if its fast or not. If you have issues then PM me if you like.

 

[WoodPeckr]

Ray,
Thanks for the tip and link.
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net looks like a great site!.....:thumb:

 

[The Options Menu]

Heat is the big enemy of laptops!
Some kids watch movies in bed for prolonged periods of time where blankets etc., block the laptop air vents from properly cooling the laptop. This will shorten the life of any laptop. You have to make sure cooling air vents are kept clear and clean. A failing HDD can cause all kinds of problems depending which sectors are going.

Also, if you have your laptop in your lap for hours a day for days on end it can discolour your skin. Ewww...

A half an hour boot on a clean install is defiantly very suspect. (That's assuming you have all OS, vendor, and software updates installed with a virus scanner, firewall, and malware remover.)

Here are some things you can do:
-Check your drive's SMART data to see if it's failing: http://superuser.com/questions/29240/how-can-i-read-my-hard-drives-smart-status-in-windows-7
-Do a memory test: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Diagnosing-memory-problems-on-your-computer
-Finally, check your vendor's (Toshiba's) website for a BIOS update, AND driver updates. If the computer's not infested, and the disk and memory are OK, then there might be some low level software problem with your BIOS or some driver. You might also consider toggling the 'reset BIOS to default' switch in your BIOS in case somebody was flipping switches there.

Sorry, it's not a recommendation-- I'm my own computer repair service, and I only have a very select list of clients.

 

[WoodPeckr]

I called another shop and they pretty much said it will take us 4 to 6 hours to run a diagnostic on the laptop. Cost is $40 for the diagnostic? I'm not sure what that entails.

Windows OSs have this feature. You can click on it at bootup to get into it, then run a built-in M$ diagnostic program. It's s-l-o-w and may not run if the HDD is damaged. I couldn't run the M$ diagnostic program on my LFs HP core2 duo laptop because of the failing HDD. However I could run the diagnostic program on the Linux Live CD which took < 1 hr and it confirmed a failing HDD and recommending any critical files be backed up and saved ASAP before the drive fails completely.

 

[nofrill]

I totally agree with Woodpeckr.

If your problem is not solved by reinstalling the OS, and you already know that the slow boot was not caused by too many crapware running in the background when Windows starts, I would also try changing the HDD first, maybe also the RAM. It is not likely your motherboard is fried, otherwise your laptop would be totally dead.

http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/Toshiba-Satellite-L555-L555D/disassemble-toshiba-laptop-1.htm

Read the instruction above. Your HDD and RAM are easily accessible by removing the covers of the corresponding compartments and pulling the components out (Steps 2 and 4). To remove the RAM, find two little tabs with bulby tips on each sides, pull them sideways / outward until the RAM "pops" up (you should see two little notches on either side of the RAM chip after puling it out - these are what the bulby tips catch onto and lock the RAM chip. When you replace the RAM, push it in firmly until you hear / feel it "click")

If your budget is $250, you can easily afford a new HDD plus new RAM.

Your HDD is the standard 2.5 inch SATA drive - it probably is a slower spinning (5400 rpm) one, and you should take the opportunity to upgrade to a faster (7200 rpm) standard drive with larger capacity, a solid state drive (SSD) (VERY FAST but more expensive per GB storage), or a hybrid drive (standard HDD for storage, combined with a small SSD for fast seek / swap). Some examples:

Seagate Momentus 750GB SATA2 7200RPM 2.5" LAPTOP HDD

OCZ Agility 4 128GB SATA3 6GB/s 2.5" Solid State Drive

Seagate Momentus XT 500GB 7200RPM 2.5" Solid State Hybrid Drive

NOTE: Your HDD probably has SATA2 (there are 3 versions), but the newest SATA3 is backward compatible with older versions.

To install a new internal drive (whether it is HDD, SSD etc.), you need to format the drive first before inserting it into the laptop. To do this, you need to buy a 2.5 inch USB external drive enclosure such as this one:

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=14_202&item_id=021791

(If you are getting a large capacity HDD 500GB or over, make sure you check the specifications to see if the external drive enclosure is compatible with the large capacity drive).

After inserting the drive into the enclosure and using USB cable to hook it up to another Windows PC, click "Windows (Start)" icon in bottom left, and type "format disk" in the box. Click "create and format hard disk partitions". A box pops up to "initialize disk" (keep clicking OK to complete the process, you don't need to make any selection other than the default ones). Move your mouse over the disk which says "unallocated", right-click and choose "New simple volume". Keep pressing "Next" button and finally the "Finish" button (ie. everything default). Your new drive should now be recognized as a drive with a letter (eg. (F)). Now you can unhook the USB, remove the drive from the enclosure and put it into your laptop, before inserting the Windows installation CD.

If you have not done so, you should turn the laptop over and note down the Windows licence number, so that you can put it in during installation. There should not be any problem when you use the old licence number to register with Microsoft, because upgrading hard drive is a common thing (it will not work if you change the motherboard!).

