Digital Hospital
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[Official Thread] FAQ for Laptop, Notebook, Windows Tablet Failure, Common Problems & Troubeshooting
Dear All,
For the past few years, many questions and queries of similar nature are being queried repeatedly. Many good suggestions and troubleshooting steps are being pushed down into the thread history.
Thus it make sense to start a thread to retain all these wealth of information here.
To make this work, these are some simple rules here:
1) Strictly for posting of failure symptoms, hardware issues, software issues, troubleshooting steps.
2) Information will be compiled to the first few post regularly.
3) Information from other post will be adapted here now and then from other posts.
4) Stricly no repair quotation queries here, i.e how much to repair this, or repair that.... These information serves no value over time as cost and repair price changes.
5) You may post the actual error or failure symptoms here. We will compile the symptoms and update.
Let us kick start here:
FAQ Warranty Coverage for consumer devices:
NOT COVERED:
1)Accidental damage – Liquid Damage, Data Loss (unless you have a accidental protection plan).
2)Software issues – Virus, malware, software conflicts, data migration
3)Hardware upgrades – upgraded items such as SSD or RAM will not be covered under manufacturer’s warranty
4)Comestic issues – Cracks, dents, scratches, dinges etc….
DEPENDS:
1) Dead pixels - depends on the number of dead pixels. Each brands have their own definition of what is considered a faulty LCD panel. Rules like, number of dark pixels, number of bright pixels, how the pixels are arranged etc are considered.
2) Screen yellowing - All LCD screens ages and gets yellows over time. If the yellowing is due to display calibration issue, it is covered. If the yellowing is due to age, it is not covered.
3) Hinges - All hinges are wear and tear items, and will failed after certain period of time. If the failure happens earlier, before the typical industry standards of wear and tear, the manufacturer may consider to cover it. But most of the time, it is not covered.
4) Self upgrading of RAM - depends on where the RAM resides. If the RAM is in the inaccessible areas, warranty might be void.
5) Self upgrade of SSD - depends on the brand and model. Some brands allow SSD upgrades, some does not. For example, Acer allow SSD upgrades for the V series, predator series. If you upgrade on the tablets or ultrabooks, warranty will be void. In addition, it also depends on how the upgrade is done. If parts are broken or missing, the service centres might decide to void the warranty for the whole unit.
6) Cleaning services and thermal paste re-pasting - Usually not covered by most brands.
7) Adaptor warranty is usually 1 year, battery mostly 1 year, some 2 years if they are built into the laptop and they follow the laptop warranty range.
COVERED:
1) Manufacturer's defect within 7 days
2) Hardware defect, excluding wear and tear items, comestic damages.
3) For harddisk failure, only harddisk is replaced, the manufacturer does NOT repair the harddisk or provide data recovery services, so do acquire the habit of regular data backup! (Data recovery services can cost from few hundred to thousands!)
To summarize:
As long as no physical, accidental damage, not software issues and item is under warranty, common failure symptoms such as blue screen, no display, flickering screen, distorted screen, keyboard repeated keys, no key stroke, no power, connector ports does not function, auto-restart/reboot, cannot boot, hang/freeze etc are covered.
FAQ for Liquid Spillage
Facts & myth about liquid spillage
1) Facts: More than 90% of people will have the instinct to try to switch on your device when liquid spillage to see if it is still working
-> This is a instinct by more people, but it is terribly wrong. Liquid causes short circuitry of the electronics. The more you try to switch on, the more components get short circuited
2) Myth: Electronic boards cannot be contacted with liquid, if contacted, your device can't be saved!
Electronic boards and components can be washed with properly anti static cleaning agents, then baked dried and use! Just like your laundry!
BUT there must NOT be any electronic current flowing through during the process, else short circuitry will occur.
3) Facts: Uncleaned spillage causes corrosion. If your liquid are sweeten, acidic and alkali liquid, corrosion can take place within hours. If your liquid is plain water, corrosion usually kicks in after 3 days.
4) Facts: 90% of liquid spillage electronic boards can be saved if proper and correct processes are followed through after a spillage occurs!
So what is the properly steps to take in the even of spillage?
Actions to take during Spillage:
1) Unplug the mains, shut down the device. (Force shutdown if you have to)
2) Remove the battery as quickly (if possible)
3) If the device is a laptop, leave it upside down to reduce the risk of liquid reaching the motherboard
4) Let the liquid dripped out as much as possible
5) Dry the laptop with hair dryer as much as you can.
6) REFRAIN from switching on the device ANYMORE, as the more you try, the more circuitry could be shorted, decreasing the possibility of revival
7) Clean the device ASAP with all power connections disabled.
