The Videos Available

Per all the requests for the videos.

They are located on MayoHardware.Com I am trying to get things working smoothly, but as always other jobs, tasks and gigs come up.  If you do purchase the videos, you will be redirected from Paypal to the download page.  These videos are huge and cannot be viewed on iPhone, Smartphones etc. Only PC laptop and desktops.

If you do not get a return link, please notify me ASAP, and I will manually sent links.
Thank You

PS: Links posted as advertising will not be published, nor specific requests to repair your laptop by email.

End of 2012

Have a Happy New Year, Joyeaux Noel, Feliz Navidad, Froehlich Neue Jahre.

End of the year, and end of the video download.   I am trying to close out 2012. So if you would like the Videos download please see the previous post. AS they may not be available at this price in 2013.  Also expect additional videos to be coming soon. Well worth the price.

Also if you have gotten a solution - consider a donation.  That makes it inexpensive for all and worth posting the solutions.

Need Classes?

Classes forming for training in Laptop Repair.

The first class for training will be in 2013.  More details will be forthcoming as I am working out the locations for these classes.  Cities under consideration.

• Dallas
• Chicago (area)
• Boston
• Bay Area (CA)
• Atlanta
• Seattle

Classes will be 5 days covering laptop diagnosis, part identification, common problems and hand 'How To', Dead laptop, No Video, DC/USB Jack Replacement.  Since many tech become confused following circuits, this too will be covered.

Class size is limited to 10, due to space.

If you have questions related to this subject - Email Me

The DC and USB port replacement is being covered is that many techs will spend hours and hours replacing what could be done in little as 15 min.  This increases your profitability. Many tech  are still trying to replace Dell jacks with a soldering iron and solder wick, or desoldering iron alone.

Heat management - heating it up without burning the board or nearby plastic or LED's.
Identifying failure area whether it's PCI, GPU or memory related.
Clearing BIOS/CMOS passwords on some models.  Toshiba/Dell/HP

Two other possible international sites under consideration: London, and Belgrade. Depending on interest.

HP DV5 - No Power, Will not turn on, Will not charge, Power Light Blinking

This laptop arrived with blinking Power Light (on side). It would not turn on, would not P.O.S.T. and no other signs of life.

Step one: Test the usual obvious problems. this is the order in which I test parts for failure.
    a. MOSFETS - testing with meter in DIODE mode, they will have some value one direction, and Infinity in the other direction. Depending on the type N-Channel or P-Channel will show a values. And they are opposites-
   N-Channel may show ~475 with Positive on Source, and Infinity on Drain
   P-Channel may show ~475 with Negative on Source, and Infinity on Drain (There are other posts detailing which does what somewhere on this blog)

 Step two: Test the Diodes
 Step three: Test the Resistors

In this particular case, the defect was found testing MOSFETs. Though it was somewhat painstaking, I choose to remove the MOSFETs and test them out of circuit. Why? Simply because you can get erroneous reading from other parts in the same circuit, which will waste more time. It can become a conundrum where a whole section will show as shorted.

Red and Blue X shows Mosfets I removed

The FETs that were tested-
YELLOW Tested in circuit, did not have to remove.
RED Tested out of circuit, removed and tested on bench.
BLUE The shorted MOSFET, found and has 2 OHMS in both directions - Dead Short (meter may be out of calibration- it was free from Harbor Freight during a special, so...)

Clean the part removing flux so that you can clearly read the numbers and then replace. These parts are in pairs (2 each) xx86 & xx36 it can be confusing if you do not verify the numbers. The easiest way is to take a photo before removing if you don't know which part goes where. [I use a digital microscope for closeups]

Testing Mosfet with Meter

Here is a YouTube of the Power Light Blinking
and another after the mosfet was replaced. So you can see what/how the power light was blinking/flashing.
The first video shows before
The second video shows after repair.


Please do not email questions on how to repair a laptop, I can only show you what I did to find the problem and fix it.  Again this site is intended for experienced technicians.

How to save your flooded laptop

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This advice is for qualified technicians. 

