Re: fixing power supply problems in dell Inspiron 1100

over time memory modules can creep out of there sockets due to natural
expansion and contraction of the heating and cooling cycle... or it can come
loose due to trauma to the machine. but if have confirmed that the battery
no longer has a charge, that the ac adapter is providing power at the dc tip
(the end that goes into your computer as opposed to the end that goes into
the wall outlet or mains), and you don't see a single light on the system
when the ac adapter is plugged in then it sounds bad. if you had a nums
lock or caps lock (i can't recall off the top of my head) light lit then i
would check the memory modules for proper installation.

there is a jack on the system where you plug the dc end of the ac adapter.
this jack is soldered directly to the system board and can become broken and
disconnected from the system board. it would look normal, but not work.
they can simply fail over time or directly after someone has tripped over
the power cord resulting in stress on the connector. with the ac adapter
plugged into the wall, and the dc tip (the other end of the adapter) plugged
into the dc jack on the laptop, jiggle the connector in the dc jack and
press the power bottom to see if you suddenly get power to the system. if
you can get your battery charged (using another dell that accepts the same
battery) then you could see if the system works off of the battery. this
would imply that the dc jack or ac adapter is at fault.

also, if you followed that dell wizard, they suggest that you look down the
barrel of the dc connector (that plugs into the laptop) to see if the pin in
the center has been bent. but if it were bent i think you would notice that
it doesn't fit into the machine like usual...

"s" <s@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:f2ca683c-0479-431c-8c4e-fc05270c5008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Oct 13, 9:34 am, "Christopher Muto" <m...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
it sounds like it is not getting any power, but could be something else...
first, i suggest removing the battery and pressing the test button on the
battery to see if it has any charge. with the test button held down the
five leds should light to indicate how close to fully charged it is. if
none light then it no charge. if every other one lights, then you have a
defective battery whose behavior would be unpredictable. if it has a
charge, try to power on the machine with the battery only. next i would
suggest that you take a meter and test the tip of the dc connector on the
end of the ac adapter. if it doesn't show the correct voltage as detailed
on the adapter itself then you know the source of your problem. however,
machines can act 'dead' for other reasons... the most common of which
would
be memory, cpu, or some other component that is not seated properly. pay
close attention to the caps, num, and shift lock indicator lights on the
system during boot. they may be trying to communicate an error message
such
as 'memory problem' which would mean all you need to do is remove and
reinstall the memory.


Thanks for the reply.

The adapter is fine as I can see the green light on it when it is
connected to the power outlet.
How can memory, cpu get dislocated on its own? The system does not
startup at all. No lights(caps, num
or scroll lock) even blink and there is no beep sound.

On a side note I recall few days ago my monitor did not start up the
first time. Only when I pressed the
power switch very firmly did it start, but the power, hard disk led's
lit up fine. But, this occurred when
I did not use my machine daily. When I started using it daily this
problem disappeared. Could this
have to do anything with my present problem(i.e. was that a symptom of
this major problem)?

I will have to get a multi-meter here(after getting a proper one) to
check the adapter.

Thanks again for your aid and time.


.