Need Help With Sony Vaio Laptop

[Richardc267]

Hi all. I've got this Sony Vaio laptop that I'm trying to get it to work. A friend of mine said he used it for parts, so it is missing a few hardware pieces. However, I am having problems getting it to run.

It is missing a hard drive, and the RAM pieces.

When I plug it in, the power icon works, shows a green light.

The product name is VPCF136FM, the model is PCG-81115L.

When I turn the machine on, screen doesn't turn on. It just stays black, I can hear the GPU fan turn on (It takes about 15 seconds for the GPU fan to even turn on), but no matter how long I leave the laptop on, the screen just stays black, it does nothing. I was thinking maybe the GPU was taken out, but I later learned the graphics card is basically embedded into the motherboard, so you can't remove it.

Anyone know why the screen isn't working? Or should I just throw it in the trash?

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.

 

[Megahertz07]

Without RAM it will never run. You MUST have at least one RAM module.

 

[Richardc267]

Without RAM it will never run. You MUST have at least one RAM module.

Okay, someone gave me some RAM sticks, but I don't know which one will work (other than DDR3 sticks). Which slot (there's 2) should I put in the RAM? The bottom one or the top one?

 

[Megahertz07]

You must disconnect the power supply and take out the battery before inserting or removing the memory.
Your computer uses DDR3 memory up to 1333MHz. Don't try to use DDR2. Only Use DDR3. ONLY.
Discharge static. Handle the stick by the border.
You can place into any slot, best on first one.

 

[Richardc267]

You must disconnect the power supply and take out the battery before inserting or removing the memory.
Your computer uses DDR3 memory up to 1333MHz. Don't try to use DDR2. Use DDR3 only.
Discharge static. Handle the stick by the border.
You can place into any slot, best on first one.

Battery won't hold a charge anyway, it's dead. And I can't fit DDR2 in there even if I wanted to.

I have one RAM piece that says it's 1333, i'll try that one. Get back to you in a sec.

Well that one aint working either. Guess I'm out of fracking luck so far.

Edit: It also doesn't make any beeps, and my friend on Skype thinks maybe the backlight to the screen is also dead. Thoughts?

 

[Megahertz07]

I don't think that your friend putted away a working laptop and began taking it apart.
I do have a laptop that a friend gave it to me and it does like yours. It can be so many things.
Don't waste your time,

 

[Richardc267]

I don't think that your friend putted away a working laptop and began taking it apart.
I do have a laptop that a friend gave it to me and it does like yours. It can be so many things.
Don't waste your time,

I may have a friend who can put in a new screen. But I can't afford to buy another laptop. I don't have any money. This laptop is my only chance of having my only PC. I was kicked out of my last house without a PC, and I've been living with my friend for 2 months now. He has no extra laptop/PC I can use.

Edit: I can only access public PC's 2 miles away from my house, and I have to walk there every time because I broke my bicycle's gear changer. It's annoying as hell that I can't play PC games either, and the public PC's are restricted heavily on what I can/cannot do.

 

[Eric3742]

Hi

You have a lot of things to do before you can use this Sony Vaio.

But there is one thing you can do.

Since you are able to access public PC, get to know some computer geeks to assist you.
Some of these geek like to "play" with computer and also fixing &or repair computer.
Be their friend, and later ask them to assist you.
In this way, you can save and get what is need to get your laptop up and running.
Most geek do keep spare parts with them.

If they help you, all the best.

If not, try to ask them what's wrong with your laptop.

Bring along the laptop, and when you use the Public PC, they may interested in why you do not use your laptop.
Then make friends and ......

 

[Richardc267]

Hi

You have a lot of things to do before you can use this Sony Vaio.

But there is one thing you can do.

Since you are able to access public PC, get to know some computer geeks to assist you.
Some of these geek like to "play" with computer and also fixing &or repair computer.
Be their friend, and later ask them to assist you.
In this way, you can save and get what is need to get your laptop up and running.
Most geek do keep spare parts with them.

If they help you, all the best.

If not, try to ask them what's wrong with your laptop.

Bring along the laptop, and when you use the Public PC, they may interested in why you do not use your laptop.
Then make friends and ......

Here's the pro's and cons to the public PC's I access here.

Pro's: Anyone can access the PC's. This is a college town (UCSB campus).

