I was given this laptop. The power connector that takes the round DC convertor plug that charges the battery and supplies power in the laptop is gone. Cannot see it when you look in the little round opening at the left rear of the unit. The adaptor plug shows a slight bend in it but still works. The person that gave this to me said a repair shop said it can't be repaired.
As I know nothing about working on a laptop, I thought this would be a good project to learn something about them.
First, I looked on the net under both Compaq and then HP and as yet cannot find a manual for it or really anything else that would help.
Second, can anyone tell me how where to start to take this critter apart so I can look at the area where the power connector should be?
The laptop has Windows 98SE installed on it. All I know about the software in it as yet.
This connector is soldered to the mobo. First question is do you think the piece inside the laptop is still inside the laptop? If you so, then these are pretty easy laptops to take apart.
To start you remove four Torx screws, 3 from the bottom of the laptop and one that is hidden until you remove the battery cover and battery. This will allow you to remove the palmrest. Then the keyboard should come out. Watch for attached cables so you can disconnect them and be careful with the connectors, once broken you have a bigger problem. There is a metal shield covering the cpu and most of the mobo. Remove the screws that hold this down and set aside. Remove the hinge covers on each side of the display. Remove screws that hold display. You dont really need to completely remove the display just make sure nothing is pulling (wires) and lay it flat on the table, screen facing up. Been awhile since I have done one of these but at this point you should be able to see if the connector for AC is still attached or broken or ??. If still there you just need to have it resoldered. Done this to many a 1200 series Compaq.
If you get stuck at a certain point feel free to post where and I will pull one of our parted Compaqs out and see if I can help.
Hope that gives you a starting point and definitely mark where the screws came from and where you took them from if you dont have the one of those photographic memories. I used to use an dozen egg carton and just labeled each hole as I pulled the screws. Whatever works for you.
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Hi paisan, HI and thanks for posting. Backs up what I found. Looks like a lot of thought was put into the engineering of these laptops.
You will see in the image the bakelite piece that holds the male pin broke and the small metal strap that goes from the back of the housing was broken about halfway down to where it attaches to the MOBO.
There are two possibilities I have considered to repair this. Replace the broken piece with two wires with a pin that "hangs out of the unit (unsightly but would work) and the other is to repair the broken piece. The bakelite would be glued, then the outside of the repaired piece would be reinforced. The broken electrical conducting metal would be soldered. I'm thinking of a pencil iron of 27 or 37.5 watts. You opinion?
Now you have brought up a third solution that maybe a good part off a old MOBO would be the way to go. Where can a person find a computer junkyard. No such animal in this small town. No joy searching the internet either that I could find. Could call computer shops too but would take time and 55 t0 100 miles to get to.
Oops, I did not mark the screws but think I can separate them now as there are not that many. Good point though as I worked on a car engine one time and came up with a couple of extra bolts. Had to go back in to fix my goofup or the car would not run.
I was also told yesterday the support for this level of repair is disappearing as companies in cutting back on non profitable areas are losing the qualified support personnel that is needed. Also an absence of parts manuals. From what I can find you normally, at a shop now, would replace the MOBO that has any kind of mechanical problem. Used to have Sams photofax for anything needed in electronics, but have not checked on that yet.
Emailed the person with the MOBO. If that Mobo power input connector is the same as this broken one that price is alotbetter than sending it in for a new MOBO.
I was just curious the state of the art of soldering in this day and age.
Thank for the help and will post as this repair develops.
It looks like that Compaq had a poor design with that power connector in the Presario line. There have been lots of broken lappers on sale with broken power plugs on the MOBO. Been a few months since I checked out the laptop parts section on Ebay, but there was a seller that usually had those plugs for new for less than $10.
As far as the soldering iron, start out with the smallest then work up it needed. There were a number of "repaired" mobo's on Ebay that the soldering job was botched.
The Compaq support site used to have plenty of good info but since HP took over it has been redesigned and now it almost worthless.
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