Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Hi,

I've got a zd7020 notebook that's about 4 months out of warranty and
according to HP needs to have its motherboard replaced. HP will kindly
do the job for me for a mere $700.

So I'm thinking I could do it a lot cheaper myself by buying a cheap,
damaged-screen, etc. zd7xxx notebook on ebay and grabbing the
motherboard from it. Which leads to my question -- anybody know
whether all the zd7xxx series mobos are the same / compatible for
swapping, and/or how I would determine which variants on the series
have compatible motherboards?

The other option that someone suggested was having the damaged
motherboard repaired. The damage is that the AC power jack, which is
soldered to the mobo, has come disconnected, and so the repair would be
to solder it back on. Any guesses as to a ballpark cost range for that
kind of repair at a local computer repair shop?

thanks much,
Chris

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Someone recently posted a message stating that a similar repair cost $US 150 at
a competent repair shop. HP Pavilion notebooks seem to be prone to power jack
failures from all the messages in this newsgroup. Said failures are not exactly
favorable advertising for HP notebooks... Ben Myers

On 26 Apr 2005 23:52:44 -0700, ctdisp-usenet@yahoo.com wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I've got a zd7020 notebook that's about 4 months out of warranty and
>according to HP needs to have its motherboard replaced. HP will kindly
>do the job for me for a mere $700.
>
>So I'm thinking I could do it a lot cheaper myself by buying a cheap,
>damaged-screen, etc. zd7xxx notebook on ebay and grabbing the
>motherboard from it. Which leads to my question -- anybody know
>whether all the zd7xxx series mobos are the same / compatible for
>swapping, and/or how I would determine which variants on the series
>have compatible motherboards?
>
>The other option that someone suggested was having the damaged
>motherboard repaired. The damage is that the AC power jack, which is
>soldered to the mobo, has come disconnected, and so the repair would be
>to solder it back on. Any guesses as to a ballpark cost range for that
>kind of repair at a local computer repair shop?
>
>thanks much,
>Chris
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Hi Ben... Almost all brand of manufactures use about the same setup
for the power plug and jack. And HP isn't alone with this problem at
all. So it really doesn't matter which brand of laptop you buy. As
if you put any strain on the jack at all. The solder connection
between the jack and the motherboard is going to weaken and finally
fail. It is just a fact of life!

My first laptop was a '84 Epson Geneva. It too has used the same
power connection as well. And so did all of the rest of them that
followed that I owned too. And none of them to this very day as
failed. Probably because I know how weak printed circuit boards and
solder can be and I'm really careful. While they can take a little
accidental abuse from time to time. It all adds up!

And all of the manufactures could solve this problem by many
different ways. It would cost a bit more, but only by a few dollars.
One simple way to get the jack off of the motherboard and just run
wires between the jack and the motherboard. Thus no stress on any
solder connection, nor on the motherboard. <grin>






Cheers!


________________________________________________________
Bill (using a HP Pavilion AMD 1.2GHZ under Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within WordStar 5.0




<ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message news:426f963e.4332863@nntp.charter.net...
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:42:14 GMT

Someone recently posted a message stating that a similar repair cost $US 150 at
a competent repair shop. HP Pavilion notebooks seem to be prone to power jack
failures from all the messages in this newsgroup. Said failures are not exactly
favorable advertising for HP notebooks... Ben Myers

On 26 Apr 2005 23:52:44 -0700, ctdisp-usenet@yahoo.com wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I've got a zd7020 notebook that's about 4 months out of warranty and
>according to HP needs to have its motherboard replaced. HP will kindly
>do the job for me for a mere $700.
>
>So I'm thinking I could do it a lot cheaper myself by buying a cheap,
>damaged-screen, etc. zd7xxx notebook on ebay and grabbing the
>motherboard from it. Which leads to my question -- anybody know
>whether all the zd7xxx series mobos are the same / compatible for
>swapping, and/or how I would determine which variants on the series
>have compatible motherboards?
>
>The other option that someone suggested was having the damaged
>motherboard repaired. The damage is that the AC power jack, which is
>soldered to the mobo, has come disconnected, and so the repair would be
>to solder it back on. Any guesses as to a ballpark cost range for that
>kind of repair at a local computer repair shop?
>
>thanks much,
>Chris

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Or anchor the jack to the motherboard with railroad spikes. Or maybe C-clamps.


