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Dead laptop

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ScreenFoo:
Hopefully it is the PSU, usually is on desktops, that's for sure.

Interesting info on the GPU's though--I remember hearing something about how nearly half of those original 360's had bad solder joints...  I'd just point out that the vast majority of VLSI chips are incredibly fragile when it comes to heat--the people who do this type of work use something similar to a conveyor oven--called a "wave soldering" machine that, on the fancy models, can literally track the temperature of multiple chips as it goes through the machine.  The vast majority of chips will break down if subjected to the temperature that will melt solder paste.  The trick is, these leads, and the traces connected on the boards, have far less thermal inertia than the chips 'package', and so the leads and traces 'fuse', while the package is still many degrees cooler.  (sound familiar?   :) )A great trick is to use a piece of metal (small angle iron works well)  the same size as the chip, and hold it on with a pair of pliers--then a small soldering pencil or smaller than normal heat gun can hit the traces that are iffy, reflowing the solder joint--without heating up the package, or more importantly, the die housed inside.

If the things trashed anyway, you might as well make it into a science experiment, right?   

Gilligan:
ScreenFoo... I'm with you on the fact this seems silly.  BUT, it's done all the time.  One article I read the guy took a heat gun to piece of solder on a penny and timed it.  This is how he calculated how long he needed to hold the heat gun on the chip.  Obviously not very scientific but the average person doesn't have a work over station with that kind of gear.

My buddy has done the overheat trick with several 360's (including mine) and it has worked... this also included adding some bolts to the heatsink and cranking on them while hot.

The idea of this flux is to get the solder flowing faster, I know it works with regular solder as I have used it there... but that is a paste I've used, this stuff is a clear liquid that you "drizzle" under the chip.

Crazy but in the end, if your unit is fried, you got nothing to lose.  My only problem is that I hate charging someone so much with no warranty on if it will work for longer than a day after.  I'm just upfront as I can about it and if they want me to try then I try... I hope in the end it works otherwise I run the risk of looking like a swindler.

broadway:
I have used the Apricorn universal drive adapter to  transfer files from a dead computer. Very simple to use.

Chadwick:
Yeah I've heard of baking PCB boards before.
I say go for it,

BUT!
As I said before,

Back up your data!
Then have at it.

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