Chromebook Screen Came Apart Issue

I have an Acer Chromebook Spin 514 that was purchased a few years ago from Costco online. I think it was months ago when I was either opening up the laptop or closing it, something came out of the hinge area. I don't recall where I put that thing but it did not look like I could connect it back to my laptop hinge area. Does anyone know the specific piece I'm talking about? I recalled it was a bit rectangular.


The issue after that is every time I was to open the lid and close the lid of the chromebook, I would notice that some part of the hinge area is missing so it would never open and close smoothly. I think it was on the left hinge area of the Chromebook. The rectangular part.


Not long ago, I either went to open or close the lid of my laptop and I think it was closing it. I believe I was carrying a paper towel and then tried to close my laptop with it. When I did that, the laptop screen came apart but it didn't come off fully. I then squeezed the screen back together but there is still like space open in the hinge area when the Chromebook is opened up. Does that make sense? The issue is the screen would keep falling down and it then fall down on the table. So imagine if you like flexed the Chromebook as this is a 2 in 1 Chromebook. I then pushed it back to it's original position but it kept on slouching diagonally.


I then did another foolish thing as I used a paper towel recently to hinges of the laptop and the paper towel actually got stuck on the bottom left side of the screen. I'm not sure if I took it all out but you notice lot of white sticky stuff on that area. Did I cause more damage with that?


I then decided to just close the lid but it was closed like 90%. Now when this happened, you could clearly see how crumbled up is my Chromebook as the hinges are broken. Not only that, if I was to sort of halfway close it, it seems like the green spot area is visible. I think that might be the ram?

I then noticed my touchpad no longer showed a mouse cursor at all. I then powered off my Chromebook. Then I powered it back on. Then logged in. The issue is my mouse cursor is not there. I then connected a wireless mouse to it and then the mouse cursor shows up. I can use my wireless mouse with it. However, the trackpad does not work at all. I got to assume when I closed the lid 90% for a while, that probably caused this?


I'm typing on my Chromebook now but it's falling apart. Like the screen would recline sort of like a computer chair and sometimes it would then recline all the way on the table. If you look at it from the sides, it's like in 2 pieces but still together.


Does anyone have advice on what I should do here? If I go to a computer repair shop, would they be able to fix this or I need to buy a new screen replacement? The other issue now though is my touchpad is damaged as well so that would need replacing? I bought this Chromebook a few years ago for around $330 or so and it worked great until this happened.


I will post a few pictures of how it looks. The thing is I believe costco has a 2 year warranty but mine expired already. Would they fix this issue or they wouldn't? I just opened or closed the laptop and then this happened. Does anyone know why my mouse cursor doesn't show up though without a wireless mouse connected to it? If the touchpad no longer works, shouldn't a mouse cursor still show up? I just know the moment I connected wireless mouse to it, the mouse cursor showed up.

newmann said:

Does anyone have advice on what I should do here?

Click to expand...

Retire the system?

Seriously, you might just want to get a quote for repairs to determine whether it is even worth doing. Since it is a very low spec machine, I imagine that the cost to repair would likely get you a newer faster machine, or at least close to it.

You are being helped here as well. Please do not Cross Post.

You are posting in the TenForum and the ElevenForum and a Chromebook doesn't even use Windows 10 or 11.

These pictures is how my laptop screen looks like when it the screen has fallen on my folding table.

In the 3rd picture on the left, notice how there is a ton of paper towel stuck in that area? I had tried closing my laptop many times and used a paper towel and parts of the paper towel a few times got stuck in it. I can't get it out as it's sticky. The reason why I used paper towel sometimes to open and close my laptop is because it's a bit dirty so I usually take one or two pieces of paper towel. Then that happened.

These pictures is the laptop looks when I squeezed the screen back together on both sides but a bit later it will come apart and drop again on my folding table.


At the moment, I am using it only with the wireless mouse. Touchpad does not work. The touchscreen doesn't work either though I almost never use that.


How much would it cost to buy the parts for this laptop screen? It will cost more since it's a touchscreen? The touchpad does not work either. A new Chromebook would cost me probably similar to this of $330 or so. If someone can fix it themselves, it would be worth it? But if I need to buy the parts and have a computer store repair it, it wouldn't? I'm thinking it will cost minimum $200 for the replacement parts and having it repaired at a computer shop if I was to buy the parts myself and bring it to them?


The other thing is assuming I buy a new Chromebook, do I still keep this or throw it out? At the moment, I'm using it fine as long as I have a wireless mouse and the screen hasn't fallen down yet. It eventually will fall down.


The other concern is what about the safety of it? Like since it keeps on opening and closing, is there danger to using it like with the electricity and things like that?

