Database Users

[GUIDE] Reinforcing/repairing your mushy/broken power button

Hey thinkpadpaders,
Before we get anywhere. If your button is acting weird or is broken, [blink][explosion]this should be covered by your warranty[/explosion][/blink]. I've heard of turn around times from 2 days to 2 weeks or more. If you still want to do this yourself, then read on.
So, my power button drove me nuts last week when it stopped responding. After some research on the problem I ended up fixing it in house and relatively easily.
The cause of the irresponsive button is the physical movement of the internal button component. It's poorly held in place and eventually it tends to move around and then entirely fall off during normal use. Here's some guides that will help you open your thinkpadpad and repair a non working button or fix and enforce a mushy one. Note that this is probably going to void your warranty, though everything up to epoxying your button down is clean and pretty much undetectable (there aren't any visible "warranty void if broken" stickers). Also, this will take some amount of soldering skills. Basically, I (and anyone I reference) am not responsible for scratched cases, bricked devices, burnt fingers, completely epoxied/glued units, the apocalypse, etc.
Moving on to the fun stuff! Please be sure to read through this post to limit any surprises you may find in the process.
Tools you will need:
A thinkpadpad
This guide and its references
Small phillips screwdriver
Plastic case prying tool
Soldering equipment (for repairing)
Epoxy (for enforcing)
Most of you should be at least halfway set. The first step is to get your thinkpad open.
Opening the thinkpad.
There's already some great guides that go through opening the TPT in order to install a 3G capable modem:
Opening the thinkpad to install a 3G card
The basic steps are:
Removing the four face buttons
Removing the two screws underneath the face buttons
Carefully separating the two halves of the tablet
I'll cover some helpful tips in this post to help you with the process. After reading them follow the previously linked guide carefully to open your tablet.
To keep you from damaging the button's clips, notice how they are attached to the tablet.
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The semicircle tabs pry off like a hinge. Once they are free you can just lift the button right off.
When separating the clips to open the case, use a plastic tool to keep from scratching the thinkpad. I found it easiest to start at the usb port.
Image-left) shows me starting at the usb port with my tool (I just used a divider from a tackle/jewelry box). Image-right) I am carefully sliding the tool around the TPT's edges to undo all of the clips.
Here's an overexposed shot of one of the clips. It's the type you simply push in to undo. I barely had to use any force to separate the halves.
An important thing to remember: the touchscreen is connected to the bottom half's motherboard. These (two) connections are on the left side of the thinkpad.
Slowly open the thinkpad, like a book from, the right.
If you do happen to yank out these connections, they should easily plug back in. See the previous guide about doing this.
Reattaching the button.
If your button is only mushy, but still responding, you can probably skip this step of reattaching the button. If you feel like re-soldering the points, then feel free to do so.
Here's a photo of my broken button:
View attachment 917192
You're going to put the button back into position so that its contacts (opposite of the white button) are lined up against the contact points on the board (the pink points within the green box in the photo above). Here's an annotated picture of the placed button from a much better camera and photographer, Daniel Lane (his cool photo site):
You can see how the button can pivot off these solder points and eventually break. Solder the points as specified in the photo. Test to make sure your points are good. Hold down the internal button to keep it from moving and try to boot using the external button.
Reinforcing the button with epoxy.
As you probably saw in the previous image from Daniel Lane, he recommends applying epoxy to the button's side posts. Normally these posts would be soldered down underneath the board to secure it in place. You can attempt to either re-solder these posts (if they ever were attached), apply epoxy to them as Daniel suggests (the next safer method), or apply epoxy to more of the button (which I have done).
A few important notes about epoxy:
-It's some serious stuff. Dont get it anywhere you dont want it. ESPECIALLY on the moving part of the button.
-If its a more fluid type, it may not stay where you want it.
-Mix it very well. For at least one minute. You don't want to be stuck with a tacky epoxy job.
I chose to apply epoxy to the sides, back, and top of the button. Do this carefully. Make sure not to let it get on any moving parts. Make a barrier if you have to, or be safe and use Daniel Lane's method and apply a smaller amount. Here is my epoxied button (warning, we are going back to crappy pictures!):
You can substitute hot glue for the epoxy if you'd like an even safer application. Though its bond is definitely not as strong as the epoxy's.
Let the epoxy cure for as long as its instructions states, then close up your thinkpad tablet. Be sure not to break any clips in this process.
Final step.
Enjoy clicking your power button. Or... something more productive.
UPDATE: Sometime last week (4/13/2012) one of my volume buttons started to go. Luckily I caught it before it completely came off like the power button did. If you open up your TPT to repair the power button, I'd recommend epoxying the volume buttons while you're at it. It's a much easier job while the solder points are still in place.

thanks for your guide !
My button isn't broken yet, but it's good to know that it's possible to fix it by ourself

Thanks for the guide! This is awesome! My button isn't broken (yet) so I'm thinking of reinforcing it soon to prevent any breakage.
Again thanks for the detailed guide. I probably won't get around to it until a couple weeks as I'm swamped with school. But I will update my results when I do.
Cheers.

