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Help with my laptop?
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Author | Message |
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kaseychief Send message Joined: 3 Dec 07 Posts: 1643 Credit: 480,503 RAC: 1 |
Am posting this from a comp. at work, can't crunch with it but can access the message boards. Heres the problem, my laptop was working fine when I unplugged it monday. Tried to start it Tues morning, it will not power up. Checked converter, working properly, checked router, no problem. Where the laptop plugs into power source, the light indicates I have power to the P.C. Have checked everything I know to check including sleep mode. Any comments or ideas what to do next would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for all your help. Tom |
SciManStev Send message Joined: 20 Jun 99 Posts: 6652 Credit: 121,090,076 RAC: 0 |
With a laptop, it could be many things, and solving it requires disassembly. The first thing I would do is to remove the hard drive, and connect it to another machine using a SATA/IDE to USB converter. If you can access the drive from the other computer, and copy files from it, then you have verified that drive failure is not the cause of dragging the system down. If the drive is OK, then a total disassembly of the laptop is required, along with some heavy troubleshooting. It could be the RAM going bad, the motherboard, or the CPU. It could also be a bad ribbon cable, or even a bad solder joint. You can try replacing the RAM, but unless you have some spares laying around, this means a purchase, with an uncertain outcome. Generally if this is the case, I would recommend just getting a new computer, as you are approaching a condition called "cost of repair exceeds replacement value." If you drive is working copy everything off it that you wish to keep. Most things are found in My Documents folder, but you may also want your desktop, or other files saved in places other than My Documents. I don't know an easy answer, other than listed above. Laptops are harder to fix than Desktops, because getting parts is not as easy. Steve Warning, addicted to SETI crunching! Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group. GPUUG Website |
HAL9000 Send message Joined: 11 Sep 99 Posts: 6534 Credit: 196,805,888 RAC: 57 |
I have seen notebooks get in a state like this before where they would not power on. Popping the battery out and then connecting the charger often fixed the issue. Then the battery could be put back in and everything would work correctly again. SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[ |
SciManStev Send message Joined: 20 Jun 99 Posts: 6652 Credit: 121,090,076 RAC: 0 |
I have seen notebooks get in a state like this before where they would not power on. Popping the battery out and then connecting the charger often fixed the issue. Then the battery could be put back in and everything would work correctly again. Thank you for that information. I learned something new. Steve Warning, addicted to SETI crunching! Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group. GPUUG Website |
BMH Send message Joined: 27 May 99 Posts: 419 Credit: 166,294,083 RAC: 125 |
One thing to try is, remove the mains power lead, remove the battery and then remove the CMOS battery for a minute. If that works then you'll need to enter the BIOS and set the date/time and maybe a couple of other things. If that doesn't work it may be faulty RAM or a fried CPU. With the first you can try one module at a time if there are two, as a process of elimination. Brian. |
HAL9000 Send message Joined: 11 Sep 99 Posts: 6534 Credit: 196,805,888 RAC: 57 |
I have seen notebooks get in a state like this before where they would not power on. Popping the battery out and then connecting the charger often fixed the issue. Then the battery could be put back in and everything would work correctly again. Sometimes when computers are misbehaving you have to deny them power to show them who is in charge. With a notebook you just have to take an extra step to deny them power. I have also had to do them when a notebook has locked up in a state where the power button wouldn't do anything. Without a reset button, which I have never seen on a notebook, this is sometimes the only option. SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[ |
Tazz Send message Joined: 5 Oct 99 Posts: 137 Credit: 34,342,390 RAC: 0 |
I've seen some laptops get stuck 'in between' on/off states. With the battery or main power still connected, hold the power button in for 15 - 20 seconds. Then wait for a minute or so then try to power it up again. Disconnecting the battery and power would be my next thing to try. Then maybe shuffling the RAM to different slots. Make sure the hdd hasn't wiggled loose. Good luck. </Tazz> |
alan Send message Joined: 18 Feb 00 Posts: 131 Credit: 401,606 RAC: 0 |
I have a Lenovo T60 that won't start if the mains adapter is plugged in. It just dies, all the lights go out. To reset, I have to remove the mains adapter and the laptop battery, then re-insert the battery on its own and start on battery power. Once it's begun to boot, I can re-connect the mains adapter and carry on. Something is wrong with the power-monitoring software in my case, as a new battery made no difference. With laptops, unless you take out the battery you haven't switched them off, haven't performed the equivalent of "Big Red Switch" reset for a desktop PC. I'd try starting up on just batteries, or just mains without the battery, and see what works. |
kaseychief Send message Joined: 3 Dec 07 Posts: 1643 Credit: 480,503 RAC: 1 |
To---HAL9000 SciManStev & BMH Pulled battery out & let it sit for about 5 minutes, reinstalled battery. My laptop powered up instantly and is apparently running without any issues. Thank you all so much for your help in getting my P.C. up and running. |
kaseychief Send message Joined: 3 Dec 07 Posts: 1643 Credit: 480,503 RAC: 1 |
Didn't mean to leave anyone out. THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR INPUT AND HELP WITH MY P.C. PROBLEMS. IT'S RUNNING FINE NOW. |
Ianab Send message Joined: 11 Jun 08 Posts: 732 Credit: 20,635,586 RAC: 5 |
Yes, classic problem with laptops. The machine/cpu somehow gets locked up in a "Suspend" state. Sometimes happens with desktops too, but turning them off at the wall resets them. With a laptop, you have battery keeping them in the "suspend" state. Would probably run down in a week or so.. But popping the battery for a minute and rebooting forces a full cold boot, and things all work again. Always try that with a "dead" laptop, 90% of the time it comes back to life. The other 10%, it's actually broken.... Ian |
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Without a reset button, which I have never seen on a notebook, this is sometimes the only option. My laptop has a reset button. Since it is a laptop pre '99-a Toshiba Satellite 335CDT and can only crunch a walnut, I suppose it does not qualify as a laptop. Still. The reset button is next to the power button. It is a recessed micro-switch within an 1/8 inch dia. hole. The usual type where a pencil/pen is used to depress. I am Null and Void. |
HAL9000 Send message Joined: 11 Sep 99 Posts: 6534 Credit: 196,805,888 RAC: 57 |
Without a reset button, which I have never seen on a notebook, this is sometimes the only option. Oh my! A rare relic to be preserved & studied. Reset buttons are vanishing from desktop systems as well. I thought it was just the guys like HP/Dell/Lenovo, but some cases I have been looking at recently don't have one either. :( SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[ |
BMH Send message Joined: 27 May 99 Posts: 419 Credit: 166,294,083 RAC: 125 |
Just press and hold the power button for a few seconds will generally force the system to power down, even if frozen. Brian. |
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