ease of repairing a laptop?

How easy is it to fix a Compaq V2000 laptop? I really like what I have even though I purchased it from BestBuy back in 2005. I don't need the newest thing out there because I don't do much besides watch movies, surf the net and online school. Are there any sites that sell the tools that I would need if I ever had to do any surgical procedures on this things? I've built full desktop computers before so I am mechanically inclined. I've just never done it with a laptop.

 

Depends on the what's wrong with it. Some repairs you can do, but are prohibitively expensive. HP also has a habit of BIOS white-listing hardware which makes things even more problematic.

 

HP only whitelists internal WiFi cards. (Hey HP: stop that! I want to switch to Atheros WiFi!)

HP posts decent service manuals on their website. I've had good luck repairing HP notebooks, including a V2000z.

 

What does white listing mean?

 

Means only 'approved' hardware passes the BIOS initialization test when you switch on the laptop. A non-listed wifi card will cause an error of unsupported hardware and will halt the booting process.

 

Hey if anyone want's. I have hacked version of the f.16, f.27, and f.29 for DV6000t and 9000t's that will allow any WiFi card.

 

Gotcha. Well I worry because my laptop's BestBuy PSP plan is about to expire sometime in May 2008. They have given me the option of paying another $430 to extend it for 3 more years. The V2000 that I have works fine, and the only issue I've ever had is the keyboard (lost a few keys), and BestBuy did a great job getting it repaired. I've got three 12-cell battery packs that I've had to use all at once (not very often), and that came in handy.

I'm not sure what I should do. I like the idea of purchasing a new laptop, but it seems cheaper just to re-insure the one I have. The issue with repairing my LCD's backlight also worries me because I don't have the necessary tools (and skills) to solder anything correctly. It works out to about $12/month if I re-up my warranty with BestBuy. Opinions?

 

How high spec'd is this V2000? $430 seems like a large chunk of change, especially when a new 14.1" cto model starts at $779 (IMO).

 

Pentium M 1.5ghz, 4200rpm 100gb hdd, 512mb ram, dvd-burner, intel wireless card, 12cell batteries. Are V2000's still available new?

 

I don't think it's worth it. I'd have them fix everything once more before the warranty is over, then just hold onto it until it dies. Save that money for getting a new laptop. By the time that laptop dies, you'll probably want a new one anyway.

 

No, they have been selling V3000s' for the last couple years and even they are hard to find lately (as HP has been slowly phasing out the Compaq consumer label in the US).

The direct replacement right now would be a Pavilion dv2700.

 

I asked an eBay computer repair guy out of CA for a quote, and this is what he came back with

backlight replacement = $125
LCD replacement = $265

Is it safe to assume the rest of the laptop can be fixed with simple hand tools, and won't require any necessary soldering? I'm find with just taking screws out and replacing parts...I'm just not ok with soldering or wiring.

 

Hey Tusin,

I really could use the BIOS F29 for a dv9920us laptop. I needed to swap my wireless card and now the stupid thing won't POST!

You can contact me at [email protected].

Thanks!

 

NisAznMonk, simple hand tools are pretty much all you'll need. I've taken apart a few different HP and Compaq laptops and never had to get out the soldering iron except for one time when I had to splice a couple of broken wires in a video cable. Mostly you'll just have to remove screws or open the levers on ribbon cable connectors. Some of the older models had odd screws and would require special screwdrivers, but I believe your V2000 uses standard Phillips head screws.

If you haven't found it already, the service manual for your computer is available on HP's website.