Notebook and laptop repair resources

When the DC power jack connection on my notebook mainboard burnt out I embarked on a google hunt for a fix.

(Click on the thumbnail for larger version).

Here's a list of information sources I thought might be helpful for repairing my notebook.

1. It appears many, many other people have had the same problem on a variety of laptops, as recounted on the This Is Broken website and in brooksmoses' livejournal.
2. Laptop Repair Guy's site. Huge amount of information on how to repair and troubleshoot laptops yourself. Disassembly, maintenance and service guides for many laptop brands and models.
   
3. Repair4Laptop: Do-It-Yourself Laptop and Notebook Upgrading, Modding and Repairing. By manufacturer. By hardware parts. And their section on How to make, repair and upgrade laptop and notebook power supplies, AC/DC Adapters and power jacks
4. Laptop Repair Help. A blog on how to troubleshoot and repair laptops - do it yourself.
5. How to replace a dc jack. A guide from repair shop Fix My Jack.
6. Here is a tutorial/howto-guide for replacing DC power jacks, many photos (posted by someone on the Tech Support Guy forum).
7. Guide to fixing a laptop power jack. A Do-It-Yourselfer.
8. Laptop Won't Turn On With AC Adapter Plugged In. Flowchart for troubleshooting laptop power problems.
9. Troubleshooting laptop power problems.
10. How to repair a laptop power connector jack pin . With photos.
11. Here are instructions for someone's power connector fix on a Compaq.
12. Toshiba Satellite A75 failed power jack workaround. This describes an external DC jack fix, similar to the Compaq power connector fix above.
13. Toshiba laptop and notebook repair and disassembly guides (pdf files).
14. Toshiba Satellite A70 power problems and a repair description.
15. Laptop Disassembly Help. Another site with help on disassembling Toshiba laptops.
16. Soldering the power connector on a Dell laptop.
17. HP Pavilion Laptop Owners with Bad Power Jacks
    • Detailed repair instructions in a Google groups post.
    • The Google groups thread on this subject.
    • The thread on HowToFixComputers.
    • Yet another thread on Tom's Hardware.
    • Someone else's moan.
18. Repairing a Fujitsu S2020 AC Jack .
19. ECS A929 Laptop Disassembly and Power Plug Replacement. Blog post on Marcus Granado's Ars Technica.
20. Laptop Repair Course.
21. I also asked for advice on the Tech Support Guy, and here's the thread: laptop DC power jack - burnt solder joint.

1. The service manual for my notebook (or at least the series it's in) can be found at https://www.synapsenow.com/synapse/data/7117/documents/tm340sg.pdf.
2. Here is a picture of the mainboard for another notebook in the same series. PcHub which provided the picture is a source for spare parts.
3. User guides for disassembling Acer laptops or notebooks.

After several resoldering attempts, the notebook is running after a fashion.

And here's the saga of my notebook repair effort (Updated: 23 Feb 07).

1. A place that sells laptop DC power sockets: LaptopJacks.
2. DCPowerJacks.net. Another place selling laptop DC power jacks, connectors, and sockets.
3. DC Power Jack & laptop repair. Another source for DC power jacks. They also do repairs.
4. Sparesweb.com. For all laptop spares and parts. Based in the UK but ships worldwide.
   This shop also has a website specifically for laptop sockets: www.laptopsockets.co.uk, and this is their webpage for DC power jacks.

Likely looking places which repair notebooks/laptops. (Disclaimer: I haven't tried them and have no idea how good/bad they are. Use at your own risk.)

US

1. Advance Computer Corp. (Computer Palace). Laptop service center in California serving Santa Monica, Los Angeles and vicinity.
2. Chicago laptop repair.
3. repairpowerjack.com . Also in Chicago. They appear to have another website dcjackrepair.net for a location at Fox Lake, IL.
4. Comprehensive Computing - General computer services in Virginia but specialises also in laptop power jack repair.
5. Computek Systems. DC power jack repair service in Texas.
6. FastLaptopRepair.com. Nationwide.
7. Fix My Jack. Massachusetts
8. ikenfixit.com, Northern Michigan.
9. Notebook Mechanix, Wichita, Kansas.
10. DC Jack Fix, Tennessee.
11. The Laptop Doctor
12. the Laptop guy.
13. Laptop Repairs

1. Apex Laptops. Repairs laptops and also sells laptop DC sockets.
2. Cambridge Laptop Repair
3. Creative IT, London. Specialises in Alienware laptop DC power jack repairs. Also repairs Acer, IBM, Toshiba, Dell, Apple, Sony, HP.
4. Laptop Clinic
5. Laptop Repair UK Ltd.
6. Laptop Solutions
7. UK Laptop Repairs
8. TechnoMart
9. www.notebookrepair.co.uk
10. Trilogic UK Ltd. Specialists in laptop repair. [new]

1. Downtown Computer Center, Vancouver, British Columbia.
2. Notebook Solutions, Toronto, Ontario.

1. ITIS, Sydney.
2. Peter Bowey Computer Solutions, South Australia.
3. Melbourne Notebook Service Centre, Melbourne. [new]

Date created: 14 Aug 2006
Update: 08 Oct 2008
Email: nettxzl at gmail.com