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Old 04-16-2010, 05:35 PM   #1
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So I have a HP laptop I bought 2 years ago (July 2008) and the other week the fan started to make some funny noises. I tried blowing it out with canned air with no success so I took it into a local shop here in Victoria. Well the guy tells me to clean it it would be $90x3hrs for labor and if the fan is cooked it will be another $150 bucks.

So in total it could cost me $420 to fix a laptop I bought brand new for I think $650. Does this sound right? Are things really this bad or is this guy quoting me an idiot?

I've taken apart computers before and put them back together but never a laptop. How difficult is this task? Would it be worth me trying to take it apart and blow it out properly?

I actually don't have anything on this computer (besides programs) as I save everything on an External HD which is on my network so I'm thinking of just using it until it goes KAAAABOOOOOM on me and buy another one at that time.

Thanks for any advice!
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Not at all, as I've said, I would rather start with LA over any of the other WC playoff teams. Bunch of underachievers who look good on paper but don't even deserve to be in the playoffs.
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Old 04-16-2010, 05:42 PM   #2
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If it only needs cleaning, I would do it myself before I paid someone $270 to do it for me. Especially if you can get a new one for slightly more than that cost. There is probably a disassembly guide online for your laptop if you really don't feel comfortable winging it.
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Old 04-16-2010, 05:42 PM   #3
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If that were me:

1) laugh at guy. 3 hours? Is he joking? Ask him if you can stand there and watch for the three hours. And I'm sure the fan is actually a $10 part.

2) I'd just try to take it apart. Really, you're just pulling the casing apart, it's not like if you feel like you're getting in over your head you can't just put it back together.

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/processo...f-oil-2135514/
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Old 04-16-2010, 05:43 PM   #4
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They are quite ridiculous. At that cost, you'd basically be better off getting a new computer which is stupid.

It's quite similar to printers. Any significant issue and off to the garbage they go (actually staples recycle bin, but whatever)
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Old 04-16-2010, 08:20 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Mad Mel View Post
If that were me:

1) laugh at guy. 3 hours? Is he joking? Ask him if you can stand there and watch for the three hours.
While most laptops don't take 3 hours to completely take apart, some can get close, especially if someone is unfamiliar with the process for that particular laptop and it's a complicated one. And especailly if they miss a screw or something and get almost all the way done and have to re-disassemble it (I've done that before).

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And I'm sure the fan is actually a $10 part.
Not often, many fans are fit specifically for a model so you have to get it from the manufacturer, which is more expensive.. they'll charge whatever they want. Most fans I did were way more than $10.

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2) I'd just try to take it apart. Really, you're just pulling the casing apart, it's not like if you feel like you're getting in over your head you can't just put it back together.
Again that depends. Some laptops require a special tool to separate the casing and if you don't have it and just pry with a screwdriver you'll end up bending the plastic or snapping a plastic tab.

I used to be a certified tech for Toshiba, HP, Compaq, Dell laptops.

Laptops vary widely, from extremely simple to pull apart to fiendishly complex with tiny plastic pieces that have to be put back just so (Thinkpads!).

Try and find a service manual for your laptop and see how easy / difficult it is, HPs used to not be that bad. Finding the service manual can be hard sometimes though, Toshiba used to treat them like they were state secrets while I think Compaq had them online.

Key is organization, when you remove parts keep the screws for those parts with those parts, screws can be almost the same but not quite and its VERY easy to lose track of what went where. Have a big work area and just keep putting parts in a row as you take them out, then when you put it back together work backwards in your row.

Sometimes they take quite a bit of force in the right places to come apart which is annoying, because if you do it in the wrong place or before removing all the screws you can snap pieces.

See if there's a youtube video of someone doing it too.
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Old 04-17-2010, 10:29 AM   #6
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Thanks I will try taking it apart myself, worst case I just throw the case back on. If I need a special screw driver I can get one made (did the same for my phone when I painted it to match my truck back in the day) so that is not a problem if it's needed.

Anything I should be cautious of when taking it apart? Pisses me off that this laptop could turn into garbage over a little fan!!!
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Not at all, as I've said, I would rather start with LA over any of the other WC playoff teams. Bunch of underachievers who look good on paper but don't even deserve to be in the playoffs.
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Old 04-17-2010, 10:40 AM   #7
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I took apart my laptop once... I got it back together but I mismatched the screws. There was a sick combination of short and long screws and holes, and holes that are just holes that screws don't go into... PITA. Infact right now, I have a screw lying around that was in my laptop but I didn't care to take out all the screws again and try.
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Old 04-17-2010, 10:41 AM   #8
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Maybe try looking at your manual and see how invasive and complicated this procedure is before you take anything apart. This stuff can get really annoying and have plastic encasings that seemingly need to be pried apart but don't. There's always screws somewhere you don't expect them to be.
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Old 04-17-2010, 11:54 AM   #9
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Found a good youtube video and manual on HP.com

Video looks like it is to replace the motherboard but it will get me to the fan which is all I need to do....right?



http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01311536.pdf

I think I will try it next week when I have some time to sit down and do it. Looks like it is just Phillips #1 & 2 screwdriver which I have.
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Not at all, as I've said, I would rather start with LA over any of the other WC playoff teams. Bunch of underachievers who look good on paper but don't even deserve to be in the playoffs.
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Old 04-17-2010, 12:22 PM   #10
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Heh, good luck, that one doesn't look nasty but it is complicated enough. Take your time and do like I said make sure you keep all the screws with each piece and keep them all in separate piles so you can easily work backwards. The video will help.

