Help please, laptop experts!

 

Missus has/had a 2016 Dell Vostro 3558 Laptop until it completely died about two weeks ago.  New one should be arriving today, but she's pretty anxious about not being able to get into the old one ever again to see what websites she needs links to and that kind of stuff.  Don't think data loss is an issue thanks to Dropbox, just favourites, browser history, etc.

 

I took it apart last weekend in the vain hope of spotting something that I might be able to rectify, without any change in 'deadness'. With DC power input connector disconnected from the motherboard, I measured 19V at the red and black wires when the power connector was in its socket.

 

After reassembling and it not working any better, I noticed that when plugging in an external power supply unit (either of two) the light on the PSU unit instantly went out and wouldn't come back on until the mains plug was pulled and replaced.  I imagine this was the case before my disassembly/reassembly, but can't say I noticed.

 

Took it apart again just now, and with minimal connections to the motherboard (no DVD drive, no hard disk, no keyboard, no fan) and it still shut down the external PSU when connected (tried both with and without laptop battery present, both same).

 

So this is looking like a dead motherboard, yeah?  Had a damn good look at it under magnification without spotting anything obviously burned.

Wonder if it's worth a £45 punt on a used one off ebay? e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-Vostro-3558-Motherboard-Intel-i3-4005u-1-70Ghz-Heatsink-and-Fan/383301083331?hash=item593e8660c3:g:ZBgAAOSwf9td56El

 

Your thoughts please folks?

 

Ta 🙂

 

 

Is it possible to transplant the HD in to a portable case to get at the data?

Interesting thought, thanks...I'll get her to research that avenue. Not sure myself whether that would easily get her what she's after, but probably?

It would at the worst, get her additional backup storage for minimal cost.

Maybe time to look online where her browser stores the favourites etc?

@john999boy you just made her very happy.  Google Chrome offered to 'sync' stuff like she wanted straight onto my laptop once she'd downloaded Chrome onto it. Should be mostly problem solved.

👍

That's good. 

I'd still think about getting an external case for the old hd though. They won't be very much at all.

Yep, will do, thanks again. 

New lappy now arrived and she's getting on well with installing herself on it. 😃

2 hours ago, Wino said:

Google Chrome offered to 'sync' stuff like she wanted straight onto my laptop once she'd downloaded Chrome onto it. Should be mostly problem solved.

 

You'll be able to see what pr0n sites she looks at now

 

external caddy for about 10quid with the correct (likely sata) cable adapters, and run it as a back up. 

I ve done it with 3 dead laptops...

 

CIT off ebay I've used, no problems.

 

We tend to store everything in (on?) the cloud, so back-ups and spare storage capacity not really an issue or benefit.

I keep *almost* going for the £45 secondhand motherboard, cos it's a better/younger/faster machine than the one I'm typing on right now. Just the nagging doubt that for some unforeseen reason it might not fix it.  Can't really justify that doubt rationally.

The £45 2nd hand motherboard off ebay resurrection gamble appears to have paid off.  

😁

1 minute ago, Wino said:

resurrection gamble appears to have paid off.

 

Took you more than three days, though

 

You should see how many screws I have left over...

23 minutes ago, Wino said:

You should see how many screws I have left over...

Pocket screws them are known as.

 

Is having something extra left over, better or worse than having a missing bit ?

 

 

I took a VW door lock apart a couple of days back, right down to cleaning the motor commutator bit (which solved the problem). Halfway through reassembly I found a little white plastic bit left over...Arrgh. Luckily I'd been taking a few photos and breathing occasionally so I managed to find where it went and got it back together.  Horrible bloody million-part things!

ive never put a laptop back together and not had a screw or 2 left over 🤣

i can never figure it out though, i even used to do a little rough sketch on a sheet of paper and put the screw on it where it came out. still have overs 🙄