Laptop computers are very cool tools, but they do suffer from more knocks and bashes than your average machine. It’s not just the drop from a high table that does the damage, but also the wear and tear from simply transporting a notebook from one location to another. Screen hinges, keyboards and device bays are particularly vulnerable to rough handling.

There’s no shortage of advice out there, but we do like this new DIY Laptop Repair Wiki as a useful resource, mainly because we’re firm believers in the power of the crowd to sort out problems. The site is a little sparse at the moment, so it definitely needs more support from repair gurus and hobbyists, but once it’s got more content it could be a great way to keep your laptop in tip top shape.

It will also need a better indexing system, and more specific sections (e.g. keyboards, power supplies, etc) to make it easier to find stuff.

More great sources of information for DIY laptop repairs include:

* Inside MyLaptop. Great set of tutorials and information on fixing laptops, with clear instructions and images.

* Laptop Video 2 Go. Everything you might need to sort out your notebook’s video problems.

* iFixit. Superb resource for fixing all hardware, not just computers. But features some excellent tear-down tutorials for major brand laptops and computers.

* Repair 4 Laptop. Great selection of over 2000 guides to DIY laptop repairs covering a huge range of brands and models.