Laptop does not start. Fixing the problem.
If your laptop does not start at all or it starts but will not boot properly, it’s possible that you can fix the laptop at home without taking it to a repair center. Here are some troubleshooting tips for you. I’m not sure if I can cover all situation at once, so I will update this post as more examples come into my mind.
Situation 1.
The laptop appears to be dead. You plug the AC adapter but the LEDs (power light, hard drive light, battery charge light, etc…) do not light up and the laptop will not react at all if you press on the power button.
First of all in this situation check the AC adapter. You can test the output voltage with a voltmeter. If you cannot do that, find a known good AC adapter and use it for testing the laptop. It is possible the laptop appears to be dead because the AC adapter is bad (and the battery is discharged). If you know that the AC adapter is working properly and it outputs correct voltage but the laptop is still dead, most likely you have a power issue on the motherboard (or power board on some laptops) and it has to be replaced.
If you have to replace the AC adapter, make sure you use a correct one. The output voltage must be exactly the same as on the original adapter. The output amperage has to be the same as on the original adapter or higher, but not lower.
When you plug the AC adapter the power LED and the battery charge LED light up. When you press on the power button the laptop powers up but will not start. There is no video on LCD or external monitor.
If the power LED lights up it indicates that the laptop is getting power from the AC adapter. Most likely there is nothing wrong with the adapter but just in case test it with a voltmeter to make sure the output voltage is correct.
Also try this. Unplug the AC adapter, remove the battery and wait for 1-2 minutes. After that plug the AC adapter ans try starting the laptop again. Sometimes this trick helps.
It also could be a memory related problem. Try reseating the memory module, just remove it from the slot on the motherboard and install it back. Try installing the memory module into the other slot (if it’s available). If you have two memory modules installed, try removing them one by one and start the laptop just with one memory module installed.
If the laptop starts fine with one memory module in both slots, but will not start with the second memory module in both slots, the second memory module is faulty. Replace the module.
If the laptop starts fine with both memory modules when they are installed in the slot A, but will not start with both memory modules installed in the slot B, the slot B is faulty and you’ll have to replace the motherboard or use only one memory slot.
Situation 3.
When you press on the power button, the laptop makes a series or short and long beeps and will not start up. There is no video on the screen.
In this situation test the memory module as I described in the situation2. Try installing a known good memory module. Most likely you are getting a beep error because of a faulty memory.
Situation 4.
You start the laptop. It sounds like the laptop is booting normally (hard drive LED is flashing) but there is no video on the screen
In this situation test the laptop with an external monitor. If the external screen works fine but there is no video on the laptop LCD, most likely there is a problem inside the laptop display assembly. Go to my previous post witch covers laptop video problems in more details.
Situation 5.
You start the laptop and it starts making repetitive clicking noise or grinding noise.
Most likely you hear this noise because of a faulty hard drive. You can remove the hard drive and start the laptop without it. If the noise is gone, the hard drive is your problem. Replace it.
If the laptop makes clicking or grinding noises and you still have video on the screen, you can run a hard drive test utility. I usually use Hitachi’s drive fitness test. This test is reliable and easy to use.
Situation 6.
The laptop boots into Windows ans works for a while, but after that it shuts down by itself without any reason or warning. You restart the laptop but the same problem appears again
Most likely it’s a heat related issue. Listen for the cooling fan, make sure it works.
Also this problem might appear because of a faulty memory module, try some tips from the situation 2.
The laptop still boots ans you still can see the screen, so you can run the memory test. I usually use Memtest86+. Run the memory test and if it fails, replace the faulty module.
Situation 6
The laptop starts normally but video on the screen has lines, some strange characters or other defects
It could indicate a problem with the laptop LCD screen, video cable, graphics card or motherboard. Here’s my previous post witch covers troubleshooting bad images on the screen in more details.
Related post: How to troubleshoot dead laptops.
Entry Filed under: Laptop Tips and Tricks
May 25th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Toshiba M35X-S149 Notebook — Customer brought this notebook into my repair shop with typical complaint that the system stopped running. Preliminary tests showed correct voltage from AC power adapter. When plugged-in, power jack could rock up and down but not side to side. Pressing ON button gave case lights but no activity. System did not run. Moving AC power connector in jack would cause system to go off. Diagnosis: Cracked solder joint on positive or ground connection of DC Power Jack.
Notebook disassembly and inspection of DC power jack revealed positive post moves up and down in motherboard contact point due to broken solder connection. Positive post is blackened from possible arcing at loose connection. After replacing the defective DC Power Jack and reassembling the notebook the system powered-up for my first test. Everything tested OK. I closed the cover and put all screws in the back. Then when I started the computer I found this mystifying problem.
