ikon wallplate with video amplifier

I've just come across what has to be one of the oddest issues I've seen since I've been here.

In one of our rooms, they've managed to fry the hard disks of 5 laptops since the beginning of the year. Looking at one that was misbehaving today, I discovered that if I unplugged the VGA connector, all was well. As soon as I plugged it in, the machine would start acting up and then ultimately just go blank.

After inspecting the wallplate which the stuff connects to, I discovered that it has its own power supply - a 5v DC connection which is provided by a power brick. This, when turned on and off, seems to connect and disconnect the VGA signal to the projector.

Now, the thing is, the length of the cable is only about 4m long in the first place, which is one of the shortest in the school. Why would an installer (the same installer who did the room next door, and didn't include this amplifier plate) put this amplifier plate in?

Anyone else come across similar issues?

I have decided to buy a replacement plate and reconnect everything up *without* an amplifier. This seems to be the only possible culprit of the bizarre laptop deaths.

Edit: this is the panel: http://www.ikonavs.com/DADO_WB_BU.html

Not come across that one, but do know installers have multiple ways of doing everything!

Yeah I've seen something similar.

I used to work in a workshop doing component level repair on pcbs of all kinds, mostly pc motherboards. I had a bizzare couple of days where I had a lot nothing but failures and upon investigation found that my test VGA card was broken... and every time I put it in a good board it blew the board! So I replaced the card and was ok for a couple of days before that one went, in the same way. It was my tft monitor that was blowing the cards and the cards were blowing the boards. I wasted a couple of days, a couple of VGA cards and several boards before I figured it out.

So anyway, I think you're on the right track!