I came home from work the other day to find that my 3y/o nephew had dropped my laptop on the floor breaking the screen.
I'm confident that I can get a new LCD panel for the thing, but when I start it up (via a monitor) it says that the SYS32/LOG file is corrupt and will not start or boot into Windows.
The DVD Rom won't take a disk, it just makes a strange sound, like it is reading the disk but it isn't in reality.
Is this lap-top had-it?
BTW it is a Dell Inspiron 500M.

It doesn't sound good. You might be able to look inside and see what broke but I hate to screw with my Thinkpad and I fixed computers for 30 years. Those laptops use tiny plastic stuff and it is like taking a watch apart to get at them.
Desktops are a lot more electrician friendly. You can use your normal tools and you don't need a magnifyer.

No I agree Greg, this laptop has been the work-horse in the last couple of months.
I'd hate to see it go to the dump just because of a broken screen.
But the SYS32 error might take a bit of working around.
Most people would throw a lap-top out, I'm not like that!.

That's often an indication that the hard drive has died, sorry You could replace the drive, the DVD-ROM and the screen, but you're probably just as well off buying a new laptop for $500.

[This message has been edited by SteveFehr (edited 02-23-2007).]

The most expensive part of a laptop is a screen. Mine has the problem too, but it runs perfectly with external monitor.
It would cost 1000 EUR to change the screen, but thats still not 100% that it will fix all the problems.

Cheaper to get a new one. Remove the harddrive and use it with the new one..

Greetings to Sammy. :~)

[This message has been edited by Gloria (edited 02-26-2007).]

Just goes to show ya that laptop computers and 3 year olds don't mix well. Bummer . . .

Radar

I kept my wife's Thinkpad on IBM maintenance. It was about $350 a year but she broke it far more than that. (a keyboard a year on avearge, a system board, a display and a bunch of cables over 6 years).
I dropped M/A now that it is safely out of the way just running my weather station. http://home.comcast.net/~gfretwell/weather/esteroweather.jpg

I have a Dell Latitude D610, For $60 (US) I got a 3 yr you-break-it we-fix-it warranty. Covers if I drop it, run over it, or any damage within three years. Does not cover thief, that was $120 for 3 years with LoJac installed. Robert

The IBM deal was pretty much the same thing. They never questioned anything she did to the machine. I actually had 1-800-IBMSERV service (on site repair) but it was really easier to use the FedEx deal. They would turn it around in a day, maybe 2.
IBM actually did the repairs in Memphis next to the FedEx depot. It might come in one evening and make the next morning sort.
I am not sure that is even available anymore. I know they cancelled the onsite.

My Laptop Lives!!!.
Spent the last couple of days nursing it back to health.
Got the HDD working Windas wasn't going too well, so I formatted the HDD and stuck Red Hat Linux on it, looks pretty good although I have to replace the screen, just using my other monitor at the moment.
14" monitor on the laptop and the specs aren't that great for a Dell Inspiron 500m, but I like the thing.
I'm going to order a new LCD panel next pay-day.
That'll fix ya!!.