A few laptop problems...

[AngelOfMusic]

Hello, if anyone as any ideas as to solutions or knows roughly what the repair costs might be for the following problems, please let me know! I realise this may not be economical to repair and it may be on it's way out all together (though I really hope not!!)

My laptop is made by Medion and is about 2 years old.

problem 1: vertical (mostly pink or white, but changing slightly with the background) line down the screen - not a major problem but a bit annoying when viewing photos or videos.

problem 2: (WORST PROBLEM!!!) the battery shows as being fully charged, yet the laptop will not turn on or stay on unless it is connected to the mains.

problem 3: occasionaly the touchpad randomly stops working, or doesn't work from when I turn the laptop on, but is then fine the next time I use it.

problem 4: sometimes the Ctrl key somehow sticks down (not visibly) when the laptop is closed, causing weird things to happen when I try to type! Also the E key often takes extra pressure to work, with the result that I'm typing and it misses a few e's out... not a major problem but annoying! Maybe there's a way to clean it?

Thanks for any help!!

[torbjorn]

1. Check if you see the same vertical lines on an external monitor connected to the laptop. This will give you a clue to whether the problem is in the graphics circuitry or in the flat screen.

2. Most likely, you need a new battery. The Li-ion batteries nowadays used in laptops seldom have more than 18-24 months of life no matter how much or little they are used. This is due to a corrosion process within the battery cells which starts as soon as the battery cells are assembled at factory. The only way of prolonging the life of such batteries is to keep them cold. If one is going to only run a laptop with mains power for a long time, then remove the battery and put it in the freezer. In some cases, if a new complete battery is hard to find or too expensive, it might be possible to disassemble it and renew the cells.

3. Try cleaning the touchpad, and maybe disassemble the laptop and check for loose connections etc. If the same problem has been there since the computer was new, then it might be worth checking if it in fact is a firmware and if there is any bios or driver revision that is claimed to solve it.

4. Usually, it is possible to disassemble the keyboard and clean it out. But there are many different designs so it is impossible to give any definite advise.