If you are not qualified, do not continue because you may cause even more damage

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How to properly clean laptop AFTER Flood or water damage. In most cases this will get your laptop back on, and if screen is damaged, you can use an external monitor to get your data off.  Backup immediately!!

First I want to mention that this may or may not help.  Depending on the amount of damage done electrically.

1: Do not attempt to turn on your laptop if it has gotten water damage!
2: Remove the battery immediately
3: Disassemble unit completely.
4: Disconnect CMOS battery or remove coin cell.
5: Remove Hard Drive.  (allow it to dry either by sunlight or air dry)
Do not reconnect HDD!, use USB adapter to connect it externally to known working unit.                                             Your data is more important than your laptop or screen!

In most cases your hard drive data should be safe if your unit was not on, or not in use during the event. They are sealed (except vent holes on older drives) SSD may have the best results.

What may be damaged beyond repair
a: LCD/LED screen - water gets between layers of glass and plastic - cost $65-100
b: Keyboard - water gets between membrane and contacts. - cost $12-24
c: DVD/CD - lens may have gotten dirty, but can be cleaned.

How to clean a motherboard after it has been under water.
After removing CMOS battery, place motherboard in pan. (turkey pans work well, or plastic bin)
Using distilled water. Aqua Fina works best, or the 5 gallon jugs from dispenser machines (cheapest method).
Not Dasani, Not sparkling water. 
No fancy brands with added flavors or sugars.

Bring water to boil in pot, or clean coffee pot (Walmart $18) Not a used coffee maker!!
Pour the boiling water over the motherboard, front and back.  Do this 3 times.
Blot on towel, Tap, turn over, Blot again.

Using compressed air, remove as much additional water as possible from the entire board. This includes under the legs of chips and between USB/HDMI connectors, SATA/IDE connectors and do this in a pattern from left to right or right to left. Just remove as much water as possible.

After that is done, set oven to 200 (not higher, higher temps will not help- only harm)
200 degrees should be sufficient to aid in drying, without damaging plastic covers, stickers and labels. Allow oven to preheat to temp. for about 20-30 min.  Check and if all is well and dry set aside a few minutes.

Remove, allow to cool.
Reassemble  - DO NOT CONNECT LCD/LED Screen!!!
test using External Monitor first.

Visually check LCD if it had gotten wet.

Why?  
Water can become trapped between LCD layers
Water can be trapped inside the lid and short both board and screen!!
Models with CCL back lights use an inverter that takes the 12v through a small transformer and makes it as much as 300v to light the florescent backlight tube. LED screens do not use inverters.

Remember this is not a rush job and to follow steps, because it is a one way path you cannot backup or reverse.

Reassemble unit, and test.  Remember - do not connect LCD/Screen

Notice: I am not able to respond to the multitude of questions. This is simply an attempt to provide an answer for those that need it.

No guarantees, but it may help someone.

Advanced Users

The Blog use and method is quickly exceeding it's purpose. Advanced technicians should contact me

DV9700 New model - Dead - No P.O.S.T. - No Video - Then dead again

Click to see larger view

DV9700 -When the laptop arrives I had not gotten any information on what the problem could have been. So I do my regular diagnostic, and look for visible signs of failure.  Verifying it is the correct CPU for the board model number [459567-001]. Remove the CPU and check to see if there was any damage, pins bent or broken.

Sure enough when removing the CPU I notice a small smoked mark one the CPU socket.

Under magnification I inspect the pins on the bottom of the CPU itself, and finding the obvious short.  With the strong magnification and small instruments, I was able to bend the pin to the correct position and straighten it properly without breaking the pin.

Now it was time for the test. Fire up the unit to see if it will turn on.  Nope!   Now back to complete the rest of the inspection process of finding what the problem was initially before the CPU was pin was bent.  Since this was a DV9700 series I knew that it used the unified Power Controller in the GPU.  That itself can keep the unit off.
 [As with the previous DV9000 series, solderball disconnect was still a continued problem with these nVidia graphics chips. After a number of changes in the GPU versions it starts to look like the board manufacturer may be the source of the failure. Since that process was never changed.  Only the board designs were changed, but no changes to the distribution or storage of the motherboard before they are loaded with the parts.] 

