How do I learn to fix my own computers?

I have recently bought a thinkpad T400, and it's been great for a while, but now I've been having too many problems to ignore. It'll randomly freeze, requiring a reboot; It'll somtimes reboot itself after I close the lid, but the worst problem I've been having is that sometimes the Wifi just won't work at all. I'll reboot it once, reboot it twice, take the battery out, put the battery back in, wait a few minutes, and repeat these until it starts working again. Opening the lid of where the SSD is located and putting some pressure on it is what works most of the time. I took it to a computer technician and he plainly refused to look at it, saying it's "too old", but I guess I should've expected having to get my hands dirty by deciding to use a computer this antique. I've been putting this off for a long time, but it's time I finally figure out how to tinker with these machines. But how?

>>90829 Look your specific problems up on the internet. Look at the logs of when your navi freezes. If you have spare parts, try swapping out ram, ssd, battery, wifi card etc and see if problems persist.

>>90829 >fell for old thinkpad meme >complains kek

>>90831 That's not my point, my point is that I don't know how to fix computers. Also, where I come from, these arrows are for quoting other users.

Why would you buy a thinkpad while not knowing how to fix computers? That's absolutely the only shtick that thinkpads have. >how? Check systemd logs, check if anything is physically fried, replace/partially remove soykaf until you see a change and so on, you'll need fairly expensive equipment to check for motherboard damage so that's your only hope now. I'm also not sure what OS you're using but Linux can get really sucky if you run such old arch on a distro that doesn't backport software, ESPECIALLY Ubuntu. >the Wifi just won't work at all I can't diagnose it without taking a look but check if there's a screw holding the chip down, it might move quit a lot without it and sometimes disconnect

>>90833 This. I hope your using something like mint xfce or cachy lts. I've had good luck with older hardware with these two distros. Pop os, somwtimes(got my gpd win 1 acting like a new computer, when it was having issues like yours), but if putting pressure on the ssd helps, maybe reset it and put a wedge or something that holds it on place.

>>90832 >meme arrows >for quoting others

>>90835 Greentext is a very powerful message board asset. You can use it for many things >Inb4 >Picrel(mfw/yfw) >Cope >Seethe >Storytime >"Quoting someone"(((you))) >Random >???? >Profit

Digest loads of information on the subject using what problems you have as a starting point to branch out from. Videos, forum posts, the hardware maintenance manual, etc. If you're having issues with wi-fi look up how to replace the wi-fi card and which ones are compatible with your machine. Look up types of wi-fi cards and see if it would be worth getting a USB wifi adapter. Basically alongside learning general sḣit (installing linux, re-applying CPU paste) learn things meant for the area you're working in/interested in. In this case that's laptops, older thinkpads, and more specifically the T400. Break down problems into smaller problems and then break smaller problems into steps you can take to solve the overall problem. If you want to learn more mods I would look up libreboot for a software mod and soldering in phone speakers instead of the outdated speakers the T400 comes with for a hardware mod.

>>90836 <That's fair. I couldn't resist helping the newfriend.

>>90838 If you use left facing quotes youre a tourist from 8chan and not a true chantard from 420chan/7chan/etc

>>90837 This is good advice. It's a universal approach a h to learning anything and it works great. Definitely do this, but if you don't really know what you are doing, don't ask chat gpt for help. You'll probably have a bad time, especially of you're going to install Linux on legacy hardware.

>>90839 >>90839 some other boards habe <quotes too!

>>90832 >can't fix 'puters >fell for old thinkpad meme >complains R u even an owner of a thingpad?

UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook + Upgrading and Repairing PCs + WWW or wiki searches (for anything very niche or specific to a hardware/system configuration)

>>90839 i came to lainchan after hearing about it on an imageboard with 15 users.

