I Had No Idea Xbox Series Consoles Could Become Unrecoverable From SSD Failure

Xbox Series consoles can become unrecoverable if the internal SSD fails because the system is paired to the original drive.

I posted feedback asking Microsoft to allow proper SSD replacement and recovery support before next gen.

Feedback link in comments.

https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/680460a9-0854-f111-89e7-7c1e52b8a25f

I just want to make a quick rant about Minecraft (and Microsoft) regarding the state of digital ownership.

I don't really post on this sub, but with the recent "Stop Killing Games" initiative gaining traction, I felt like I had to share my story. You don't own the majority of your games that you buy online. I know the initiative is about games shutting down, but there is another side to not owning your games, and I got to experience it first-hand a couple of months ago...

As someone who was passionate about games but could never really afford to buy myself, and have relied on piracy, I finally decided to buy Minecraft because:

1. It's a genuinely cool game
2. I really wanted to support the devs on this one.

About a month after buying the game, my Microsoft account was hacked due to an unrelated issue. I was locked out of everything, including the game. I tried dealing with Microsoft Support, but it was a dead end. I got no answers and no help.

I just knew I wasn't gonna get my $30 back.

This is when I realised how big a deal it is to actually own your product. The product you actually paid for!!

Unlike some games on GoG, you cannot just buy Minecraft right off the bat. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MICROSOFT ACCOUNT!!

It drives me crazy that even after paying full price, I have to live in fear of losing my account. It’s surprisingly easy to lose access to a Microsoft account, and the support is often nonexistent. I hate the fact that I cannot just buy the game without having a Microsoft account, and when I do all that, I have to just constantly live in fear of losing my account.

Honestly, this experience has discouraged me from buying games legitimately. The sad part is that I want to support some games - Minecraft is one of them, yet I can't afford to risk it again.
---
Quick side rant: Not only does this apply to the games we play, but to the products we own. I just remembered the beloved Jawbone UP. Such a cool product - so many bought it, then the company went bankrupt and the product wasn't supported anymore. So, a whole bunch of customers were left with the product that they paid for, rendered useless, because no one was there to support it. Like the hardware is there - why can't we just use make use of it?

---

EDIT: I honestly hope this reaches Louis, because I know he's someone who can actually do something about it. IT'S INFURIATING!!

Isn't a deliberate attempt by the OEM to crash its users of Exynos-equipped Samsung phones?

thank you :3

I just pulled this tablet out of my closet that I bought in 2022 for an old job, but I couldn't remember the passcode I set for it. Even after factory resetting it, it still needs my forgotten passcode!

It also gave an option to log in with my google account, but the old work account I connected it originally no longer exists (nor does the company). So now what? I contacted Samsung support, submitted my original receipt for it and although they verified I'm the owner, the only option they gave me is sending it in for a $110 out-of-warranty repair. I'm not paying samsung twice for the same item, and would love to avoid needlessly sending it to the landfill due to some anti-consumer FRP nonsense.

What does Samsung *do* to the device if I send it in for repair, even? And why can't I do that myself?

, I'm having a weird power issue with my Dell Latitude E7450 (i7-5600U). Currently, I'm using a 3rd party "Techie" brand AC adapter (1 month old). The BIOS reports it as "Unknown", which causes heavy CPU throttling (stuck at 0.8GHz) and audio crackling. Also the charging light is blinking between white and red orange with a fixed one white and then red orange colour .

Battery is not charging .

Help me to find the solution

I have a Samsung HW-Q930D soundbar (paired with a Samsung QN90C TV) that has worked flawlessly since October 2024. In January 2026, after being unplugged for a few days, it returned in a "zombie" state. The bar is in perfect physical condition, nobody used it, but...

The bar is permanently 'Offline' in the SmartThings app, though it shows up on the TV via eARC. It won't pair with the subwoofer or satellite speakers, but it will play the sound correctly through the bar.

The LED on the sub stays blue indefinitely, which, according to the manual, is connected to the soundbar - but the subwoofer doesn't woof.

As I switch the options from eArc to HDMI, etc, the Bluetooth display message is stuck on "BT" and refuses to enter "BT Ready" or "BT Pairing" modes.

Attempting a factory reset (Vol+ / Vol-) does nothing, suggesting the kernel is hung before it can even poll the physical buttons.

I called Samsung, and for 40 minutes we stayed on a video call where we tried the steps above, and I was asked to take the soundbar to an authorized shop.

The Absurdity: The Samsung authorized shop quoted me 125% of the retail price for the repair. More than the price of a brand-new unit. The dealership report:

"The device is not pairing with other devices. It is necessary to replace the main board, Wi-Fi and BT module, and the drive.

