help me sabotage my laptop

[SoreArms]

Let's rewind a bit and let me say that this is the 3rd lap top I've had from Best Buy since the first time I purchased one, several years a go with extended warranty. The first one "legitimately" broke down, I took it in for repairs, since the laptop features advance so much each year the cost of the repairs exceeded the cost of a new lap top with better features, so they game a new one (full credit for what I had paid almost 2 years prior). The extended warranty is then void, but you can buy it again for the new one (about $300). So I bought the warranty again, took that laptop back a little over a year later, bought the warranty again and now we're here, my current lap top with a two year warranty plan that expires in January.

I think it's time to take this one back for an exchange. I'm not sure if it has and athlon or a celeron processor but when i got it they were discontinuing those processors, so there's a big chance that they'll replace this one too, depending on the problem. It's given me a few problems in recent months but nothing big that would instantly convince them to exchange it for me. I am looking for ways to sabotage the computer without opening it. Motherboard and/or processor problems would be best.

Help me out nugs

 

[redguru]

Hard to create a motherboard or processor problem since there are no mechanical components. Hard drive would be easy. I doubt you have a vibration table handy to do random frequency vibration at about 30g?

 

[SoreArms]

hd probs are no good, it'd be easy and cheap for them to replace it. Is there some way I can somehow burn out mother board components by somehow feeding electricity at some connection?

 

[redguru]

Do you have a tesla coil?

 

[SoreArms]

If i can't figure anyting else out, I think I am going to remove the hd and ram, and insert the laptop in the microwave for like 5 secs. That ought to fry all the components out, I just hope it doesn't fry up the LCD, leaving tell tale signs.

 

[chewyxrage]

If i can't figure anyting else out, I think I am going to remove the hd and ram, and insert the laptop in the microwave for like 5 secs. That ought to fry all the components out, I just hope it doesn't fry up the LCD, leaving tell tale signs.

hmmm....that could work. What about fuckin around with a magnet....or does that just erase data?

 

[redguru]

hmmm....that could work. What about fuckin around with a magnet....or does that just erase data?

A large electromagnet will only affect storage media, possibly the LCD screen if turned on.

 

[gonelifting]

Put it in an MRI machine. Break your leg or thorax and try and sneak in the laptop in with you to the MRI place. Is the laptop skin color? Good luck man.

 

[redguru]

Put it in an MRI machine. Break your leg or thorax and try and sneak in the laptop in with you to the MRI place. Is the laptop skin color? Good luck man.

Not a lot of fluid dipoles in a laptop, I doubt it would affect it much.

 

[chewyxrage]

Use nanites.

 

[Mr. dB]

Spill a bottle of water on it while it's running. Any other drink will leave sticky residue. After you're sure the water has blown the motherboard, let the laptop sit open on its side for a week or so to let the water evaporate and/or run out. Then just take it in and say "it died".

I had a Diet Coke spill on my Thinkpad in the summer of '04, while I was at work. It fried. The spill was my fault too. I left the computer on its side for a week to let as much Coke run out as I could, then called IBM support. They replaced the motherboard and processor under warranty.

 

[SoreArms]

I want to take it today, so that's too much time to wait. Besides water leaves moisture spots. I've already had a stereo denied warranty for that, of course, I didn't know it had gotten wet so I didn't turn it on it's side or let it vent out.

 

[blut wump]

I was going to say "Do you have a microwave?". Looks like you got there already.

Microwave should fritz the ram. You might be able to dismantle parts of the machine and fritz them too before putting them back. Careful with any ribbon cables since they might leave tell-tale burn marks. Any chips should go very, very quickly.

If you can get it running while the insides are visible, you might be able to short out some of the legs on some chips to fry them. Any old bit of wire or bit of metal will suffice.

 

[cwc73]

Shoot it with a Desert Eagle .50 cal and take it back to best buy, and tell them "It just died."

 

[SoreArms]

5 secs in there seems to have done the trick. No sparks and very little smoke but the thing is completely dead now.

One small detail I left out is that my power supply burnt up a couple of weeks a go. I bought a repalcement (which is ove $100, ouch). SO now I'll make it seem like it a direct result of the power supply going bad.

 

[blut wump]

RIP poor thing.

Best thread ever.

 

[Mr. dB]

I think you'll get screwed if you microwave it. If you must, just consider the possibility that you might be flushing money down the toilet. If you're willing to accept that risk, then (1) take out any removable parts before microwaving -- RAM, hard drive, anything else that's hidden behind an access panel (on my IBM the RAM, modem, hard drive, battery and CD/DVD drive are removable), and (B) microwave it for the shortest time possible -- 1 second. If one second doesn't take it out, then try 2. Anything much more than that is gonna leave telltale signs.

 

[AAP]

Get a syringe and inject static in it.

Or just keep it and hope they don't catch on to your SWAP SHOP program. What if you damaged it and they refused to replace it because of all your past exchanges? It could happen you know.

 

[SoreArms]

too late for regret now buds

 

[redguru]

5 secs in there seems to have done the trick. No sparks and very little smoke but the thing is completely dead now.

One small detail I left out is that my power supply burnt up a couple of weeks a go. I bought a repalcement (which is ove $100, ouch). SO now I'll make it seem like it a direct result of the power supply going bad.

I'd worry about the cabling on the interior, the pliable polymers are going to have tell-tale melting.

 

[chewyxrage]

5 secs in there seems to have done the trick. No sparks and very little smoke but the thing is completely dead now.

One small detail I left out is that my power supply burnt up a couple of weeks a go. I bought a repalcement (which is ove $100, ouch). SO now I'll make it seem like it a direct result of the power supply going bad.

Nice! Let us know how it turns out when you take it back.

 

[SoreArms]

The usual process is that you take it, they send it out to their repair center and 2-3 weeks later you either have a repaired unit or they tell you to get a new one. Well today they told me it was going to HP, pparently they now have contracts with the manufacturers for repairs. This worries me because 1) they are more likely to acutally repair the unit instead of granting a replacement and 2) they will probably scrutinize the damage much much more than Best Buy's repair center might have.

Guess I'll find out the outcome in a couple of weeks. :crossesfingers:

 

[Evil_Frisky]

Don't mess with the Geek Squad dood

 

[blut wump]

We are the squeak god.

 

[Island Son]

The usual process is that you take it, they send it out to their repair center and 2-3 weeks later you either have a repaired unit or they tell you to get a new one. Well today they told me it was going to HP, pparently they now have contracts with the manufacturers for repairs. This worries me because 1) they are more likely to acutally repair the unit instead of granting a replacement and 2) they will probably scrutinize the damage much much more than Best Buy's repair center might have.

Guess I'll find out the outcome in a couple of weeks. :crossesfingers:

nah they cut corners like everybody else, they probably only check a few at random.

a guy on usenet years ago did this every year for 3 years (as of the time of the posting).... leave the laptop next to a humidifier for a week, then let it dry out, and exchange it for a new one.