Got a Laptop , i closed it and now it wont open help !

hi members , i just bought a second hand Laptop and all went well but i closed it and i cant get it back open ..........i think its the Kensington Lock thingy on the side of the Laptop.


What do i do this is my first Laptop ?


im hoping i dont have to spend much on a unlocker , probably ebay would be cheapest


chat soon

 

Isn't the Kensington lock thingy on the side for stores to lock it to the demo-stand with a piece of metal string?

Me no expert but I don't think that lock is to blame, I may be wrong

 

hmm im stumped , the Laptop was fully closed for shipping i unwrapped it and opened it with ease but when i closed it and then opened it for the second time it will only open slightly and no further.

 

"Laptop" is quite generic. Model of the system would help incase there is something preventing it from opening.

 

hi HEX1GON , roger that

Toshiba Satellite P870

http://www.mytoshiba.com.au/products/computers/satellite/p870/psplfa-017001/specifications

 

Contact support first (if they know anything). It could be damaged.

 

Does it have some kind of "slider" in the front? To "unlock" the lid?
lol what a strange situation

 

my mums very old Laptop does and i checked the one i got for a slider , unfortunately doesnt have one

 

Check the hinges at the back , they could be broken?

 

i checked that too , they look ok to me

 

Ok try this place the laptop screen side down on a table and then try to open it, ie: you will be lifting the keyboard side up.

 

just tried your suggestion , unfortunately wont open any further than the right way up

 

It was worth a try, I remember having a laptop that used to get "stuck" closed, and the only way to open it was to turn it upside down. I don't know to this day why that worked?

 

i should say it opens 4 to 4 and a half centimeters so its not totally stuck , it just seems beyond that is not right and something could snap. The first time i opened it it was flawless. Its a neat Laptop tho i hope to get it working again , it is quite fast in many areas USB transfers Internal HDD CPU heaps of RAM etc............

 

Could you post a photo of it opened, as far as it will go?

 

No no no no xD You have to analyze the problem in parts to find the cause. And first you go with the easy checks! So, you say it doesn't display anything... not even bios? If it doesn't display anything and the screen seems ok, then the cause might be something between the graphics card and the screen, probably the LVCD cable, the screens backlight, or even faulty drivers. Have you checked if the display actually works but the backlight doesn't? Try to see it using a flashlight, its a common driver problem with toshiba's!

Also, in order to be sure that the graphics card is ok... connect an HDMI cable and test it on another screen.

 

Could be the hinge, or a ribbon cable that was rerouted is jammed? Pop off the monitor bezel and try again, if you can.

 

Laptop hinges usually have a metal tongue that sticks out. If you try to force open the laptop while a hinge is loose, that tongue will start pushing up on the chassis from below and bend/snap whatever casing plastic is in it's way.

If you can reach it, you should be able to open it by lightly pushing down on the plastic directly above the free-wheeling hinge to keep it in place. Be gentle, and the working hinge will do the guiding. If it feels resistant, lower the screen again to lower the broken hinge tongue back down. Repeat this until the broken hinge turns to a more friendly position inside the casing, it should become less resistant and finally open.

Good luck. This happens a lot with laptops (it's almost always the hinge on the right side).

 

A Kensington Lock is just like a bike lock, nothing more. It deters theft.

It shouldn't have a catch. As already said, the most likely reason for a broken hinge is broken casing. There's quite a bit of force on them, so some don't last all that long - made worse by idiots picking them up by the screen! If that's the case, you probably need to replace the entire bottom half of the laptop... which means successfully removing the stickers (Windows licence and serial number) and reattaching them without damaging them. Good luck with that! As it's a Toshiba, the likelihood of getting a decent bottom is kinda slim.

If you bought it in a shop, take it back - ask them to either repair or replace it. Personally, I wouldn't bother with second hand laptops as the warranty is incredibly useful. Lenovo tend to be good for buying brand new plastic parts easily and cheaply when the hinges go!