Excellent!! Thanks. Well done, with just a modicum of humor. "You don't want to be stuck with a tacky epoxy job." Good job!!

While you're inside there, put a 3g modem in the pci slot to convert your wifi tab to a 3g tab.

obscure.detour said:
My button isn't broken (yet) so I'm thinking of reinforcing it soon to prevent any breakage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's a good idea. It seems that even after Lenovo repairs the RMAs they just solder those three points, just like it was when you bought it. That's why even the repaired pads seem to break.
toenail_flicker said:
Excellent!! Thanks. Well done, with just a modicum of humor. "You don't want to be stuck with a tacky epoxy job." Good job!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha. No pun was intended, either of them. But I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway.
rangercaptain said:
While you're inside there, put a 3g modem in the pci slot to convert your wifi tab to a 3g tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a bad idea. I ordered a sata/usb adapter for that slot so I can explore other possibilties :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1512480

Does anyone have a source for the button you solder onto the board? I repaired mine myself a few weeks ago, but the actual button definitely seems a bit less "clicky" than before. I believe I might have gotten it too close to the soldering iron.
Anapmac said:
Not a bad idea. I ordered a sata/usb adapter for that slot so I can explore other possibilties :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1512480
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm very interested in seeing what you can fit in there. It sure would be nice to find a tiny usb gps that would fit in there and lock on faster than the built in one .

Just wanted to reiterate someone's recommendation of epoxying the volume buttons while you're in there. My volume up button went out last week (WE NEED MORE POWER!!!).
opnsrcaddict said:
Does anyone have a source for the button you solder onto the board?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever find a suitable replacement?

Great thread. My power button was starting to go, it got mushy. Cracked it open and the back three solder joints were still in tact, but the front reinforcement was broken.
Epoxied the [email protected]#$ out of it, and it's perfect now, stronger than it was originally I'd say! Also did the volume buttons while I was at it.

While You have Your tab open and the epoxe mixed. Resolder and strenghten the micro usb as well. It will come loose later....

Thank you so much for you great instructional guide with the very helpful pictures. I was going to try and get Lenovo to fix my volume+ key after it wouldn't work anymore but I found this before it. The process of fixing it was really simple. My volume+ button thing on the inside fell off when I barely touched it so I thought I had to solder it first but then it looked really hard to solder in the small area as I never done that before. I just put it in it's place and tested to see if it would work without soldering and it did. I then just epoxied it while holding it down tight until it solidified. I also epoxied the other volume thing and the power button one while I was at it. Now I feel safe that they won't break so easily now. So far everything works well. Thank you again.

Finally got around to popping my TPT open and reinforcing my power and volume buttons. I've been nervous about my power button for some time so finally decided to do it before this semester starts.
This guide was very helpful
Here is a complete picture of volume/power buttons reinforced.
EDIT: Wanted to update the post and let everyone know that my power button now clicks on every press now! No more mushy power button

Anyway we can get a sticky on this thread?

Excellent guide. I just may have to do this since I need that power button to be in working order so I can go into recovery.
TS

Thanks to your instructions my Tablet is back!
Basically just glued with epoxy - For soldering jobs you need a tiny front on your iron.
I also glued the volume buttons and tried to strenghten AUX, USB, HDMI.
Problem was that between these pieces little plastic pieces ftom the screen go down and hold the front panel.
I was not able to close the device properly and I had to remove the epoxy from these places.
So don't think you can reinforce the plugs on underneath the buttons.
Next step will be upgrading to 3G!

Thank you so much for this it saved my power and volume buttons ....this should be stickyed

nice guide...
how bout ideapad k1?
i dont even know how to open the case...

