Computer repair shop

[VirginSnow at vfemail.net]

> Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 23:33:12 -0400
> From: "Ben Scott" <dragonhawk at gmail.com>

> these days; they just swap parts.  A faulty power connector is most
> likely going to mean swapping the motherboard.  In many laptops, the
> motherboard is most of the computer.  So, very expensive.  (Unless its

Second that opinion, see below.

>   At the same time, the power connector is one of the few things that
> might actually be field repairable by someone with tools from Radio
> Shack.  They usually have only two or three solder joints, all of
> which are relatively large, since they'll be carrying the most current
> of anything in the laptop.

It's usually possible to solder the jack back on and epoxy it.  But
some of the Inspirons have multi-layer motherboards.  On these boards,
there are runs *inside* the fiberglass, completely covered and
inaccessible to a soldering iron.  And, yes, some designers had the
dim-witted idea to run *power* through these internal runs.  Since the
exposed face of the conductor is not likely to be larger than a few
square millimeters, repairing this kind of jack-break *is* probably
going to require replacing the whole motherboard.

You really have to take the motherboard out and hold it up to the
light to tell if the conductors really will be accessible.