You'd think that among themselves, the ODMs, OEMs, and name-brand companies
would say "Gee, we have a reliability problem!", and either anchor the jack more
firmly than just with weak solder (seriously: rivets? screws and bolts?) or
allow the jack to be elsewhere with less fragile wire leads between jack and
mobo. My gosh, we're not talking rocket science here. Only basic vanilla
industrial design. Oh, yeah, the cost constraints get in the way, don't they?

HP seems to have a larger proportion of bitching and complaints than Dell, for
example... Ben Myers

On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 14:26:57 GMT, "BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> wrote:

>
>Hi Ben... Almost all brand of manufactures use about the same setup
>for the power plug and jack. And HP isn't alone with this problem at
>all. So it really doesn't matter which brand of laptop you buy. As
>if you put any strain on the jack at all. The solder connection
>between the jack and the motherboard is going to weaken and finally
>fail. It is just a fact of life!
>
>My first laptop was a '84 Epson Geneva. It too has used the same
>power connection as well. And so did all of the rest of them that
>followed that I owned too. And none of them to this very day as
>failed. Probably because I know how weak printed circuit boards and
>solder can be and I'm really careful. While they can take a little
>accidental abuse from time to time. It all adds up!
>
>And all of the manufactures could solve this problem by many
>different ways. It would cost a bit more, but only by a few dollars.
>One simple way to get the jack off of the motherboard and just run
>wires between the jack and the motherboard. Thus no stress on any
>solder connection, nor on the motherboard. <grin>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Cheers!
>
>
>________________________________________________________
>Bill (using a HP Pavilion AMD 1.2GHZ under Windows 2000)
>-- written and edited within WordStar 5.0
>
>
>
>
><ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message =
>news:426f963e.4332863@nntp.charter.net...
>Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:42:14 GMT
>
>Someone recently posted a message stating that a similar repair cost $US =
>150 at
>a competent repair shop. HP Pavilion notebooks seem to be prone to =
>power jack
>failures from all the messages in this newsgroup. Said failures are not =
>exactly
>favorable advertising for HP notebooks... Ben Myers
>
>On 26 Apr 2005 23:52:44 -0700, ctdisp-usenet@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>I've got a zd7020 notebook that's about 4 months out of warranty and
>>according to HP needs to have its motherboard replaced. HP will kindly
>>do the job for me for a mere $700.
>>
>>So I'm thinking I could do it a lot cheaper myself by buying a cheap,
>>damaged-screen, etc. zd7xxx notebook on ebay and grabbing the
>>motherboard from it. Which leads to my question -- anybody know
>>whether all the zd7xxx series mobos are the same / compatible for
>>swapping, and/or how I would determine which variants on the series
>>have compatible motherboards?
>>
>>The other option that someone suggested was having the damaged
>>motherboard repaired. The damage is that the AC power jack, which is
>>soldered to the mobo, has come disconnected, and so the repair would be
>>to solder it back on. Any guesses as to a ballpark cost range for that
>>kind of repair at a local computer repair shop?
>>
>>thanks much,
>>Chris
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Thanks for the replies, guys. I'm gonna get the jack repaired vs.
replacing the mobo I guess.

Chris

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

"Dewaine Chan" <"dchanNOSPAM"@NOSPAM PLZZZnc.rr.com> wrote in message newszSbe.90901$JL2.3323767@twister.southeast.rr.com...
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 20:26:22 GMT

Bill: Have you opened one of the said Failed HP Laptop and look
at the Power connector??

Hi Dewaine... No never! So you got me there. <grin>

It is one of the stupidest connector ever used!!!!!

I'd *love* to see photos and such. Most power connectors for laptops
in my humble opinion are really poor. Maybe HP is the worst of the
worst, but the rest isn't so hot either. As all you have to do is do
a search and every major manufacture, customers complain of the
same.