thank u very much~~
Anapmac said:
Hey thinkpadpaders,
Before we get anywhere. If your button is acting weird or is broken, [blink][explosion]this should be covered by your warranty[/explosion][/blink]. I've heard of turn around times from 2 days to 2 weeks or more. If you still want to do this yourself, then read on.
So, my power button drove me nuts last week when it stopped responding. After some research on the problem I ended up fixing it in house and relatively easily.
The cause of the irresponsive button is the physical movement of the internal button component. It's poorly held in place and eventually it tends to move around and then entirely fall off during normal use. Here's some guides that will help you open your thinkpadpad and repair a non working button or fix and enforce a mushy one. Note that this is probably going to void your warranty, though everything up to epoxying your button down is clean and pretty much undetectable (there aren't any visible "warranty void if broken" stickers). Also, this will take some amount of soldering skills. Basically, I (and anyone I reference) am not responsible for scratched cases, bricked devices, burnt fingers, completely epoxied/glued units, the apocalypse, etc.
Moving on to the fun stuff! Please be sure to read through this post to limit any surprises you may find in the process.
Tools you will need:
A thinkpadpad
This guide and its references
Small phillips screwdriver
Plastic case prying tool
Soldering equipment (for repairing)
Epoxy (for enforcing)
Most of you should be at least halfway set. The first step is to get your thinkpad open.
Opening the thinkpad.
There's already some great guides that go through opening the TPT in order to install a 3G capable modem:
Opening the thinkpad to install a 3G card
The basic steps are:
Removing the four face buttons
Removing the two screws underneath the face buttons
Carefully separating the two halves of the tablet
I'll cover some helpful tips in this post to help you with the process. After reading them follow the previously linked guide carefully to open your tablet.
To keep you from damaging the button's clips, notice how they are attached to the tablet.
View attachment 923254
The semicircle tabs pry off like a hinge. Once they are free you can just lift the button right off.
When separating the clips to open the case, use a plastic tool to keep from scratching the thinkpad. I found it easiest to start at the usb port.
View attachment 923330
Image-left) shows me starting at the usb port with my tool (I just used a divider from a tackle/jewelry box). Image-right) I am carefully sliding the tool around the TPT's edges to undo all of the clips.
Here's an overexposed shot of one of the clips. It's the type you simply push in to undo. I barely had to use any force to separate the halves.
View attachment 923255
An important thing to remember: the touchscreen is connected to the bottom half's motherboard. These (two) connections are on the left side of the thinkpad.
View attachment 923276
Slowly open the thinkpad, like a book from, the right.
View attachment 923277
If you do happen to yank out these connections, they should easily plug back in. See the previous guide about doing this.
Reattaching the button.
If your button is only mushy, but still responding, you can probably skip this step of reattaching the button. If you feel like re-soldering the points, then feel free to do so.
Here's a photo of my broken button:
View attachment 917192
You're going to put the button back into position so that its contacts (opposite of the white button) are lined up against the contact points on the board (the pink points within the green box in the photo above). Here's an annotated picture of the placed button from a much better camera and photographer, Daniel Lane (his cool photo site):
View attachment 923306
You can see how the button can pivot off these solder points and eventually break. Solder the points as specified in the photo. Test to make sure your points are good. Hold down the internal button to keep it from moving and try to boot using the external button.
Reinforcing the button with epoxy.
As you probably saw in the previous image from Daniel Lane, he recommends applying epoxy to the button's side posts. Normally these posts would be soldered down underneath the board to secure it in place. You can attempt to either re-solder these posts (if they ever were attached), apply epoxy to them as Daniel suggests (the next safer method), or apply epoxy to more of the button (which I have done).
A few important notes about epoxy:
-It's some serious stuff. Dont get it anywhere you dont want it. ESPECIALLY on the moving part of the button.
-If its a more fluid type, it may not stay where you want it.
-Mix it very well. For at least one minute. You don't want to be stuck with a tacky epoxy job.
I chose to apply epoxy to the sides, back, and top of the button. Do this carefully. Make sure not to let it get on any moving parts. Make a barrier if you have to, or be safe and use Daniel Lane's method and apply a smaller amount. Here is my epoxied button (warning, we are going back to crappy pictures!):
View attachment 923344
You can substitute hot glue for the epoxy if you'd like an even safer application. Though its bond is definitely not as strong as the epoxy's.
Let the epoxy cure for as long as its instructions states, then close up your thinkpad tablet. Be sure not to break any clips in this process.
Final step.
Enjoy clicking your power button. Or... something more productive.
UPDATE: Sometime last week (4/13/2012) one of my volume buttons started to go. Luckily I caught it before it completely came off like the power button did. If you open up your TPT to repair the power button, I'd recommend epoxying the volume buttons while you're at it. It's a much easier job while the solder points are still in place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank u very much~~

Galaxy S4 I545 verizon - Not turning on

Merry Christmas.
My phone was at around 96%. Phone screen was OFF on my desk. Suddenly, phone screen comes ON. I press the power key to turn the phone screen off. It didn't work. I unlocked the phone and kept attempting to turn off the screen. The power key was unresponsive. I attempted to shut down the phone by long-pressing the button. Still no response. Took off the case, took out the battery. Put it back in. The phone vibrated and showed "Samsung" boot logo for about 5 seconds before shutting off while still loading. When plugged into the wall to charge, it shows the charging battery icon with a "refresh" icon inside the battery icon. It also shows for about 5 seconds before disappearing. I can't get it to show up as a USB connected device on my desktop.
What the hell happened? I have so much stuff on this Galaxy S4. I purchased it from Verizon in September 2013. I did NOTHING to it! It was literally sitting on my desk!
Oh and btw it was never rooted or anything. It ran the TouchWiz home and basically everything is unmodified. I just need my pictures back from the internal storage! I only have half my pictures on my micro SD.
Edit: This has been solved. It was the power button stuck in, as mentioned. To fix this, you need to get to the phone's logic board and rip the power button off the board. The metal is easy to bend, just be really careful not to break anything. I carved away the plastic slowly with a flathead. I bought a soldering iron and a desoldering iron, so as soon as my new button arrives in the mail ($6 shipped on ebay), I'll get the rest of the metal off and drop the new button into place.

