A TECHNICAL REPORT ON

STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME

(SIWES)

@
DILIGENT COMPUTERS ENUGU
BY

EDEH CHIMAROKE EMMANUEL

2020030192722
LEVEL: 400
SESSION: 2023/2024
PROGRAMME: PHONE AND LAPTOP REPAIR
FROM: APRIL - OCTOBER, 2024

SUBMITTED TO:

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

BEING A REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE SIWES CO-ORDINATOR IN

FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE STUDENT’S
INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME

1
 DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to God and the entire members of staff of Computer
Engineering, Enugu State University of Science And Technology.

2
 ACKNOWLEGMENT

I specially acknowledge my beloved parents for their support and encouragement

towards my education.

I gladly appreciate my supervisors, and all the lecturers and members of the staff of
Computer Engineering Department for their great effort in imparting knowledge to
us.

I also appreciate my co-interns, who supported me during my IT period.

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 ABSTRACT

The Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) which provides a brief
skill acquisition period is aimed at exposing the student to the working methods and
techniques in handling equipment and machines that may not be available in their
various institutions. It is in line with this provision that I have undergone a 6-month
Industrial Training on Laptop and Phone Repair.

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 OBJECTIVE

 To learn how to repair laptop and mobile phones.

 To become familiar with different parts of laptop and mobile phones.

 To learn how to use different tools and equipment used in laptop and phone

repair.

 To be able to trace faults that occur in laptop and phones.

 To be able to change and replace different components of laptop and phone.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page 1
Dedication 2
Acknowledgement 3
Abstract 4
Objective 5
Table of Content 6
Background of SEWES 8
Objectives of SEWES 9
Importance of SEWES 10
Company Profile 11
Diligent Computers Profile Chart 12

CHAPTER ONE Tools Used In Laptop And Phone Repair 13

CHAPTER TWO Introduction To Phone Repair

What is Cell Phone? 18
Cell Phone Capabilities 19
Parts of a Cell Phone 19
Functions of Different Parts of a Cell Phone 21

CHAPTER THREE Common Cell Phone Problems And Their Solution

What is Cell Phone Problem and Solution? 24
Some Common Cell Phone Problem and Solution 24

CHAPTER FOUR Introduction To Laptop Repair

What is a Laptop? 29

6
Parts of a Laptop 30
Function of Different Parts of a laptop 32

CHAPTER FIVE Common Laptop problems And Their Solution

What is Laptop Problem and Solution? 46
Some Common Laptop Problem and Solution 46

BIBLIOGRAPHY 54

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 BACKGROUND OF SIWES

Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is the acceptable skill training
program which forms part of the approved minimum academic standards in the
various degree programs for all the Nigerian universities. SIWES was established
by ITF in 1973 to solve the problem of lack of adequate practical skill preparation
for employment in industries by Nigerian graduates of tertiary institutions.
The scheme exposes students to industry-based skills necessary for a smooth
transition from the classroom to the world of work. It affords students of tertiary
institutions the opportunity of being familiarized and exposed to the needed
experience in handling machinery and equipment which are usually not available in
the educational institutions. SIWES is a well-known educational strategy where
classroom studies are integrated with learning through hands-on work experience in
a field related to the student academic major and career goal. Successful internships
foster an experimental learning process that not only promotes career preparation
but provides opportunities for learners to develop skills necessary to become leaders
in their chosen profession.

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 OBJECTIVES OF SIWES

The objective of Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme, SIWES includes:

 To provide avenue for students to acquire industrial skills and experience in

their approved course of study.

 To prepare students for their industrial work situation which they are likely to

meet after graduation.

 To bridge the identified gap and practice of engineering and technology in

tertiary institution.

 To expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment

and machinery that may not be available in the educational institution.

 To provide opportunity for students to apply their knowledge in real work

situation, thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice.

 Ease the transition from school to the world of work and enhance student’s

contacts for leap job.

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 IMPORTANCE OF SIWES

The importance of the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme in any academic
institution cannot be over emphasized. It is a means and platform through which
what have been learnt theoretically can also be learnt practically, thereby preparing
the students for their future employment. It gets the students exposed, and to interact
with the people they do not know. There are very tremendous limitations and
implications, which may include time wasting, finance, and otherwise, but despite
all these, it should be given adequate priority if further display of the field of study
is undisputed.

