Search online for a fix before you toss that gadget
Posted
Jun 19 2008, 09:03 AM
by
Karen Datko
This post comes from Xin Lu at partner blog Wise Bread.
My husband and I often search online for fixes for our electronics problems because if a gadget is out of warranty it often costs quite a bit to get it fixed. When we find a solution that is not hard to implement, we figure we might as well try it. We have been able to fix many things, including computers and handhelds.
Lately my husband's Nintendo DS Lite has been giving him problems. Namely, the shoulder buttons at the top of the portable gaming console have been sporadically unresponsive. He has been using my DS, and he was thinking of buying a new one. However, today he found a great low-tech fix on the Internet that saved us more than $100.
Apparently, all he had to do was turn off the machine, put his mouth around the buttons and blow a couple times. He found the solution in a post by "SonOfTheSky05" at the GameSpot forums, and it worked perfectly. I have to say thank you to this random poster for saving us from spending money or creating more waste.
If you have a popular product with a commonly known problem, it is often quite easy to find a solution. When you look online, make sure you search for the correct product and model. For the Nintendo DS problem, you can find many reasonable solutions by typing "Nintendo DS L button broken" into a search engine.
Another online resource is the manufacturer's Web site. You can usually find detailed technical manuals and forums at the Web site's support section. In a forum you should describe your problem carefully and ask for help. Posting messages that simply say "my stuff broke" would probably not get you many useful responses. Describe what you tested on your gadget and what exactly is broken, and you may find a helpful response.
Finally, I came across a site called Fixya. It is a hub for people to ask questions about broken electronics and experts who will answer the questions for free. It seems to have a lot of content after being live for about a year.
In many instances you do not have to be an electrical engineer to fix your electronics, and you could save hundreds of dollars by doing it yourself. However, if you have a warranty on your gadget, I recommend sending it to the manufacturer for professional service, because opening electronics on your own voids the warranty. Otherwise, the next time your things break, do not despair and consult the Internet.
Other articles of interest at Wise Bread:
My best advice for new graduates
The benefits of a walkable neighborhood
Great ways to recycle old containers
