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Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

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Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#61

Post by a2ff6eeb0 »

whateverboat wrote: post #40
fwipsy wrote: post #33

Framework seems pretty popular here in general, but nobody really seems to talk about how repairable enterprise laptops are. Some laptops have clips around the edge of the bottom panel to hold it in place, which frequently break. On my brother's T480s, those clips were made out of metal and held in with screws, meaning they were themselves replaceable. More recently I worked on a Dell Precision 7550 laptop, and if yo…

> Framework really caught everyone's attention with the fun DIY repair angle, but Dell/Lenovo/HP have been selling repairable laptops to IT departments for decades. Yeah, but does Dell allow you to change your laptop's mainboard for another mainboard with time? That is such a quantum leap. You do not have to adjust your self to a new keyboard just because you wanted a new processor.

Yeah, every time they change my laptop's mainboard, they definitely do it with a ton of time.

Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#62

Post by Maskawanian »

throwaway2037 wrote: post #39
mananaysiempre wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IIRC the only Frameworks that have a coin cell in them are the 13-inch 11th-gen Intel ones (i.e. the OG model), and it should be right there staring you in the face as you lift the keyboard. There’s indeed a known design flaw[1] around that cell in that it the laptop isn’t wired to drain its own actual battery instead; an email to support or a look on the forums should allow you to sort things out. [1] https://guides…

I looked at the shared link. The laptop manuf is recommending that people solder a wire between two points to eliminate a coin battery from the motherboard. Wild.

Yup, I had to do that to get mine to work. It is a good thing that I am more experienced then the average bear when it comes to soldering. When it was **ed, I could still get it to boot with an AC adapter plugged in, so you can try that.

Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#63

Post by tlhunter »

I have the same AMD 7040 Framework laptop and just had the keyboard fault explained in this thread where the "-", "0", and "P" keys stop working: https://community.frame.work/t/tracking-framework13-keyboard...

While it's nice to know that I can buy a $100 replacement keyboard (I'm about 6 months out of warranty) it's also frustrating that Framework wouldn't own up to what is obviously a manufacturing failure.

Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#64

Post by sounds »

fwipsy wrote: post #33

Framework seems pretty popular here in general, but nobody really seems to talk about how repairable enterprise laptops are. Some laptops have clips around the edge of the bottom panel to hold it in place, which frequently break. On my brother's T480s, those clips were made out of metal and held in with screws, meaning they were themselves replaceable. More recently I worked on a Dell Precision 7550 laptop, and if yo…

In today's blog post, we are all studying the enshittification of the BIOS.

In general, I agree with you that the bigger laptop makers can repair laptops and do an amazing job.

What we're all here for though is 2026. No big company is coming to fix your machines, even big companies are waiting 30+ days for parts availability from the big company bros they bought from. If you're a consumer, forget about it.

"Many of them are Ubuntu-certified as well." I'm calling BS here. Dell and HP hide their limited, paltry Linux offerings in the back of their website. Define your use of "many."

Now we're down to the BIOS. Today's blog post encountered a failed BIOS update, and takes Framework to task for it. Some of the support team at Framework are really cool and would probably have detected this customer is https://xkcd.com/806/

This time he got the strict script follower for customer support. I hope it blows up on Framework.

Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#65

Post by cryo32 »

fwipsy wrote: post #33

Framework seems pretty popular here in general, but nobody really seems to talk about how repairable enterprise laptops are. Some laptops have clips around the edge of the bottom panel to hold it in place, which frequently break. On my brother's T480s, those clips were made out of metal and held in with screws, meaning they were themselves replaceable. More recently I worked on a Dell Precision 7550 laptop, and if yo…

There's repairable and there's repairable and it's not quite as obvious as it seems.

The big issue we see on our Dell and Lenovo units is broken USB-C ports and the only repair method possible there is replace the motherboard. No ports on daughterboards like the MacBooks. And you can't just buy the parts from most vendors. Dell is utterly impossible and with Lenovo half the time they don't actually have any of the parts available or somehow manage to fuck up their shipping so they never turn up. Had to charge back Lenovo/Digital River twice. Zero support at all and impossible to contact anyone. And the whole PART NOT USER SERVICEABLE in the HMMs.

If you want Dell/Lenovo repairs just buy two of whatever.

At the same time iFixit are gushing all over Lenovo who are hell and pissing on Apple. The Apple who don't have this problem and I seem to have no problem getting parts for from their official parts store, the parts actually turn up and work.

Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#66

Post by cryo32 »

QwenGlazer9000 wrote: post #44
fwipsy wrote: post #33

Framework seems pretty popular here in general, but nobody really seems to talk about how repairable enterprise laptops are. Some laptops have clips around the edge of the bottom panel to hold it in place, which frequently break. On my brother's T480s, those clips were made out of metal and held in with screws, meaning they were themselves replaceable. More recently I worked on a Dell Precision 7550 laptop, and if yo…

From my experience they have been getting less repairable. Look at recent thinkpads. My headcannon is that the only reason the T14G7 is as repairable as it is, is due to the whole right to repair movement, including framework.

The recent thinkpads are shit. They market high tech materials in the T14s machines but the bottom for a huge amount of the line is aluminium with plastic mounts glued to it. Those are fragile and break off. So really the whole magnesium alloy thing is performative.

I preferred the older plastic coated Mg chassis ones. At least they were honest about the materials.

Personally I avoid laptops now since the T430 line. Desktops are faster, cheaper, more reliable, easier to repair and replace bits and most of the time I don't need to carry a computer around.

Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#67

Post by qmr »

fwipsy wrote: post #33

Framework seems pretty popular here in general, but nobody really seems to talk about how repairable enterprise laptops are. Some laptops have clips around the edge of the bottom panel to hold it in place, which frequently break. On my brother's T480s, those clips were made out of metal and held in with screws, meaning they were themselves replaceable. More recently I worked on a Dell Precision 7550 laptop, and if yo…

Which thinkpad series? Newer ones seem not so great?

Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#68

Post by quantum5 »

sandreas wrote: post #55
fwipsy wrote: post #33

Framework seems pretty popular here in general, but nobody really seems to talk about how repairable enterprise laptops are. Some laptops have clips around the edge of the bottom panel to hold it in place, which frequently break. On my brother's T480s, those clips were made out of metal and held in with screws, meaning they were themselves replaceable. More recently I worked on a Dell Precision 7550 laptop, and if yo…

You are right... I personally own a T480s and it is a remarkable device, which can be repaired just like the framework (although most parts are no longer available new). I added a glass trackpad (which is way better than the original) and ordered a WQHD Display + Cable to upgrade from FullHD to WQHD (2560x1440?). Batteries can be replaced, RAM can be upgraded (in a way, part of it is soldered) and everything has a un…

> I would bet that this story of a failed BIOS update reaches the support anytime soon and they provide a repair guide or maybe a replaceable BIOS chip. Stories like this are somehow sad but at least they help to improve.

Original author here. I like your optimism, but I've linked multiple threads on their forums with people doing the same problem going back over a year. I also pieced together most of the stuff from people doing external flashing on the forums. Still, no official guides, no changes as far as I can tell. This post is the most detail repair guide available right now.

If something happens after this, it would be because this post got to the top of HN and they have to respond to save face.

Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#69

Post by drdexebtjl »

jorvi wrote: post #58
drdexebtjl wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you overclocked too far, you could remove the CMOS battery or hold the CLR_CMOS button that these high-end boards probably had. Two BIOS chips was supposed to protect you from bad BIOS updates or a bad BIOS mod, just like the scenario from TFA.

Possible they're thinking of certain OC editions of GPUs. Some of them have 2 BIOSes you can switch between with a little slider. Some even 3.

Isn’t that just a gimmick?

I was under the impression that GPU overclocking, overvoltage and fan curve settings were not persistent across reboots.

Re: Fixing a bricked Framework laptop

#70

Post by pudgywalsh »

whateverboat wrote: post #40
fwipsy wrote: post #33

Framework seems pretty popular here in general, but nobody really seems to talk about how repairable enterprise laptops are. Some laptops have clips around the edge of the bottom panel to hold it in place, which frequently break. On my brother's T480s, those clips were made out of metal and held in with screws, meaning they were themselves replaceable. More recently I worked on a Dell Precision 7550 laptop, and if yo…

> Framework really caught everyone's attention with the fun DIY repair angle, but Dell/Lenovo/HP have been selling repairable laptops to IT departments for decades. Yeah, but does Dell allow you to change your laptop's mainboard for another mainboard with time? That is such a quantum leap. You do not have to adjust your self to a new keyboard just because you wanted a new processor.

> but does Dell allow you to change your laptop's mainboard for another mainboard with time

Business laptops are swapped out every few years.

Reusable chassis? Literally no one asked for this, it makes no sense outside of a very, very small community of enthusiasts who think it's cool. Restricting yourself to no mechanical changes/improvements in perpetuity is not the flex you think it is.

Keyboards wear out, the chassis gets dented/scratched. Thermal requirements change.

This feature is for no one.

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