I press the power button and the system starts up. There are lights on the power button, on the front ON, Battery Charge, and Power Cord indicators. The fan runs for a short time then stops. The Hard Drive indicator gives one blink. No splash screen, NOTHING. All of the mentioned lights remain lighted. The optical drive will not open.
If I depress the Power Button for the required time the system will shut down. Pressing the Power Button again gives the same results as mentioned in the previous paragraph. Now, I unplug the video cable from the motherboard and reinsert it into the outlet; press the Power Button and the system starts-up with video. The screen has proper colors. After running for several minutes the video goes off and all activity ceases except all mentioned indicator lights remain on and the Hard Drive Light remains on. I can repeat the process over and over with the same results.
Duting the time that the system is running in WindowsXP I can turn the notebook off via “Start-Turn Off Computer-Turn Off” mouse clicks. When the system is truned off this way I can press the Power Button to start the system into Windows; then it follows the 2 minute video off routine.
I have tried variations with AC power only, battery only, and plugged in the wall with battery installed. I have started the notebook without the hard drive (after the plug/unplug video) and I get the splash screen followed by searches for drives for 2 minutes then video off routine.
Seems like a video problem on the motherboard. Unplugging the screen might clear some sort of feedback from the inverter. I don’t know. I am mystified.
Walter
Computer Clinic, New Orleans
May 25th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
I think there could be a problem with the onboard video and the motherboard has to be replaced. Do you know that Toshiba extended warranty for all Satellite M35X laptops sold in the USA? You can call Toshiba and request a shipping box. They should fix it at no charge.
May 25th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Thank you. I never expected to get a reply so quickly.
Did you read my post? Isn’t it odd that unplugging and replugging the video into the motherboard will permit the system to boot fully into Windows?
I am a longtime tech in his early 70s about to retire. I leave the software work and desktops to my techs. I now work only on laptops. I complete about one per day. These things never cease to amaze me. Working on laptops is my effort to avoid Alzheimer’s. At your suggestion I will contact Toshiba regarding the extended warranty.
With sincerest appreciation,
Walter
May 31st, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Hello, i Have a Toshiba Satellite A105-S4254….i was given it as a gift back in Oct of 2006….it had been working well all the way up until a few days ago, while i was using it, the laptop went into hibernation signifying that i needed to plug in the AC adaptor, and as i went on to plug it in, unlike the other times in the past, this time the laptop did not start back up when i pressed the power button and instead the amber LEDS on the bottom just continually flashed…..i attempted to take out the battery, put it back in again….same problem existed…..and then i attempted to just plug in the adaptor without the battery, and now there were no LEDs flashing at all…im very concerned as to what problem it mite be, the laptop does not start at all. Any suggestions. Thanks.
June 2nd, 2007 at 10:15 am
Sir i have a small question i have one laptop Toshiba L20 its blinking the power led when power on but no display and no power on what is the solution.,.,.
June 3rd, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Max,
Maybe you have a dead AC adapter? You can test the adapter voltage with a voltmeter, it should be 15V.
Remove the battery and plug the adapter into the laptop. Does the AC power LED (left one) lights up? If not, you have either a bad AC adapter or a problem with the motherboard.
June 3rd, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Muhammad Faisal,
Remove the battery and try starting the laptop just from the AC power. Is the power LED still blinking?
June 10th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
I got almost same problem w/ Satellite M100-164.
After the computer wakes from hibernation by raising the display panel (lid), and the LCD Monitor turns off due to power management settings, the display shows Toshiba logo and does not turn back on after a key is pressed and keyboard is not responding at all.
I Turned-off power & removed battery –no success-.
OS: windows XP HE.
Please I need help.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Jemmy,
Check the BIOS version installed on your laptop. Then visit the manufacturer’s website and find if there is a more recent version available for downloads. Upgrade the BIOS and test the laptop again. It might help.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:19 am
I have a Toshiba Tecra A5 here that won’t continue past POST. The “Press F2 to enter setup…” screen is displayed, but it’s frozen at that point. Is there a key that I can press on power on that will let me view POST in more detail? The Toshiba screen is lovely and all, but not very helpful.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
I have same problem that Muhammad Faisal, but in a IBM Thinkpad T20. You plug in the AC adapter, so the AC Led turns on. If you press the ON button, the AC Led and the HD Led blinks one time (i think the AC Led blinks two or three times very quickly, but I don´t know if this makes any difference) but the laptop doesn’t turn on. I’ve tried all of the possible solutions I found on the internet forums.
I’ve taked off the Li-Ion and the CR2032 batteries, the memory module and checked the AC adapter. It still not working at all. If someone knows any other possible solutions, is welcome to post it. Thank you.
PS: Sorry for my english, i’m from argentina.-
June 15th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Lloyd,
Nope, F2 is the key you need, there is no other key to enter the BIOS setup screen. Try removing the hard drive and DVD drive and enter the BIOS setup screen without them. A faulty drive can stop the laptop from booting properly.