Sounds like the power button is 'stuck' as pressed in?
Perhaps some dirt or just or something got into it? You can try pull off the cover and clean the outer-casing where the power button is. There are many tutorials on this.
Eg steps 1 to 11 here:
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Samsung+Galaxy+S4+Display+Assembly+Replacement/16540
I've also seen a solution where they say to hit the phone on the power button on a table gently, and keep doing it harder until the power button becomes unstuck... but that sounds like a stupid idea to me. I would recommend taking off the cover as shown in the guide above and checking for dirt or damage around the power button and on the inside of the case where the power button lies (where the button contact is)

Is there any way I could just get the internal memory?
And for more info, pressing just the volume up key shows the "recovery" text in the top left corner for about 1 second before shutting the whole phone off. Volume down will ask if I'd like to install a custom OS or whatever.

Fridder said:
Is there any way I could just get the internal memory?
And for more info, pressing just the volume up key shows the "recovery" text in the top left corner for about 1 second before shutting the whole phone off. Volume down will ask if I'd like to install a custom OS or whatever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate,
You could use something like this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1646108
Aroma file explorer , so you can have access to your files from recovery

MAX 404 said:
Hi mate,
You could use something like this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1646108
Aroma file explorer , so you can have access to your files from recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, but my phone will not stay alive long enough to boot into recovery.

Fridder said:
Thanks for the reply, but my phone will not stay alive long enough to boot into recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate,
Then you need to fix that power button, should be fairly easy and cheap...if the phone does not stays on there is nothing you can do to access those files....sorry

Yes, as mentioned, your issue appears to be a stuck or faulty power button.
Opening the phone is quite easy. You just undo 9 screws and use a thin plastic pry tool around the edges to pop it open. This will allow you to take a look... otherwise, take it to a repair shop.

xebozone said:
Yes, as mentioned, your issue appears to be a stuck or faulty power button.
Opening the phone is quite easy. You just undo 9 screws and use a thin plastic pry tool around the edges to pop it open. This will allow you to take a look... otherwise, take it to a repair shop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I opened it up and I'm looking around. The power button seems to be on the board with a tight connection. It really doesn't appear to be the power button... Could it be a software glitch?
Edit: Just bought this USB Jig on ebay for like $5.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/130901739957

Is there ANY WAY at all to take the internal nand flash's data and output it to my computer? Like this guy:
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"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
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That is SURE to void your warranty. Don't go messing around with your device's components! The above could be recommended as a last resort if your device is totally bricked to get your data off it. Not sure if the USB jig will help you, as your power button will probably still force your phone off. Let me know, though.
Now that the panel is off and the power button is free and clean, does your phone still turn itself off automatically with the battery inside? I wanted you to open it so that you could see if there are any obstructions on the button, and you can try press it to see if it's stuck (it should depress and you should feel a slight 'click') .
Turn the phone on with a fingertip on the power button. It's a little bit small, but you can do it.
Be careful, as the battery can fall out easy.

xebozone said:
That is SURE to void your warranty. Don't go messing around with your device's components! The above could be recommended as a last resort if your device is totally bricked to get your data off it. Not sure if the USB jig will help you, as your power button will probably still force your phone off. Let me know, though.
Now that the panel is off and the power button is free and clean, does your phone still turn itself off automatically with the battery inside? I wanted you to open it so that you could see if there are any obstructions on the button, and you can try press it to see if it's stuck (it should depress and you should feel a slight 'click') .
Turn the phone on with a fingertip on the power button. It's a little bit small, but you can do it.
Be careful, as the battery can fall out easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone still turns off with the power button clear of everything. I had the display plugged into the board and the battery connected, and the phone did the same thing. I don't have to press the power button to get the phone to turn on, either.

Bump and I'm having the same problem as described here:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...battery-then-turns-off-after-two-seconds.html
And the same issue as this guy:
my phone will start with the logo as appears in the picture above, but goes blank and does nothing after the logo. When attempting safe mode, it says recovery booting in blue letters in the top left corner, then goes blank and nothing afterwards. help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I would get it checked out by your local Samsung repair center.
It seems like some power-related issue.

[MOD] Fixing Volume-Rocker and Power-Button

The issue:
I got one of the very early Nexus 9. My device was mostly fine (no huge light-bleeding) but the Power and the Volume-Up buttons were hard to press because they were not raised high enough above the surface.
(Volume-Down was working fine)
Tools required:
Tweezers, a small Phillips screwdriver and something to open the device. (I used the iFixit Toolkit)
1 piece of paper (regular printer paper, post-its, ...)
Disclaimer:
If you follow my instructions you do this at you own risk. I'm not responsible for any damage you do to your device.
The mod:
Take of the back cover of the device. (https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus+9+Teardown/31425)
(Edit)
Shortcut: It is also possible to improve the buttons without removing the whole button frame. See post #3 for details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remove the 3 screws (red) and the big connector (green).
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Pull out the metal body holding the buttons. Pull carefully on the button cable to remove it from the connector.
If you look closely you can see that the Volume-Down button is not completely attached to the metal frame. This looks like a production error but it allows the button to be pressed normally.
We could apply this "production error" to the other buttons too which should improve their usability.
First separate the buttons from the metal frame. I found that only a piece of paper is thin enough to not cause damage to the buttons.
Now, use the same piece paper (or another one - I don't care ) to create tiny pieces that can be put behind the buttons to raise them a bit. (I folded the paper once to have 2 layers)
Carefully put everything back together.
Results:
All buttons work fine.