Comparing it to the IBM Thinkpad or the Dell Latitude, you will
see why people having such problem. The power connector on the
HP is absolutely the cheapest I have seen in my 16 years
dealing with IT equipment. It has two small plastic legs that
is not even fully extended through the circuit board and is
held in place by three small pieces of metal. Even a person
pulling the AC Adapter connector straight out and in will ended
up damaging it soon. Look at the IBM Thinkpad connector, the
whole outer shell is metal and soldered anchored onto the
circuit board. It is much more difficult to damage it than
other. Same with Dell laptop.

Well mounting a jack right on the motherboard is going to be trouble
regardless. Sure you can beef it up somewhat and all. And if the
jack itself or the mounting doesn't fail, but the motherboard is
pretty weak at any rate and I believe it shouldn't be done that way.
As it is only common sense that the plug as well as the jack is
going to be stressed as one point or another. Any movement is going
to be transferred to the motherboard.

Simply buffering any movement with wires (between the jack and the
motherboard) would remove all of these problems. I personally would
like *all* to be built this way. But even better is to have the jack
mounted on a spring steel to give a bit. Thus saving the jack and
the plug during small accidents.

I have far better ideas, but it would require four to six inches or
more room in the laptop. And in this case, nothing at all inside of
the laptop could be damaged at all. So what I am saying is *all* of
these problems could be solved very simply no more than a few bucks.

Although there is something you have to understand. Printers are a
great example. Most people look towards the cheapest price. Well
they sell things as cheaply as they can possibly can. And to make up
for the loss is to make up in other ways.

As far as printers, it is the ink supply of course. But laptops,
besides the supply of batteries. Do to poor management of battery
care, what do they have to make up their loss? Well it got to be the
abuse (as little it at might be), of the power jack. And that is
what I believe anyway.






Cheers!


________________________________________________________
Bill (using a HP Pavilion AMD 1.2GHZ under Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within WordStar 5.0

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Did you use a VISA or Master Card to purchase this laptop? If you did, you
could possibly have another year of warranty, compliments of the credit card
company. Last year I had a Pavilion's motherboard die on me six months
after the warranty was up. VISA coughed up $328 to fix that machine. (It's
still working.)

<ctdisp-usenet@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1114584764.698057.269450@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I've got a zd7020 notebook that's about 4 months out of warranty and
> according to HP needs to have its motherboard replaced. HP will kindly
> do the job for me for a mere $700.
>
> So I'm thinking I could do it a lot cheaper myself by buying a cheap,
> damaged-screen, etc. zd7xxx notebook on ebay and grabbing the
> motherboard from it. Which leads to my question -- anybody know
> whether all the zd7xxx series mobos are the same / compatible for
> swapping, and/or how I would determine which variants on the series
> have compatible motherboards?
>
> The other option that someone suggested was having the damaged
> motherboard repaired. The damage is that the AC power jack, which is
> soldered to the mobo, has come disconnected, and so the repair would be
> to solder it back on. Any guesses as to a ballpark cost range for that
> kind of repair at a local computer repair shop?
>
> thanks much,
> Chris
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Your VISA card is still working or your computer is still working. Hopefully
both... Ben Myers

On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 19:01:05 -0700, "Cain Shugher" <cshugher@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Did you use a VISA or Master Card to purchase this laptop? If you did, you
>could possibly have another year of warranty, compliments of the credit card
>company. Last year I had a Pavilion's motherboard die on me six months
>after the warranty was up. VISA coughed up $328 to fix that machine. (It's
>still working.)
>
><ctdisp-usenet@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:1114584764.698057.269450@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've got a zd7020 notebook that's about 4 months out of warranty and
>> according to HP needs to have its motherboard replaced. HP will kindly
>> do the job for me for a mere $700.
>>
>> So I'm thinking I could do it a lot cheaper myself by buying a cheap,
>> damaged-screen, etc. zd7xxx notebook on ebay and grabbing the
>> motherboard from it. Which leads to my question -- anybody know
>> whether all the zd7xxx series mobos are the same / compatible for
>> swapping, and/or how I would determine which variants on the series
>> have compatible motherboards?
>>
>> The other option that someone suggested was having the damaged
>> motherboard repaired. The damage is that the AC power jack, which is
>> soldered to the mobo, has come disconnected, and so the repair would be
>> to solder it back on. Any guesses as to a ballpark cost range for that
>> kind of repair at a local computer repair shop?
>>
>> thanks much,
>> Chris
>>
>
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

BillW50 wrote:

> " Bill: Have you opened one of the said Failed HP Laptop and look
> at the Power connector??
>
> Hi Dewaine... No never! So you got me there. <grin>
>
> It is one of the stupidest connector ever used!!!!!
>
> I'd *love* to see photos and such.

