Satellite Pro 6000 locks up and the screen has weird random pattern

Question

Hi
I recently bought a SP6000 second hand advertised as having "graphics problems". After 10 minutes or so use the laptop locks up and the screen has a weird random pattern all acorss it. The speakers also make a strange buzzing sound. i have to shut down the laptop and reboot.
I updated the bios and the videocard drivers from the toshiba site but it is still doing it. Can anyone help?

Answer 1

You need to make sure that you have a very steady hand and you have a .4mm soldering tip. The joins are very close and surface mounted, one slip of your hand and you can end up soldering 3 or 4 of the connections together and then spend 30 minutes trying to desolder them.
Just like the page said, use a dental pick, or a small plastic pin and see if you can move any of the pins around. I must warn you though, the more you press down and flex the laptop to turn it on the more damage you have probably done to the pins, you may end up with about 8 of them disconnected from the board. Dont use a high wattage soldering iron either...10 to 15watt iron should do the trick. Tin the tip, let it heat up and tap the join between the board and the pin for 1 or 2 seconds and it should do the trick. Easy way to know is you should have a nice shiny bead of solder connecting the pin to the board. If you have that then it has taken. if you see only a dull grey colour then it hasnt taken and is a "dry" solder joint.
One thing you should do before soldering, take some non abrasive rubbing alcohol, dip a cotton swab and rub all along the joins in the top and bottom. Solder oxidises after time...if you dont take the oxidisation off your more than likely to suffer from dry joints. The pins on the right of the connector (front of the laptop facing you" will probably be the ones which have came loose...check them first on the top and bottom of the connector.