Is it worth it fixing a smashed notebook screen..... 2

[toodledee]

I have a compaq presario c793vu. Ive had it for a month. its been pushed off my pc desk and am wondering if I should just throw it out????? A little advice would be nice please...

 

[xwb]

How much was it worth before you pushed it off and how much is a replacement screen?

You could use it as a desktop: just hook up a screen, mouse and keyboard to it.

 

[G0AOZ]

Was it running at the point it fell off the desk? Running hard disks don't take kindly to this sort of treatment. Use XWB's suggestion to check out the current status of the laptop before you invest any further time and money in it.

Other things to consider... Would you be replacing the screen (and any other parts) yourself, or would you be paying someone else to do it?

You can sometimes come across secondhand parts on places like E-bay, for example.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[toodledee]

I paid $648 for this brand new and I know the warranty wouldnt cover this...

 

[toodledee]

I would get someone else to fix it as I don't know much about pc's and notebooks. at the time it it fell off it wasnt on...when it's powered on there's a green screen that come's on and you can really see the big cracks in it...would anyone recommend it's worth it to fix or just throw it?

 

[wolluf]

If its just the screen, look on ebay (as suggested above) - probably find one for c. £70 (in UK), and many sellers of screens also offer a free replacement service (you pay the postage to send your laptop there and back). As also suggested, connect it to external monitor to ensure its actually working.

 

[G0AOZ]

So, to reply to your question, "would anyone recommend it's worth it to fix or just throw it?.

1. Check with an external monitor that the rest of the laptop still works perfectly ok.

2. Check out cost of replacement screen and labour to fix it, carriage charges, etc.

Then weigh up the costs against your original outlay of $648, or tell us and we'll attempt to advise you further.

If this is only 1 month old, and it really is only the screen that's gone, then I'd say it's probably worthwhile repairing.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[G0AOZ]

I'm doing a KJV1611 here...

What about any household contents insurance you might have? They often pay for accidental damage. (I'm assuming you didn't give it a deliberate kick and throw test )

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[toodledee]

GOAOZ This is the only thing I had'nt put under insurance not thinking properly I should have though. No no did'nt throw it off purposely my son somehow managed to climb up and push it off...I'll try connecting it to my monitor and weigh up all other options. Thank you all...

 

[kjv1611]

toodledee,

Have you TRIED contacting HP about your laptop? You say you know the warranty won't cover it, but have you tried? I would think that an estimated $100 to $200 minimum costs here would be worth at least trying. I personally would check there first.

As far as what G0AOZ said about the home-owner's insurance, I wouldn't totally count it out. Again, you won't know until you ask. Sometimes, with insurance and warranties, things are covered when you least expect, and sadly sometimes things aren't covered when you'd think they are.

All I'm saying is it wouldn't hurt to try.

Also, consider this - if you test your laptop as already metnioned, and find it'll run fine on an external monitor, AND you don't want to mess with replacing the screen, you could likely sell it on eBay or elsewhere as "damaged", and someone else might pay a couple hundred dollars for it, even damaged... then you could take that and put towards a replacement.

Just many options to consider. Of course, if it'll work with an external monitor, you CAN just use it basically as a desktop. I mean, it'd kinda defeat the purpose of a laptop, but it'd be the cheapest option, assuming no warranty/insurance coverage.

 

[rclarke250]

For your screen it would cost $100-$120 usd. If you did the labor yourself. It is very simple if you know how to use a small phillips screwdriver. Remove the bumpers from around the bezel, and the screws underneath. Then pop off the bezel. Remove the screws holding down the hinge and frame assembly. Tilt the screen forward, There will be 2 cables, the one that runs the ccfl bulb is at the bottom hooked to a small PCB, and a wide flat video cable taped to the connector. remove the tape,pull out the cable, set LCD aside. Reverse the steps to put in the new one. There are plenty of guides that show pictures on the web on how to do this. It is very easy, and well worth the money.

It will not be fixed under warranty, HP will charge you 350-400.00 $ us. If it will not work attached to an external monitor, than it may have damaged the board, and then it most likely would not be worth repairing.

I work for IBM, and when people ask why isn't it covered under warranty, my response is. "If you are driving along a slippery road,and go into the ditch and crumple a fender. Would you expect Ford to pay for the repairs?

 

[toodledee]

Ok guys...I have connected my laptop to a monitor, but now the monitor is changing colours. Does this mean it's not fixable?

 

[kjv1611]

Sounds like the LCD is not your only problem, then. That's the bad thing with a fall, step on, etc... what you SEE damaged, immediately, is the screen, but oftentimes, the problem can go much deeper. Sounds like the VGA-out, graphics adapter, is dead. And it could be possible for something else to be dead. If the graphics is dead, you pretty much have to replace the motherboard. You'll be looking at an additional $100 to $200 there, so total $250 to $400 more than likely for just your parts. But all that depends upon your model, and I've not looked yours up. Those prices are eBay prices, by the way. And those prices are with you doing the work.

 

[cdogg]

toodledee,
Changing colors? That's really an odd issue. Aside from there being a problem with the graphics adapter, it would be worth your time to try a different VGA cable (and maybe monitor). I've had plenty of issues in the past with monitors showing weird colors and tints as a result of a defective VGA cable. In some of those situations, the colors would change when the cable was bent a certain way.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
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