I cannot find the specifications of your Toshiba model but I suspect your RAM has 1066MHz speed ("DDR3 1066" or "PC3-8500" - you should refer to the specification on your user manual, or open up the RAM cover to look at what is written on the piece(s) of RAM chip. I also do not know the maximum amount of RAM your laptop can take (refer to your manual) - it may be a good time to buy more RAM to maximize it: this is useful if you do gaming or run many intense programs at the same time. Remember to tell the sales person you want "RAM for laptop" or "SODIMM", which is different from RAM for desktop PCs. There is no harm buying RAM which has faster speed (eg. use "DDR3 1333" RAM for a computer using "DDR3 1066" RAM in the specification), because faster RAM is backward compatible. However, it is not recommended to "mix" RAMs of different speed. If you use a slower RAM, your laptop will not be able to run at full speed.

 

[WoodPeckr]

If your problem was not solved by reinstalling the OS, I would also try changing the HDD first, maybe also the RAM.

I've been hearing and reading bad things about ALL laptop HDDs made in the last year or two!

WD and Seagate have shortened their HDD laptop warranties to 1 yr! When I bought that HDD for my LFs HP laptop the Best Buy website said it had a 5 yr warr. A simliar WD HDD for laptops said it had a 3 yr warr. Well I got the Seagate for the 5 yr warr but when I got home opened it for install the manual said it only had a 1 yr warr! Took it back to Best Buy only to be told all laptop drives only come with either a 90 day or a 1 yr warranty now because of the tsunami that hit Thailand where they claim ALL drives are made now! Sure enough, after checking closely the WD boxes and others this was the case. WD who always had a 3 yr warr, now only gives you 1 yr! Best Buy apologized and said their website hadn't been updated to reflect this change......yeah right!

Anyways, I saw a stockboy marking the Seagate drives I just returned and paid 50 bucks for, down to 35 bucks So I decided the price was right and got it.....

FWIW that Seagate laptop HDD is running great so far....knock on wood ....and is quieter than the failing Toshiba HDD that it replaced.....

 

[nofrill]

I've been hearing and reading bad things about ALL laptop HDDs made in the last year or two!

WD and Seagate have shortened their HDD laptop warranties to 1 yr! When I bought that HDD for my LFs HP laptop the Best Buy website said it had a 5 yr warr. A simliar WD HDD for laptops said it had a 3 yr warr. Well I got the Seagate for the 5 yr warr but when I got home opened it for install the manual said it only had a 1 yr warr! Took it back to Best Buy only to be told all laptop drives only come with either a 90 day or a 1 yr warranty now because of the tsunami that hit Thailand where they claim ALL drives are made now! Sure enough, after checking closely the WD boxes and others this was the case. WD who always had a 3 yr warr, now only gives you 1 yr! Best Buy apologized and said their website hadn't been updated to reflect this change......yeah right!

Anyways, I saw a stockboy marking the Seagate drives I just returned and paid 50 bucks for, down to 35 bucks So I decided the price was right and got it.....

Not just HDDs, EVERY SINGLE DAMN PIECE OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS is not built to last for more than 3 to 5 years nowadays anyway, because they expect you to buy a BRAND NEW MACHINE (not just components) EVERY YEAR! Cell phones, cameras, TVs, computers, tablets, you name it ....

 

[MyHobbyist]

laptops are so cheap now. It might be worthwhile to just buy a new one.
you may spend the same just trying to fix the old one (which will break again in a 6 months)

 

[Logan55]

What about a simple "E-Book" it has a keyboard and wireless connectivity. You can grab one for around $200.

Or a Blackberry Playbook, they are dirt cheap now, and the keyboard is pretty much what kids are going to have to use anyways in the future.

 

[WoodPeckr]

^^^Yeah....but you can get a netbook now for ~$200-250 that will do a heck of a lot more.....

 

[MyHobbyist]

yes...buying a tablet also works.

 

[WoodPeckr]

yes...buying a tablet also works.

Highly doubt a tablet would meet his requirements.
His laptop had an Intel core i3 2.13 Ghz, in it and there is NO WAY any tablet can match that i3, performance wise....:eyebrows:

 

[WoodPeckr]

Not just HDDs, EVERY SINGLE DAMN PIECE OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS is not built to last for more than 3 to 5 years nowadays anyway, because they expect you to buy a BRAND NEW MACHINE (not just components) EVERY YEAR! Cell phones, cameras, TVs, computers, tablets, you name it ....

SSDs are really dropping in price and this is probably the main reason HDDs are being made crappier today. Since HDDs are being made crappier they all had to cut their warranties. Today you can get a better warranty on a SSD than a HDD! in a couple years SSDs will replace the HDD.

The performance of an SSD is phenomenal.
I just installed an SSD and will never go back to an HDD.

 

[The Options Menu]

The performance of an SSD is phenomenal.
I just installed an SSD and will never go back to an HDD.

Until you need raw bulk storage. These days I keep '/' and '/home' on a RAID that's on SSDs, then I have a 2 TB RAID for my 'media'. The Windows equivelent would be keeping 'c:' and the 'Users' directories on SSDs, and all shared media on HDD 'd:' drive.

Mind you, I salivate over the day where I can do, oh say, a 4 TB fully mirrored RAID on SSDs at a price I'd be willing to pay.

Also, any decent software or hardware RAID does make disk operations quite a bit quicker-- It doesn't scale perfectly, but it helps. But yeah, up until you hit the economical storage limit SSDs are the way to go.