My Acer laptop "caught fire"

Sorry... but it looks more like it's been on a desk and has been pushed back into a bunsen burner.
From experience there is no part in a screen that would generate enough heat to do that damage.

By JmLing on 2 Dec 2009

Your daughter is an idiot

I've seen this before. My friends sister had a lamp left on too close to her laptop. It melted the plastic. Remember a lightbulb can be as hot as 247 C where as most plastics melt at about 210 C.

By Carter89uk on 2 Dec 2009

inconceivable?

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo Montoya

By VoiceOfReason on 2 Dec 2009

External source?

Looking at the photo, the plastic is bubbling away from a focused external source.
If the heat were internal (i.e. under the plastic) then it would brown and blister up, not down and outwards.
I had a waffle maker that self-destructed earlier this year and the burn pattern was totally different.
While I don't know enough about it to prove anything either way, I cannot see what components would be in an Acer laptop lid that would generate that much heat.
If there is, this could be a doozy of a recall fault!

By cheysuli on 2 Dec 2009

candle burn

looks like a candle burn to me.

By wadski on 2 Dec 2009

My sons Acer laptop started melting to

Acer have just agreed to replace my sons 5930g laptop.
Their was a fault with the charger, the dc socket overheated he burnt his hand when he moved the laptop and the underside of the laptop case had visible melted.

The laptop was sent back to the Acer service centre for repair under warranty,a new motherboard and lower lase were ordered and now after waing weeks i was told today they will replace it but this will take at least another 10 days.

By brianm on 2 Dec 2009

Further evidence needed

Internal photos of the screen casing would help to determine whether the heat source was internal or external. Most components in the lid are low voltage and low current. I'm not sure how enough heat could be generated in the lid to do this.

By selwe11 on 2 Dec 2009

Humm.

Cant be an internal overheating problem. Acer are correct it can only be an external burn, the centre of the burn has crumbled away showing the internal components are not the culprit.Plus only the screen is inside the lid and that's very low voltage.

I think Acer are being very generous offering to repair the laptop when clearly they are not liable.

Looks like the laptop was burnt when the lid was flat, as molten plastic would show evidence of sagging downwards if lid was vertical.

Humm I thing Andrews daughter is not being completely honest and accidentally burnt the laptop while closed and the laptop started to fail when it was turned on later in front of her parents.

By Tibbs on 2 Dec 2009

Daughter's got Laser beams for eyes

The machine looks very similar to my 3 1/2 year old Acer laptop.I wonder if I can replicate the burn by staring at the screen and generating beams from my eyes?

By popeye91 on 2 Dec 2009

What percentage of people only read the headlines?

What with this and the recent "Black Screen Windows" stories, should pcpro not be headlining (vetting) their stories more thoroughly?

By alan123 on 2 Dec 2009

Michelin tyres deflation scandal

two days later...

My bad... I forgot to inflate them!

By alan123 on 2 Dec 2009

It does look like it has been caused by an external heat source. I don't believe that any component in the display could cause that damage. It is possible for batteries to catch fire but the damage would be more severe and on the keyboard/base of the laptop.
I don't see how that being a University professor is relevant or that it makes them incapable of lying.

By andy_tech on 2 Dec 2009

Michelin tyres deflation scandal

two days later...

My bad... I forgot to inflate them!

By alan123 on 2 Dec 2009

It looks like it was melted externally

I agree with all the earlier comments that point out that this looks a whole like something hot and focused was directed at that corner of the screen.

I think the professors-don't-lie line may backfire on them. I'd say that a professor should know to examine the evidence before deciding what the cause was, right?

By steviesteveo on 2 Dec 2009

I hope they don't buy a macbook next

notebooks and king size cigarettes are so easily confused these days

puff puff pass.....

By mr_chips on 3 Dec 2009

Suddenly it doesn't seem so funny

I sent a copy of this thread, assuming she would appreciate my previous humorous response, off to a female friend of mine(however,I forgot she works for Social Services). Her response was:
"Are all IT people totally retarded! Any battered woman could tell you that's a cigarette burn!

By stillgolfing on 3 Dec 2009

Looks genuine....

... the melt pattern is vertical - the heat is melting the case upwards, as it would if it were open, so that fits. Low voltages CAN cause hotspots - it's the current that is important and there's plenty of whack in a laptop power supply.

Likely the heat has built up over time. Could have reached ignition point if it had been left unattended.

As usual, the internet appoints itself as a Kangaroo court. The really worrying comment was from the social worker..... a very professional and reflected on remark, that one.

By maxblink on 3 Dec 2009

comment

To those saying that the lid components are low voltage and low current: this laptop uses a CCFL backlight which does require a high voltage (not sure about current) and, despite the name, can get very hot.

