spark in my m860tu

Unfortunately, I overlooked that my laptop battery is currently connected to the laptop and I opened it to install a replacement wifi antenna. Upon bringing back the parts together I used a metal screwdriver and accidentally produced a spark in the connector slot where you insert the ribbon cable of the quick switch (power button, silent button, email button, internet browser button). But when I turned on the laptop, everything seems to be working fine. Is there something I should worry about? I'm getting paranoid with this situation. I opened and put back my laptop about three times already and in this last time I did not notice the battery, stupid me again.

 

I don't see a problem if everything works as it should be. You're lucky that it does work, though. You could have fried the whole thing– well, you knew that, but still.

Consider yourself very lucky. I know I would

 

Yah. But BEFORE there was a spark, I'm having a problem with my fingerprint reader, Windows does not recognize the device, it isn't even shown in the device manager, I don't know why. Last night, I disammbled and reassembled the lappy two times the same way I did two times today and I had no problems with it. But now, it can't recognized that the fingerprint reader hardware is connected to the system, I checked the connection and I'm pretty sure that the cable is intact because there is only one cable that connects the touchpad and the fingerprint reader at the same time to the motherboard, and my touchapd works flawlessly.

What could be wrong?

 

Honestly, I don't know. Have you tried drivers and whatnot? I'm new to PC's (macuser, sigh!), so I'm lost when it comes to such specifics. I hope someone else will be able to help you. (Yes, I consider this a semibump, to try and get someone else to notice).

 

As I've said the system can't recognize the hardware itself so I can't update the drivers. Alright no worries.

 

Next time you open it, check that you didn't dislodge anything in that area. Based on the service manual, pg 50, I think the finger printer chip just clicks into the same board as your touchpad.

It may have gotten unseated, so pushing down on it might fix that.

You could've screwed just the lane in the cable that carries the fingerprint info, so if you have a volt meter, you could check that the connection is solid in the cable.

I don't think there's a setting in the BIOS regarding it, but have you checked there? Some hardware can be turned off in the BIOS so Windows wouldn't even notice it's there.

 

I double checked the connection of the whole ribbon cable that's conneting to the motherboard from the touchpard/fingerprint reader combo and everything is solid (I used a voltmeter). This is weird but when I tried to remove the cd-drive from the mobo, the fingerprint worked, tried to put it back in and the fingerprint reader didn't work, and for the last time tried to remove it again but this time it didn't work either, so I really don't know what's causing it.

I tried looking up at the BIOS and there is no setting regarding the fingerprint reader.

 

if thats the case imo its software related. still hardware possibilty but that sounds like software conflict driver conflict etc

 

Don't think it's software related since I just reinstalled Vista and installed right away the fingerprint software reader and did not recognize the hardware. The device isn't even listed under hardware manager.

 

I am far from sure, but while reading about how I would go about making a clean install when I get my new computer (with no DVD-drive, complicating things), I saw plenty of posts about installing drivers in a certain way. That driver X should be installed first, and then driver B, and then the rest. Could something like that be the problem – that the "procedure" wasn't followed?

 

If you have access to the service manual, it should contain a circuit diagram that might allow you to determine whether or not there are any obvious connections between the points you shorted and the circuits that the fingerprint reader works on; it's possible that you managed to short some other component on the motherboard that is involved with operating the fingerprint reader. Have you examined the motherboard carefully, with a magnifying glass if necessary, to determine if any of the components on the board show any signs of having burned out?

 

This brings me back to that song....

Who let the smoke out! woof, woof, woof, woof!

lawl, did u smell any burning when you shorted the board? Also check for swollen caps...

 

It could be static if you weren't grounded properly.

 

i think it;s broken, i'm bringing it back to pcmw to have it replaced with a new unit, lol..