One of the more “popular” units we’ve been seeing lately is the DV7 series laptops. Being popular around here is never a good thing, either. 😉
We get the DV7 units in for a very wide variety of issues. Of course, we get broken laptops in all day long here- some have viruses, some have bad hard drives, some have cracked screens, but then they all have issues which are more well known for. Some of the reasons we get DV7 (Entertainment and Envy models) in for are:
Bad Fan. The DV7 definitely needs to remain cool. If your fan is going bad, the bottom of the machine may feel warmer than it used to, the fan may start making a funny noise, or the unit might just shut off while you’re using it (this is to protect itself from further damage).
Black or Blank screen at boot up. If the CAPS LOCK button blinks a set number of times while the screen is dark, you might be “lucky”. If you can hear the machine booting and the Windows loading music you likely have a relatively simple screen issue. However, if you press the power button, all the lights come on, and nothing happens on the screen, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. HP DV7 units get graphics chip issues. This usually means replacing the mohterboard. Of course, there are a lot of stories on the Internet of “placing the motherboard in an oven”. Of course, this does absolutely nothing to help with ball grid array components such as a graphics processing unit.
AC adapter issues. The DV7 units need a GENUINE HP 90W AC adapter. If you are using a cheap aftermarket adapter (or an expensive aftermarket adapter) chances are, you’re going to have problems. These issues can present themselves in a variety of ways.
Hinge problems. We receive quite a few of these units in with broken hinges, or where the lid of the laptop is coming apart from the hinges preventing the unit from opening and closing properly.
If you have a HP DV7 with any of these issues feel free to reach out to us. We offer free diagnostics and are always eager to help. More information on laptop repair is also available on our laptop repair page.