This is amazing! I was thinking I should open the nexus 9 to see if there was anything I could do to fix this. Good to see I wasn't the only one who had this thought
I will try it out tomorrow morning. Thanks.
Edit:
I've done it, and it definitely improved the buttons. I used 4 layers of paper since your piece of paper was so thick.
I think overdid the volume down button though, because it's not as clicky as the others. My buttons were all glued on properly unlike your volume down button, so I put a little extra under it.
Might go ahead and fix sometime later if it bothers me. The buttons could still be better, but this fix makes the best out of what we got. Mine is a 32gb HT4AHJT which is built mid october, so the buttons aren't sticking out as much as the later versions. The screen is so good though that I don't want to replace it because of the buttons. Thanks the tutorial man, it really made this fix easy.

Hi! Thanks for your tutorial. You inspired me, and i fixed my buttons in the similar, but i think, simpler way.
After opening a back cover, you don't have to take out buttons from tablet. Also you don't have to separate buttons from metal frame.
I think that simplest solution is to put folded pieces of paper between buttons (these on tablets cover) and that black thing with metal frame, which you were pulling out.
I attach pictures showing what i mean.

Yeah I tried this first too but somehow it did't work that well for me. Nevertheless its worth trying the simple way before pulling out the whole button assembly.

Kubens1pl said:
Hi! Thanks for your tutorial. You inspired me, and i fixed my buttons in the similar, but i think, simpler way.
After opening a back cover, you don't have to take out buttons from tablet. Also you don't have to separate buttons from metal frame.
I think that simplest solution is to put folded pieces of paper between buttons (these on tablets cover) and that black thing with metal frame, which you were pulling out.
I attach pictures showing what i mean.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also did this and it worked great!

THANK YOU!
Just did this and buttons work great now.

this reminds me of the n7.1 screen raising issue using pill pack foil as washers for the screen screws, that works to this day since the wife is happily using my old n7 right now. I'll be trying a variation of this paper or plastic fix in the near future...
HTC should just send us a new button mount for early adopters.. I have 0 screen bleed, but shallow buttons. guess what I can live with.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

I got an early device also, one question though.
when opening the back cover, and replacing it on... does the back cover feel loose and flexes more now?
there were reports early on that pulling the back off then replacing it on makes it more floppy....

Gezzaman said:
I got an early device also, one question though.
when opening the back cover, and replacing it on... does the back cover feel loose and flexes more now?
there were reports early on that pulling the back off then replacing it on makes it more floppy....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The cover does wear on the clips that hold the back to the aluminum sides... If you remove the back too many times you'll wear away the plastic clips and will damage the seal...
Ive taken mine apart about a dozen times... There's 2 places where I need glue now.. [emoji23] [emoji26]

Gezzaman said:
I got an early device also, one question though.
when opening the back cover, and replacing it on... does the back cover feel loose and flexes more now?
there were reports early on that pulling the back off then replacing it on makes it more floppy....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I opened my device twice now.
After the first time the back cover flexed significantely more on the surface than before. When closing it the second time i pressed firmly on the whole surface BEFORE I pressed the edges back together. There are clips across the surface that snap in place more easy when you do it before snapping the edges back together.
Now the back cover has nearly no flexing at all - even less than in its original state.

Thanks for posting this. Can you please help me understand how the camera is attached to the back cover. From the iFixit video, they mentioned that the camera came off with the back cover and that it was attached to the underside of the mother board... eeek! I don't want to screw something up like the camera while trying to fix the buttons.
What should I watch out for as I remove the back cover?
Thanks!!
-Jason

There is a small amount of double-sided adhesive tape around the camera. On my device the camera did not come of when removing the back cover - I guess it sticks a little bit different on every device.

lfrst05 said:
There is a small amount of double-sided adhesive tape around the camera. On my device the camera did not come of when removing the back cover - I guess it sticks a little bit different on every device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine also had the camera still connected after pulling the back cover off.

I remember doing this with my Nexus 5. Thanks for the tip.

I did this and the buttons are great now. Thanks for the MOD.
I didn't pull the back all of the way off, it was held on by adhesive. I think it was a fix they introduced. My Nexus 9 is about perfect now.
-Jason

Yep, pulled my camera off. =-O
I guess I'm tearing into it more than I expected.
My buttons are perfect though. Thanks for the tip. I used 3 layers of standard paper.

This really is amazing. I just did it on mine. Really really simple fix. Unbelievably simple. I didn't even have to pull the whole back off. Just the top and sides were enough.
3 layers of paper under each button and they are now perfect. Thank you!

liquidsuspension said:
Yep, pulled my camera off. =-O
I guess I'm tearing into it more than I expected.
My buttons are perfect though. Thanks for the tip. I used 3 layers of standard paper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you or anyone else who pulled the camera off got it back working?
Did you follow the ifixit guide to tear it apart until you were able to remove the motherboard and reconnect the camera, or is it possible to do it without removing the battery and the copper fold (being extremely careful not to break it, of course).
And yes, I did pull my camera off. It was firmly glued to the plastic cover :\
Edit: from what I see in the ifixit teardown and from what I see in mine, it does seem that if I remove the front camera cabling and the battery cable It might be ok to remove the T5 screws and raise the mobo just enough to be able to pry open the camera connector, insert the camera ZIF, close/press the connector and reatach the mobo wihtout having the hassle to unglue the battery, remove all the copper foils etc etc...
Anyone has had a similar experience?

