TutorialsHardware

BIOS CMOS Password Reset Method That Actually Works

Written by Marc Roberge | 22 December 2011

A client brought in a laptop a few weeks ago with the rather thorny issue of being locked out of his computer because someone had inadvertently set a BIOS password and, worse, enabled fingerprint security. While in many cases simply cracking open the laptop and removing the CMOS battery for a few minutes or locating the reset jumper will do the trick, this particular laptop was playing hardball.

Not very old, this Acer Travelmate running Vista had a Phoenix BIOS and I had quickly exhausted any trick I had. So, as any normal PC tech who runs up against a wall, I turned to Google and started sorting through all the garbage posts and forum threads that led nowhere. The "backdoor" passwords being suggested, which I suspect are a load of hogwash but tried regardless, didn't work. Trying to boot up into Hiren's and running the DOS based BIOS apps didn't work. Add a comment

SMART: A Failure May Be Imminent

Written by Marc Roberge | 03 August 2011

When booting your computer, you may have noticed the word SMART (or rather the acronym S.M.A.R.T.) pop up on the P.O.S.T. screen (white text on a black screen) and paid little mind to what it is or what it does. That is of course until, one day, your computer doesn’t happily chug along and boot into your Windows, MAC OS or Linux install, but rather, halts on the post screen and displays a warning predicting imminent hard drive failure and prompting you to perform a backup ASAP. Instantly, you transform into the geek equivalent of Jack Bauer as you race against the clock to get your data backups done and your hard drive replaced before your world comes crashing down around you.

But wait! Do you even know what S.M.A.R.T. is? How does it “know” your hard drive is about to fail? And how accurate is this prediction? Is it some highly subjective Nostradamus type of prophecy? Add a comment

Step By Step Guide to Taking Apart A Netbook

Written by Marc Roberge | 03 April 2011

In this tutorial, I will show you how to take apart an Acer Aspire One Netbook for repairs. Every time a unit comes into the shop requiring internal repairs, I like to take pictures of the process in order to provide you with an easy to follow teardown guide.

This little guy came in for repairs because the owner accidentally dropped it and lost wireless function.

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How to open a Nintendo Wii

Written by Marc Roberge | 14 December 2010

How_To_Open_A_Nintendo_Wii How to open a Wii console – a step by step guide with pictures.

In order to open your Wii, you will need three precision screwdrivers. You will need a Philips (star), Slot and Tri-Wing. The first 2 can be taken from any precision screwdriver set, the type you would get for computer and electronic repairs. The tri-wing screwdriver can be bought online from dozens of retailers including eBay. Simply Google “tri-wing screwdriver” and you will have your pick of where to buy yours.

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How to replace a broken LCD panel on an HP G62 or G72 Laptop

Written by Marc Roberge | 30 October 2010

It seems half of the computer repairs I’ve been performing lately or laptop LCD panels. A few of them have been cracked panels from having suffered some for of drop or blow. Most of them, however, have been from damaged circuit boards. I find it more prevalent among screen sizes of 17” and up and I suspect it has to do with how people handle these larger screens. Most people don’t realize that there is a thin circuit board mounted on the back of the LCD panel and that, in most cases, it spans most of the width of the screen.

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