Is there a hardware issue

cns00 · 26 May 2023

I have an hp pavilion 14 inch laptop. I bought it on Feb 2022. I used it mostly on the bed and I put the laptop on the bed. A couple of months ago the laptop was on my lap and I was using it and it was about to fall down so I caught it and that caused a sudden jolt and the bottom of the laptop hit my knee. The screen became black for a few seconds and then the display came back and then the laptop froze so I did force shutdown. That happened again later on when the bottom of the laptop hit something while I was using it.

This month it became really bad. If the laptop is on the bed and I just carry it then the screen became black for a few seconds and then the display came back and then the laptop froze. That happened once a day. Also one day vertical black lines showed on the screen when I carried the laptop and then the laptop froze. Also sometimes when I close the laptop lid and then I open it later on the laptop screen stays black and the laptop doesn't wake up from sleep.

It looks like there is a loose part inside the laptop and that is causing the laptop to freeze if it's shaken. In the end I got fed up and I took the laptop to a repair shop and I told him to check the inside of the laptop because I think that there is a loose part.

I went to the repair shop a couple of days later and the guy told me that there is nothing wrong with my laptop and that he cleaned inside the laptop. He also told me not to put the laptop on the bed because the laptop grill is on the bottom and air needs to go through the grill. That is weird. Why would he tell me that? I had been putting the laptop on the bed a lot.

I did some tests after I got the laptop back. I carried the laptop, shook it and banged the bottom on my lap and sofa to see what happens. Nothing happened. If there truly was something loose inside the laptop then what I did should have made the screen become black and then the laptop froze.

However, the laptop froze multiple times when I carried it and it was on the bed. I want to ask if the laptop is on the bed and no air is going through the grill and then I carry the laptop then can that make the screen become black and then the laptop freezes? Also if the laptop is on the bed and no air is going through the grill and I close the laptop lid then can that cause the laptop to freeze and the screen stays black when I open the laptop lid?

Or maybe there really was something loose inside the laptop and he fixed it without knowing while he was cleaning the inside of the laptop? While I was on my way to the repair shop I passed by another shop and I told the guy there about my problem. He misunderstood and he thought that there was a sound when the laptop was shook so he shook it. The laptop didn't freeze and then I closed the laptop lid but when I reached the repair shop the screen was black when I opened the laptop lid and the laptop wouldn't wake up from sleep so I did force shutdown.

Now I am using the laptop on a coolpad and so far so good and there are no issues. Nothing makes sense

Try3 · 26 May 2023

cns00 said:

Why would he tell me that?

For this reason:

cns00 said:

I had been putting the laptop on the bed a lot.

Denis

cns00 · 26 May 2023

So then the laptop was on the bed and no air was going in and then air suddenly went in when i carried the laptop and that caused the freezing?

Megahertz · 26 May 2023

Please edit your profile with ALL your hardware specs. It will help us to help you
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums
There is a System two that you can fill with the laptop specs.

You already answered all your questions and found a solution.
- The laptop freezes when on the bed (no air coming in)
- I am using the laptop on a coolpad and so far so good and there are no issues (air is coming in)

Do you have a Hardware monitor?
I use Open Hardware Monitor
Extract to C:\Program Files (x86)\HardwareMonitor and run openhardwaremonitor.exe
Under options you can set to start with Windows and you can configure what to show in tray and on the gadget. Very good
All temperatures should be bellow 80ºC and never above 90ºC

Is there a hardware issue-hdmonitor2.jpg

hroldan · 26 May 2023

Ah, something happened with my post.

Falls like described can damage or kill your data, specially if you have a hard drive (moving parts) instead of an SSD, the damage can be permanent but the machine would work and seem fine, until the heads visit the damaged sectors/areas. The fall can also affect cables connecting your hard drive, other devices, or even your RAM, needing to be placed properly again.

Video? unlikely but possible. Most computers can work with damaged video, you won't see anything on screen but the machine keeps working, but this doesn't apply to all scenarios, it depends.

cns00 said:

I used it mostly on the bed and I put the laptop on the bed.

Using the laptop on the bed or on your legs it's like using crocs: it's tied to statistics of accidents and things going wrong. Laptops need air to stay cool, besides, this causes lots of particles to get inside your machine, and staying hot means it will run slower.

I know a lot of people who do this, and when told... they react negatively because they don't want to change their traditional habit, but none of them have long lasting laptops, they keep facing issues and try to solve it buying a new one.