Re: curious laptop behaviour
- From: "paulmd@xxxxxxx" <paulmd@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 02:45:07 -0700
On Jun 29, 11:01 pm, soundsh...@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi, I have a PC laptop that did something weird that has me worried.
the otherday i went to power it up and the fans started turning and
the cdrom span but the screen did not light up and the HD did not
access. I rebooted it several times from various power outlets with
the same effect. After taking it to compusa and being told it wouldnt
be worth it to fix. I went back home and kept trying to boot it.
nothing. Then I thought, maybe it had something to do with the video
card or the display itself. So I plugged a monitor in to the VGA port
on the laptop and powered up. The computer booted like nothing was
wrong. I am dumbfounded. Anyone have a clue as to what happened? Did
the monitor actually aid my motherboard in booting up?? I am very
dependant upon this machine as it carries my music programs and I have
a gig in 2 weeks. Im weary of even turning it off at this point. any
insight would be appreciated.
thanks
dave
If it was just a dead screen, you should have heard hard drive noises.
And anyway, you say the screen now works.
If it is a dead/dying hard drive, you should have at least got the
screen.
You are left with a handful of possiblilites: marginal power brick,
something came unseated (like the RAM), a bad motherboard, or
partially broken dc jack. Alternately it could be a failure of the
RAM. Or enen a defective battery.
You can test the dc jack by inserting a pen into it and trying to
wiggle it (gently), if wobbles, it's bad. You can test the poorly
seated RAM theory by pulling it out and reinserting it.
The economics of repair is subjective. Decide how much preserving your
setup is worth to you, vs how much is a new laptop. I sense you have a
lot invested in your machine.
If you insist on doing a repair (not with compusa), and tell the shop
that you know the economics of the situation, any the machine is worth
saving, to you. They undoubtedly will repair it for you.
But first, try the simple stuff, as everything on the list, except the
motherboard replacement (or actually fixing the dc jack), even a
novice can handle. The process involves swapping suspected bad
components for known good ones. If you have a friend with the same
laptop, you might ask to borrow the power brick. The computer will
boot without a battery, and ram isn't that expensive. You should come
out ahead on parts cost, as the labor is the big killer in repair
bills.
It would also be helpful if you gave us the make and model of the
machine, so we can point you to compatible spares.
.
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