In response to nico_h and to others with similar problems. By hardware problem I mean - it is not a software problem. Especially on laptops, the hardware can cause numerous problems which would/could be caused by a loose connection either in a connector or a bad solder job. A repair shop that is busy will have the expertise and the experience to look into the source for the failure. I remember some years ago my daughter was having a problem with the Compaq 700 series laptop she had. I had done numerous troubleshooting steps and short of taking it apart to look for bad connections, I could not find the problem. Upon further investigation with the symptoms, it was a known problem with that model series of a hardware failure that had those symptoms. Many shops had so many of that model with the same problem, that they would do the repair for a fixed rate, because the majority of those had the same repair needed. It could be the same with yours.
BTW: depending on the known failure rate for a particular series, it might be a simple phonecall to price, who knows. It might also be more than the lappy is worth.
