Yes We Can!!!

So, the Isle of Hile learned a new trade this week - electronic assembly and repair. We were faced with a broken computer, an expired warranty, and no way to watch all of our favorite TV shows online! Oh, yes, and of course, John uses it for homework.

After plenty of online research and running some diagnostic tests we received this error message from the infinitely intelligent computer:

Error Code: 3700:011BMsg: Expected processor fan on high RPM of 3900. Detected fan RPM = 0.

So basically the fan was inoperable, and the computer would overheat and shut off every 20 minutes. We ordered a new refurbished fan, and set to work following the Dell instructions for removing and replacing the fan. The instructions were as follows:

• To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface. (yikes!)
• Remove the hard drive (ok, we can do that)
• Remove the optical drive (no big deal)
• Remove the modem (so that's what that looks like)
• Remove the keyboard cover (almost cracked it in half)
• Remove the keyboard (are you sure this is a good idea?!)
• Remove the WLAN card (underneath the keyboard. hey, maybe we should be keeping track of all these screws...)
• Remove the display assembly (they want me to take the monitor off?)
• Remove all memory modules (there is no way we are going to bed on time tonight)
• Remove the microprocessor thermal-cooling assembly (the what?)
• Remove the microprocessor module (feeling reeeally uncomfortable now)
• Remove the palm rest (we really should have kept track of these screws...)
• Take out the system board (maybe we should have just paid somebody)
• Remove the fan from the system board (sigh of fear)

After this long and grueling process, we finally got to the fan. And after opening it up, we found a large dust ball lodged between the fan blades. SOO, the computer is now working... in fact I am typing on it right now!

So even though we stayed up until 1am last night fixing our computer... I have to say that the Hiles have quite the god-complex today. We are now looking forward to our next adventure: taking over the world.

The culprit.