I had to tear mine completely down to get the mobo out. I tried to reconnect it without removing it, but it was a lost cause. The worst part for me was getting the battery disconnected. There wasn't any natural way to do it as far as I could tell. If you try to just lift the edge of the mobo enough to connect the camera, be incredibly careful, but from my experience I doubt it can be done that way.

Thanks for the answer, although it's not what I was hoping for... this afternoon I started removing the battery and quit because I was afraid I was going to break something. That stuff is completely glued and it requires a lot of pressure to start separating it from the body
One day I will get tired of not having a camera and will try to do it by just lifting the mobo edge.
Quite honestly, this damn nexus has brought me too much trouble already...

screen problem

half of my screen image blocked but the touch working fine :crying:
any idea if this is hardware or software issue
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

UMMM, Looks like you need a replacement.

Is it also messed up during the boot process? if it is, then it's hardware. Just RMA it.

max1001 said:
Is it also messed up during the boot process? if it is, then it's hardware. Just RMA it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it's happened while phone working fine

dowleey said:
No it's happened while phone working fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant if you reboot the phone, is the screen also like that during the boot process?

max1001 said:
I meant if you reboot the phone, is the screen also like that during the boot process?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes

dowleey said:
Yes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sry mate, but this phone seems to be broken. Must be a hardware issue

Same problem!
I have the exact same problem.

sgelbart said:
I have the exact same problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try to root your phone
Because it happened to me 1 day after the root

dowleey said:
Did you try to root your phone
Because it happened to me 1 day after the root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not root related, or any you can possibly do to force this error
Is a hardware issue, and sorry, you need a replacement
Enviado desde mi ZTE A2017U mediante Tapatalk

Altomugriento said:
Not root related, or any you can possibly do to force this error
Is a hardware issue, and sorry, you need a replacement
Enviado desde mi ZTE A2017U mediante Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately until now I didn't fix it because there is no A/S in my area and now one can repair it

dowleey said:
Unfortunately until now I didn't fix it because there is no A/S in my area and now one can repair it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mine started doing this periodically after i fumbled it
a temporary fix is giving it a quick tap dead center of the screen then it snaps right to normal
its at least a band-aid for now ill let you know if i find real issue when i open her up

I had the exact same problem a few days ago. Your display connector has come loose. It'll periodically make contact and refresh the left side of the screen, or if you press or twist the phone a certain way. If you are comfortable opening your phone it's a very very simple fix. Just pop off the back cover, remove the battery connector (for safety), pop the screen connector back on, replace the battery connector, and Voila!

n1234d said:
I had the exact same problem a few days ago. Your display connector has come loose. It'll periodically make contact and refresh the left side of the screen, or if you press or twist the phone a certain way. If you are comfortable opening your phone it's a very very simple fix. Just pop off the back cover, remove the battery connector (for safety), pop the screen connector back on, replace the battery connector, and Voila!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same thing happened on my old LG G2. It fell at a particular angle and knocked the display connector out. Screen would either be full snow, with lines down it, or blank. When I pressed hard on the screen, it would come back, but fuzz up when I let go. Open it up and saw the display connector was dislodged; popped it back in and screen went back to normal. Axon 7 seems a bit harder to open up. Just watched a teardown video and it seems the display connector is on the power button side of the screen. Maybe try pressing on that side and see if you can push the connector back in. Otherwise, n1234d's advice is the best way to do it.

Howie Dub said:
Same thing happened on my old LG G2. It fell at a particular angle and knocked the display connector out. Screen would either be full snow, with lines down it, or blank. When I pressed hard on the screen, it would come back, but fuzz up when I let go. Open it up and saw the display connector was dislodged; popped it back in and screen went back to normal. Axon 7 seems a bit harder to open up. Just watched a teardown video and it seems the display connector is on the power button side of the screen. Maybe try pressing on that side and see if you can push the connector back in. Otherwise, n1234d's advice is the best way to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a lazy fix but could be bad for your phone, if you push the connector when it's even slightly misaligned, you risk damaging the connector either on the screen side or the board. Opening the phone takes a little time but IMO is safer.
Few tips for opening your phone:
Use a hair dryer/hear gun for the speaker grilles, without those, try as you may, you wont get them off
Make initial separation in the grilles with a metal tool, the gap is too small for a plastic tool to enter. After initial separation, make sure you use plastic
When you're prying the grilles open, make sure you insert your tool sideways and pry upwards, you don't want to poke a hole in your awesome front firing speakers
On the bottom there is adhesive over the two screws towards the middle, push it upwards, don't let it stick to your screwdriver or you'll pull off bits
When prying the screen off, insert your metal tool between the metal and white plastic at an angle parallel to the phone, then turn it upwards till you get it perpendicular, and then sideways again, parallel. That'll help you get some separation. Do this all around the phone and the back should come off after some gentle pulling out.
The only way ZTE will ever know you were in your phone is if you mess up the adhesive under the speakers, so be careful with it.
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