Cons: It's mostly students who have no fooking clue about PC's. The one place I spend the most time at...they have NO idea how to use these PC's, so hardly any of them are computer geeks, and most of them have no knowledge on PC software/hardware. I am usually the one asked how the hell to even PRINT something, much less anything else. Me finding anyone PC savvy here is like finding a $100 bill on the ground, otherwise I would follow your suggestion. The only students that visit here are only writing up papers for class.

 

[rvcjew]

Hi

You have a lot of things to do before you can use this Sony Vaio.

But there is one thing you can do.

Since you are able to access public PC, get to know some computer geeks to assist you.
Some of these geek like to "play" with computer and also fixing &or repair computer.
Be their friend, and later ask them to assist you.
In this way, you can save and get what is need to get your laptop up and running.
Most geek do keep spare parts with them.

If they help you, all the best.

If not, try to ask them what's wrong with your laptop.

Bring along the laptop, and when you use the Public PC, they may interested in why you do not use your laptop.
Then make friends and ......

Here's the pro's and cons to the public PC's I access here.

Pro's: Anyone can access the PC's. This is a college town (UCSB campus).

Cons: It's mostly students who have no fooking clue about PC's. The one place I spend the most time at...they have NO idea how to use these PC's, so hardly any of them are computer geeks, and most of them have no knowledge on PC software/hardware. I am usually the one asked how the hell to even PRINT something, much less anything else. Me finding anyone PC savvy here is like finding a $100 bill on the ground, otherwise I would follow your suggestion. The only students that visit here are only writing up papers for class.

I would give the bookstore a shot and see if they will diagnose your machine for free or not.
Computer Repair

 

[Richardc267]

Hi

You have a lot of things to do before you can use this Sony Vaio.

But there is one thing you can do.

Since you are able to access public PC, get to know some computer geeks to assist you.
Some of these geek like to "play" with computer and also fixing &or repair computer.
Be their friend, and later ask them to assist you.
In this way, you can save and get what is need to get your laptop up and running.
Most geek do keep spare parts with them.

If they help you, all the best.

If not, try to ask them what's wrong with your laptop.

Bring along the laptop, and when you use the Public PC, they may interested in why you do not use your laptop.
Then make friends and ......

Here's the pro's and cons to the public PC's I access here.

Pro's: Anyone can access the PC's. This is a college town (UCSB campus).

Cons: It's mostly students who have no fooking clue about PC's. The one place I spend the most time at...they have NO idea how to use these PC's, so hardly any of them are computer geeks, and most of them have no knowledge on PC software/hardware. I am usually the one asked how the hell to even PRINT something, much less anything else. Me finding anyone PC savvy here is like finding a $100 bill on the ground, otherwise I would follow your suggestion. The only students that visit here are only writing up papers for class.

I would give the bookstore a shot and see if they will diagnose your machine for free or not.
Computer Repair

Alright. I'll look into it, it'll have to wait until tomorrow though, since I quit carrying the laptop into town all the time. It's at my friend's place right now, and I'm not wasting 2 hours walking it (still have to fix my bike first).

Edit: I haven't taken it anywhere else because last I knew, they charged over $50 just to inspect PC's & run diagnostics *rolls my eyes*.

 

[Richardc267]

Well, I got some bad news about the laptop. The techs at the shop I took it to at the bookstore were obviously too busy to really look at my laptop (and they dont even sell you PC parts, just references where you can). Anyway, I finally talked to the guy who gave me the laptop. He either overheated the GPU or the CPU, hence why the screen isnt turning on (probably).

Plus side...well, kinda "plus", a friend gave me a laptop, but it's ANCIENT! lol. It's a Sony Vaio from 2000. It even has a floppy disk drive, and a 56K Modem! No Ethernet ports on laptops back then yet. So now I have a Windows 98 laptop with 64MB of RAM. LoL. Funny part of it all is, both the ancient laptop and the one with the screen problem, the plug (19.5v) fits in both of them and it works in the ancient laptop. Now maybe I can find some old DDR laptop RAM sticks....

I now need a USB wireless doohicky, but the laptop has 1.1 USB slots. lol. At least now I can play old 1990's PC games on this thing, I just need a USB flash drive now to transfer files.

The model of the laptop is PCG-9241

The laptop is so damn old, I don't think its on Sony's website anymore. I think I might try putting another OS on it. Maybe Windows ME. I always did like that one. Assuming I can get my hands on a CD.

Edit: I am also looking for a tutorial video on how I can gain access to the hard drive. There's no panel I can unscrew to get to it. It looks like I have to take the whole back off, and I don't want to mess it up. I've tried looking for one, but my Google-Fu is bad.