Looks like you can get the heatsink on eBay too:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/HP-Pavilion-DV900...-/160354335753

Because that's not a heatsink / fan assembly that you'll find anywhere, and if it is the fan causing problems you'll need to replace it (I wouldn't oil it unless I knew exactly what kind of fan it was).

Just be sure it's the fan and not your hard drive, that would be annoying to go to all that trouble and find out it's not the fan.
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Old 04-17-2010, 12:33 PM   #11
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Just be sure it's the fan and not your hard drive, that would be annoying to go to all that trouble and find out it's not the fan.
Doing a quick youtube search this is exactly what the sound is and where it is coming from...

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Not at all, as I've said, I would rather start with LA over any of the other WC playoff teams. Bunch of underachievers who look good on paper but don't even deserve to be in the playoffs.
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Old 04-17-2010, 03:15 PM   #12
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I would just buy a new laptop if it will cost you that much
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Old 04-17-2010, 04:46 PM   #13
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Holy crap, does it prompt you to fasten your seatbelt prior to takeoff?
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Old 04-17-2010, 10:02 PM   #14
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Well, $90/h isn't bad for computer repair, but the 3 hours is kinda fishy. It does depend on what has to be done, as completely taking apart and putting together a laptop can take a fair bit of time.
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Old 04-17-2010, 10:20 PM   #15
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If you are able, take out your fan and try to expose the bearing and inject some sewing machine oil into it.
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Old 08-03-2010, 07:52 PM   #16
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Okay so 3 months later I get around to ordering a new fan and last night I took apart my laptop, installed new fan, put laptop back together and the f#@%in' thing is even louder than ever before.

So I decided to take apart the fan (old one I just took out of the laptop) to try and grease the ball bearings or whatever and it doesn't seem to have any. From what I can tell it seems like it is all held together by a magnet (pictured below so you can see what I mean) so I have no clue now.



At first I thought maybe I had it all wrong from the start and it wasn't the fan but I can tell for sure it is the fan and man is it loud. Really, really, loud!

Where should I go from here? Is there anything else in the fan that could be making this noise? What are the chances I have two defective fans?

At this point I'm going to take it apart again and see what else is around it and if maybe it is hitting some metal, screws, wires, etc. but I didn't see anything when I took it apart.

Also that tech that told me 3hrs is a liar. It took me no more than 6hrs to take it apart, install the new fan, put it back together and that was with me stopping two watch to episodes of Entourage and make/eat lunch. Also having no clue WTF to do. It actually went really smooth considering!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Not at all, as I've said, I would rather start with LA over any of the other WC playoff teams. Bunch of underachievers who look good on paper but don't even deserve to be in the playoffs.

Last edited by HOOT; 08-03-2010 at 07:55 PM.
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Old 08-03-2010, 08:16 PM   #17
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Also that tech that told me 3hrs is a liar. It took me no more than 6hrs to take it apart, install the new fan, put it back together and that was with me stopping two watch to episodes of Entourage and make/eat lunch. Also having no clue WTF to do. It actually went really smooth considering!
But at the end of the day, you’re six hours into this and no better off, whereas the tech likely would have billed you 3 hours and handed you back a repaired laptop.

Mind you, you aren’t out $420 either, I guess
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Old 08-03-2010, 08:21 PM   #18
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Is it loud because it’s running at high speed constantly? Or loud like its rattling around or knocking into stuff?
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Old 08-03-2010, 08:21 PM   #19
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But at the end of the day, you’re six hours into this and no better off, whereas the tech likely would have billed you 3 hours and handed you back a repaired laptop.

Mind you, you aren’t out $420 either, I guess
No I realize that and if I didn't enjoy kinda knowing about this stuff (or wondering if I could do it myself) I would have just paid it or bought a new laptop by now. But I don't really use it as much as I thought I would so I'm in no hurry. My beef is if it takes him less does he charge me for 3hrs or however long it actually took. No way it should take an experienced tech more than an hour and half to take this thing apart and put it back together to replace a fan.
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Not at all, as I've said, I would rather start with LA over any of the other WC playoff teams. Bunch of underachievers who look good on paper but don't even deserve to be in the playoffs.
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Old 08-03-2010, 08:22 PM   #20
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Is it loud because it’s running at high speed constantly? Or loud like its rattling around or knocking into stuff?
Sounds very similar if not identical to this:



Except it doesn't seem to turn off like the one in the video. And imagine MUCH louder in person.
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