n1234d said:
This is a lazy fix but could be bad for your phone, if you push the connector when it's even slightly misaligned, you risk damaging the connector either on the screen side or the board. Opening the phone takes a little time but IMO is safer.
Few tips for opening your phone:
Use a hair dryer/hear gun for the speaker grilles, without those, try as you may, you wont get them off
Make initial separation in the grilles with a metal tool, the gap is too small for a plastic tool to enter. After initial separation, make sure you use plastic
When you're prying the grilles open, make sure you insert your tool sideways and pry upwards, you don't want to poke a hole in your awesome front firing speakers
On the bottom there is adhesive over the two screws towards the middle, push it upwards, don't let it stick to your screwdriver or you'll pull off bits
When prying the screen off, insert your metal tool between the metal and white plastic at an angle parallel to the phone, then turn it upwards till you get it perpendicular, and then sideways again, parallel. That'll help you get some separation. Do this all around the phone and the back should come off after some gentle pulling out.
The only way ZTE will ever know you were in your phone is if you mess up the adhesive under the speakers, so be careful with it.
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a non-invasive fix. There is so little space in these phones that more than likely the connector moved just enough not to be fully connected to the motherboard. If tapping on the screen is working for some, then pressing in the right area to push the connector back in might be all it takes. You're going to have to take the phone apart or send it in anyways; might as well try something to see if you can avoid those things and won't void your warranty. Taking apart your phone is just as risky. Many more things can go wrong when you take it apart. And good luck putting your phone back the same way if you have to use a heat gun to get some of the parts off. My suggestion was for those who don't want to take it apart or have the tools to.

Howie Dub said:
It's a non-invasive fix. There is so little space in these phones that more than likely the connector moved just enough not to be fully connected to the motherboard. If tapping on the screen is working for some, then pressing in the right area to push the connector back in might be all it takes. You're going to have to take the phone apart or send it in anyways; might as well try something to see if you can avoid those things and won't void your warranty. Taking apart your phone is just as risky. Many more things can go wrong when you take it apart. And good luck putting your phone back the same way if you have to use a heat gun to get some of the parts off. My suggestion was for those who don't want to take it apart or have the tools to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each their own, Sir. ?
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

Wholow said:
mine started doing this periodically after i fumbled it
a temporary fix is giving it a quick tap dead center of the screen then it snaps right to normal
its at least a band-aid for now ill let you know if i find real issue when i open her up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think replacing screen that is the final solution :crying:

dowleey said:
I think replacing screen that is the final solution :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your screen isn't bad, your connector is loose
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

dowleey said:
half of my screen image blocked but the touch working fine :crying:
any idea if this is hardware or software issue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This just happened to me last night. Fell out of my pocket. Hit it a few times with my palm and it's OK now. :laugh

P580 Power Issues?

Hey all, I recently bought a P580 when I was out in the States with work (I'm back in the UK now). Whilst I was out there it was working fine and when I came back it was working fine when I originally tried it out - I didn't want to use it much as it was supposed to be a gift but wanted to make sure it was all set up and stuff. Second time I tried it, it won't power on. I've tried multiple USB cables, multiple wall plugs and tried charging it on my PC. Nothing seems to get it to power on.
Everytime I connect and disconnect it to my PC I get the audible tone that says a device was connected but that's it. Samsung's Smart switch doesn't recognise it either. Talking to their support, I've tried holding Power + Volume down + home button but that doesn't seem to do anything other than disconnect it from the PC and holding the Power button for more than a minute doesn't seem to do anything either.
I hadn't rooted the device, in fact I'd barely done anything other than install a couple of apps like Facebook, Snapchat and Youtube. Does anyone know what's going on with the device and is there anything I can do? I'd definitely prefer not to send it back to Samsung as they won't accept it in the UK support so I'd have to send it back to the US support.
Anyways, if anyone has any advice it would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.

It's not a power but display issue. If you can hear the sound in the background or press volume up and down and you can hear the sound, it mostly has the loose LCD cable.
Search Youtube how to open your tablet, the tool you may need is a guitar pick.
Disconnect the battery first. You only need to disconnect and reconnect the LCD cable. The locking tab is at the top of the connector, lift it gently up 90 degree and be careful, otherwise you might break it. All connectors are unlocked by lifting up from the top 90 degree and they're very easy broken if you're not careful.
Here the LCD cable ( black ) is just slightly below the line on mainboard, you will have a black screen
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
This one, the LCD cable is fully seated.
This connector is weakly hold the cable, you can pull the cable out while is in locking position. So you need put tapes over the connector and cable to hold it firmly, another one at the center of the battery to prevent if from moving. Battery should be back, otherwise you'll see nothing. Test by plugging your charger and press the HOME button, you should see the battery icon briefly if everything you're done correctly.