More information will be updated!
Dear All,
For the past few years, many questions and queries of similar nature are being queried repeatedly. Many good suggestions and troubleshooting steps are being pushed down into the thread history.
Thus it make sense to start a thread to retain all these wealth of information here.
To make this work, these are some simple rules here:
1) Strictly for posting of failure symptoms, hardware issues, software issues, troubleshooting steps.
2) Information will be compiled to the first few post regularly.
3) Information from other post will be adapted here now and then from other posts.
4) Stricly no repair quotation queries here, i.e how much to repair this, or repair that.... These information serves no value over time as cost and repair price changes.
5) You may post the actual error or failure symptoms here. We will compile the symptoms and update.
Let us kick start here:
FAQ Warranty Coverage for consumer devices:
NOT COVERED:
1)Accidental damage – Liquid Damage, Data Loss (unless you have a accidental protection plan).
2)Software issues – Virus, malware, software conflicts, data migration
3)Hardware upgrades – upgraded items such as SSD or RAM will not be covered under manufacturer’s warranty
4)Comestic issues – Cracks, dents, scratches, dinges etc….
DEPENDS:
1) Dead pixels - depends on the number of dead pixels. Each brands have their own definition of what is considered a faulty LCD panel. Rules like, number of dark pixels, number of bright pixels, how the pixels are arranged etc are considered.
2) Screen yellowing - All LCD screens ages and gets yellows over time. If the yellowing is due to display calibration issue, it is covered. If the yellowing is due to age, it is not covered.
3) Hinges - All hinges are wear and tear items, and will failed after certain period of time. If the failure happens earlier, before the typical industry standards of wear and tear, the manufacturer may consider to cover it. But most of the time, it is not covered.
4) Self upgrading of RAM - depends on where the RAM resides. If the RAM is in the inaccessible areas, warranty might be void.
5) Self upgrade of SSD - depends on the brand and model. Some brands allow SSD upgrades, some does not. For example, Acer allow SSD upgrades for the V series, predator series. If you upgrade on the tablets or ultrabooks, warranty will be void. In addition, it also depends on how the upgrade is done. If parts are broken or missing, the service centres might decide to void the warranty for the whole unit.
6) Cleaning services and thermal paste re-pasting - Usually not covered by most brands.
7) Adaptor warranty is usually 1 year, battery mostly 1 year, some 2 years if they are built into the laptop and they follow the laptop warranty range.
COVERED:
1) Manufacturer's defect within 7 days
2) Hardware defect, excluding wear and tear items, comestic damages.
3) For harddisk failure, only harddisk is replaced, the manufacturer does NOT repair the harddisk or provide data recovery services, so do acquire the habit of regular data backup! (Data recovery services can cost from few hundred to thousands!)
To summarize:
As long as no physical, accidental damage, not software issues and item is under warranty, common failure symptoms such as blue screen, no display, flickering screen, distorted screen, keyboard repeated keys, no key stroke, no power, connector ports does not function, auto-restart/reboot, cannot boot, hang/freeze etc are covered.
FAQ for Liquid Spillage
Facts & myth about liquid spillage
1) Facts: More than 90% of people will have the instinct to try to switch on your device when liquid spillage to see if it is still working
-> This is a instinct by more people, but it is terribly wrong. Liquid causes short circuitry of the electronics. The more you try to switch on, the more components get short circuited
2) Myth: Electronic boards cannot be contacted with liquid, if contacted, your device can't be saved!
Electronic boards and components can be washed with properly anti static cleaning agents, then baked dried and use! Just like your laundry!
BUT there must NOT be any electronic current flowing through during the process, else short circuitry will occur.
3) Facts: Uncleaned spillage causes corrosion. If your liquid are sweeten, acidic and alkali liquid, corrosion can take place within hours. If your liquid is plain water, corrosion usually kicks in after 3 days.
4) Facts: 90% of liquid spillage electronic boards can be saved if proper and correct processes are followed through after a spillage occurs!
So what is the properly steps to take in the even of spillage?
Actions to take during Spillage:
1) Unplug the mains, shut down the device. (Force shutdown if you have to)
2) Remove the battery as quickly (if possible)
3) If the device is a laptop, leave it upside down to reduce the risk of liquid reaching the motherboard
4) Let the liquid dripped out as much as possible
5) Dry the laptop with hair dryer as much as you can.
6) REFRAIN from switching on the device ANYMORE, as the more you try, the more circuitry could be shorted, decreasing the possibility of revival
7) Clean the device ASAP with all power connections disabled.
More information will be updated!
Last edited:
