I have done the same thing Vienna, disabling my computer and then trying to get " it repaired. " I even had a trusted Tech guy I have used in the past try to rip me off. Now and then, you have to test them. I ended our business relationship and told him why.

Unfortunately, those sort of business practices are prevalent in other repair businesses like auto repair and others. It pays rich dividends to know something about your equipment like computers or vehicle maintenance like Chris / AVWarhawk or Gary / GT182, Peter / TheBerbster or Rockin Robbins . It's even better if like these gentlemen mentioned, you can do the repairs yourself .

With lithium based batteries, there is an optimal charge state, just over 50%, where the battery does not deteriorate. Both above and below that the battery breaks down chemically, outgassing and filling the bag it come in with the gas. This causes it to swell over time in a laptop, where the charger is keeping it at 100% all the time.

Because of that, there are minimum space requirements around these batteries, which are well-known by manufacturers. But because slim devices are so stylish right now, otherwise smart companies like Samsung and Dell push the limits.

The result is the Galaxy S7 and the Dell XPS, which do not have the clearances to accommodate inevitable battery swelling. It's a design problem, pure and simple, for a long known and normal battery behavior when it is mistreated, as it is in a laptop. It should still last three years as long as the computer itself is properly designed. Unfortunately.... And unfortunately, as the Galaxy S7 debacle proves, the situation isn't just a cosmetic problem. It can result in fires and explosions.

I went in a Radio Shack today. Signs everywhere announcing 80% off, store closing.... :(

This is the trend now. Even for car parts. If you have a less than recent car, chances are some parts can only be traced on ebay.
For the most part, people no longer bother with repairing, they just strut in and buy a newer version of whatever. I think it is the result of a few factors in modern society: affordability, fast paced lifestyles, and instant gratification.
I found my best desktop PC leaning against a trash can. The reason? A burned graphics card.
If I were living in the US I'd just walk into a Sears store and get a Craftsman tool set. I'm sure they have even the smallest of sizes.

Sorry to let you know, but Sears is just about to go down the same path as Radio Shack. Sears is closing stores all over the US; I just heard on the news this morning about the closing of one of their biggest stores in Orange County, CA. Sears has already sold off their Craftsman tool line to another company and has been selling other assets in an effort to stay afloat. A lot of talk has been circulating that Sears will shrink down to being a sort of real estate holding company and abandon retail altogether; Sears apparently owns, outright, a large number of the buildings housing their stores in prime real estate areas and will seek to lease those properties to other businesses. Its the sad passing of another US retail institution...



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Yep, I wouldn't even go to sears for tools anymore. Craftsman is sold through Orchard Supply Hardware out my way. And besides, the band saw I purchased two years ago from Harbour Freight is the very same one sold as Craftsman brand.

Sears just basically sold the value of the Craftsman name and reputation; I'm sure whoever owns it will stick it on anything they think they can make a buck on, just like how HP really has nothing to do with the original Hewlett-Packard. Sometimes the name has more value than the product. Decades ago, I found out Panasonic had a sort of sub-brand called National Electronics; essentially, the products' innards were the same, it was the outside and the brand name were different; where you might get metal knobs or controls on the Panasonic item, say, a radio, the National would have plastic controls; the case design may also have been a bit more spartan, less chrome and such; I saved a pretty penny or two by seeking out the National versions...




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You'd be wrong, none of their normal sets would have what you need. Maybe they would have a micro set which would be what you'd need. I found a little PC tool kit at Office Max the other day surprisingly. I hate that store, I walk around two or three times before I usually find the item I'm looking for, but I do get lots of ink rewards. :D

It's a racket these days with all the different type of security screw heads that are made and used in various electronic products. You can't survive or open up anything these days without 10 different sets of security screw drivers or hex heads. I had to go online to buy a 2.5 mm hex head driver bit for the screws on my 10 dollar cheap reading glasses. They are held together with hex headed tiny screw head type screws. It's cheaper to buy a new pair of eyeglasses than to pay for the screw drive set and shipping. But I don't like to throw stuff away. I'm old school and like to repair as many things as I can. So I went online to get the new driver that fit the screw heads.

What if the government had not standardized the rail roads back in the 1800's? The track gages would all be different as no one would have coordinated the track gage size so that trains could run on the same sized track all across the country.

I have more driver bit tools now than I had back in the 1990's. Back in the 1950's is was much simpler. My grandfather had a wooden box for his tools and he could build a barn or fix his washing machine with all those tools in that wooden box. He worked for the Washing Machine Company and also owned his own TV and Radio Repair Shop during the depression in the 1930's. Raise four kids and plenty of grand kids using his hands and his tools.

All our radio shacks closed down and shut the doors. I wanted to buy another radio headset to replace two that I own. I needed the foam covers on the ear things. I can go online and buy some but I'd have to guess as to the size of the holes in the middle of the foam cover and the OD of the foam ear covers. If I get them too small they tear while putting them on. If too large then they fall off the ear things.

When I purchased my smartphone I chose to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 instead of the Note 5. The reason is that in the Note 5 the battery is sealed inside the unit and you have to take the smartphone to the Samsung dealer to get a new battery installed. The Note 4 I can take apart and replace the battery myself. While the Note 4 is not water resistant and can leak water inside I don't plan on dropping it into the water any time soon. But I may have to replace the battery some day.

The result is the Galaxy S7 and the Dell XPS, which do not have the clearances to accommodate inevitable battery swelling. It's a design problem, pure and simple, for a long known and normal battery behavior when it is mistreated, as it is in a laptop. It should still last three years as long as the computer itself is properly designed. Unfortunately.... And unfortunately, as the Galaxy S7 debacle proves, the situation isn't just a cosmetic problem. It can result in fires and explosions.[/QUOTE]

It was the Galaxy NOTE 7 that had the battery fire and explosion problems and it was discontinued.

The Galaxy S7 didn't have those problems with fire or explosion as far as I am aware of.

I have the Galaxy Note 4 and It's battery is easy to get to without tools and can be easily replaced. And there are no problems with it's battery that I'm aware of.

It was the battery that caused the problems in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units from what I read. :yeah:

I have a Logitech h800 Wifi gaming head set that I purchased at Best Buy for $80 two years ago. The unit has a plastic square thin shaped battery inside the headphone area. It quit working and would not charge.

I too the battery out and got a magnifying glass out to read the label. Went online and ordered a new one from Amazon.com. It a week it arrived and I replace the battery with the new one and the unit was working again. I didn't want to spend another $80 for a new head phone set. The battery was about $12 plus $6 shipping.

It's funny hearing about Sears, because Sears, Roebuck & Co started life as a mail catalogue sales company - the original "online" sales, if you will. It was nearly forty years before they opened their first store.

That bit of news made me sad. It used to be a joy to find just the right tool at Sears.
It seems we have fewer options every year. Also, it seems corporations are deliberately making it difficult for us to fix things. No surprise there.

This made me realize how long it has been for me. I should cross the pond soon, to see how much things have changed.