I disassembled my HP DV7-3057NR (product #VU151UA#ABA) recently, in order to clean out the dust from the fan.
Anyway, I put it back together and now the 2 USB ports on the right hand side don't work any more. I took it apart again to investigate and found that the connection where the flat power cord running from the USB drive to the motherboard was loose. I eased the cable out and found that this piece where it connects to the motherboard is broken, so obviously no power is getting to the USB drive.
Does anybody know the specific name for this piece? And if it is replaceable without buying an entirely new motherboard?
Best Answer
It is possible to locate a connector like this, but you will need to put a lot of time into it. First determine if there is damage to the mother board. It is likely that some of the land patterns were damaged, looks like the connector was ripped from the board. If you find the MB is repairable, then it will be worth the search for a connector.
First look for any identifying logos or part numbers that may give a clue, then Google those numbers. If you get lucky, your done. Most times you won't find any number although. It is difficult to search the thousands of connector types from an electronics distributor web site, therefore I would visit several of the big competitors sites and request catalogs. You will receive 4" catalogs by snail mail shortly thereafter.
Once you have catalogs you will need to measure all aspects of the connector (I use a caliper for this) and thumb through many pages until you find a similar likeness. I would try places like: Newark, DigiKey, and Mouser are very popular here in the US. Your profile does not say where you are from, I'm assuming U.S.. If you do find one, then you have the task of soldering it to the MB. It is probably surface mounted, and that takes some skill. If you never have done it, I suggest you do a lot of practice first. Good luck!