Ferrari 4005 Problem

Hello everyone,

I came across these forums while looking for a reputable place to help me with a laptop problem. I must say that I have come here in the past looking for information when I was looking to purchase a laptop, and it proved very useful back then. Unfortunately for now, my laptop is not functioning properly, and I would really like to try and fix it before I even consider shelling out a lot of money for a new one (can't really afford it right now). So without further ado, here is the situation.

I guess it was just one of those days yesterday where technology seemed to hate me. What happened was I put my laptop in my backpack (designed to hold laptops) and took it to school just like any other day, but to my surprise, after I attempted to turn the laptop on, no video showed. So I tried over and over again to get it to show something, and a few times it did, but those times it was a fuzzy distorted picture. Also, a few hours later, after trying many more times, it let me boot into Windows (with an artifacted screen), but then all of a sudden it Blue Screened with an error (didn't stay on too long so I am unsure of what it said, but it has happened quite a few times after that). Luckily though I got it to boot into Windows long enough for me to transfer all of my important files onto my trusty 4 gig USB stick (worth every penny for it!). After I got home (as I was doing this all on the bus) I began basic trouble shooting.

• I first plugged the laptop into the wall and took out the battery, but same problem. Ergo not the battery that is causing the problem.
• I then proceeded to check the memory, so I took both sticks out and then tried each of them alone in each slot. Nothing. Still the same problem, so it is most likely NOT the RAM.
• I then proceeded to take out the Hard Drive to see if it would have any effect, but I doubted that this would because the POST Screen was also randomly distorted. As I guessed, this was not the problem, although I did hear something loose within the Hard Drive, which seemed a bit weird to me as desktop Hard Drives do not sound that way. This was the first time that I have ever held a laptop drive.
• I also hooked up an external monitor to the laptop (through the VGA port) to see if it was the connection to the LCD screen, but the same thing occurred.

Well, now I am at a loss of what else I could do (short of taking the entire laptop apart, of which I would but I would rather not mess around with such an expensive piece of equipment yet). I am thinking that the problem might be with either the video card, or with the motherboard (of which are beyond my abilities to fix), so that is why I am here. I would greatly appreciate any advice or tips from everyone on this issue. The laptop is 1.5 years old (so outside of its standard warranty), it is a Ferrari 4005 (specs can be found --Here--, and it usually stays at home (and therefore it is virtually damage free).

So, any idea of how I might fix this? What would cause a laptop to not show video most of the time, sometimes have a distorted picture, at other times have a crystal clear one, cause a Blue Screen of Death, have checkdisk delete files and fix the file structure of Windows (according to what checkdisk said), cause weird noises when trying to hit random keys when no video appears, and which is not explained by any of the troubleshooting above???

I have attempted to contact Acer Technical Support, but they have been nothing but unhelpful. They would not even provide me with any information on where to send my laptop to get it fixed without having me first call their $3 per min service number. I must say.. after having to wait 20 min to get in contact with a technical support representative, and then getting nothing but 'I cannot help you because your product is out of warranty', it is very frustrating. Acer has definitely lost my respect so far.

Anyways, if anyone could offer any advice (or even a link to a detailed visual breakdown of how to take a Ferrari 4005 apart), I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks =)


Tymko

 

hey I have the EXACT problem....except...

I can get the computer to boot up and work maybe <10% of the times I turn it on. and it only works if I have it connected to an external display...when windows boots and I log on, then the laptop LCD comes on.

keep me updated...I've been looking for motherboards to exchange...I think it may be a video card issue

 

Tymko,

I think you did the appropriate troubleshooting steps...seems that nothing got jarred loose due to the laptop being carried in your backpack (like RAM modules for example).

It sounds serious, like a hardware failure...probably the video chip on the mobo...and not something you, most of us and lots of "computer-technicians" could fix, so I don't see the point of being able to completely disassemble it.

I recently took my 2 year-old Twinhead (Durabook) completely apart for a thorough cleaning of all parts -- especially the fans, and replacing the CPU's crappy heatsink tape with Arctic Silver 5 while I was at it -- but only for that purpose. If it had something serious wrong with it like a mobo problem, there'd be no point in it.

So I think it's time for you to get "professional help," meaning take it in to a competent laptop repair shop and get AT LEAST a diagnostic done on it to tell you WTH is causing the problem and whether or not it's worth the expense of fixing vs. getting a new laptop. If it IS the onboard video chip, then a new mobo is what they'll probably tell you, since few shops/computer-technicians nowadays want to or even have the skills to get down to the component level (because they are NOT electronic-technicians) and put in a new video chip -- if that is even feasible given multi-layer mobos -- they just deal with FRUs, i.e, they just work at the modular level and replace modules only, not individual electronic components. So a new mobo probably would be outrageously expensive, and you'd still have a 1.5 year old laptop.

So your money would be better spent getting another laptop, new or used.

With laptops to be had for under $500 nowadays, getting a new one would probably be better...and next time, since you experienced this serious hardware failure (if it turns out to be so), you might want to spring for the extended warranty. But watch, you'll probably not need it because nothing will go wrong next time, it's only when you DON'T have said warranty that things do, right?

Also with entry-level laptops not being expensive anymore -- unless you believe those slight-of-hand-artists at ShopNBC.com like Elliot Smith (and QVC/HSN as well with THEIR "experts," selling old technology at high prices -- buying a new laptop every 1-2 years isn't that big of a deal if you shop around. I've gotten great deals at Comp-USA, for example.

So to sum up, it sounds like a hardware failure...how, just being in your backpack, I don't know, but if it IS a major mobo component like the video chip, money will probably be better spent put towards a new laptop.

Just find out FOR SURE what the problem is before you decide what to do...get a diagnostic done.

-- John D.

 

i am actually replying to this thread on my "broken" laptop.

I hooked it up to a VGA monitor
aftger 4-5 startups with checkerboard screens, I noticed if I bang on the laptop near the touch pad the patterns change...doesn't improve but just changes...

then miraculously on another start up it started cleanly...perfect screen on the VGA,LCD blank as usual.
Then once windows launches and I log on, the LCD displays a perfect picture...

SO WEIRD...I have no idea...I will recheck the ram modules...
maybe a loose video chip?
something is loose...

alas...

 

some more clues.

my bluescreen of death mentions ati2dvag
I tried the device manager fix but didn't do much.

re inserted my RAM...no change

Also I notice the laptop hotter then usual..the heat has been getting worse and worse before the problem started. I will tear apart and check the heat sinks etc...

any clues?

i'd love to just buy a new laptop but money is tight...............

 

anyone!????

 

It's amazing what Google can find....
See here for starters: http://www.sightsea.com/pghpchd/pages/infinite_loop.html

Cheers,
Theo

 

Yes, here also:

http://www.modernstreet.com/general/ati2dvag-problem/

...which would mean it's a software problem and not defective hardware (video chip).

-- John D.

 

fixed the issue

replaced the motherboard
works great now.
I used thermal paste instead of thermal tape that it originally came with.

as a not I noticed the white connector under the keyboard...with the rainbow cord. the connectore on the motherboard came loose during my swap. don't know if I did that or if that was the source of the problem. I did unplug and replug that wire many times during the times I tried to fix it, but this time it came off the mother board...maybe I just completed some breaks in the solder.

MJ