Posted - 2010.05.01 11:36:00 - [3]

 

Does it beep at you at all? If there is a hardware fault it may issue a beep code, google should tell you the specific codes for your machine. If you get a beep code and are not confident of taking the machine apart yourself you'll need to take it back to the shop.

If it doesn't beep it may be a software fault. Your CD tray should have a small hole in it through which you can push a pin, this is a manual release mechanism. Open the cd tray with a pin and use a recovery disk or spare boot disk, if possible try to back up files before running any diagnostics or repairs.

Least likely but still possible is a bios problem. Some notebooks have a function where removing the battery and holding the power button for ten seconds resets the bios, others you need to take it apart and disconnect the little battery next to the bios chip. Exhaust other options before trying this.

Hope that helps

Posted - 2010.05.01 12:58:00 - [5]

 

Edited by: defiler on 01/05/2010 13:03:52

Good timing, that's exactly what happened to my desktop last night. Sometimes the screen won't turn on, no indication of POSTing or anything. (oh the irony)

Wasn't too worried about it (big mistake) since I practically never turn it off and it would always start if I tried a couple of times.

Not this time. Did the usual routine with removing/changing hardware, when that failed I removed the motherboard to inspect it more closely. Noticed that the heat sinks were hotter than usual.

Found three dangerously bulging capacitors, no doubt they're the culprit. By now I've cycled power so many times that it hardly starts at all, the CPU fan runs at half speed (should be max until the fan control kicks in) and it turns itself back off again within a couple of seconds.


If that's what's happened to your laptop, then I'm sorry for your loss. Now, replacing a couple of broken but intact capacitors is usually a cakewalk, but taking apart the laptop, getting new caps and replacing them is a right PITA, and probably a bit too much for most people.

And, of course, there's no guarantee that it will fix the problem, even if you find bad caps. Or it could be something entirely different (definitely a hardware failure though). Either way, your options are:
1. Try to fix it yourself.
2. Take it to the shop.
3. Declare it dead and get a new one.

Personally I'll go for 3, once that's complete I'll try to fix it simply out of curiosity.

Posted - 2010.05.01 13:29:00 - [7]

 

Edited by: defiler on 01/05/2010 13:50:06
d'oh, I fail at reading. Redundant crap cleared.