The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    About to send my laptop for EasyServ Repair

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by NeeGo, Mar 18, 2011.

  1. NeeGo

    NeeGo Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    36
    Messages:
    116
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I've had my laptop for exactly a year and four days and I figured since spring break is starting for me, now's the good time to send my laptop in for few repairs including:

    1) White Pixels
    2) ThinkLight not working
    3) Wireless is kind of iffy

    I read that people have removed their hard drive before they sent their laptop out. You think I could get away with this or would my problem require that I keep my hard drive in the laptop? Thanks.
     
  2. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

    Reputations:
    1,571
    Messages:
    8,107
    Likes Received:
    126
    Trophy Points:
    231
    white pixels are hardware, if thinklight is not working in the bios menu, then it would also be hardware. Wireless issues could be either hardware or software.

    If it is software they just going to reinstall the OS, which you can do yourself. So just send the laptop in without the hdd, if they can't find the problems then just reinstall the OS on your laptop.
     
  3. NeeGo

    NeeGo Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    36
    Messages:
    116
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Thanks lead_org!
     
  4. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

    Reputations:
    5,413
    Messages:
    10,711
    Likes Received:
    1,204
    Trophy Points:
    581
    The way I see it, they can't properly diagnose without some kind of booting hard drive. I would back up your data and send it in with the drive. Not including a hard drive would be unwise as they won't be able to properly diagnose alot of possible issues. Trust me, I work as a bench technician, it helps alot to include the drive.
     
  5. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

    Reputations:
    1,571
    Messages:
    8,107
    Likes Received:
    126
    Trophy Points:
    231
    At depot, technicians will remove the user's hdd and put in their diagnostic hdd. The only thing they will do involving the user hdds are:

    1. Reformatting and reinstalling the OS.
    2. Diagnosing the hdd for any kind of hardware problems.
     
  6. bsoft

    bsoft Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    143
    Messages:
    184
    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    31
    You may or may not have luck on #1, depending on how many white pixels there are. Fewer than a certain number is not considered defective. It's bull, but it's also the industry standard. Some manufacturers (Asus) offer a 0-stuck-pixel guarantee but none of the major manufacturers do for laptops (Dell and some others do offer a 0-stuck-pixel guarantee on their high-end monitors).
     
  7. NeeGo

    NeeGo Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    36
    Messages:
    116
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I would love to include my own hard drive so that they can diagnose the laptop the way it is but I currently can't back up my stuff at the moment and I'd rather not risk anything.

    That's a relief to hear. :)

    I spoke to the lady at Lenovo and she initially said the minimum was eight pixels :confused: . I eventually corrected her with three and I guess she didn't know about the new policy. The thing is that on my screen they're not single, tiny dots but more like a faint hazy cluster? Also there is like a half millimeter of white line when looking at the screen from above so that's considered more than one pixel right? lol
     
  8. k2001

    k2001 Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    188
    Messages:
    1,228
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    It's also have to do with where the pixel is. If it is in the dead center and you can argue it is functional, they might be able to replace for you.
     
  9. JaneL

    JaneL Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,340
    Messages:
    1,088
    Likes Received:
    182
    Trophy Points:
    81
    She must be new since the ThinkPad pixel policy isn't. Read it for yourself:

    Display (LCD) replacement for defective pixels - ThinkPad
     
  10. FFT

    FFT Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    7
    Messages:
    144
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    If you remove the HDD before sending it in, do you keep the HDD cover on or not? Do you also send in the battery and adapter?
     
  11. lineS of flight

    lineS of flight Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    363
    Messages:
    2,330
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    55
  12. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

    Reputations:
    6,668
    Messages:
    8,224
    Likes Received:
    231
    Trophy Points:
    231
    I would remove the HDD, caddy, and rubber rails. The technicians aren't going to waste time screwing on your caddy to their HDD anyway, and it'll save you time reinstalling the drive when you get your laptop back.

    Unless the issues are directly power-supply related, you will not need to send in the battery and AC adapter--the technicians have their own power supplies.
     
  13. NeeGo

    NeeGo Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    36
    Messages:
    116
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Yeah I removed the HDD, caddy, and rubber rails. I'd like to include as little as possilbe (battery and power-supply) but looking over the EasyServ paper, I'm not so sure if I can.

    EasyServ Front Side
    [​IMG]

    EasyServ Back Side
    [​IMG]

    Number 4 where it says Always send these items: includes Hard Drive and AC Adapter/Battery. I'm pretty sure my problems do not reside in these components but it's probably so that it makes it easier for the repair person to not have to go and look for the missing components.
     
  14. JaneL

    JaneL Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,340
    Messages:
    1,088
    Likes Received:
    182
    Trophy Points:
    81
    Never send anything to EasyServ that isn't part of the problem. If you must send your HDD, assume that it will be wiped no matter who tells you otherwise.
     
  15. NeeGo

    NeeGo Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    36
    Messages:
    116
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Thanks JaneL. Good to hear it from a Super Moderator. :D
     
  16. Renee

    Renee Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    610
    Messages:
    2,645
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    "I would love to include my own hard drive so that they can diagnose the laptop the way it is but I currently can't back up my stuff at the moment and I'd rather not risk anything. "

    Another way of saying this is you dont have time for a computer since a backup is normal maintenance.

    Renee
     
  17. NeeGo

    NeeGo Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    36
    Messages:
    116
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Totally agree with you 100% if my external hard drive was sitting next to me :) .

    Anywho I sent my laptop on Saturday, March 19th around 6PM and so it didn't ship until Monday (people, if you plan on shipping your Lenovo product for EasyServ repair on a Saturday, do it before 2PM so it ships the same day!).

    They received the laptop on Tuesday, the 22nd, fixed stuff, called back for information, fixed stuff, called back for progress, fixed stuff and shipped back to me yesterday on the 29th and I received my laptop today.

    1) They included an extra screw for keyboard.
    2) They included free dusts and fingerprints.
    3) My ThinkLight is fixed but now my camera no longer works.

    I tried testing my camera out using ooVoo and no camera was detected. I tried using two other websites that utilize the camera and still no deal. Anybody know how to diagnose my camera problem before having to dissect my notebook apart to look for loose cables?