In this post I explain how you can fix a known video problem on some HP laptops without actually taking it apart. Most likely the fix is not permanent but this will buy you some time, enough to backup personal files or even use the laptop until you get a new one. There is no guaranty this fix work 100%.
Here are some HP models affected by this known video failure problem: HP Pavilion dv2000, dv6000, dv9000, tx1000 tablet PC, Compaq 700, v3000, v6000 and probably some others.
If you know more models, please mention them in comments after this post.
CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM:
As I know, the video problem somehow related to NVIDIA chip located on the motherboard. Overtime the NVIDIA chip separates from the motherboard and the laptop video fails.
SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM:
When you turn on the laptop, all LEDs light up but there is no video on the laptop screen or external monitor. The laptop screen remains completely black and blank. The cooling fan spins as normal, on some models it stars spinning right away on other models after some time.
I found this trick mentioned by Walliot (comment 85) in this post. This trick called “towel fix” and used to fix “no video” issue in xbox360.
HOW TO FIX:
1. Remove laptop battery and hard drive.
2. Plug the AC adapter and turn on the laptop. Make sure the laptop is actually on, all LEDs should work.
3. Wrap the laptop with towels so all air intakes are closed.
4. Keeps the laptop wrapped in the towel for about one hours.
5. Unplug the AC adapter from the wall the let the laptop cool down (do not touch it for a while).
6. Unwrap the laptop and try tuning it on.
I didn’t really believe that this trick might work and tried it just because of curiosity but… IT WORKED!!!!
LAPTOP #1. HP tx1000 Tablet PC.
First, I tried this fix on a failed HP tx1000 Tablet PC.
I didn’t have paper towels at work but I had plenty of bubble wrap.
I closed the laptop in a tablet mode (with hard drive and battery removed), plugged the AC adapter and wrapped the laptop properly in bubble wrap.
After that I just waited for about two hours and unplugged AC adapter from the wall.
Waited for about 30 minutes and tried turning it on.
Success!!! The laptop started with video.
I just couldn’t stop and tried the fix on another failed laptop.
LAPTOP #2. HP Pavilion dv6000.
This is a different model with very similar failure symptoms. It turns on, all LED lights work but there is no video.
This time I didn’t something extra. To make sure there is no cool air coming into the laptop though bubble wrap, I closed all air vents with sticky tape.
After that I turned on the laptop from AC adapter (again with hard drive and battery removed) and wrapped the laptop base with bubble wrap.
The laptop was running like that for about 60-70 minutes but then I noticed that all LED lights went off. Not sure what happened, maybe the laptop overheated too much and shut down on its own. Anyway, I didn’t touch it for about 30 minutes and let it cool down.
My fix was successful again! The laptop turned on with video and booted to the desktop.
HOW THIS FIX WORKS:
Here’s my understanding of how this fix works.
When you run a laptop wrapped in towels (bubble wrap in my case), it gets very hot because there is no air circulation inside the heatsink. The heatsink and GPU (NVIDIA chip) run so hot that it melt solder between the chip and motherboard and the video chip gets resoldered to the motherboard.
Now I have to test for how long this fix last. 
RELATED POSTS:
In one of the previous posts I explained how I fixed failed video chip by backing the motherboard in an oven.
In one of the following posts I explain how to reflow failed NVIDIA graphics chip with a heat gun.