Checked and the Acer Spin 14 retails for above $600, correct ?

I experienced a similar issue with a Dell Inspiron. Warranty repair lasted 2 years and same occurred. You could well encounter the same.

Suggest you contact Acer for a possible replacement or compensation. Send photos. May want to research to see if others have encountered similar issue. And address issue in the Acer Support Forum.

Sry for your misfortune on such a quality Chromebook.

As stated you need to replace the case, hinges and probably the trackpad, or it just may have been unplugged.
With the hardware parts needing to be replaced, you can replace this with a newer/refurbished laptop

If you get a bare bones one, you can salvage your Drives, RAM etc from the old one, probably even the screen too.

Spunk said:

As stated you need to replace the case, hinges and probably the trackpad, or it just may have been unplugged.
With the hardware parts needing to be replaced, you can replace this with a newer/refurbished laptop

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for Acer Chromebook Spin 514 at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

If you get a bare bones one, you can salvage your Drives, RAM etc from the old one, probably even the screen too.

Click to expand...

Hey. The trackpad for some reason works now. The issue though is the wiring and everything is pretty much out in the open and visible. The wires and all that.

My issue is I'm going to travel soon and have to bring the Chromebook back with me to the US. Then I will carry the chromebook back to outside the US. The issue is the moment I close the Chromebook lid, everything is basically bulging out. And if I was to close the lid now and open it back up, the screen will most likely keep falling down. So I don't want to do that now at the moment. I can take another picture of how the Chromebook looks now.


There are no safety issues with bringing my Chromebook back in this condition? Will be putting it in the laptop case. The thing is it wouldn't make sense to replace the screen right since buying that and having a computer store repair it will probably cost at least $200 or so? So just buy a new Chromebook then? The thing is assuming I was to not move the position of this Chromebook now and do not close the lid, I can still use it as is. But the moment I close the lid, it will be very hard to keep the Chromebook screen standing up without it keeps on falling down. I had gotten it to this standing position not long ago and made sure to not move the screen.

Any time there are exposed wires there will be safety issues. If you left the laptop on a desk and didn't touch it, you could get away with it temporarily.
But if you are moving this laptop, the screen may fall off, it will have the wiring rip out, and or catch fire. I am sure the TSA won't let you take it on a plane, even if it is in a laptop case, unless you disconnect the battery. But Why?

You are correct, repairing this computer will cost at least $200, as stated, you can find another Chromebook for the same amount or less.

Chromebooks files are usually saved online through Google Drive or other sources, but if you have files on the old computer you want to save, and can boot into the computer, you can save your files to a USB Flash drive or the afore mentioned Cloud services. Then import these files on the new Chromebook.

Spunk said:

Any time there are exposed wires there will be safety issues. If you left the laptop on a desk and didn't touch it, you could get away with it temporarily.
But if you are moving this laptop, the screen may fall off, it will have the wiring rip out, and or catch fire. I am sure the TSA won't let you take it on a plane, even if it is in a laptop case, unless you disconnect the battery. But Why?

You are correct, repairing this computer will cost at least $200, as stated, you can find another Chromebook for the same amount or less.

Chromebooks files are usually saved online through Google Drive or other sources, but if you have files on the old computer you want to save, and can boot into the computer, you can save your files to a USB Flash drive or the afore mentioned Cloud services. Then import these files on the new Chromebook.

Click to expand...

I will post some pictures of how it looks now on the desk and curious about your opinion. Yes many of the cables and everything inside of it around the hinge area is exposed. I do not want to close the lid on the laptop since doing that means screen will fall. I am just using this Chromebook as it is now while outside the US until I go back to the US pretty soon.


The thing is so don't bring this Chromebook back with me then even if it goes in the laptop case right? So they would examine it and say okay you are too many things bulging out and ask me to throw the laptop away? So the only way would be for me to not bring the Chromebook back and maybe buy a new replacement screen and bring it with me when I go outside the US again? Then go to a repair shop and bring both of it to them? Or is that not worth it? The thing is I probably would have to buy a new Chromebook back in the US if that is the case.


Most new Chromebooks cost at least $300. I want at least i3 or Ryzen 3 and 8gb ram. I don't want anything less. So what would I even do with this Chromebook then if I can't bring it back to the US? Yea I have all my files saved on Google drive. I even power washed my chrome so many times already.

I or anyone on here don't need to see any pictures. You have posted enough pics to see what is going on.
The only safe way to transport this laptop is to remove the bottom pane and disconnect the battery from the motherboard. I would remove it totally from the computer.
You can go to Youtube and search for your make and model # how to disassemble it to get to the battery.