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 COMPANY PROFILE

Diligent Computers Enugu was established in 2015 by some group of Computer

Scientists and Engineers under the leadership of Mr. Vincent Ezenwa as just a mini
computer center and cybercafé. But by 2017, Diligent Computers have
metamorphosis into a big computer firm and have inculcated so many Computer
Software and Hardware packages into the training curriculum. Some of these
packages include: Web Development, App Development, Database Design &
Management, Graphic Design, Programming, Networking, Robotics & Artificial
Intelligence, Hardware and Maintenances.
Today, Diligent Computers Enugu has become so famous that they have succeeded
in imparting knowledge to uncountable number of students using modern skills in a
very conducive environment.

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 DILIGENT COMPUTERS ORGANIZATION CHART

Chief Director

Manager

Business Center IT Department Computer School

Cyber Cafe Chief Technologist

Trainers/Instructors Technicians

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 CHAPTER ONE

TOOLS USED IN LAPTOP AND PHONE REPAIR

1. Philip Screwdrivers

Figure 5.1: Philip Screwdrivers

Phillips screw heads allow a tighter fit than a flat head screw, which is why

most factories and handymen use them. The screws tend to be lightweight and

relatively small. The trick is to match your screwdriver to the type and size of

screws you are using

2. Ratchet Screw Set

The benefit of ratcheting screwdrivers is that you can get a firm grip on their

handle and apply plenty of torque repetitively without adjusting the grip while

changing or tightening screws. Regular screwdrivers don’t handle torque as

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 well as others, so is better to find a robust, durable Ratchet screw set to make

sure that all your screws are tight and secure.

Figure 5.2: Ratchet Screw Sets

3. BIOS Programmer

The BIOS chip on a computer is a non-volatile memory mounted on the

motherboard of the computer. It is used to run BIOS for initializing computers

during booting, and if the BIOS chip on the motherboard is corrupted, BIOS

flashing is needed. This frequently happens in older systems. BIOS flashing

could be done using a BIOS programmer.

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 Figure 5.3: BIOS Programmer

4. Cleaning Brush Kit

A great product for cleaning computer screens and keyboards. It has two

brushes at both ends, which can be used to clean the monitor and keyboard.

The small strands of the small brush are extremely versatile in reaching the

cracks between the keyboard keys and the mouse buttons. If you want to keep

your screens and keyboards clean, this is a must-have.

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 Figure 5.4: Cleaning Brush Kit

5. Dust Blower

Figure 5.5: Dust Blower

Small dust blowers use air for gentle removal of dust or debris from the

surface of cramped, sensitive or inaccessible areas in a computer or a laptop.

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 Even though cotton or cloth can get to very small spaces as well as holes in

your system, a computer dust blower will do the job almost perfectly. It is a

very handy tool to have, especially if you are trying to clean a laptop, or a

desktop with a small cabinet.

6. Multi-Tester

Figure 5.6: Multi-Tester

Multi-tester is a very handy tool for testing voltage. This tool helps in testing

voltage, resistance and measuring the power functions of the motherboard of

the PC. This is a must-have tool required for Laptop/PC repair.

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 CHAPTER TWO

INTRODUCTION TO PHONE REPAIR

2.1 What is a Cell Phone?

A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes

shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make

and receive calls over a radio frequency link while the user is moving within a

telephone service area.

Figure 2.1: A Phone

The radio frequency link establishes a connection to the switching systems of

a mobile phone operator, which provides access to the public switched telephone

network (PSTN). Modern mobile telephone services use a cellular

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network architecture and, therefore, mobile telephones are called cellular

telephones or cell phones.

2.2 Cell Phone Capabilities

Today, cell phones are called smartphones and capable of doing almost anything

a computer can do. Below are a few examples of what some of the new cell phones

are capable of doing:

 Take and make calls to any other person with a phone.

 Send and receive text messages.

 Take, view, and store pictures and videos using a built-in camera.

 Access the Internet, e-mail, chat, and even download apps for the phone.

 Play games and access common programs, such as a calculator, contacts,

calendar, clock, to-do list, etc.

 Remotely control other devices connected to the Internet or connected

via Bluetooth.

 Store and run files.

 Play music and watch movies.