Beut said:
It's not a power but display issue. If you can hear the sound in the background or press volume up and down and you can hear the sound, it mostly has the loose LCD cable.
Search Youtube how to open your tablet, the tool you may need is a guitar pick.
Disconnect the battery first. You only need to disconnect and reconnect the LCD cable. The locking tab is at the top of the connector, lift it gently up 90 degree and be careful, otherwise you might break it. All connectors are unlocked by lifting up from the top 90 degree and they're very easy broken if you're not careful.
Here the LCD cable ( black ) is just slightly below the line on mainboard, you will have a black screen
This one, the LCD cable is fully seated.
This connector is weakly hold the cable, you can pull the cable out while is in locking position. So you need put tapes over the connector and cable to hold it firmly, another one at the center of the battery to prevent if from moving. Battery should be back, otherwise you'll see nothing. Test by plugging your charger and press the HOME button, you should see the battery icon briefly if everything you're done correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thank you for the reply! I opened up my Tab and it was loose. Unfortunately being a complete beginner I think I f****d it up and ruined the cable - imgur dot com/a/kvP8Z ( I cant post links)
Am I going to have to replace that now as it still doesn't seem to be working.. :/
Other than that I can't see anything else that might be wrong with it whilst it's opened up??
Again, thanks for your help, it's MASSIVELY appreciated!

Sn0wtek said:
Hey, thank you for the reply! I opened up my Tab and it was loose. Unfortunately being a complete beginner I think I f****d it up and ruined the cable - imgur dot com/a/kvP8Z ( I cant post links)
Am I going to have to replace that now as it still doesn't seem to be working.. :/
Other than that I can't see anything else that might be wrong with it whilst it's opened up??
Again, thanks for your help, it's MASSIVELY appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Speaking from experience, you are in a tight spot now... if you did what I did. I had a Tab S and I opened it up to replace the charging port. Different pieces, but same steps as listed above. I broke the locking tab that holds the cable down. My only recourse was to replace the motherboard. Long story short, it was easier (and not much more expensive) to buy a new tablet. I know this isn't what you want to hear. Sorry about your luck.
HOWEVER, my problem was with supply, my S was old and I couldn't find a new motherboard and the website I found was "out of stock" of used ones priced high. Since you have a fairly new device, you might be able to find a replacement much easier.

Bdozier said:
Speaking from experience, you are in a tight spot now... if you did what I did. I had a Tab S and I opened it up to replace the charging port. Different pieces, but same steps as listed above. I broke the locking tab that holds the cable down. My only recourse was to replace the motherboard. Long story short, it was easier (and not much more expensive) to buy a new tablet. I know this isn't what you want to hear. Sorry about your luck.
HOWEVER, my problem was with supply, my S was old and I couldn't find a new motherboard and the website I found was "out of stock" of used ones priced high. Since you have a fairly new device, you might be able to find a replacement much easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that the locking mechanism is effected, but I scuffed the black LCD cable thing and it's now showing some of the bronze beneath it.. I thought that maybe that was causing it to not just work now that the cable's in the correct position? If it's the case that I've completely ruined the device and that I can't do anything with it, I don't know if I can justify getting a second one in such a short space of time. :/

Sn0wtek said:
I don't think that the locking mechanism is effected, but I scuffed the black LCD cable thing and it's now showing some of the bronze beneath it.. I thought that maybe that was causing it to not just work now that the cable's in the correct position? If it's the case that I've completely ruined the device and that I can't do anything with it, I don't know if I can justify getting a second one in such a short space of time. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's good. You might be able to find a replacement cable or even just put a small piece of electrical tape over the scuffed segment... Depending on how deep the scuff is. There are a lot smarter people on this board that may be able to advise you better.
Just searched "galaxy tab a 10.1 lcd cable" and they are pretty inexpensive. Cheaper than a new tablet! About $2 USD.

Sn0wtek said:
I don't think that the locking mechanism is effected, but I scuffed the black LCD cable thing and it's now showing some of the bronze beneath it.. I thought that maybe that was causing it to not just work now that the cable's in the correct position? If it's the case that I've completely ruined the device and that I can't do anything with it, I don't know if I can justify getting a second one in such a short space of time. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try to tape the LCD cable down to the mainboard, I don't know how bad you damaged it. This LCD cable is not easy to take out as the section connected to LCD is under the frame.
In order to take it out, you have to cut the frame. It's easier than heating up the whole assembly to remove the touchscreen and LCD from the frame. Newbie will most likely damage them in this process.

Beut said:
Try to tape the LCD cable down to the mainboard, I don't know how bad you damaged it. This LCD cable is not easy to take out as the section connected to LCD is under the frame.
In order to take it out, you have to cut the frame. It's easier than heating up the whole assembly to remove the touchscreen and LCD from the frame. Newbie will most likely damage them in this process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See Sn0wtek... A much smarter person than me!

This is the proper way to secure LCD cable both SM-T580 and SM-P580, without tape the cable will loose again.
This is another bad design from Samsung, the motherboard has no screw to hold it at the bottom. It can wobble easily, that's reason you need tapes to hold the LCD cable to mainboard , prevent it from moving out of the connector.