“Repair is always harder on devices designed to resist it. Admittedly, I caused it to break”
Lee reveals how not to cook a wet laptop, why hubris can derail repair and how much blood an exploding LCD panel will extract from a technician
It’s my fault, really. Two months ago (see issue 343, p112), I scoffed at the notion that repair was dangerous. Just a few Thursdays later, I was prepping for the PC podcast (pcpro.link/discord) with my left hand, while Alison band-aided my right. Hubris had called to remind me it’s still the guv’nor.
Like most occupations, repair should have a 100% safety record, but sometimes this percentage drops with unexpected rapidity. Predicting when things are about to go wrong isn’t always straightforward. This particular customer assured me that it was a simple screen repair, which he was certain I could complete easily. Naturally, one enjoys a bit of ego buffing, yet I’ll remain forever grateful that he didn’t catch sight of me hours later with his screen in my hand and blood dripping off my elbow.
Replacing a laptop screen has always been a lottery. Some bezels have retaining screws just below the hinge and require the entire display assembly to be removed before things can be fettled. Touchscreen displays must be carefully separated and peeled away from the top cover while remaining ever
