pressure on hard drive is the only way to make anything happen :/

Hi all,

I have a strange problem with my laptop, it hasn't really been used as a mobile device for a long time and the first time I took it out in a long while and tried to use it a problem has arisen.

The laptop will not do anything unless I apply pressure over where the hard drive is seated. It does not give any errors, it just stops processing until I return the pressure to the right spot. Obviously this is an impossible situation and is unworkable.

I have taken the hard drive out and reseated it to make sure there wasn't a problem there, I checked all connections while I was in there and all seems to be ok. I took out the keyboard to check if there was a problem I could see from that direction and nothing to be seen.

Immediately below the hard drive is a white (plastic?) that I suppose is just a divider or a shield of some kind but this shows no signs of a problem either.

http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/advent/laptop/8115.htm ( that is the model I am dealing with)

Any ideas or should I forget it and start saving up for a new laptop?

Sounds like a loose connector, broken solder joint.

thank you for your prompt reply, I couldn't see any loose connections but if it's a broken solder joint I suppose that's the end of the road for that laptop :(

Reflowing the solder in all of the solder joints in that area -might- work.

Be sure to use a iron
http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/cold-heat-20.jpg

and not a soldering gun.

https://discussions.virtualdr.com/im.../2012/05/6.jpg

And double check that the hard drive is pushed all the way into the socket - it is possible to insert those 2.5" drives so that they look like they are fully home, when they are actually only halfway plugged in.

Thank you for the replies. I'll take another look at it tomorrow see if I the connection is tight on the hard drive. I'm not sure if I would be accurate enough with a soldering iron, but if the laptop is toast anyway I don't suppose it would hurt to try ;)