Taking
care of the various parts of laptops or laptops, protecting them from damage,
and using them correctly is one of the important factors in extending the life
of the device in general, and it should not only be limited to the electronic
parts in the laptop, but there are also non-electronic parts that may be fixed
or movable, but they During use, it is exposed to mechanical and thermal
stresses that make it susceptible to damage over time, such as the laptop
screen back cover, and the hinges that connect the screen to the laptop body.
While it is possible to replace broken laptop hinges with new ones, it is a
rather difficult process, but finding the hinges that match the model of the
device can take a lot of time and be expensive. So, sometimes, breaking the
laptop's hinges means starting the journey of searching for a new device to
buy.
Therefore,
in this article, we will specifically address the best practices that are
recommended to preserve and protect the hinges of the laptop from being broken.
The
hinges in the laptop are the part that connects the screen to the bottom part
in which the keyboard rests in the device, but their function also extends to
protecting the cables that connect the screen to the motherboard as well as the
webcam and Wi-Fi antennas, and they are rotatable to allow the screen cover to
be folded over the panel keys when closing the device, or lifting the lid when
you want to open and operate it. Most laptops come with a pair of hinges on
either side of the bottom edge of the screen so that each hinge holds 50% of
the weight of the device, but in other devices, the hinges are a single part in
the middle of the bottom bezel of the screen.
Reasons why laptop hinges are damaged
The
most common causes of laptop hinges breaking or hitting a hard object
forcefully during carrying, movement, opening, and use, along with design flaws
and the natural wear of the hinges with use over time, is that many inexpensive
laptops are made of inferior materials that do not With high mechanical
durability to reduce cost, hinges usually break after only one or two years of
use. Some users sometimes forget pens or solid objects on the laptop keyboard
frame and then fold the screen to turn off the device when they are in a hurry,
and this act is also one of the common reasons for laptop hinges to break.
The effect of broken laptop hinges on the safety of other parts
Broken
laptop hinges may sometimes cause damage to various parts of the device, such
as the screen cable, which becomes exposed as a result of broken hinges and is
subject to damage as well, which in turn may cause damage to the screen and its
display of outputs in a distorted way, such as displaying the image with black
lines, missing parts or colors If the problem is not treated immediately. The
problem of broken laptop hinges can be noticed as soon as it occurs simply when
you find that you are no longer able to keep the laptop screen open and that it
has become loose
Tips to avoid breaking laptop hinges
● Correct
practices while using the laptop help avoid damage to some parts and extend the
life of the device. The hinges of the laptop can be preserved and protected
from breakage for as long as possible by following the following tips:
● Avoid
buying laptops that are made of inferior materials, because despite their low
price, they will cost you more money to repair frequent faults before you have
to abandon them in the end because of their short life and buy new ones.
If the device that you
purchased is already made of low-cost materials and does not have high
mechanical strength, try not to risk moving it and carry it with you wherever
you go as much as possible, preferably keeping it still on a flat surface such
as a desk or table where you place it during use and do not try to move it too
much.
● Avoid using excessive
force to lift the screen part to open the laptop, and avoid carrying or moving
the device while it is open from the screen part instead of closing it and
carrying it or moving it from the bottom base.
● Avoid completely
opening or closing the laptop by raising the screen from the right or left
corner, as this may help to break the hinges of the laptop, but always make
sure to open and close the laptop from the middle of the top edge of the screen
completely, or from both angles together while holding the screen with both
hands This helps distribute the stress on both joints equally and does not
break either of them.
● Always be careful when locking the device and make sure that you do not forget something jammed between the laptop body and the screen when trying to fold it to lock the device, as pressure on the body jammed between the two parts will cause the laptop to break.
● Be
sure to carry the device properly while moving. Fold the screen first correctly
as mentioned earlier, then put the laptop into a suitable bag and move it
wherever you want, but avoid hitting the bag with something hard or falling on
the ground.
● Completely avoid carrying and moving the laptop when the screen is raised or half-raised, as this creates a dynamic load on the hinges, which weakens them and may eventually break them.
How to fix the problem of broken laptop hinges
Treating
the problem of broken laptop hinges as soon as it occurs is useful in
protecting other parts of the laptop from damage, and extending the life of the
device at a low cost instead of having to buy a new laptop. The only way to
solve the problem of broken laptop hinges is to replace them with new ones.
This
process is not very complicated, but it needs to be very careful, as installing
new hinges always requires opening the screen cover and opening the inside of
the laptop. The method of opening this part varies, of course, depending on the
design of each device, so you will need to read the user manual that comes with
the device before changing the hinges, or use a specialized technician to take
on this task.
In
the event that you followed the instructions of the user manual and succeeded
in opening the interior of the laptop, the next steps required to replace the
damaged hinges with new ones are as follows:
● Remove the battery and power cable from the laptop, then remove the hard disk and memory modules as well.
● Loosen
and remove all screws on the bottom and side edges of the laptop.
● Be
sure to keep a diagram or other markings so that you can put the screws back in
their correct places afterward.
● Remove
the keyboard that you just unscrewed after removing its plug from the
motherboard. The keyboard does not have any screws on some devices so we removed
all the screws in the previous step as a precaution.
● Use
a flat screwdriver to loosen and gently remove the keyboard frame, which is
located along the top edge of the keyboard.
● Remove hinge covers, if present.
● Remove
the cables that connect the LCD screen to the motherboard.
● Then
remove the set of screws that secure the monitor to the computer base, and then
gently pull the display away from the computer base.
● Remove
all screws holding the two halves of the display connectors together.
● Separate the front bezel of the screen from the LCD screen with your fingers
carefully and gently, and avoid pressing too hard, as it may break either of
them.
● Disconnect the video cable from the screen, then remove the LCD screen from
the cover.
● Remove the screws that secure the hinges to the display.
Finally,
install the new hinges in place of the damaged hinges you removed, then
properly re-tighten the screws you removed in the previous step. Finally,
reverse all the previous steps to return each part to its place and assemble
the device again.
The
previous process becomes more complicated if there is a break in the frame of
the LCD screen or a hole in the cover surrounding it. In this case, it may seem
at first glance as if the laptop hinges are broken, but by examining the
device, it will become clear that the gaps in which the screws that fix the
screen frame are deformed, but there is no need to worry, you can still replace
the screen cover with a new one to solve this problem.
Always
remember that prevention is better than cure and that you can avoid all this
suffering from the ground up by adhering to the proper practices while using
the laptop and protecting the hinges from damage or breakage by following the
tips we mentioned.