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What to do with a busted laptop

(8 posts)
  • Started 7 months ago by JayDivider
  • Latest reply from LadyFitzgerald
  • Topic Viewed 448 times

JayDivider
JayDivider
Posts: 39

I have a busted laptop, no matter what I do I cannot boot, repair, re install Windows. I have given up on it. But what to do with it?
1) Is it possible to use the screen as a second monitor for my desktop?
2) I plan on using the hard drive as an external backup drive, but what about the other components? Optical drive, memory, mother board, etc?

I have seen some software options to connect the displays onto another laptop, but this is not available to me since the laptop quit.
Any advice? Should I just sell for parts?
Thanks HTG forumites!!

Posted 7 months ago #
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warlock
warlock
Posts: 4100

Before you give up on it post make and model and problem. Members here might be able to help you get it going again.

Posted 7 months ago #
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germ-x
germ-x
Posts: 5310

Does the power light come on when you press the power button?
Was it dropped or does it have any physical damage?

Posted 7 months ago #
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G41M
Posts: 902

Why would you sell component parts when the laptop is working as a whole and the problem is just OS installation. Personally, I would sell/dispose off component parts when when the motherboard fails and can not find replacement for it. Have you checked all possibilities why Windows install fails?

Posted 7 months ago #
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djhull3917
Posts: 112

Take It Apart.

Use the monitor for another pc.

Use the parts you took apart to gain more knowledge in the "hardware" section.

Posted 7 months ago #
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LadyFitzgerald
Posts: 2232

I just salvage the HDDs and some misc. hardware. Don't know why because the three I have are pretty small (120 GB, 160 GB, 160 GB) although I did use one as a mockup dummy for an SSD for making up my own PSU cables in a case I'm prepping. The keyboards in the first two netbooks that died were bouncing so were not worth anything. The screen in the third one was going bad. The RAM sticks and screens on all three were too small to be of any use to me. I'm sitting on the cannabalized remains of the last net book for my next trip to CA since I paid an $8 recycling fee there when I bought my current notebook last June and, being the ornery, cheap bi...broad that I am...

Posted 7 months ago #
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JayDivider
JayDivider
Posts: 39

Ha ha! The laptop was given to me for repair but I was not able to get it started no matter what I did. So the owner told me to junk it. I looked up the reviews for that particular model and it seems it was a real lemon! So I took out the hard drive, it has 2gb ram that sells for $5 on eBay...what else could I do with it? I might just trash it...?

Posted 4 months ago #
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LadyFitzgerald
Posts: 2232

Follow up on my previous post:

The two salvaged 160 GB drives I mentioned earlier tested OK so I've decided to use them to back up the 120 GB SSD I'm going to use for a boot drive in my next desktop. It pays sometimes to be a pack rat (well...ok, it paid this time).

Posted 4 months ago #
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