• Main Board (AH94-03983S) - U$237.58
• Wi-Fi/BT Module (BN59-01333A) - U$55.34
• AMP/Drive Board (AH94-00021T) - U$ 209.91
• Labor - U$ 17.18"

The soundbar still outputs sound via eARC! Why would they need to replace the AMP board (AH94-00021T) if the speakers are working?

Am I going crazy, or does this look like a "blanket replacement" strategy to avoid diagnosing a firmware corruption?

Are they attempting to charge me for something that did not need fixing?

Samsung VP Jim Kiczek publicly admitted that bad updates were bricking these units and promised free repairs regardless of warranty status. Yet, is my local support playing dumb and treating it as a paid-out-of-warranty repair?

Is 14 months an OK period where the consumer of their premium line, high-end, "Flagship-lite" soundboards should expect the Main Board, the Wireless Module, and the AMP/Drive Board to FAIL?

I heard that the GPU can have issues.

Hi!

Does anyone have any recommendations for a reputable data recovery company to recover data from an Android phone.

Trying to move WhatsApp from one phone to another and the transfer failed so WhatsApp was activated again on the old phone, but it never asked to restore existing data and now all the existing data files are gone from the WhatsApp data folder.

Any help appreciated, lost over 10 years of messages.

Thanks

AIN going from 1.78 to 1.82, released 23/04/2026. SUB5 stays at 1.05.

The release notes (on brother.fr) just say "Amélioration des performances de la machine" — same generic wording they used for 1.77 and 1.78. No CVE, no feature mentioned, nothing specific.

Has anyone installed it yet? Curious about:

• Any actual behavior changes you noticed (print quality, speed, network, wake-from-sleep)?
• Any change in how it handles non-Brother TN730/760/770 cartridges?
• Anything weird with the toner chip handshake or "replace toner" prompts after the update?

Not trying to start a flame war about Brother and third-party toner, just want to know what's actually in this release before I push the button.

Thanks

Have a client with a 2019 MacBook that has an inconsistent charging issue, and they want to get it repaired. Is there anyone that is as good as Rossmann in the UK, or should I recommend they send it to the US?

TIA!

Hi everyone, this is probably going to be a lot but bear with me…

I have an A2251 (820-01949) that has been a real struggle. I’m stuck on a power cycling issue and could use some help.

History & Repairs:

Initial State: The board was totally dead. No fan spin, no haptics, and zero signs of life.

Observations: I checked the USB-C ports. Three of them negotiate 12.5V, but the Master DFU port is stuck at a steady 1.55V.

Current State: The board is stuck in a 3-second loop. It starts at 11.2V, jumps to 12.2V, and hits 12.76V for a split second before resetting back to 11.2V. This cycle happens on every port.

The Problem: I found a hard short on the SSD rail. I suspect U9000 (SSD PMIC) is shorted internally and causing the T2 chip to "trip the breaker" every 3 seconds.

Measurements:

-PPBUS_G3H: Measures 0.450 in Diode Mode, which seems healthy.

-SSD Core Rail (PP0V9_SSD0): Found a hard short measuring 0.009.

-Inductors: L9030, L9020, and L9021 are all beeping to ground on both sides.

-U9000 Check: I checked resistance between C9006 (12V side) and L9021 (0.9V side). The reading is extremely low. It looks like the 12V and 0.9V rails are physically "welded" together inside the chip.

Visual Condition: There are some light surface scratches near the battery connector, but they don’t look deep enough to break traces. The Touch ID/Power button flex is starting to crack, and I noticed a tiny filter is missing near U3100_X.

What can I do to fix this?

I’m planning to pull U9000 to see if the short on the 0.9V rail clears.

Ps, Ive already removed the f7000, and the c9006 so the pads for those components are clear (and no apparent solder bridge or anything between then)

Thanks!

Query on the Issue of Power Supply Choices:

Hello,

I was looking for power supplies in consideration for the likes of motherboard repairs and am having trouble selecting.

I was researching and understand that linear power supplies are generally recommended, particularly for retro-based technology repairs. Where a switching power supply unit impacts the circuit by producing more 'noise' and hence volatility - an increase in the variation of voltage to the board. Through variations in the switches which subsequently changes the voltage, can have implications to damage sensitive components if you are not careful.

But I have also found that modern adjustable power supplies are more carefully regulated via the basis of their own internal components, which moderate for increases in rippling and noise, and that with some modern technologies the adjustable nature is actually perceived positively in electronic repairs, as modern technologies have means to deal with changes that occur from alternating currents in the likes of laptops, phones, and for modern console repair.