2.3 Parts of a Cell Phone

The major parts of a cell phone that are easily visible include:

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 Figure 2.2: External Parts of A Cellphone

Figure 2.3: Internal Parts of A Cellphone

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2.4 Functions of Different Parts of a Cell Phone

 Antenna: Antenna is used to receive and transmit radio frequency. It is inbuilt

in the cabinet of the mobile phone. These are called inbuilt antenna.

 Battery: The battery is the only source of power supply to a mobile phone.

Three types of battery are mostly used in mobile cell phones and Tablets. They

include Nickel – Cadmium (Ni-CD), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni – MH) and

Lithium-Ion (Li – Ion).

 Central Processing Unit (CPU): The CPU is the Main Control Section of a

mobile phone, Android Smartphone and Apple iPhone. It controls all the

function and does all the processing work.

 Random Access Memory (RAM): RAM is an erasable memory where older

data and information can be erased and new data and information can be

stored.

 Read Only Memory: A memory that can only be read. It cannot be erased.

Programmable ROM (PROM) and Erasable ROM (EROM) are some other

types of ROM Memory that can be erased.

 Visual Display: This part of the mobile phone generates light to display all

information. Display of a cell phone can be classified as follows: LCD (Liquid

Crystal Display), VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) and TFT (Thin Film

Transistor Display).

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 Antenna Switch: It does the function of receiving, transmitting and switching

of different frequencies.

 IF IC: This IC is also called Hager IC. It performs the function of

amplification of receiving signal, mixing and demodulation.

 Voltage Control Oscillator (VCO): This is used by the cell phone to control

frequency.

 Audio IC: The main function of this IC is to handle and control audio

frequency and produce sound.

 Universal Energy Module (UEM) IC: It performs several functions like

power supply, charging, audio processing, ringer, vibrator etc.

 Light Emitting Diode (LED): This is used to produce light on keyboard and

display.

 RF Crystal: This is the main and very important crystal in any mobile phone.

Crystals of mainly 13 MHz, 26 MHz, 19.2 MHz or 36.4 MHz are used in cell

phones. The phone becomes dead if this crystal is faulty.

 Ear Speaker: This Ear Speaker is mounted on the top side of the mobile

phone. It helps to listen sound during incoming calls.

 Microphone: It converts voice signal to electric signal or tone signal during

transmission. This signal is then sent to the Audio IC.

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 Vibrator Motor: It Provides vibration alert during incoming calls or

messages in silent mode or when the option is on.

 SIM Card: SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module. It is used in GSM

Mobile phones. There is a microchip in this card in which all data and

information related to the user is stored. Without a SIM Card, a GSM phone

is of no good use.

 SIM Card Socket: Holds the SIM card and acts like a SIM reader or SIM

writer.

 Memory Card: External memory storage card used to store data such as

photos, videos, audio etc. SD card, Mini SD Card and Micro SD cards are

used as external memory.

 OMAP Module: Performs the function of processing application software

and control UI software.

 USB Connector: This connector is used to download data and for charging

the Phone.

 Connector Tip: Used to interface Speaker, Ringer, Vibrator and Antenna.

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 CHAPTER THREE

COMMON CELL PHONE PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTION

3.1 What is Cell Phone Problem and Solution?

Problem here refers to any unexpected situation that occurs in a cellphone. Solution,

on the other hand is a way of dealing with this problem so that the difficulty is

removed.

3.2 Some Common Cell Phone Problem and Solution?

1. Slow Phone

This is something that everybody has experienced at least once. It is the most

common mobile phone issue and it can be associated with old phones.

However, newer devices can present the same problem. When your Random-

Access Memory (RAM) is full of apps and files that you do not use or need,

your phone tends to respond slowly.

Solution: Clean your cell phone and close/delete apps, files and clear the

cache data. If you recently installed an app and your phone is not working

well, you should uninstall it and see if your mobile phone runs faster. If this

does not help you, you can also try saving important information on Google

Drive, Dropbox or just on your computer. Then, you can restore your cell

phone to factory data.

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2. Bad Battery Life

Another common problem that happens to everyone is when your phone never

has battery enough although you do not use it all the time. There are different

factors that can affect your battery life and you should take them into account

before losing your battery.

