Laptop repair or replace...?

[chipwelder]

I have an Acer Extensa 4620 - out of warranty... it gives NMI error on start-up, so it is buggered. Can't even start up with Ubuntu CD/ usb stick... The RAM, HDD, CPU all check out fine. ACER wants R2400 for MOBO and R285 for labour exc. vat

A similar laptop will set me back around R5500, but it does not have pcc slots or pcmcia slots...
It would be good to fix this if it won't die again and again and again, as it has the pcc card slot that my firewire card works well with...

So... is repairing a laptop longlasting?

[frikkie]

I have an Acer Extensa 4620 - out of warranty... it gives NMI error on start-up, so it is buggered. Can't even start up with Ubuntu CD/ usb stick... The RAM, HDD, CPU all check out fine. ACER wants R2400 for MOBO and R285 for labour exc. vat

A similar laptop will set me back around R5500, but it does not have pcc slots or pcmcia slots...
It would be good to fix this if it won't die again and again and again, as it has the pcc card slot that my firewire card works well with...

So... is repairing a laptop longlasting?

If it's a new mobo, it should be good as new.

[ara]

I have an Acer Extensa 4620 - out of warranty... it gives NMI error on start-up, so it is buggered. Can't even start up with Ubuntu CD/ usb stick... The RAM, HDD, CPU all check out fine. ACER wants R2400 for MOBO and R285 for labour exc. vat

A similar laptop will set me back around R5500, but it does not have pcc slots or pcmcia slots...
It would be good to fix this if it won't die again and again and again, as it has the pcc card slot that my firewire card works well with...

So... is repairing a laptop longlasting?

When you say the RAM tested fine I presume you tested the RAM in another computer? Also did you actually use Memtest86+ or what did you use.  What is the age of the notebook? My opinion is that it is not worth getting repaired especially if it is older than three years. Is the firewire card a special card or just to provide a firewire port because a lot of notebooks in your price class comes with a firewire port as standard.

[chipwelder]

Hi no it is not special, it just matches the I1394 chipsets of the laptop, the firewire adapter and the audio interface, all texas instruments... for no problems when recording, new laptops do not reaaally have the pcmcia card slot anymore, sometimes express card, which is smaller... but for another R3-400 bucks that can be gotten.

It is just over two years old, and has not even needed a windows re-install...

Jip was tested in another computer with memtest cd, at a store (Kingston ram)

[ara]

Does the laptop post or what exactly happens? Often the error can be related to something else. I would suggest the following.
1. Take you firewire card, the CD, etc out of your laptop.
2. Unplug any other things that might be plugged in.
3. Remove the wifi card from the laptop.
4. If you have more than 1 memory so-dimm in the laptop take them out and leave only one in and then try

Most importantly rather let a friend (if you have any that is good with computers) first give it a look over that going by these PC/repair shops.

[chipwelder]

Nothing in the computer, only one 2gb ram chip

Nope it starts up first time after I checked out if HDD was in, goes to screen where you can press F2 to enter set-up, then gives you the blue screen of NMI error I/O check. Then you shut down - no peripherals in it... then it just gives you a black screen and cursor, and you shut down, when you try again, it briefly lights up and then powers down within a few seconds, no screen no nothing... This repeats every time you remove and replace hdd.

So I am fairly sure it will not be ram or hdd (and I am pulling my stuff off hdd in an enclosure as we speak)

I hear you about the pc -shops, these guys are at least only a pc-shop and they gain nothing by lying anybody know a good shop?

[ara]

There is only one that I trust that will try and give you a honest opinion and that is www.prophecy.co.za. You description does not sound like a motherboard. It probably starts up on a cold boot with a reset it doesn't from what I understand.

My gut feel is still that it is a memory problem, a heat problem or a keyboard problem. You say when you press F2 it gives you a blue screen. Now if you press F2 it should go to the bios and not give you a blue screen with error. It is the Windows OS that is giving that error so the system goes into boot mode even when you pressed F2. Am I understanding correctly?

[chipwelder]

Didn't have a chance to push F2, froze just after getting to that screen. NMI means non-maskable interrupt... I.e. one of the the things needed to start up the puter is down. Will try prophecy...

It was not reset, it was shut down (hold power button in for two seconds) and then push bower button to start again.

*** Hardware Malfunction

Call your hardware vendor for support
NMI: Channel Check / IOCHK

*** The system has halted ***

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315223

http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread119320.html

Pages that I looked at.

[Enigma_2k4]

Hmmm, sounds like the mobo is dead then. Is it too dead to try and re-flash?

Have you tried to restore the BIOS settings?

[chipwelder]

Will try and get to Bios after hdd is backed up.

[ara]

The point I'm trying to make is an NMI is thrown by the operating system and not the hardware on its own. Therefor by pushing F2 in time the laptop should still go to the bios. You can even try it without the HDD in.

[chipwelder]

OK, didn't know one could even switch on a puter without the laptop... 

[chipwelder]

OK, didn't know one could even switch on a puter without the laptop... 

mMMM. STARTS UP,  hit F2 goes to bios, goes to parity check 2 at bottom of screen immediately... let's try again...  switch off, ok starts up goes to black illuminated screen, nothing else... try again... nope switches on, no black illuminated screen, switches off by itself...

Oh well...

[ara]

Is this Parity Check 2 now a new error? That is most of the times related to a ram problem. Where you based I might have a spare so-dimm if you want to try it out...

[chipwelder]

Only after tried starting up without hdd, in Pretoria. Will look into it.