Bill:

I'll see if I have time to use my new Digital Camera and connect it up to my PC. Will take a picture of each (IBM Thinkpad, Dell
Latitude, HP/Gateway) and see if I could upload to a Website.

See. I have to be careful so I won't be suit by the deep pocket company by what is known as SLAP.

BTW, I have a Service call to go to for a Dell Inspiron with connector problem today. Will bring my Camera and start collecting
pictures.

Dewaine

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Heh, actually, they both are. :-)
<ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
news:427064fe.13540042@nntp.charter.net...
> Your VISA card is still working or your computer is still working.
> Hopefully
> both... Ben Myers
>
> On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 19:01:05 -0700, "Cain Shugher" <cshugher@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>Did you use a VISA or Master Card to purchase this laptop? If you did,
>>you
>>could possibly have another year of warranty, compliments of the credit
>>card
>>company. Last year I had a Pavilion's motherboard die on me six months
>>after the warranty was up. VISA coughed up $328 to fix that machine.
>>(It's
>>still working.)
>>
>><ctdisp-usenet@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>news:1114584764.698057.269450@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I've got a zd7020 notebook that's about 4 months out of warranty and
>>> according to HP needs to have its motherboard replaced. HP will kindly
>>> do the job for me for a mere $700.
>>>
>>> So I'm thinking I could do it a lot cheaper myself by buying a cheap,
>>> damaged-screen, etc. zd7xxx notebook on ebay and grabbing the
>>> motherboard from it. Which leads to my question -- anybody know
>>> whether all the zd7xxx series mobos are the same / compatible for
>>> swapping, and/or how I would determine which variants on the series
>>> have compatible motherboards?
>>>
>>> The other option that someone suggested was having the damaged
>>> motherboard repaired. The damage is that the AC power jack, which is
>>> soldered to the mobo, has come disconnected, and so the repair would be
>>> to solder it back on. Any guesses as to a ballpark cost range for that
>>> kind of repair at a local computer repair shop?
>>>
>>> thanks much,
>>> Chris
>>>
>>
>>
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Any bets on which one will stop working first??? ... Ben

On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 08:52:59 -0700, "Cain Shugher" <cshugher@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Heh, actually, they both are. :-)
><ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
>news:427064fe.13540042@nntp.charter.net...
>> Your VISA card is still working or your computer is still working.
>> Hopefully
>> both... Ben Myers
>>
>> On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 19:01:05 -0700, "Cain Shugher" <cshugher@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Did you use a VISA or Master Card to purchase this laptop? If you did,
>>>you
>>>could possibly have another year of warranty, compliments of the credit
>>>card
>>>company. Last year I had a Pavilion's motherboard die on me six months
>>>after the warranty was up. VISA coughed up $328 to fix that machine.
>>>(It's
>>>still working.)
>>>
>>><ctdisp-usenet@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>>news:1114584764.698057.269450@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I've got a zd7020 notebook that's about 4 months out of warranty and
>>>> according to HP needs to have its motherboard replaced. HP will kindly
>>>> do the job for me for a mere $700.
>>>>
>>>> So I'm thinking I could do it a lot cheaper myself by buying a cheap,
>>>> damaged-screen, etc. zd7xxx notebook on ebay and grabbing the
>>>> motherboard from it. Which leads to my question -- anybody know
>>>> whether all the zd7xxx series mobos are the same / compatible for
>>>> swapping, and/or how I would determine which variants on the series
>>>> have compatible motherboards?
>>>>
>>>> The other option that someone suggested was having the damaged
>>>> motherboard repaired. The damage is that the AC power jack, which is
>>>> soldered to the mobo, has come disconnected, and so the repair would be
>>>> to solder it back on. Any guesses as to a ballpark cost range for that
>>>> kind of repair at a local computer repair shop?
>>>>
>>>> thanks much,
>>>> Chris
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

We can repair the board cheaper than a replacement.. These are
expensive used and hard to locate.