Solution: First, you should try to dim the screen brightness and turn off the

GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth if you are not using them. You can also enable the

Battery Saving Mode and see if your battery lasts longer. Additionally, you

should check your Battery Usage in your phone Settings and see which apps

are using more battery. You can close or disable the ones that are draining

more battery if you usually do not need them.

3. Overheating Phone

This usual problem can be related to the previous one. An overheating phone

is sometimes related to problems with your phone battery. But, it can also be

related to your charger and also with the place you normally have your phone.

If you are experiencing this, you should solve it soon because your battery and

your phone screen can be seriously damaged.

Solution: You should try the previous possible solutions first to see if this

problem is directly related to your battery issue. If it keeps overheating, try to

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 carry your phone in a fresh place and keep it away from the sun’s heat. You

can also give your phone some minutes to “refresh” and start using it again.

4. App Crashes/Freezes

This problem happens a lot and, although it is not so difficult to solve. The

truth is that apps sometimes present this issue and it can be related to bugs on

the app or maybe your operating system is not the best or the newest for those

apps. There are apps that are constantly adding new options and improving

some details for better performance, but sometimes your phone just cannot

support the latest version and that app starts crashing all the time.

Solution: The first thing you should try is to restart your cell phone and start

using the app again. You can also go to the App Manager and stop the app.

Sometimes cleaning the cache data also works. If it continues doing the same,

try to uninstall the app and install it again. As it was mentioned before,

sometimes the app has a lot of bugs that cause this problem.

5. Phone Freezes

This happens a lot, especially in old phones or devices with full storage space.

What people usually do is to restart their phones or turn them OFF and ON.

When this does not work, we normally remove the phone battery and

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 everything goes back to normal. However, some modern phones do not have

this option because their batteries cannot be removed.

Solution: Depending on your phone, here are the steps you must follow to

restart it:

 Apple (iOS8 or higher)

o Click Volume Up once

o Click Volume Down once

o Hold the Power key for 15 seconds.

 Apple (iOS7 or lower)

o Press the Power key + Volume Down key at the same time for 10

seconds or until the Apple Logo appears.

 Samsung

o Press the Power key + Volume Down key at the same time for 15

seconds or until the Samsung Logo appears.

 Sony

o Press the Power key + Volume Up at the same time for 10 seconds

o When the phone vibrates, press the power key like normal to turn ON

the mobile phone.

 Nokia/HMD:

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 o Press the Power key + Volume Up at the same time for 15 seconds or

until the Android logo appears.

6. App Not Downloading

This mainly happens due to corrupt cache.

Solution: Try cleaning the apps cache and you can also clean the history of

Google Play and Google Play Services. Remember to restart your cell phone

after doing that and try again to download the app you want,

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 CHAPTER FOUR

INTRODUCTION TO LAPTOP REPAIR

4.1 What is a Laptop?

A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal

computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have

a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper lid and

the keyboard on the inside of the lower lid, although 2-in-1 PCs with a

detachable keyboard are often marketed as laptops or as having a laptop mode.

Laptops are folded shut for transportation, and thus are suitable for mobile use. Its

name comes from lap, as it was deemed practical to be placed on a person's lap when

being used. Today, laptops are used in a variety of settings, such as at work, in

education, for playing games, web browsing, for personal multimedia, and for

general home computer use.

Laptops combine all the input/output components and capabilities of a desktop

computer, including the display screen, small speakers, a keyboard, data

storage device, sometimes an optical disc drive, pointing devices (such as a touch

pad or pointing stick), with an operating system, a processor and memory into a

single unit. Most modern laptops feature integrated webcams and built-

in microphones, while many also have touchscreens. Laptops can be powered either

29
from an internal battery or by an external power supply from an AC adapter.

Hardware specifications, such as the processor speed and memory capacity,

significantly vary between different types, models and price points.

Figure 4.1: A Laptop

4.2 Parts of a Laptop

The major parts of a laptop that are easily visible include:

 Top Panel

 Screen

 Optical Drive

 Touchpad

 Base Panel
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  Keyboard

 Camera

Figure 4.2: Parts of a Laptop

Other parts include:

 Motherboard

 CPU

 Cooling Fan

 RAM

 ROM

 HDD

 SSD

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  Wireless Card

 Graphic Card

 Battery

 Charger

 Speaker

 Hinges

 External Ports

4.3 Functions of Different Parts of a Laptop

 Top Panel: The top panel provides installation place and support for laptop

screen.

