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Dead Computer

It is a $10.00 part, but the computer repair folks (pick a company, any company) want to replace the entire motherboard — to the tune of three to five hundred dollars.  Don’t know when I’ll be up again.  I am currently stealing computer time whenever I get near an idle PC.

In the meantime, if anybody knows how to solder a power jack onto t a motherboard, I’d be interested in chatting with you about it.

I set my photo blog to auto upload for the rest of the week, so you can at least enjoy my pictures.

Quilly is the pseudonym of Charlene L. Amsden, who lives on The Big Island in Hawaii. When she is not hanging out with Amoeba, she is likely teaching or sewing. Or she could be cooking, taking photographs, or even writing. But if she's not doing any of that, she's probably on Facebook or tinkering with her blog.

16 Comments

  2. Companies suck.

    I will ask Firstborn who is qualified and good at this sort of IT stuff BUT he is not home until Friday night (your Friday morning?) so I can’t ask him the solution.

    Do me a favour if you can and email me (I know – your computer is dead. If you can….) the exact problem and a photo if poss. It will prob be such a simple solution…. (wish I lived nearer – he’d come round and sort it.)

  3. I sent a website to your email a few days ago. I know it’s hard to borrow time on a computer, and this is a long read, but it tells you exactly how to do that. I have no experience with soldering, but it really did look fairly easy. And at this point, if they’re talking about replacing the motherboard, what do you have to lose.

    The process is basically to take the part and look at it. There are either three or four little pins. These pins solder onto the motherboard. So, you need to DE-solder the old one, use an old toothbrush to remove the flux, put a little solder on each area where the new one will go, and then pop the pins in the holes and solder it in. Like I said, sounds easy, but without soldering experience, who am I to say?

    Also, maybe check with different computer repair places. They may not insist on replacing the motherboard. I think a good indicator would probably be whether they actually opened up the computer to see what the problem is, or whether they just told you that’s what it needed. If they’re not opening it up and there aren’t pieces physically rattling around, they don’t know if it needs it or not.

  4. Grrrrrr….just reading your post made me tense up – so sorry you’re having ‘puter prollens. My camera and computer are refusing to communicate…no time to even figure out what the heck is going on – I’m feelin’ your pain!

  5. Yea… that’s crazy — I see some good advice above… but I would look for maybe a little independent computer repair geek who might be a whooooooooooole lot cheaper! We have a guy up the street (before Derek took the courses!) who teaches computer repair at the High School. He was HAPPY to do little jobs like that for $25 or so! See if you can find someone like that!

    I’m MISSSSSSSSSSSSIN’ you!

  8. Like Melli said Quilly, see if you can find some computer geek who fixes computers for fun, will be a lot cheaper and won’t be working on Commission like the ones who live for Commission in the big stores and would sell their Grandmother for that sale.

    Wishing you luck in getting your computer fixed.

  11. Shocking, Dawg.

    Thanks, Cath. As you’ve heard, we have leads.

    Brig, we got it. The big worry we have is whether soldering practices suited to, like, electric trains might be too heavy-handed for printed circuits. Still thinking … and both of us are too busy right now to do much more than think.

    Shelly, they’re supposed to be modern conveniences …

    Double the price for Hawaii, Melli. But we’ll get through it.

    Maybe, maybe not, TLP. But I do know that, if we stick that soldering iron in the wrong place, somebody’s going to be doing the bunny hop.

    So do we, polona.

    Thanks, Bill.

    Dr. John, the expensive repairs are how we got into this “throwaway society” schtick. I guess we’ll find out how much longer it will last.

  14. Hi Quilly, I’m sorry I haven’t been around in a while. I’m back teaching and loaded down with work. I’m posting a few times a week but not as often as I was. I’m real sorry about your computer, I hope it’s up and running soon. I’d be tearing my hair out if it were me! 🙁

  15. Hope your back up and running soon. Many new computers can be purchased for less than they want to fix yours….I would look into a new one 🙂

  16. I agree with Dr. John…our new computer cost less than your repairs, but then if you don’t get the repairs how will you get the stuff off the old one. Hopefully you will get some rest and hopefully you will get someone not expensive to help you out. I’m hopeless about it all.

    btw-we are home, but laying low and will rest for a while.

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