By simbr on 3 Dec 2009

melt pattern

hard focused edge one side. Upward flow / outward flow(flame/heat path) other side shows external focused hard edge initiator. Sun via window glass focus? (similar damage from low winter sun on plastics years ago in my experience),spotlight? Bulb in holder focused on back of laptop?
Needs 'crime scene type' data and recording to find out forensic cause.

By eionmac on 3 Dec 2009

Perhaps PC Pro should investigate...

Why doesn't PC Pro offer to inspect the laptop? If the screen casing is dismantled it will be obvious whether the heat came from inside or outside.

By davidbryant4 on 3 Dec 2009

On the fence

I have been in IT for a long time now, but I can honestly say I have never seen anything like this. I don’t want to pass judgement either way and initial thoughts are insurance job. On the other hand if this had happened to me and nobody believed me, I would have been incensed.

I think it is difficult to tell either way without examining the laptop.

I must say I was very shocked and surprised at the social worker, making any comment at all as for me this is extremely un-professional and I find it hard to believe that burning skin and laptop plastic burn in the same way.

By glovario on 3 Dec 2009

madlyfrank

Amazing how much speculation and even absolute conviction about the cause has been generated by this report. There is nowhere near enough information to make even a half decent guess as to the cause. I want to know if the complainants accepted Acer's offer of a repair, or have the confidence to send the laptop to an independant forensic lab and either publicly challenge Acer or apologise.

By Socrates on 3 Dec 2009

I don't think I've ever seen as many comments on a PCPro story.

I have no idea what the truth of this matter is because this is the report of an event rather than a piece of journalism. Could someone at PCPro please investigate and then post it as proper news.

By jenny_hearn on 3 Dec 2009

Prove it...

If this was caused by an internal heat source, then way before the external case burned through, there would have been serious warping and distortion on the screen, as the heat fried the LCD.

So, if it was internal, there would be visible marks on the screen - so how about some pictures of the screen showing this?

If the heat was applied externally, then it would easily burn through the outer case and cause that kind of damage before coming anywhere close to affecting the screen.

My gut reaction is that the laptop was being used near to a halogen desk lamp or maybe a candle and that the damage was caused by the heat from that - it's certainly at the right height for it.

Perfectly willing to be proven wrong, but on the basis of the photos and the rather "doth protest too much" comments from the father, I'm thinking it was a mistake their trying to avoid paying for.

By bioreit on 3 Dec 2009

Lithium-ion batteries are notorious for catching fire.

Dunno if this is an example.

By Ozzy66 on 3 Dec 2009

Dubious to say the least.......

I have worked on hundreds of laptops over 8 years and taken a few Acers to bits including the screen area. There is no high voltage in that area of the TFT panel and the cables/plugs for the screen would not take the amount of current needed to catch fire.

It would be fairly obvious if the screen was taken apart to see if the TFT panel was the source of the fire. More likely an external source I would have thought.

I would have been very reluctant to raise a call on Acer for this repair!!

By nigel_green1 on 3 Dec 2009

Focused Microwave Weapon?

Although it does look very much like a lamp or focused sunlight burn the fact it has a fairly reflective silver outside must have meant the power needed was pretty high or time period long. It would be easier to build up heat from inside but unlikely it would break out in that shape while vertical(as the melt pattern)

I think it was most likely a Ray Gun mark and they are being targeted due to some research they have done, probably on Area 51 or Global warming. Extradition to the states highly likely.

By Powernumpty on 3 Dec 2009

More investigation needed

Looking at the laptop photo if an external heat source had caused the problem

I am surprised that Acer did not do more to acertain if the fire was caused internally or, externally. Generally if the fire (or heat source) had been caused internally then the pattern of burn (oxidation and brown/blackening) would be more in terms of surce area on the inside. Conversally if the heat source had been externally. Also heat sources with yellow flames such as candles would give rise to sooty deposits and the photos do not show this.

All in all the truth of the situation should come out because if it is an Acer fault then the scare of it happening to another computer with serious consequences, is horrific. On the other hand it the fire started externally, somebody needs a good spanking.

By martinpamor on 3 Dec 2009

And The Truth Shall Set You Free

No, what has happened is that the CIA have inadvertently spilled some left-over thermite into some unused jiffy-bags that happened to be lying on the desk, from the planning of their 9/11 false-flag operation.
The bags were intended to return some H1N1-coated batteries to Acer (so as to precipitate a world pandemic) and this has become incorporated into the build at Acer, all without their knowledge.
However, as someone hinted earlier on, there were some escapes by lizard-aliens from the Area 51 facility, who are intent upon attacking young female college kids. It was microwave death-ray laser blasts that ignited the thermite!
Simple, I don't know why none of you could not have seen it before! Of course the family should not approach their GP, but should instead accept infections, no, sorry, strike that, vaccinations for swine flu as a matter of urgency.

