How to take apart Sony Vaio VGN-FZ220

posted in: 7. Sony | 183

Broken power jack

These instructions explain how to take apart a Sony Vaio VGN-FZ220 series laptop.

I had to replace the DC-IN power jack because it was broken. The jack is soldered to the power harness and can be easily replaced if you have basic soldering skills. Use this guide on your own risk.

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Replacing broken hinges on Dell Latitude C640 C540

posted in: 4. Dell | 58

Dell Latitude C540 C640 broken hinges

In the following guide I will explain how to replace broken display hinges on Dell Latitude C640 and Latitude C540 series laptops. Replacing and removing hinges is not a difficult task if you are careful and pay attention to details. I’m not sure if you can use same hinges for both models but the following removal and replacement instructions should be the same for both.
1. Find new replacement hinges.
2. Follow the disassembly instructions below.

Before you start, remove the battery.

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Replacing screen and inverter on Dell display

posted in: 4. Dell | 28

This guide explains how you can remove and replace the LCD screen, video cable and inverter board on a Dell display.

These instructions should work for many different Dell models.

Example 1. The inverter board is located under the LCD panel (not common).

In this example the display panel has been removed from the rest of the laptop case.

In most cases it’s not necessary to remove the display.

Dell Laptop Display

Remove three rubber screw seals on the top and two plastic screw seals on the bottom of the display bezel.

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IBM ThinkPad displays fan error message

posted in: 6. IBM & Lenovo | 172

IBM ThinkPad T42 fan

Let’s say you have an IBM ThinkPad laptop and when you turn it on all you get is a black screen with “Fan error” message. What could be wrong?

A few weeks ago, the fan in my trusty IBM T42 bought the farm. This resulted in the unit heating up considerably, as well as numerous “fan error” messages on bootup. It eventually became so bad that to boot up at all, I had to blow compressed air into the fan’s exhaust grill for 5-10 seconds, in order to fool the BIOS and make it believe the fan was actually spinning.

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How to remove CD from failed optical drive

posted in: Miscellaneous Tips | 37

Remove CD DVD disc from laptop

In this guide I explain how to remove a CD or DVD disc from a failed optical drive or not working laptop.

Let’s say the computer does not turn on but there is a disc stuck inside the optical drive and you want to get it out.

I think most people know this trick but some don’t. Continued