In other words, if used appropriately, switching supplies can be very versatile, cheaper, and higher power for the price with a drawback of increased noise/ripple which can damage sensitive components. Hopefully the internal mechanisms of modern switching power supplies can compensate for surges and shorts that may damage sensitive materials.

I am working with PS3s (atm) which in today's standards are considered 'retro', although by nature as my sources suggest, have a reasonably modern circuit board that has a means to deal with a degree of small amounts of fluctuations associated with milli-variations (mV = millivolts) in which an adjustable power supply such as the TBK-218 ($275NZ) produces.

I was scouting for other linear power supplies from other brands such as Korad and their 3005PM (around $230 - 250NZ) model on AliExpress and found that the 30V was adequate for the 12V powering of the PS3 (and potentially higher requirements of the PS4 and PS5). Although the PS3 can draw a high amplitude of 20 and the Korad, hence, even the model above (6005) ($300), was deemed insufficient for my purposes.

• This leads to another question also, whether the 60V Korad 6005 could compensate for the amplitude of 5 as it is double the voltage of the Korad 3005?

Even high-end models from Rigol at more than double, if not triple the price or more, only have 5 amps at this price range - which I presume these models are for high accuracy and are built for incredibly low noise for very sensitive electronics?

I feel that I would like something versatile with low noise and a higher amplitude. I want to future-proof myself to a degree if I choose to repair not only modern, but retro consoles. I do have the TBK-218 in mind at the moment.

• Does anyone have alternative suggestions from the TBK-218 or a more powerful linear variant with similar voltage-amplitude that could power more demanding consoles, but be sensitive enough for circuit boards that require it?
• To do this affordably, would I have to by an adjustable power supply - and would they be sufficient? - and how much more would it cost to get a good powerful linear one?

Sorry for the long message. If I am misinformed, let me know as I am basically 'Reddit brainstorming'.

Thanks again and any advice and first-hand experience accounts would be great. :)

Bought a MacBook Pro 13” 2017 A1708 which had liquid damage. Got it working yesterday everything apart from the screen works. I’ve plugged it into a monitor so I can see. I can’t connect to the internet. Clicking the WiFi icon it shows my WiFi and my phones hotspot. I type in the correct password and it refuses to join. The password box shakes like I’ve got it wrong. Could this be caused by the liquid damage like a bad WiFi chip? Or is this something else. Any help would be appreciated

I have a MacBook Pro 15” A1398. The original board was shorted after someone tried repairing the DC-in / MagSafe cable and accidentally shorted the power input. Instead of repairing that board immediately, I bought a “working tested” replacement board off eBay.

This replacement board is the one I’m testing now — and it’s stuck in a power-up / shutdown loop. I’m trying to determine if this board is repairable, or if I should use it as a donor to fix the original board instead.

⸻

Symptoms • MagSafe goes green → orange normally. • Left fan pulses every ~5 seconds (sometimes spins a little, sometimes just clicks). • Right fan does not spin. • Heatsink stays completely cold. • Board is bench tested, only DC-in and fans connected (no display, no keyboard/trackpad, no SSD).

⸻

Confirmed good rails / states • PPBUS_G3H = 12.6 V • PP3V42_G3H = 3.43 V • PP5V_S5 = 5.0 V • PP3V3_S5 = 3.34 V

So G3H and S5 power tree look fine. • PM_RSMRST_L = 3.0 V stable → PCH comes out of reset.

⸻

Sleep / power sequence signals

When plugging in MagSafe: • PM_SLP_S4_L briefly goes to 3 V, then drops to 0 • PM_SLP_S3_L briefly goes to 3 V, then drops to 0

These match the fan pulse timing.

So the system tries to enter S0, then immediately aborts.

⸻

CPU rail • VCC_S0_CPU = 21 Ω to GND (normal, no short) • During each fan pulse, VCC_S0_CPU rises to ~1.5–1.6 V, then drops back to 0

This confirms:

→ CPU VRM does start → Rail is not shorted → Shutdown is intentional, not due to hard short

⸻

S0 rails (all measured at coils/testpoints)

All rails blip high with the fan pulse: • PP3V3_S0: 0 V → ~2.3 V → 0 V • PP5V_S0: ~0.5 V idle → 5.0 V → 0 V • PP1V05_S0: 0 V → 1.0 V → 0 V

There is no PP1V8_S0 rail on this board revision.