>>90866 bad ones

>>90829 >It'll randomly freeze, requiring a reboot What OS do you use? How long have you had that laptop? Did you buy it in good condition? If you're on Linux, did you check any logs? Dmesg? Can't really help you there without first knowing your device, because a lot of things can cause a freeze that requires a reboot. >It'll somtimes reboot itself after I close the lid Again, don't know what OS you're using, but if you're on Linux, maybe something weird happening with your power manager, or acpid? >sometimes the Wifi just won't work at all. I'll reboot it once, reboot it twice, take the battery out, put the battery back in, wait a few minutes, and repeat these until it starts working again. I've had something like that happen to me once, and after doing my research, the only thing that could fix it was getting a new wifi card. The one that came with my laptop was very buggy for some reason. >I guess I should've expected having to get my hands dirty by deciding to use a computer this antique. YES. Do know what you're doing before buying computers the weird, fuarrrked up way. Even if you already bought the thing, it's never too late to learn how to fix it yourself. >>90837 Great advice, pretty much said the same thing I was gonna say lmao. But yeah, problem solving skills and knowing where to look for information is key for a healthy computer-dweller life. It becomes second nature if you do it enough times. Also, if like me you have someone close to you that knows the ins and outs of computers, don't hesitate to ask for help. Learning from somebody else directly will get you really far. >soldering in phone speakers instead of the outdated speakers the T400 comes with for a hardware mod. Interesting, I've never heard of anyone doing hardware mods like that on a thinkpad, only swapping the motherboard/CPU and keyboard (on the newer xx30 models).

>>90829 unironically install gentoo but not on T400 for the love of god >a computer this antique since when core 2 duo penryn is considered antique my T60 works better than 10th gen soykafbook from work old machines are much easier to fix, upgrade and just maintain newer ones, sometimes straight up impossible

>>90832 You are new and it shows. Lurk more. Learn to search the internet. Learn to troubleshoot. We aren't your personal tech support. Also use the catalog! Pretty sure there's a stupid questions thread up literally for questions like (you) rs

>>90889 I don't remember the exact speakers I did it with but I'll go through the process. First pic is the speakers that come in a T500. Second pic is a replacement speaker for a pixel 8a. >Cut the wires going to the laptop speakers at the end >Sit the laptop speakers to the side. Don't throw them away yet. >Strip and tin the two wires going to one of the laptop's speakers >boot machine and play audio >poke the two wires on the two connector points on the replacement speaker to find out how to connect it. I didn't fry my replacement speaker doing this when I tried both ways to connect it. >note how to solder the wires on one side. Repeat with other side. >solder wires to correct points for each side >Take original plastic housing for old speakers >split it on the side where the plastic connects with a knife >cut away as little plastic as needed to seat the replacement speakers in the original housing. Orient them so sound comes out the same way as original speakers. >This is so if you have to open the laptop again it isn't glued down to the frame and it still works with any cable routing or metal attachments the laptop uses. Basically as long as you can fit the new speakers in the space the original ones used it'll be fine. Immediate jump in quality. I think the ones I used were from an older model nexus. I've heard people having the best results with iPad mini speakers. They seem to have the best compromise between space requirements and audio quality.

>>90889 >Interesting, I've never heard of anyone doing hardware mods like that on a thinkpad, only swapping the motherboard/CPU and keyboard (on the newer xx30 models). I have seen this mod and the oled mod a view times as of recent. It's basically a trend.. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ii9AuUrolR4&pp=ygUQWDIzMCBzcGVha2VyIG1vZA%3D%3D

>>90895 You misunderstand me. I am not asking for anyone to solve the problems I am having; the story of the Wi-fi was an example - although some people in this thread have attempted to help me and I greatly appreciate that - but rather I wish to know the path one must follow to become sufficiently acquainted with the inner workings of such machines in order to maintain them; to dissect them confidently. >>90837 Thank you for the advice. >Look up types of wi-fi cards and see if it would be worth getting a USB wifi adapter I have one of those, and it works when the laptop's Wi-fi works, but when the connection ceases after a reboot (because it's always after a reboot; I think it happens after the computer freezes and I have to reboot it) the adapter stops working also. >>90889 >What OS do you use? How long have you had that laptop? Did you buy it in good condition? If you're on Linux, did you check any logs? Dmesg? Can't really help you there without first knowing your device, because a lot of things can cause a freeze that requires a reboot. I use Arch. The computer was apparently in good condition with the exception that it came covered in weird black goop. I haven't checked Dmesg, because... I haven't thought about doing so, but I will once it happens again ; )