Has static electricity destroyed my laptop?

[miss direct]

The place I was staying for the last month was cold and dry, and I experienced a lot of static electricity. I was having up to 10 shocks per day, and at one point got a shock which broke a computer mouse. A few days ago I was working in the office - looked at my laptop and the screen had gone black. Would not turn back on. It takes a charge (light changed from red to white) but won't turn on. I've just managed to get the back off (it's an HP pavilion), removed the battery and all cables, held the power button down for 20 seconds, and it still won't turn on. Is it a goner? And was this really caused by static? So annoyed. Only had it about a year.

 

[gentlegreen]

The place I was staying for the last month was cold and dry, and I experienced a lot of static electricity. I was having up to 10 shocks per day, and at one point got a shock which broke a computer mouse. A few days ago I was working in the office - looked at my laptop and the screen had gone black. Would not turn back on. It takes a charge (light changed from red to white) but won't turn on. I've just managed to get the back off (it's an HP pavilion), removed the battery and all cables, held the power button down for 20 seconds, and it still won't turn on. Is it a goner? And was this really caused by static? So annoyed. Only had it about a year.

very unlikely ...

I was building HP laptops last year at work and they often got stuck from new on the first company build ...

Do you have an alternative monitor to plug in ?

 

[miss direct]

Just tried another monitor and nothing

The laptop has all my passwords and I can't do any of the many things I need to do.

 

[RainbowTown]

Is it still under warranty? If so, get whoever you purchased it from to look at it. If not, you could either keep trying it and see if it will eventually come back on, or as a last resort get it looked at by someone. Not sure if coldness alone would cause it to break down; maybe severe dampness and moisture would (at a push) if it infiltrated the interior badly enough. But it would have to be pretty extreme, I think. Other than that, probably might be best to start looking at the Xmas/New Year's sales for another one.

 

[miss direct]

Ooh just checked and as it was from John Lewis, there's a two year guarantee. Of course, there's no longer a John Lewis here in Sheffield. And will they make a fuss because I've taken the back off? Silly laptop that doesn't let you remove the battery easily.

 

[RainbowTown]

Ooh just checked and as it was from John Lewis, there's a two year guarantee. Of course, there's no longer a John Lewis here in Sheffield. And will they make a fuss because I've taken the back off? Silly laptop that doesn't let you remove the battery easily.

If you put it back together carefully as it was then it shouldn't be a problem. They cannot prove you've opened it unless there are clear signs you've done so. Then just deny it anyway. Contact their customer services department, explain the fault and let them sort it out on how to return it.

 

[two sheds]

passwords and stuff should be on the hard drive, if all else fails can use an external caddy to recover stuff? (I think)

 

[miss direct]

It was very hard to open it due to its silly design. Will probably be pretty obvious that I've opened it. But yes, will deny deny deny. On live chat now. I have got one of those caddy things from the last time this happened.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

passwords and stuff should be on the hard drive, if all else fails can use an external caddy to recover stuff? (I think)

Yes, unless the drive is encrypted, which is probably unlikely on a consumer machine.

 

[two sheds]

was there an issue with the battery that you took the back off?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

It was very hard to open it due to its silly design. Will probably be pretty obvious that I've opened it. But yes, will deny deny deny. On live chat now. I have got one of those caddy things from the last time this happened.

Horse bolted and all that, but definitely worth using some kind of cloud backup!

 

[two sheds]

Yes, unless the drive is encrypted, which is probably unlikely on a consumer machine.

would you not have the password for encrypted drive?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

would you not have the password for encrypted drive?

Depends if you've saved it. I don't have the bit locker key for my latop.

 

[miss direct]

I have no idea if there's an issue with the battery but it was recommended to remove the battery before trying again.

 

[miss direct]

John Lewis are offering home collection/repair...trying to fiddle with the hard drive now so I can get my files. It won't fit in to the caddy I used last year, for some reason.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

John Lewis are offering home collection/repair...trying to fiddle with the hard drive now so I can get my files. It won't fit in to the caddy I used last year, for some reason.

Careful now. Do you have any pics?

 

[miss direct]

Right, so I have a SATA hard drive and a laptop caddy. Will see if I can attach a pic. But it just won't quite fit

 

[miss direct]

 

[Numbers]

Try removing the memory, if there's 2 try each one individually (unless they're paired).
Faulty memory can cause all sorts of problems.

 

[miss direct]

Sorry to be thick, but what do you mean by memory. Hard drive? How do I know what the memory looks like?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

View attachment 302304

That's an NVMe drive. I think you've got the wrong size

 

[two sheds]

I'm not sure I'd be fiddling too much inside if it's still under warranty. If there's a lot of static electricity around it might well damage memories if you touch the contacts.

 

[miss direct]

Damn. Mine doesn't really look like any of those. Looks like the second one but with only one hole bit. I thought the caddies were universal.

 

[gentlegreen]

Yes - at least make sure you discharge yourself first - maybe take your shoes off and stand on bare boards ...
And familiarise yourself with how to unclip the RAM.
Even though I worked in IT I dread opening up laptops ..

 

[miss direct]

I'm not sure I'd be fiddling too much inside if it's still under warranty. If there's a lot of static electricity around it might well damage memories if you touch the contacts.

All I did was take the battery out as advised on HP website. And John Lewis recommend backing up/getting data before repair.

 

[two sheds]

Ah it's good if that's what they suggested you do.

 

[WouldBe]

Yes - at least make sure you discharge yourself first - maybe take your shoes off and stand on bare boards ...
And familiarise yourself with how to unclip the RAM.
Even though I worked in IT I dread opening up laptops ..

Best way is to work on a metal draining board and keep your wrist / forearm in contact with it.

 

[donkyboy]

I had similar problem with my Pavillion laptop. It wouldn't turn on. I sent it off to HP who said there was traces of liquid inside. I knew I didn't spill anything. They sent me photos of the "spillage". I realised when I saw the pics was that it was the vapour from my e-cig which went inside the keyboard and dried. This gave the impression of a spillage. I denied everything. They quoted me over £349 to get it repaired. Told them I aint paying that as might as well buy a new laptop. Anywayz, after getting it back, I opened it and took out the battery and put it back on again. The laptop started but the screen was black with the tab key light flashing. Looked it up and the flashing meant an error with the memory card. So I took one out and turned it on. Nothing happened. Then put it back in and took the other out and turned it on. The laptop started. So it was one faulty RAM slot. I ordered a new RAM for it. It worked for a few weeks but then same problem, fan would turn on, flashing tab key but the screen all black. So put the original RAM back in and its been working again ever since....

Overall, saved £349 by simply removing the battery and putting it back on again.

 

[miss direct]

The laptop is being collected tomorrow and I really want to get the data off the hard drive before it goes (as I fear I will never get it back otherwise.)

I can go into town this afternoon and buy whatever it is I need to buy but I don't even know where to begin. Which shops sell things to recover a hard drive, and are they called caddies or something else? Already dreading having to put the laptop back together again before it's collected.

 

[two sheds]

bump anyone?

It'll be a hard drive caddy - perhaps take the disk in to make sure you get the right connector? If there's a repair shop they might take the data off if you take in/buy another disk or large usb?