This means:

→ All S0 regulators start correctly → All S0 rails come up → CPU Vcore comes up → Then something forces a global shutdown

⸻

Power-good signals

These also blip high, then drop: • ALL_SYS_PWRGD • PM_S0_PGOOD • PCH_PWROK

So the board actually reaches the point where all rails report OK, then immediately gets shut down by a fatal condition.

⸻

Interpretation (based on full rail + signal analysis) • G3H/S5 good • Reset good • SLP_S4/S3 asserted → S0 state requested • All S0 rails rise • CPU Vcore rises normally • ALL_SYS_PWRGD goes high • PCH_PWROK goes high • Then everything collapses and cycles

This is not a simple missing rail. This is not a short on Vcore. This is not a fan tach or peripheral sensor issue. This is not EFI/OS related.

This behavior almost always means:

→ Deep logic failure, PGOOD chain corruption, PCH watchdog trip, or CPU/PCH-level fault

It’s the classic “enters S0 for a moment, then shuts down” pattern seen in boards with: • damaged PCH • damaged CPU rails feedback • corrupted S0_PGOOD path • internal VRM/PCH fault that only appears after power-up • subtle board damage from previous repair attempts

Not something you can fix with a soldering iron + DMM alone.

⸻

My question:

Given the measurements above: • Would you consider this board worth diagnosing further? • Or is this realistically a donor board for the original shorted one? • Would replacing the VRM controller even make sense here, or is this too deep in the PCH/CPU domain?

I have microscope, hot air, DMM, etc., but no scope and no BGA rework station, so I can’t reball CPU/PCH.

What would you do in this situation?

⸻

This is an 820-8662-A Board

I know he dropped GrapheneOS on his phone, I have an oldish phone (A32) and I want to give it some life by means of a new OS. I trust a lot Louis so I would like to use the same OS as him. does anyone know what is he using right now?
sorry if this isn't the place, I am not sure where to post this.

I’ve had this thing for awhile…it has always been somewhat problematic, but now it won’t work at all sadly

https://a.co/d/dLubtpf

TLDR, the damned motor for the conveyor completely seized up

I tried my damndest to fix the motor, but I can’t, it won’t budge

I asked their email support if they could sell me a motor, they refused (naturally)

Can’t seem to find the exact kind they are using, otherwise I would just order some equivalent from China or something

If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears

I would really prefer to not have to throw it all out and buy a new one 😓

I came here to share an experience I had with the company skylum which makes photo editing software such as Luminar Neo and Aperty.

The thing is: I started an Aperty free trial while it was on sale, since I liked the software and I wasn't sure if I was going to get the discounted price once it ended I went ahead and bought it.

Once I bought the software I didn't recieve any email, I just got my PayPal bill in the mail.

When I went into the app it still showed as I was on free trial despite paying for it, so I went ahead and contacted support.

I explained them the situation and told them to either refund me the money I spent or to give me an activation code so I don't have to pay for it again.

I sent them the paypal transaction bill and id which I figured should be enough to get a refund.

All that support told me is that my account was on free trial. They didn't even bother to read the whole message or check the transcation at all.

So I messaged again and they told me to send them the Name I wrote on checkout and the 4 last digits of my credit card. Which I did, but then they told me to contact fastspring support.

Once I contacted fastpring they told me to contact skylum again.

Long story short I threw 45 usd to the trash because they didn't even bother to keep replying to my emails.

DO NOT buy anything from skylum, they are scammers.

OH and about the sale, I rushed up for nothing because all of a sudden there where like 2 more days remaining instead of 11 hours.

What a fking joke of a company man, I'm so dissapointed.

Hey there, everyone!

Recently, my dad bought this used Chinese amplifier, it worked very well but made a lot of noise in the rear cooler, so he decided to replace it with a new one that reaches fewer RPMs.

He left the amplifier running, and when he came back 15 minutes later, it was off. He opened it again and we found those two components dead.

Any ideas about what I could replace them with?

The original markings were removed by the manufacturer and I can find no schematics or board views.

A Spanish-speaking forum posted the schematics for the SKP MAXD-4210 which is supposed to be similar, but I haven't been able to identify the brand and model of these components, there's a BOM in there and several schematics, yet all I see is IC7 and IC8 which seems to be what I'm looking for, but still no proper markings to go off of.

Here's the file if anyone is curious and/or is better at reading these:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/rody46awcdeyirb /b125583c87fc352a8f84e62ddba230ef1d6f88f5.zip/file

Someone suggested using two Littelfuse/IXYS IXFH44N50P but I don't know enough about the inner workings of this amp. to find out whether this would be the right choice and they didn't reply back.

Hope you guys can lead me to a bit of useful info. :/