 Screen: It functions similar to monitor used in desktop PC. It is known as

output device as it is used to display output to the user in desired format.

 Optical Drive: An optical disk drive (ODD) uses a laser light to read data

from or write data to an optical disc. These include CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray

discs. This allows you to play music or watch movies using pre-recorded

discs.

 Touchpad: The touchpad on a laptop does the same job as the mouse on a

desktop computer. It is sometimes called a trackpad. The touchpad is used to

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 control the mouse pointer, also known as the cursor. The cursor is used to

point at and choose (or activate) items on the screen.

 Base Panel: The base panel provides installation place for laptop parts which

include motherboard, RAM, hard drive, cooling fan, battery, CD drive etc.

 Keyboard: A computer keyboard is an input device used to enter characters

and functions into the computer system by pressing buttons, or keys. It is the

primary device used to enter text. A keyboard typically contains keys for

individual letters, numbers and special characters, as well as keys for specific

functions.

 Camera: A webcam is a digital video device commonly built into a computer.

Its main function is to transmit pictures over the Internet. It is popularly used

with instant messaging services and for recording images.

 Motherboard: The motherboard is the backbone that ties the computer's

components together at one spot and allows them to talk to each other.

Without it, none of the computer pieces, such as the CPU, GPU, or hard drive,

could interact. Total motherboard functionality is necessary for a computer to

work well.

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 Figure 4.3: Laptop Motherboard

 CPU: All kinds of computing devices such as tablets, PCs, or laptops feature

a brain-like unit called the central processing unit or CPU. The CPU calculates

and interprets instructions while you're surfing the web, creating documents,

playing games, or running software programs.

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 Figure 4.4: Laptop CPU

 Cooling Fan: The role of the computer fan is to pull cooler air into the

computer to cool the hot circuitry, particularly the CPU. In a desktop the fan

is typically a part of the power supply and draws air through it, helping to

keep that part of the computer cool.

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 Figure 4.5: Laptop Fan

 RAM: Random Access Memory (RAM) is a form of temporary computer

storage that allows stored data to be received and read almost instantaneously.

When you fire up a program, it becomes temporarily stored in your computer's

memory (or RAM) for easy access, as opposed to being written on the

permanent hard drive.

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 Figure 4.6: Laptop RAM

 ROM: Read Only Memory (ROM) contains the programming that allows a

computer to start up or regenerate each time it is turned on. ROM also

performs large input/output (I/O) tasks and protects programs or software

instructions. Once data is written on a ROM chip, it cannot be removed.

Figure 4.7: Laptop ROM

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 HDD: A computer hard drive (or a hard disk or HDD) is one kind of

technology that stores the operating system, applications, and data files such

a documents, pictures and music that your computer uses. The rest of the

components in the computer work together to show you the applications and

files stored on your hard drive.

Figure 4.8: Laptop HDD

 SSD: Solid State Drives (SSDs) replace traditional hard disk drives (HDDs)

in computers and perform the same basic functions as a hard drive. But SSDs

are significantly faster in comparison. With an SSD, the device's operating

system will boot up more rapidly, programs will load quicker and files can be

saved faster.
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 Solid-state drives (SSDs) are the most common storage drives today. SSDs

are smaller and faster than hard disk drives (HDDs). SSDs are noiseless and

allow PCs to be thinner and more lightweight. Hard disk drives (HDDs) are

more common in older devices.

Figure 4.9: Laptop SSD

 Wireless Card: A laptop wireless card allows you to connect to the Internet

without a cable connection via a signal transmitted by a wireless router or cell

tower. Laptop wireless cards can either be a built-in component or an external

device.

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 Figure 4.10: Laptop Wireless Card

 Graphic Card:

Figure 4.11: Laptop Graphic Card

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 A graphics card is an expansion card for PC that is responsible for rendering

images to the display. High-end GPUs are used for gaming, ray tracing,

graphics production, and even mining cryptocurrency. Here's a brief overview

of everything you need to know about graphics cards.

 Battery: A battery is a hardware component that supplies power to a device,

enabling that device to work without a power cord. Batteries are often capable

of powering a laptop computer for several hours depending on how much

power it requires.

