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Default Laptop issues -result

Just to recap - Over past few weeks my W10 Acer laptop had more and
more frequently locked up, no mouse movement, no response to ctrl+ Alt
+ del, only holding the power button down for ten seconds to reboot it
brought it back. Manually taking control of virtual memory and upping
the amount, seemed to fix it, it did, but not for long - so nothing
else for it but to open it up....

Nothing was socketed, apart from cables to accessories like the
keyboard, mouse pad, a USB + memory slot and wifi module. No socketed
chips at all, 8Gb of ram, none socketed and no expansion slots.

I managed to break the socket clamp catch for the tape type ribbon
cable for the USB + memory socket, trying to work out how to release it
- It was a matter of easing the keyboard a little way, to begin
reaching in to unplug things, some had a catch clamp which pushed in,
others like this had a clamp which needed lifting 90 deg to release.

I dusted the entire PCB, case and air ducts out thoughroughly with a
paint brush, then reassembled it, with no expectation that the lockup
was fixed. The damaged socket I partially botched by using a bit of
sweetie wrapper to wedge it and apply contact pressure.

No more lockups in the several days since then, despite changing it
back to W10 default virtual memory management - that USB + memory
socket has power, but no data, so obviously the cable has pulled
partially out/ not making full contact, in my rush to get it back
together.

My best guess as to the problem - maybe a bit of loose solder or
conductive dust shorter something out. The brushing cleared it out.
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Default Laptop issues -result

On Sun, 10 Feb 2019 16:47:38 GMT, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

snip

I dusted the entire PCB, case and air ducts out thoughroughly with a
paint brush,


A note on that, it's recommended to use a natural bristle brush or a
conductive (carbon?) one to reduce the risk of generating static
electricity firing the process. I use a 1" quality badger hair brush
and try to hold the metal ferrule whilst using it (so that I act as a
conductive path to earth for any static).

snip

My best guess as to the problem - maybe a bit of loose solder or
conductive dust shorter something out. The brushing cleared it out.


The classic issues are a blocked vent at the exhaust (I've extracted a
4mm thick layer of what looks like felt many-a-time), the fan fins
themselves or a blocked input vent grille (less common as many have
multiple air input paths). That and / or the thermal paste drying out
(and so needing re pasting).

I have also recovered the odd mounting screw that has fallen out and
then lodged itself somewhere subtle but they generally rattle about as
you move the laptop around (and sometimes also tapping it to dislodge
it again). I have found loose solder balls but they don't generally
seem to cause any issues.

Well done for giving it a go and welcome to the broken clip thing. ;-)

Cheers, T i m
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Default Laptop issues -result



"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 10 Feb 2019 16:47:38 GMT, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

snip

I dusted the entire PCB, case and air ducts out thoughroughly with a
paint brush,


A note on that, it's recommended to use a natural bristle brush or a
conductive (carbon?) one to reduce the risk of generating static
electricity firing the process. I use a 1" quality badger hair brush


Wonder where they get the dead badgers from.

and try to hold the metal ferrule whilst using it (so that I act as a
conductive path to earth for any static).

snip

My best guess as to the problem - maybe a bit of loose solder or
conductive dust shorter something out. The brushing cleared it out.


The classic issues are a blocked vent at the exhaust (I've extracted a
4mm thick layer of what looks like felt many-a-time), the fan fins
themselves or a blocked input vent grille (less common as many have
multiple air input paths). That and / or the thermal paste drying out
(and so needing re pasting).

I have also recovered the odd mounting screw that has fallen out and
then lodged itself somewhere subtle but they generally rattle about as
you move the laptop around (and sometimes also tapping it to dislodge
it again). I have found loose solder balls but they don't generally
seem to cause any issues.

Well done for giving it a go and welcome to the broken clip thing. ;-)

Cheers, T i m


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Default Laptop issues -result

Hmm, with surface mounted stuff there are lots of stories like this. I'm
assuming you are going to fix the cable, but before you do, give it a good
test, as what you describe may also be due to a poor joint and moving and
flexing stuff has simply made it good again for a while till corrosion and
or muck starts to affect it again. I hate those tiny flimsy connectors. It
was almost better in the bad old days where these ribbons simply plugged
into a tine type edge connector, as often there was enough cable to cut it
and shove it back in!

Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message
...
Just to recap - Over past few weeks my W10 Acer laptop had more and more
frequently locked up, no mouse movement, no response to ctrl+ Alt + del,
only holding the power button down for ten seconds to reboot it brought it
back. Manually taking control of virtual memory and upping the amount,
seemed to fix it, it did, but not for long - so nothing else for it but to
open it up....

Nothing was socketed, apart from cables to accessories like the keyboard,
mouse pad, a USB + memory slot and wifi module. No socketed chips at all,
8Gb of ram, none socketed and no expansion slots.

