Whats your favorite laptop and home pc?

2008-03-25T20:24:00Z

Answer us this....

Who in your opinion makes the best overall Laptop and home pc??

Whats your favorite??

NEW Cable Retention Device (CRD) hits market, FixMyJack.com has exclusive access (helps stop dc jack damages)

2008-03-01T14:40:00Z

Laptop Cable Restraint Device

FixMyJack.com is now offering a special cable restraint device for your power cable. This device will strongly aid to help prevent your dc jack plug from causing damage to your laptops dc jack. This device offers strength, to help stop the power plug from constantly wiggling inside your dc jack. The constant wiggling is one of the number one causes of dc jack failure. Technically it's a CRD (Cable Retention Device) designed to utilize any existing port (USB, RJ11 or RJ45) on a laptop computer as a stay or restraint to keep the very fragile AC power connector from being damaged.

This very basic, inexpensive tool, can save you hundreds. FixMyJack.com has tested this item under several conditions, and it has in fact proven itself to be effective at drastically reducing, and stopping potential dc jack damage.

As you can see in the picture, its quite a simple device, but offers much added protection. We have found in situations that the ac power cord may have caused damage to the dc jack by being pulled suddenly; the situation is now defused by the C.R.T. (cable retention device). Now obviously its not effective in all situations, but it is added protection for sure!

Its purpose is simply, added, extra support. Its like a little hand holding onto the ac cable at all times.

We found in normal situations it helped drasically, one example is:

When moving the laptop and the cord gets stuck on something, instead of ripping the cord from the dc jack it is now protected.

We agree the tiny investment to purchase this item, 19.95 with priority shipping, seems to be a no brainer. You also get 3 Cable Retention Devices 1 each USB, RJ45, and RJ11 Detailed instructions 1 year money back guarantee Metal RoadWarrior Travel case.

GRANTED this wont stop all the situations from damaging the jack, but it does reduce the normal contant wiggling of the dc jack, and does stop damage in some drastic situations.

We give this product a Five Star rating.

If you would like to order this product visit http://shop.fixmyjack.com/product.sc?productId=1

This product has received a huge reception, and orders are being filled as soon as possible. There is usually a couple day delay before being shipped.

FixMyJack.com says "BRAVO" to this great tool, that adds much needed protection to your laptop. In our eyes it's as important as AntiVirus.

Are all laptop dc jack's designed to be flawed?

2008-02-29T01:09:00Z

So this is the question we hear most...

"Are laptop dc jack's designed, on purpose, to be flawed?"

This is a difficult question to answer. Simply put, they could be designed better. FixMyJack.com does notice that there are certain brands we see more than others.

We have our own ideas on how to perfectly design the perfect laptop dc jack. Of course unless we are asked, sign non-disclosures, and have a money making contract our lips are sealed.

We are interested to hear your personal feedback... Are laptop dc jack's flawed by design? What models have you had the most troubles with?

FixMyJack's "DO IT YOURSELF" Guide to Replace your laptop's broken dc jack.

2008-02-29T01:06:00Z

How to replace a laptop dc jack

Fixing a dc power jack on your (or someone else’s) laptop can be difficult. If you are not sure what you are up against is a sure sign that you may not be able to reassemble the laptop. However with the proper steps, repairing, or replacing a laptop dc jack can be accomplished.

The following is by no means an official user manual or repair guide. This write up is a check list and a general guide to help you replace a dc jack without having to purchase a new motherboard or a new laptop. This is a guide, to help you decide whether you should attempt the repair, or ask FixMyJack.com for repair assistance.

Disclaimer: FixMyJack.com or its employee’s claim NO RESPONSIBILITY for anyone who fails in their attempt to replace a laptop dc jack or any damage laptops can receive following this guide. We are just trying to inform others from the steps we have taken for dc replacement and the possible blunders.

