Question Old laptop Asus K50IJ randomly won't detect ssd/hdd, restarts/bsod when being moved

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Jan 24, 2023
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I got this laptop for free and I would like to fix it because it is still usable for web browsing and youtube and has almost a brand new battery which works for 2 hours.

The specs are:

Asus K50IJ
Intel® Celeron® Processor T3100 (1M Cache, 1.90 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
3GB DDR2 ram (2gb is soldered to MB, 1gb is 667 sodimm)
250gb hdd - replaced it with a brand new 128gb sata ssd (also tried other 500gb hdd)
Freshly installed Windows 10 and also Linux Mint 21.1 (the problem happens in both operating systems so I think software problems can be excluded).


The problem is that it randomly won't detect the ssd/hdd. It just prints that no bootable device could be found - it isn't detected in the bios.
And when the hdd is detected it works okay 24/7 playing youtube or doing any other intensive task.
When i try to physically move the laptop it restarts or displays a blue screen of death. And sometimes the restart is followed by bootable device not found.

There has to be something wrong with the sata port connection but everything looks okay.
I also tried removing the battery, removing the stick of ram. I also changed the thermal paste (cpu won't go over 60 degrees C when on full load).
All screws are fastened and there is nothing rattling when shaking the laptop.

Has anyone any idea what could be done?
Thank you.
Domen
 
problem is that it randomly won't detect the ssd/hdd...
When i try to physically move the laptop it restarts or displays a blue screen of death
there is an issue with the SATA controller or the physical port itself.
it could be a bad hardware component or even a malfunctioned CPU.

paying to replace parts and/or have the system serviced by a technician would not be worth the money unless someone will guarantee a fix for under $50 or so.
still usable for web browsing and youtube and has almost a brand new battery which works for 2 hours.
that is a very low work time for a "brand new" battery in a basic usage scenario.
i'd say this thing is definitely passed it's prime for even basic usefulness, especially with the drive issue(s).
 
Jan 24, 2023
2
1
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Sorry for bumping an old thread but I just wanted to share how I fixed the problem. I tried to find some loose solder points just as you said but I couldn't locate anything that looked unordinary. The easiest fix was to order an universal HDD to DVD SATA caddy for around 8$ on Aliexpress and replace the DVD drive with the SSD. The laptop now works without a problem. I also replaced the 1gb dimm with 2gb for around 5$ so now I have a total of 4GB RAM which is plenty for Linux and web browsing/youtube.

I know it sounds silly to mess with such an old laptop (I have lots of other computers: 3 macbooks, my main desktop is Ryzen 5900X, i have a i5 6500 pc....).
But it is usable for playing youtube outdoors in the summertime and it won't be the end of the world when you spill drinks over it etc.

Thanks for your help.
 
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