Fixing a Gateway NV52 Not Turning On (In Delta)
This laptop was listed as below:
"This laptop will not turn on. I took out the hard drive. If you have any use for it, give me your best offer."
I responded to the listing and asked for the model number. With the details provided, I gave my best offer. We agreed to meet at Burrard Skytrain station on 4Mar2012 at 3:15 pm for her to reach there after finishing her work at 3:00 pm. I gave my wife's cell phone in case she wanted to contact me.
On the meeting day, I got my wife's cell phone at lunch time but didn't check any calls. Only when I was busing to downtown at 2:45 pm, I checked and found that the seller texted me twice at 1:00 pm and later telling me that she needed to work overtime and could not meet me there. After texting her that I got her message, I changed bus going home. When I arrived home, I received her text message that she could leave work on time. I bused to downtown again and picked up the laptop.
While busing home, I thought about the bible study the day before. We were studying King Solomon on motive, action and result. The good or bad motive, good or bad action and good or bad result have 8 combinations. I agree that motive takes priority but did think of bad action can have good result. For this instance, although I didn't act to check phone call util very late, the result was good. When she got my text message near 3:00 pm, she knew that I checked call and when she could leave on time, she texted me to resume the meeting. When motive is right to repair and reuse laptop, my bad action does not not matter.
Over the week, I took the laptop apart and located the problem. It was due to a red wire near the power button through the hinge was broken. Fortunately, the wire was broken very near to the power button. I cut short both wires and reconnected them to the power button. The wires are taped so that they will not bent too much at one single point when the laptop is opened and closed. While the laptop was taken apart, I vacuumed the keyboard and removed the dust inside the fan clogging the vent. I assembled the laptop back and it can be turned on. When I ejected the DVD drive, I found a Harry Potter movie DVD trapped inside.
I bought a 320GB hard drive from a student in UBC which has no bad sectors. The laptop has a product key on the COA label which does not show the Windows version. I attempted Windows Vista. At activation, it said that the product key is not right. I emailed the seller. She replied that it ran on Windows 7. I installed Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit and activated the windows licence as instructed through the phone successfully.
Earlier the day, my wife had a friend called her for coming to our house in the evening for a video call. She was looking for a laptop to do it. My wife mentioned to her that I was fixing one on Vista. She said that she doesn't like Vista. When she arrived in the evening, my wife updated her that its product key is Windows 7 and I was re-installing it. When she finished the video call, she waited for me to finish the installation. When it was done, she tried it on battery power for wireless browsing and video call. Since it was quite late and she lives in Delta, she didn't tried too much and paid for it to bring it back home. I didn't even have chance to take a photo of the laptop nor to check how long the battery last.
This laptop came from Delta and is back to Delta to serve again. As I haven't tested it much, I told my wife's friend that she could return it to me if it has any problems. For the trapped Harry Potter movie DVD, I contacted the prior laptop owner and have her address to mail it back.