0) As step zero, it is important to make sure that you identify a bad dc jack. If a laptop isn’t charging when it’s plugged in combined with a very loose power jack port usually indicates you have a bad dc jack. We have also seen dc jacks that are just fine, however when looked inside, you see it has been physically destroyed on the rear end of the jack itself. Each case is mostly different, but you will run across 3 possible scenarios.

a) The dc jack has cold solders and it just needs to be resoldered (the most common).
b) The dc jack has been broken in unseen areas of the jack itself (common diagnosis is the wiggling of the jack with the adapter).
c) There is nothing wrong with the dc jack and it’s an issue with something else on board (uncommon, but it happens).

1) Do your research.

So you conclude that you have a bad jack. Find out what style or sort of power jack you need for the laptop. You don’t need to open the laptop to find out what type of power jack you need. Go to the internet and search for model laptop + dc jack. For example, if you have a Toshiba Satellite, search the internet for “Toshiba Satellite dc jack”. You will be greeted with some useful results. Not only will it give you results for dc jacks but they look like in general. It would not be beneficial if you ordered a random dc jack that doesn’t even fit inside the notebook.

At this time, it would be best to check to see if the laptop powers on. If here is enough battery life left, turn it on to ensure that the laptop works fine. It may be essential after reassembly which we will explain later

Some models like Toshiba Satellites will have a dc jack with different pin sizes. The pin in the middle of the jack will be a different gauge or different size. It’s crucial that you check to ensure that you get the correct jack size. Failure to do so will ensure you some problems when you plug in your Power adapter (ie: it won’t fit). When you receive your dc jack in the mail, fit it on the power adapter that goes the notebook to make sure that you received the right dc jack.

2) Prepare and gather the tools you need. Make sure you have the right tools for the job.

- Screw Drivers (different sizes and shapes)
- Paper
- Pen or Pencil
- Packaging Tape
- Soldering Iron (and soldering essentials)
- Volt meter (to check continuity)
- Basic electronics and soldering knowledge

Make sure you have different types of phillips screw drivers, flat headed screw drivers, hex screw drivers, torque screw drivers, etc. If you have never been inside your laptop, then you don’t know what to expect.

3) Visual overview and time to get to know your laptop. This one is what we consider an important step, but it can easily be missed.. Before are ready to disassemble a laptop, we always look at every single screw hole, removable piece and potential issues. It’s just a practice that we perform to help me remember where the nooks and corners are. Take about 5-10 minutes to sit down and rotate the laptop around and look at it in more detail.

Time to get started…

4) Remove the external devices. By external devices, this means the Hard Drive, Battery, PCMCIA devices if you have any, etc. When you remove these devices, you will see screws in new places and it will obviously make it easier to access the laptop when disassembly occurs. The CD ROM from a laptop, most of the time, cannot be removed at this point. When you start removing screws, it may be easier to remove the CDROM later but not in the beginning.

5) Disassembly and documentation of your steps. This is where the paper and pencil come in. The most important tactic you need to perform during the disassembly process is the documentation. We cannot emphasize enough the need to document where every single screw location and size.

The most general place to start disassembly is on the bottom of the laptop. It has the most accessible screws. Generally what you want to do is draw on a piece of paper a rough diagram of one laptop. Draw one side of the laptop per page. On the diagram, label where screws are located on the laptop. Be as descriptive as possible about the location of the screws and their location.

When you remove screws, use the tape to stick them near the hole where they came from. In case the tape fails, the diagram you draw will assist you in putting them back where they belong. Document the order in which pieces are removed. Another solution is to collect all the screws from a section, tape them in a little bundle and stick them in a notable location.

Some laptops have only 2-3 sizes of different screws. There are many laptops that have many different sized screws. Take the time and document where each screw comes from. IBM Thinkpads are nice. They actually have a sticker that shows the label of screws and screw sizes. It comes in handy. Some Toshiba's also have a label next to screw holes and give you unique identifiers.

Once again, it’s essential that you document each step you take during the disassembly of the laptop!

6) Handle with care. The Plate connector beneath the LCD is the most fragile piece of the laptop disassembly. That’s why we gave it it’s own mini-section.

