Replace laptop motherboard

[Dumbone]

Has anyone here replaced the motherboard in a laptop?
My laptop is a 22 month old HP dv2416. I posted the problem I have with starting the laptop in the computer help forum and no one replied.
I have followed every suggestion from HP and nothing works.
Only thing left to do is replace the mother board. (as per hp) HP wants $399 to do it.
If I can buy a replacement board from HP I will try to do it myself. I have built desktop pc's and done minor repairs on them. I replaced the hard drive on this laptop.
I know I am going to have to take the laptop apart, etc. What I need is encouraging words and people sharing their experiences on what they did.
Thanks

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: Dumbone
I have followed every suggestion from HP and nothing works.

Just curious, have you flashed the bios then wiped the disk and started from scratch?

In my experience, motherboard replacements in notebooks are rarely worth it. I have a hard time imagining what kind of 2-year old laptop would be worth a even half of $400 -- especially when refurbished units of that model are currently selling for $425.

If you can do without the laptop for a few more weeks, I'd recommend saving a bit more money and getting a replacement machine. You might even be able to sell the existing display on eBay or elsewhere and just about break even.

 

[DaveSimmons]

We did this at work, but only because it allowed using the existing windows install and Outlook mailbox with several years' worth of company emails. We bought the motherboard off ebay then had a laptop repair shop do the motherboard swap.

For most other situations it doesn't seem worth it to me. Back up the data, or if you can't then remove the HD and place it into a $20 enclosure. Sell the rest of the laptop on eBay (as broken, describing the motherboard issue and missing HD) to someone else wanting to fix a broken display or other problem.

 

[Dumbone]

HI
I flashed the bios back to the original version. That didn't work. I flashed the bios to the next version and that didn't work. I flashed the bios to the lastst version (that was installed when the probelm started) that didn't work.
The hard drive was removed and reseated, that didn't work. I replaced the hard drive with a new one and loaded the os from the restore disks I made when I bought the laptop.
That didn't work. I reseated the ram,, swapped slots on the ram,,, even used one stick of ram at a time. That didn't work.
Changed the boot order to hdd first, cd/dvd burner second. that didn't work. Restored to normal boot order and then pulled the burner out of the laptop and powered it up. That didn't work!

One odd thing I noticed when I did the restore from the dvd's I made.
When the screen came up for the license acceptance on Windows, vista,,, in the window it asked me to accept it TWICE!!!

BTW,,, on the original hdd on the laptop I did a system recovery back to the original factory state and that didn't work!

My thoughts are to put up with the problem of having to power it up twice. I will back everything up every other day.
When the laptop finally dies I will buy a new one and will be prepared with my backups, etc.

If anyone else has a suggestion,,, I NEED IT!!! LOL
THANKS
ps
my neighbor just brought his laptop over with software problems and not connecting to his internet vial the wireless. Got it up and working in 10 minutes! At least I can fix somethingLOLOL

 

[IlllI]

what exactly is the problem? i see a bunch of remedies you've tried, but not the symptoms

 

[Athena]

As he stated in his first message, the symptoms were posted in Computer Help.

 

[Pghpooh]

posted in wrong forum!

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: Athena
As he stated in his first message, the symptoms were posted in Computer Help.

yeah like i was going to bother to dig through the help forum to find his previous post.
if he really wanted some help he should have posted his issues here as courtesy instead of 'hey guys go look at my other post then get back to me here'

 

[Athena]

I guess if you really wanted to help, you could have clicked on his icon and called up his posts. It was right at the top when he posted here.

I was glad that he didn't repeat that long post here.

 

[corkyg]

Basically, the laptop works if he powers on twice -1st try no, 2nd try, yes. What does that suggest?

 

[Dumbone]

Athena Thank you for posting the link to my original post.
Corkyg Thanks for summing up the problem I posted on another forum.

 

[mpilchfamily]

Problem is the main board of the laptop is basicly the entire system. On many units the CPU is soldered dirrectly to the mainboard. So to buy a replacment your basicly buying a whole new laptop. You would be better off spending an extra $100 on what you would have spent on the replacment main board and get a whole new unit. If you can wait a couple of months you'll be able to get a laptop with win7 on it. You may be able to get one now that offers a free upgrade to win7 when its released.

 

[IlllI]

before you go replacing the whole motherboard, what about the power button itself?

 

[Dumbone]

Sorry I am so slow to get back here. Babysitting grandkids and a long honeydo list has been keeping me busy!
From what I can see from the pictures in the following link the cpu is plugged into the motherboard so that would be easy enough to do.
http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-DV2000-...%3A50#ebayphotohosting

I never thought about any upgrades to Win 7 after buying a pc or laptop. I built my last desktop in 2001 and am waaaaaaay behind things in the pc world! lol

I haven't checked the power button the laptop. The lights on the aptop will come on every time the button is pushed but the laptop boots and runs only on the second time the button is pushed!

 

[datwater]

Those DV2000 series are a PITA to tear down and rebuild. Save your money towards a new one instead. You can get something nicer for $500.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

We used to do it all the time at work for businesses who needed *that* particular laptop. It takes about 2 hours for even the trained techs to completely disassemble and replace the mobo. It's never worth the cost or the time unless for some reason you *have* to have that particular notebook right there.

 

[Modelworks]

It really depends on the laptop. I had to work on a HP for a friend, he broke the power jack connector. It took me several hours to take apart and several hours to put back together. Not to mention the annoying plastic+metal adhesive rf shielding. If you have never done one before and are paying $400 for a new motherboard, get someone who has done it before. It is nothing like working on pc except they are both computers. Connectors, placement, and wiring are all different . Pull the wrong way on a mylar ribbon cable and you have just killed any hope of repair.

I worked for the consumer electronics division of GE a few years back and am familiar with taking stuff like this apart, and even then it was still a lot of work.

 

[hans007]

i've done it a lot of times.

its not worth it if you have to pay a lot for the motherboard obviously.

I once bought a bulk order of something like 100 "as is" laptops of the same model (they were HPs but like back in the k6 / celeron days).

So I took parts out of each one and tested them all until I had about 80 fully working laptops. Took a whole summer, but that basically was my "job".

IT is NOT easy, to do at first. but once you have done it a few times its not toobad. its varying difficulties in most laptops now, but mostly it involves taking the plastic off the display hinges possibly, then unscrewing maybe 25-30 screws , getting the keyboard off, and just working your way down.

motherboard replacement pretty much means you have to take everything off. so it can take some times. generally not worth it unless you can get a spare board for real cheap.

 

[Dumbone]

HI
Thanks to all who replied with their thoughts and experiences.
For now I am going to put up with the problems with the laptop.
On my network I have 4 drives that I will back the laptop up to every other day to make sure I don?t lose anything. I am looking for external sata enclosures to put the original hdd from the laptop in and use that as a backup drive for the laptop.
Hardest thing I have to do now is save some extra money and then shop for a new laptop. My social security check goes fast when the kids and grandkids come around! LOLOL
I priced replacement motherboards on E-bay and they seem reasonable with the prices as low as $95 and running up to $250 or so.
Again, thanks for sharing your experiences.