HP Notebook - 17-by0053cl Broken Hinge, NOT DROPPED

[QStory]

Hello,

I have an HP Laptop and the hinge is broken, and the casing above the keyboard is now cracked and lifting up. This thing only sits on a desk all day everyday. The pure act of opening and closing it has broken the hinge! I have read on other forums that this is a known issue, and that in later models they actually changed the design... Any thoughts on getting it repaired?

Thanks,

Q

[Huffer]

Hinges are a problem in all brands of modern thin laptops. It can be repaired. The problem is it first needs to be diagnosed by someone who knows what to look for. You need to replace the hinges, that is a given but you also may need to replace the lower casing and possibly the back of the screen housing and maybe other parts, too. The big plastic chassis parts can be hard to locate and the prices are all over the board. HP likely no longer has them in stock and you would have to go to eBay or a laptop parts house. I have done this repair quite a few times and it is quite extensive as you have to move all the internals (motherboard, etc.) over into a new case and reassemble from the ground up. HP may intervene here and offer some help. I encourage you to take whatever assistance HP will offer, but it is unlikely to be a free repair. I am happy to answer questions and provide links to videos, manuals, etc. and help locate parts. Only very rarely does a Forum User decide to repair this out of his/her own pocket once the scope of the repair becomes clear. Almost everyone except the occasional person with electronic repair skills and hence free labor just opts for a new laptop.