(OT) good laptop hardware repair group or forum

[Chris Whitehouse]

Glen Barber wrote:
> Hi, Chris
> 
> On Sat, Apr 11, 2009 at 9:13 PM, Chris Whitehouse <cwhiteh at onetel.com> wrote:
>> Hi all
>>
>> very sorry for this OT post, does anyone know of a good usenet or other
>> forum to ask about laptop hardware repair? My quite expensive and now
>> out-of-warranty HP laptop has suddenly become very dead and I'm in shock :((
>>
> 
> Even though it's (OT), maybe some of us could be able to help.  What's
> the problem?
> 
I will try the HP support forums as suggested but...

It's a nc6320 (RH383ET#ABU) and was in good condition not too much used 
and has never given trouble. It was booting, with mains and battery 
plugged in, when it suddenly and instantaneously lost power. Now it is 
completely dead, no LEDS. It made a couple of clicks as it died, one of 
which might have been the hard disk head parking.

The power supply is showing what looks like the right voltage. The 
battery has 6 connectors, I tested between all combinations of pairs but 
all were zero voltage. I also tested between all pairs of battery 
connector pins in the back of the laptop with the power plugged in, also 
zero voltage.

I am suspicious of the battery showing zero, I think it might need wake 
up power from the laptop. Does anyone know if this is the case and what 
pins need power?

I left the power supply plugged in and it and an area on the underside 
of the laptop were mildly warm after some time so some current is flowing.

That's all I can say. I will take the hard disk out and test. Luckily it 
didn't have critical data on it. I'm also competent to dismantle the 
laptop if anyone can suggest a fix.

Thanks

Chris