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February 20th, 2012 at 1:50 am
I have about 7 or 8 HP Pavilion boards in the computer room. I tried eBay to get so called refurbished motherboards for DV6000′s. Next I started to look for TX1000 boards. After I got 4 bad DV6000 boards from power sellers, I decided to try the heat gun trick. I took apart a TX1000, used foil that I folded & made a 1″ cut out. First I put the gun on low & warmed up the top side of the board. Next I took the heat gun [Note I timed how long it took to get the solder to start to flow. In my case 9-10 seconds heating up a small piece of solder on a penny.] Now that I knew how to time it, I got my cell phone, started the stop watch & when I got to like 20-30 seconds [I waited for a zero, ya know 20, 30, with the heat gun on "HIGH", at 1" away from the chip I timed it to 10 seconds. Just as I was about to lift the heat gun, I had a oven mitt on my free hand, I pressed as hard as I could for about 3 seconds, let the board cool [which took about 5 minutes.] Then I put it back together. Note: I had a set of feeler gauges from my tool box & I measured the space between the Heatsink & the GPU.I decided to do this because that thermal glob that HP calls a thermal pad, was all balled up from over heating. The gap was the same thickness as a penny so you know what I used for a shim. I even went as far as getting a penny from 1981 because 81 was the last year for solid copper pennies. It took me 35 minutes to assemble the notebook, started it up & it was like new. I even got my missing wifi to show up in device manager & actually work. I used this method on 2 TX1000 series notebooks/tablets. My $118 investment for the 2 ended up being sold for $225 each. Now I’m getting out all my DV6000 motherboards so I can finally sell them. Note, I test them for a few days because if the first heat didn’t work, I’d just do it again. Once you do it a couple of times it’s just like no job at all. It took me more time thinking about doing it than just doing it. What did I have to loose? Broken notebooks? Oh yeah & the temperature? I was getting readings in the 50′s [Celsius] Both ended up in the mid 30′s which is perfect. I di buy a small sheet of copper so I could make my own shims & toss the thermal pads…. Good luck to you guys who decide to try it. Hey, if I can do it, you can too. Take care, Dan
January 23rd, 2012 at 7:59 am
I forgot! after all, the chip is working but it gets really warm, it’d be useful to buy a cooling stand if you dont want to disasembly the whole computer…
Good luck to everyone!
Thanks again!
January 23rd, 2012 at 7:52 am
THANK YOU! THANK YOU AND THANK YOU!
IT F*** WORKS! I wrapped it up with plastic cooking wrap (the cheapest) and then with the towel. I wrapped it hard tied. No air at all! I switched on for 1 hour and a half. It got really warm. (do not forget to remove the battery and the HardDisk)
Then let it chilling out for more than 45 minutes to chill out (with the plastic and the towel on) and it worked. unbelievable!
The chip is Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS
Besides my computer is not a compaq o HP but a COMPAL one!
COMPAL IFT00
Thank you so much!
January 13th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
@ sakthi,
Sorry cannot help here. I’m not fixing motherboards on the component level.
January 13th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
@ Kiwi,
How about the over method. Do you think nothing is exposed to too much heat?
I would say the heat gun method would be preferred if you are able to disassemble the laptop and remove the motherboard.
On the other hand, if you need just a quick fix in order to access the data, you can try bubblewrap method. It doesn’t require any laptop disassembly.
January 13th, 2012 at 4:59 am
Hi,
I am sakthi, I have one Compaq 610 Laptop.Its motherboard power regulating IC Out put giving only 4.9 volt and other 3.3volt,1.7volt out put failed.It has a TPS5162 IC.I am unable get it in Chennai-India.Is there any equivalent IC or How to solve this problem KINDLY HELP ME. ADVANCE THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY.
by
s.sAKTHI
January 12th, 2012 at 3:05 am
For everyone who wants to FIX his broken laptop,
i’d strongly recommend to use the oven OR heatgun reflow method..
This bubblewrap is a good theory, but you have to think about the other components, which get EXPOSED to TOO MUCH HEAT..
This will only shorten your laptop’s life..
You can better investt 3 – 4 hours in taking apart the laptop,
and do a oven or heatgun reflow (heatgun beaing the best),
it will satisfy you way more with a good working laptop..
Also invest in good thermal paste! (or new thermal pads!)
Good thing you put the information up cj2600,
but you should warn other surfers for the damage they could do to their laptops if they use your bubblewrap method..
January 8th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
Wow, thanks lot, it worked and laptop got even to a better state than before. I had some strange lines on the screen for few months and it worked only with generic driver (hanging with nvidia drivers).
After heating everything is back to original state
December 28th, 2011 at 11:00 am
@ Santanu Sengupta,
If the graphics chip failed, most likely any repair will not last for a long time.
If you would like to fix it yourself, you can try this heatgun repair trick:
http://www.laptoprepair101.com.....hics-chip/
December 28th, 2011 at 3:45 am
Hi,
I ma trying to do the exercise on my HP tx 1200, which has the same identical symptoms. It is not opening now although it is getting th power on. I went to HP Tthey sais they cant repair and i have have to pay 450$ for new mother board. I said thank you & went to another laptop repair shop.They said it is the Nvidia chip problem and they would replace it. And would cost me $150.What should I do? Cant it be soldered and fixed, while i buy in good time a new one.Please suggest.
Santanu