Reflow time.

   So now I had a DV9700 working and got it to turn on with not much of an issue, then let it run for a couple hours.

It shuts off! I try to back to turn it on, and it would not come on. Checking power I find there was no power on the FDS6679 on the bottom side (not the same purpose as those units with FDS6679 on top). There was no power, nada in the unit.


So I took many of the parts off to test out of circuit.

Click to see larger view

   As it turns out there was a failing cap in the power section and decided to die when I get the board. Removing a number of parts to test them out of circuit, I eventually found it. Sure enough it was a shorted ceramic cap on the bottom near the 4-pin connector. Confusing as these circuits can be, I remove the parts so I can test out of circuit. You may have another way, but I have mine. This solves this board multiple problems. Let it run several hours to see if anything else goes wrong.

Click to see larger view

Remember- when removing parts check to see if any voltages changed, you may have solved the problem by removing a shorted part. But you will have to replace it, because it is there for a purpose. Many ceramic caps short out, but they are to bleed off extra voltage or remove bounces/ripples in voltage. If you don't you may have irregular voltage that the regulator cannot compensate, or irregular signal/waveform that would have the timing off.  Replace the parts remove (with good parts), if the unit comes on.

In these pictures the
Yellow X are parts removed and tested out of circuit (then replaced).
Red X is the defective ceramic capacitor that kept the voltage to 0v.
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Note to readers:  Do not assume I am the answer. I too have many situations that do not become solved, or I have to get back to them later. I cannot tell you the exact answer because the problem could be any part in a particular section. That is where your troubleshooting skills are developed.

Home Brew Solution to Clogged Heatsink

This is one part of why the DV Series fails, it is not the total solution and should be/could be additional help in keeping the heat vents clean.

2.5x2.5 inch intake vent (6.35cm x 6.35cm)

If you get tired of cleaning out your heatsink fans to your DV series laptops you can try this 'homebrew' filter. this is done after you clean the fan and vents and the laptop already has been repaired or works. 
Since the filter is on the outside of the laptop you can simply brush off the lint/dander with a brush after a couple of months use.  Or if you are often in your unit, it can be placed inside.



This does not solve the overheating problem, but reduces the frequency of cleaning the heatsink. Though it is recommended that you apply thermal compound annually to prevent the "NO VIDEO" issue related to these models. Only apply to your personal laptop.

Cut filter to cover vent

What is the filter made of?

Simple - a used dryer sheet. Instead of tossing the dryer sheet in the trash. Simply cut a 2.5" x 2.5" (6.35cm x 6.35cm) square and use regular Scotch® tape (generic tapes may contain a mild acid and will discolor the plastic after a short time)





tape filter, but try not to further
reduce the intake area







Update on MOSFET Video in the bundle.

An update for individuals that purchased the video bundle.
In the Extras bundle, the  video named DVMOSFETS.mpg 

The initial problem with the board was no lights, no power.  After some diagnosis and replacing the MOSFETS on the front end the unit was recieving power and would loop, turning on, then off. 

Clearing the CMOS and with a Cold Reset it would not revive the unit.

It was determined that the CMOS battery was also drained from sitting too long with a short condition. The CMOS battery should have a minimum of 2v.  Without a charge in the battery, the CMOS settings that are read from the BIOS chip are not saved or stored, the laptop will loop trying to retrieve & store these settings (which will never happen) because of a dead battery. 

This is one item that I overlooked during my diagnosis, because usually the CMOS battery will last 3-5 years under normal use.  But when a unit has a shorted condition (or has sat for a length of time before repairing), the battery will go down to zeo volts, and cannot store settings.

Following DV7 circuit paths

If interested in finding the power paths for the DV7 here is an animation for these models.
here is an animation for techs to trace those paths more clearer.

Click here