It’s the most fragile because if you force to plate too hard, you will snap or damage it. Some models have it just tied down by a few screws underneath the laptop. Most models have a snap action to it. It comes in handy to use a very thin flat head screw driver to probe the plate. If the screw driver bends too much, then it’s time to probe in a different section. Please be cautious when doing this. A good place to probe is on the hinges where the plate overlaps next to the LCD hinge. When you start pulling up on the hinge from the corners, it will start exposing the parts underneath it.

(Note: The LCD display will not have to be disassembled fully. Just the cord and hinges can be removed alone. You do not have to get into the insides of the LCD.)

7) Motherboard access review. You’ve disassembled the laptop and you have the motherboard in your hands. Look at the dc jack and it’s connection to the motherboard. One issue we see with dc jack failure is cold soldering or failure in the solder itself. If there is not damage to the dc jack, the jack can be repaired by re-soldering the current dc jack in place. Some of the time, the dc jack itself is damaged and needs to be replaced.

8 ) Replace / Repair the laptop dc jack. If the dc jack needs to be replaced, use your soldering iron to heat up the solder from the dc jack and remove the old jack. If you have a dc jack with hooks or curves in the connector, good luck. We know how difficult it is when removing this type of dc jack, but with some patience and persistence, it can be done. When the dc jack is removed, clean the area (pin holes); then solder in the new dc jack into it’s slot.

Warning: Some motherboards have very thin rings around the dc jack connectors themselves. The older Sony Vaio laptops have them. If you heat the solder too hot or too long, these rings come off. When that happens, you might as well call it game over. These rings connect the dc jack to the motherboard using extremely thin connections. The rings are vital to the dc jack connection to the motherboard. It is very easy to burn, or break the system board during this process.

When you get the new dc jack in the slot, you have the option of putting hot glue around the corners of the new dc jack. It’s an option to prevent the dc jack from getting bumped and pushed too much from the ac adapter. It’s just added strength. Just don’t over-do it if you decide to put some on.

BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE CHIPS AND ELECTRONICS AROUND THE DC JACK!

People have destroyed chips on laptops because they were not careful when de-soldering and soldering. A sharper soldering iron is a better tool than a blunt rounded soldering iron.

9) Test your continuity. It sounds impossible, but you can test to make sure that you connected your dc jack correctly. Most volt meters have a continuity checker on them. Check to make sure the grounded section of the dc jack properly grounds, and if possible, check to ensure that the positive pin on the dc jack is properly connected to the motherboard. You can do this by touching some of the diodes on the motherboard close to the jack. You will know if it registers.

10) Reassembly with a little faith. This is the moment of truth. If you documented your disassembly well, then it will be your road map to reassembling the laptop. Start reassembling the laptop in the reverse order in which you disassembled it. Make sure you plug in every little cord, and ribbon back into your laptop. Disassembling the laptop again because you forgot a wire or ribbon is just annoying to the max.

11) Testing the laptop. Test the battery first to make sure that the laptop turns on without the dc jack. There have been a few situations where people have worked on their laptop and it didn’t turn on after they reassembled it. This is unfortunate, but it does happen. Sometimes you damage something during the whole process, but with caution it can be avoided.

Once you verified the laptop turns on with battery, then go ahead and plug in the dc jack. First sign it works is the “Battery charging” light turns on and you know you have a successful replacement. Another final test is to power down the unit, remove the battery, and see if the unit powers on with just the power cord.

At this point you can turn on the laptop and your job is complete. If your laptop doesn’t turn on .. well.. go back to step 4 and 5 and go from there. It can happen, but we haven’t seen it too often unless there are more problems with the laptop than originally thought.

We hope this article is helpful; and if you have any doubts please do use our services that we offer at FixMyJack.com. Don’t risk damaging your laptop.

FixMyJack.com's Blog Spot

Whats your favorite laptop and home pc?

NEW Cable Retention Device (CRD) hits market, FixMyJack.com has exclusive access (helps stop dc jack damages)

Are all laptop dc jack's designed to be flawed?

FixMyJack's "DO IT YOURSELF" Guide to Replace your laptop's broken dc jack.