I managed to break the socket clamp catch for the tape type ribbon cable
for the USB + memory socket, trying to work out how to release it - It was
a matter of easing the keyboard a little way, to begin reaching in to
unplug things, some had a catch clamp which pushed in, others like this
had a clamp which needed lifting 90 deg to release.

I dusted the entire PCB, case and air ducts out thoughroughly with a paint
brush, then reassembled it, with no expectation that the lockup was fixed.
The damaged socket I partially botched by using a bit of sweetie wrapper
to wedge it and apply contact pressure.

No more lockups in the several days since then, despite changing it back
to W10 default virtual memory management - that USB + memory socket has
power, but no data, so obviously the cable has pulled partially out/ not
making full contact, in my rush to get it back together.

My best guess as to the problem - maybe a bit of loose solder or
conductive dust shorter something out. The brushing cleared it out.



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Default Laptop issues -result

You can wash out those foam filters quite successfully just as you can in
vacuums. In the early days static was a worse problem than now as most of
the schottky devices now have diode protection built in.
Obviously though you do not want huge build up. There are limits.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 10 Feb 2019 16:47:38 GMT, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

snip

I dusted the entire PCB, case and air ducts out thoughroughly with a
paint brush,


A note on that, it's recommended to use a natural bristle brush or a
conductive (carbon?) one to reduce the risk of generating static
electricity firing the process. I use a 1" quality badger hair brush
and try to hold the metal ferrule whilst using it (so that I act as a
conductive path to earth for any static).

snip

My best guess as to the problem - maybe a bit of loose solder or
conductive dust shorter something out. The brushing cleared it out.


The classic issues are a blocked vent at the exhaust (I've extracted a
4mm thick layer of what looks like felt many-a-time), the fan fins
themselves or a blocked input vent grille (less common as many have
multiple air input paths). That and / or the thermal paste drying out
(and so needing re pasting).

I have also recovered the odd mounting screw that has fallen out and
then lodged itself somewhere subtle but they generally rattle about as
you move the laptop around (and sometimes also tapping it to dislodge
it again). I have found loose solder balls but they don't generally
seem to cause any issues.

Well done for giving it a go and welcome to the broken clip thing. ;-)

Cheers, T i m





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Posts: 13,431
Default Laptop issues -result

On Mon, 11 Feb 2019 08:05:08 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

You can wash out those foam filters


snip

What foam filters Brian?

Cheers, T i m
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Posts: 10,204
Default Laptop issues -result

On Sunday, 10 February 2019 22:53:20 UTC, Rod Speed wrote:
"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 10 Feb 2019 16:47:38 GMT, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

snip

I dusted the entire PCB, case and air ducts out thoughroughly with a
paint brush,


A note on that, it's recommended to use a natural bristle brush or a
conductive (carbon?) one to reduce the risk of generating static
electricity firing the process. I use a 1" quality badger hair brush


Wonder where they get the dead badgers from.


from the badger culls them seem to think will be effective against TB.

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Posts: 13
Default Laptop issues -result

Harry Bloomfield brought next idea :
Just to recap - Over past few weeks my W10 Acer laptop had more and more
frequently locked up, no mouse movement, no response to ctrl+ Alt + del, only
holding the power button down for ten seconds to reboot it brought it back.
Manually taking control of virtual memory and upping the amount, seemed to
fix it, it did, but not for long - so nothing else for it but to open it
up....

Nothing was socketed, apart from cables to accessories like the keyboard,
mouse pad, a USB + memory slot and wifi module. No socketed chips at all, 8Gb
of ram, none socketed and no expansion slots.

I managed to break the socket clamp catch for the tape type ribbon cable for
the USB + memory socket, trying to work out how to release it - It was a
matter of easing the keyboard a little way, to begin reaching in to unplug
things, some had a catch clamp which pushed in, others like this had a clamp
which needed lifting 90 deg to release.

I dusted the entire PCB, case and air ducts out thoughroughly with a paint
brush, then reassembled it, with no expectation that the lockup was fixed.
The damaged socket I partially botched by using a bit of sweetie wrapper to
wedge it and apply contact pressure.

No more lockups in the several days since then, despite changing it back to
W10 default virtual memory management - that USB + memory socket has power,
but no data, so obviously the cable has pulled partially out/ not making full
contact, in my rush to get it back together.

My best guess as to the problem - maybe a bit of loose solder or conductive
dust shorter something out. The brushing cleared it out.


Three main reasons why a computer runs slow and/or locks up - viruses,
hard drive on way out, heat.

I'll guarantee that the fan and airway was at least partially blocked
up causing heat buildup, so your brushing and cleaning sorted it
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