Military AI Works

Gents,
Well finally get home via B744 only to find my gaming laptop didn't like the trip home. In Feb, I had the same issue with the blank screen on start up, fans and LED's worked, as well as the HD.
With the laptop being my lifeline deployed, I started working on it myself and read about RAM and other tricks, so I simply switched the RAM around in the slots and she fired up fine, I figured I knocked something loose.
Fast forward to now, assume the same issue and again swap RAM, no joy. I didn't have another monitor to check, so took the laptop to Best Buy. Geek squad guy says he hooked it up to external monitor and swapped RAM, concludes its probably a motherboard issue. I have 4 slots for RAM, but 2 are under the keyboard and a pain to get to, not sure if I should check those.

Called tech support(in India I assume) and told to send it in, but wanted to make sure I will not lose my HD data if for example they swap the mobo?
Laptop is a ASUS G73SW purchased in April 2011. Ready to start flying again with updated MAIW packs and now this!

You would not loose any HD info but some of the test they run can wipe info. 1 cheap trick you can try is to plug in a usb flash drive (memory stick) that has an led indicator on it (got mine at Target 8gb for 7.00) an if it start to flash then the mobo is working, sometimes the ribbon cable running from the mobo and the screen comes loose. Also try unpluging it, disconnect the battery, wait 2 minutes, then try with AC power only. If it works, power down, unplug, reconnect battery, and connect AC again, If that dosent work there is a small reset button on the bottom labeled >o< near the top left of the access panel. Poke it with a paperclip or pen for 10+ seconds with the laptop off.


PS..yes India