Figure 4.12: Laptop Battery

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 Charger: A battery charger, or recharger, is a device that stores energy in a

battery by running an electric current through it. The charging protocol (how

much voltage or current for how long, and what to do when charging is

complete) depends on the size and type of the battery being charged.

Figure 4.13: Laptop Battery

 A computer speaker is an output hardware device that connects to a computer

to generate sound. The signal used to produce the sound that comes from a

computer speaker is created by the computer's sound card.

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 Speaker: A computer speaker is an output hardware device that connects to a

computer to generate sound. The signal used to produce the sound that comes

from a computer speaker is created by the computer's sound card.

Figure 4.14: Laptop Speaker

 Hinges: A laptop hinge is the part of a laptop that allows for it to open and

close while also staying intact to provide easy access. Hinges come in various

designs, but most originate from a scissor-like design where two interlocking

plates (and usually bolts) allow for smooth movement.

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 Figure 4.15: Laptop Speaker

 Ports:

Figure 4.16: Laptop Port

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The main function of a computer port is to act as a point of attachment, where

the cable from the peripheral can be plugged in and allows data to flow from

and to the device. A computer port is also called as a Communication Port as

it is responsible for communication between the computer and its peripheral

device.

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 CHAPTER FIVE

COMMON LAPTOP PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTION

5.1 What is Laptop Problem and Solution?

Problem is any unexpected situation that occurs in a laptop. Solution, on the other

hand is a way of dealing with a problem so that the difficulty is removed.

Figure 5.1: A Faulty Laptop

5.2 Some Common Laptop Problem and Solution?

1. Overheating

Symptom: Computer crashes or freezes.

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 Solution: Clean out air vents, put filtered material over the inhalation vent, or

update BIOS.

Overheating can rob your laptop of performance and often cause a host of

hiccups such as system crashes and freezing. Every computer generates lots

of heat, but laptops are especially susceptible to overheating due to their small

size and lack of ventilation. Excessive dust can clog air vents and deprive your

system of cold air to cool off the CPU.

You can often solve overheating issues simply by cleaning out these air vents

with a cloth or keyboard cleaner.

To prevent further dust buildup, place a piece of filtered cloth, say from a

Swiffer, over the inhalation vent. Don’t place one over the exhaust vent, as

that is where hot air is supposed to flow out of the system quickly. If the cloth

doesn’t work, you may want to update your system’s BIOS, which controls

the laptop’s hardware. Most manufacturers offer an installation file that

updates BIOS files automatically, which often address heat management. Just

make sure that your notebook is connected to the power supply when updating

the BIOS.

2. Slow Hard Drive

Symptom: Excessive program load times, slow file transfers.

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 Solution: Disk defragmentation.

Disorganized information on your hard drive can sap performance because the

computer requires more time to sift through data fragments and bad sectors

on the drive. This problem can be cleared up easily (but not especially quickly

as defragging can sometimes take hours) using the built-in Windows tool

called Disk Defragmenter. You can access this program through the Programs

menu in the Accessories or System Tools folder. Simply click the Analyze

button to see if your disk drive requires defragmenting, and then click

Defragment to begin.

3. Battery Won’t Hold A Charge

Symptom: Your notebook runs only a few minutes when unplugged.

Solution: Battery replacement.

Over their lifespans, lithium-ion batteries can lose the ability to hold a charge.

After a few years, some batteries will last only a fraction of the rated runtime.

Replacing a battery is relatively simple; most pop out from the bottom or back

of the laptop.

4. Bad Keyboard

Symptom: Missing or loose keys.

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 Solution: Replace keyboard.

Keyboards get the brunt of abuse on any laptop, either from typing or spilled

substance. As a result, keys can often become dislodged or worn out.

Thankfully, laptop makers provide quick online guides for replacing

keyboards on their support pages. Simply type “keyboard replacement” into

the search bar or check the manufacturer’s knowledge base.

5. Cannot Connect To Wireless Network

Symptom: No Internet connection, frequent time-outs while Web browsing.

Solution: Make sure wireless is turned on, smarter software tools, make sure

router is broadcasting network name (SSID).

The laptop is expecting to be able to connect to any wireless network, whether

in an airport, office, or hotel. But wireless networks, by their very nature, are

troublesome. Some laptops come with an external button or switch, separate

from the software settings, to enable wireless connectivity. Always make sure

this wireless toggle is switched on. Also make sure that the network you are

connecting to is broadcasting its network name or SSID.

