Chosen Solution
The laptop crashes when the screen is moved and also, sometimes, when the device is simply bumped. What could be the issue? I can open the back cover off as I have the necessary screwdriver, but I do not know what I should look for. Additionally, I have noticed there are three backcover screws missing.
It could be a cracked connection somewhere. Try taking it apart and separating the hardware components as well as you can on an insulating surface, and powering the thing up, testing which components can be jostled or bumped gently without freezing. Have you tried poking the RAM modules to see if that triggers the crash? If not I would suspect a bad solder joint in the power supply plug. That’s fairly easy to fix if you know how to solder.
Issue is temporarily fixed. Problem: Missing back cover screws causing motherboard to flex. I opened the back cover and prodded around until I found the small area where the motherboard would flex and cause an immediate shutdown. Since the mobo is covered with a plastic sheath, I’ve inserted a small sliver of cardboard with double-sided tape to counteract the flexing. Once I obtain the new screws I will remove the cardboard.
