Help with my laptop?

Message boards : Number crunching : Help with my laptop?

Author	Message
kaseychief Send message Joined: 3 Dec 07 Posts: 1645 Credit: 416,781 RAC: 1	Message 1132939 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 12:06:47 UTC
	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 ____________
	ID: 1132939 ·

SciManStev Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 20 Jun 99 Posts: 4300 Credit: 63,143,617 RAC: 74,012	Message 1132948 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 12:26:48 UTC - in response to Message 1132939.
	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
	ID: 1132948 ·

HAL9000 Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 11 Sep 99 Posts: 3279 Credit: 77,020,751 RAC: 78,451	Message 1132955 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 12:55:28 UTC
	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 BP6/VP6 User Group today!
	ID: 1132955 ·

SciManStev Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 20 Jun 99 Posts: 4300 Credit: 63,143,617 RAC: 74,012	Message 1132957 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 13:06:11 UTC - in response to Message 1132955.
	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
	ID: 1132957 ·

BMH Send message Joined: 27 May 99 Posts: 260 Credit: 60,572,003 RAC: 69,821	Message 1132960 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 13:10:23 UTC
	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.
	ID: 1132960 ·

HAL9000 Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 11 Sep 99 Posts: 3279 Credit: 77,020,751 RAC: 78,451	Message 1132961 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 13:14:51 UTC - in response to Message 1132957.
	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 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 BP6/VP6 User Group today!
	ID: 1132961 ·

Tazz Send message Joined: 5 Oct 99 Posts: 101 Credit: 25,389,936 RAC: 52,069	Message 1132963 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 13:26:00 UTC - in response to Message 1132961.
	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>
	ID: 1132963 ·

alan Send message Joined: 18 Feb 00 Posts: 125 Credit: 313,221 RAC: 419	Message 1132965 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 13:31:53 UTC
	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. ____________
	ID: 1132965 ·

kaseychief Send message Joined: 3 Dec 07 Posts: 1645 Credit: 416,781 RAC: 1	Message 1132966 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 13:33:46 UTC
	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. ____________
	ID: 1132966 ·

kaseychief Send message Joined: 3 Dec 07 Posts: 1645 Credit: 416,781 RAC: 1	Message 1132967 - Posted: 28 Jul 2011, 13:38:28 UTC
	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. ____________
	ID: 1132967 ·

Ianab Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 11 Jun 08 Posts: 562 Credit: 9,132,875 RAC: 8,424	Message 1133411 - Posted: 29 Jul 2011, 9:25:24 UTC - in response to Message 1132966.
	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
	ID: 1133411 ·

Bathybius & Eozoon Nummulosphere Bound Send message Joined: 16 Jun 02 Posts: 1308 Credit: 2,387,357 RAC: 2,940	Message 1134103 - Posted: 30 Jul 2011, 12:55:44 UTC
	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.
	ID: 1134103 ·

HAL9000 Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 11 Sep 99 Posts: 3279 Credit: 77,020,751 RAC: 78,451	Message 1134107 - Posted: 30 Jul 2011, 13:03:09 UTC - in response to Message 1134103.
	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. 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 BP6/VP6 User Group today!
	ID: 1134107 ·

BMH Send message Joined: 27 May 99 Posts: 260 Credit: 60,572,003 RAC: 69,821	Message 1134142 - Posted: 30 Jul 2011, 15:14:08 UTC
	Just press and hold the power button for a few seconds will generally force the system to power down, even if frozen. ____________ Brian.
	ID: 1134142 ·

Message boards : Number crunching : Help with my laptop?