6. Stuck Pixels

Symptom: Green or red dots on your laptop’s screen.

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 Solution: Massage away dead pixels.

Nonconforming or stuck pixels can be a nuisance on an otherwise functional

laptop LCD. The pixels usually remain green or red without lighting up

properly with the other pixels on the display. Unfortunately, manufacturers

will not replace an LCD for just one or two stuck pixels; in fact, some require

as many as 10 to 18 dead pixels before they’ll take action.

There is a solution, though. Take a soft material, like a felt cloth, and gently

rub in a circular motion around the stuck pixel. Performing this trick will

usually get the pixel to light up properly.

Once you find the right location and pressure to illuminate the pixel, hold your

finger there for up to two minutes, and you may be surprise that there is no

more stuck pixel.

7. System Crash

Symptom: Laptop Won’t Boot Up.

Solution: Remove the hard drive and place it into an external enclosure. Run

Checkdisk.

Most people go into panic mode when their computers refuse to boot up. More

often than not, however, the problem is as simple as a missing system file or

a bad sector on the hard drive. To determine if that is the case, you can remove

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 the hard drive using the instructions from the manufacturer and place the drive

into a USB enclosure–these are external housings for internal hardware.

Next, connect the enclosure’s USB cable to an open USB port on a working

PC. If the file system is still intact, the hard drive should show up as an

external drive and allow you to transfer data to and from the drive. Next, try

running Checkdisk on the drive by opening a DOS prompt

(Start/Programs/Accessories/Command Prompt) and typing in X: where X is

the letter of your external drive. Then hit Enter. Now type “chkdsk /f.” Your

system may ask you to dismount the drive; this is okay, so type Y and then hit

Enter.

Your notebook will now display some information about your drive (file

system type and serial number) and then scan the drive, fixing any errors it

encounters. An error report will print out, so you can see what changes were

made to the drive. If all went well, you’ll be good to go once you plug the

hard drive back into the crashed laptop and power it on.

8. Virus Or Spy Infestation

Symptom: Excessive pop ups, slow downloads.

Solution: Install antispyware programs, use free virus scans.

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 Nothing can cripple your system like malware. The first line of defense is

always prevention. It is best to have a subscription to a service like Norton

360. Norton impresses with its unobtrusive security suite that offers stellar

antivirus and spyware protection, file backups, and performance tuning

without a complex user interface. The Norton suite also offers a firewall

option that will silently block most threats while alerting the user to friendly

programs requesting Web access.

If you don’t want to spend any money, you can bolster your defenses with free

tools like Ad-Awareand and Spybot: Search and Destroy. While both are

excellent tools, each has its own strengths and weaknesses–Spybot is better at

tracking down malicious code like pop-ups, while Ad-Aware does a better job

removing cookies (text files that advertisers copy to a user’s computer to track

surfing habits). I recommend scheduling periodic scans with both of these

tools, just to be safe.

If these tools fail to locate a virus, you may want to try Trend Micro’s free

House Call at housecall.trendmicro.com, which is sometimes more adept at

identifying viruses than other programs. Trend Micro also offers a free

database of viruses and manual removal tips, if automated solutions fail.

9. Outdated Video Drivers

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Symptom: Garbled or distorted video

Solution: Download the latest drivers

Video issues are a common complaint among laptop users. The trouble often

stems from newer games and software that require the latest video card drivers

to work. Though most laptops are shipped with the latest driver files, some

systems will be outdated by the time the machine is sold. That is why it is

critical to update your video card’s drivers frequently–sometimes the audio

and network drivers may need to be updated as well.

Many laptop manufacturers offer installation packs that will give you the

latest drivers and offer automated tools to update the rest of the laptop.

Lenovo, for example, hosts its driver files at lenovo.com/support. Alienware

tests new drivers for all its machines and hosts them in the support area of its

Web site. However, if you fail to find drivers at your laptop manufacturer’s

site, you can try the video card’s manufacturer, usually ATI or Nvidia. If your

system comes with an integrated graphics chip from Intel, your best bet is the

laptop manufacturer’s website, although you can also try Intel’s support and

downloads page.

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 Bibliography

Google

W3Schools

Tutorialspoint

Laptop and GSM Manuals

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