By Klobba on 3 Dec 2009

Academics & common sense

"... we saw the right-hand corner of the laptop screen turning black and the smell [of burning] increasing. I touched the circle of black and burnt my fingers...(I'm a) university professor".

By keithh14 on 3 Dec 2009

Academics & common sense

"... we saw the right-hand corner of the laptop screen turning black and the smell [of burning] increasing. I touched the circle of black and burnt my fingers...(I'm a) university professor".

By keithh14 on 3 Dec 2009

Magnifying Beauty Mirror

I wonder if the daughter has a double-sided mirror, one side normal reflection, the other side a magnifying one, like what my wife has. We were shocked one day to find the sun reflecting off the magnifying side and on to the plastic window frame of our uPVC windows - and melting them ! There was a line about 6 cm long and 1 cm wide so it must have been burning for some time.

I reckon in this case, if the daughter has one, then it may have been reflecting on to the back of the screen, which could cause this sort of damage.

By Ogeretla on 3 Dec 2009

Solar Experiment

I dont think that the daughter had the magnifying mirror, but it belonged to the professor. He was doing some secret research at home by concentrating the sun's energy onto his morning slice of bread to make some toast. The daughter came downstairs and took the toast to eat, but in exchange opened up her laptop in the same focal plane so as to let the full force of the sun's rays to impinge upon the back of her laptop.
Note: never look directly into the sun or use binoculars to look directly at the sun. By the way I am a road sweeper so therefore I must have no credibility for what I have just printed!

By martinpamor on 4 Dec 2009

Professors

What does the mother and father being university professors to do with it? Does that make them more honest than lesser mortals?

By MartinH on 4 Dec 2009

No high voltage parts?

What about the inverter? As far as I am aware this laptop like most has one for the lamp. They output hundreds of volts..

By CtJackal1 on 4 Dec 2009

Bedside lamp guilty..

in my case anyway. Similar thing happened to an old laptop of mine on a bedside table with a lamp behind the laptop. The lamp head could be swiveled and never noticed it was very near the corner of my laptops screen, cue melted plastic! Laptop still worked but annoyed the hell out of me for being so stupid and not seeing how easily it happened along with the fact it could have started a fire. Oh, also it wasnt an Acer but a Sony Vaio!

By manickid on 5 Dec 2009

chip burn

Hi, it is actually possible to get burnt, and see burn 'stress' marks on the IRON from conntroller chips inside encased CDRW.
nowadays, chipsets are far more powerful than SCI of ages ago, and CSI can get really hot. I still see the molten flesh mark on my finger.
Plastic heated up from the outside will show different marks (lab reproducable), but I dare you to contest the result of micro implosion of a chipset.
It will look as if it got heated from te outside, yet, the heat point came from the kernel, and the show-off is that chips literally got expelled from the implosion.
(the guys at lab always discuss how that can be so, and I would dearly like to see the full proof in print. Gossamer ideas are, well, just intrigueing. Jaak. MVP 2006/2007/2008. aka kerremelk.

By kerremelk on 6 Dec 2009

SCI, aka small computer interface

SCI, aka small computer interface, are part of SCSI and IDE and SATA and so on. They are chips. There is more computing power in North and South bridges than what intel 386 and even 486 and (I think, P5) had. A lot of more, in oft not as well colled chips. (in laptops, note that the chipset gets the out-take from the CPU fan, but is not spot-on cooled)
A micro implosion (internal tunnel leakage in the data traces) in the kernel of the chip will be seen as an explosion, yet is called an implosion.
Go figure. The result is same, a brief flash after a warning. The stress sign is the heat build up (device gets unavailable.. used to mean instant BSOD, but BSOD will not happen unless flipflop locks out device, and bang will become BSOD..) this can happen so fast the BSOD seemingly occurs simultime, but fbefore the flash one always had a (short) heat build up. (which casued the internal electron tunnel fail.)
OK, I am a Flemish mecanic, with some experience. Interesting article, so comments are welcome. Jaak, aka kerremelk.

By kerremelk on 6 Dec 2009

Too Obvious

It was Lizard-aliens..
Damn critters!

By Klobba on 11 Dec 2009

NO actually

I was looking for some comment like this because i believe my laptop screen could have caught on fire I own a hp 6910p and i put in a old gloss screen it is webbed with cracks on one side now from being stepped on and now from the left bottom corner it turned black and it burned my fingers when i touched it it was a little red at the base like a hot cherry so i pulled the plug and it cooled down running on the battery seems the only way i can play with my laptop until i get a new screen i have to remember not to leave the plug in and walk away from it

By bobguerra on 28 Dec 2011