Try reseating the memory modules. If you have two memory sticks installed, remove them one by one and test the laptop again. It’s possible you have a faulty memory module and it freezes the laptop.
June 15th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
gronchaje,
In order to narrow down the problem, you’ll have to minimize the laptop as much as you can.
1. Make sure the memory module is good. Find a known good memory stick and test the laptop again.
2. Remove hard drive, DVD drive and the wireless card. Test the laptop again.
3. Disconnect the LCD screen from the motherboard (connector is located under the keyboard) and test the laptop again.
4. Reconnect all cables and connectors you can access.
If it still will not start even after you removed all above mentioned parts, it’s possible that you have a problem with the motherboard and it has to be replaced.
If the laptop starts after one of the above mentioned steps, start assembling it back installing all removed devices one by one and find witch one is causing the problem.
June 18th, 2007 at 1:51 am
I have a Dell D610. The laptop remains dead when turned off, but after half an hour of button pressing, the laptop switches on, and works (and behaves) as though nothing is wrong. ALl the applications and files are as normal.
Is it as simple as a faulty on/off button or could it be more?
June 21st, 2007 at 6:44 am
Hello,
When I plug in the cord into my laptop (Compaq Evo N1005v), the charge button does not appear, instead there is a quick beeping noise within the AC Adaptor. There is no Led in the AC Adaptor so I am not sure what is wrong. Is there something wrong with the AC Adaptor or is it something to do with the laptop?
Thanks
June 26th, 2007 at 3:48 am
hi
i have toshiba laptop model name: satellite M70-122,model no . PSM70E-00U00FDU,Having a problem with charging,power adaptor tested ok with correctly voltage open up circuit fuse tested o.k help….what could be a problem
Regards
Wilson
June 27th, 2007 at 9:57 am
I have an Asus A4000 laptop. When i start the laptop, it works fine and everything works as it should. Then after no set amount of time, i hear a clicking noise which gets louder and louder and then all of a sudden the laptop just goes off without any warning. What could the problem be?
June 30th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Hi
I have a problem with a ibm t41 , that will not power on , tried with just the battery, then with just ac, and both and nothing happens only get a charging batt light , but if i remove both ac and battery and fiddel between unpluginging the ac and the bat i then get a battery light plus the on light with fan on , but nothing else, the hard drive is good , any suggestions sure would be appreciated
jcv@sympatico.ca
July 1st, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Wilson,
1. Make sure the latest version of the BIOS is installed. Visit the manufacturer’s website and find the BIOS change history. Find out if there are any fixes for the battery charging problem. Upgrade the BIOS if needed.
2. Replace the battery with a known good one and test again.
3. Just in case test the laptop with another AC adapter.
4. If upgrading the BIOS and installing new battery doesn’t help, most likely you have a problem with the charging circuit on the motherboard. In this case you’ll have to replace the motherboard or use the laptop just on AC power.
July 7th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
I Have A New Acer 5054 Laptop, Last Night I copy a Movie From My Phone Memory then I Feel Sleep Because I didn’t Sleep for 38 Hour [Job Rush], When I wake Up This Morning, The laptop screen Become freeze On picture screen saver, Then i take out The AC adapter & The Batery then put it again, When i try to start up the laptop this morning, the LCD is Blank, DVD Rom make noise, Hard Drive Led Is On, And The Proc Led Is Blinking
PS: Sorry My English is not Very Well
July 8th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I have an older Compaq Presario 2100. When i click the computer to start up, it makes a sound like the harddrive is starting up, then it clicks off and repeats this action..on / off / on / off until i take out the battery. its stuck in a loop. any help would be great. thanks!
July 8th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Desfari,
I’m not sure what the Proc LED is. How it’s blinking?
I would check the memory first. Try reseating it and test the laptop again.
July 8th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
BubbaJoe,
The hard drive clicks and the laptop reboots? Probably you have a faulty hard drive.
Try this. Remove the hard drive and start the laptop without it. Does it still reboots over and over or the laptop stays on all the time? If it stays on, most likely you have a problem with the hard drive and have to replace it.
July 9th, 2007 at 3:57 am
Sorry, I Mean Hard Drive LED, Its Flashing Every Second together with DVD LED, I try to remove The memory & put it back, Still same, The Noise From DVD when i Eject The DVD Room to Open it Didn’t appears,
When I Try to run the Laptop Without Memory The Hard Drive LED is on but not blinking Also With The DVD LED, The Screen Still Blank no bios come up, no voice / noise inside.
July 11th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Desfari FR,
First of all, if the laptop is still under warranty you should send it for repair to the manufacturer. Do not open the laptop or you can loose the warranty.
If the laptop is not under warranty anymore, try this.
1. Unplug the AC adapter and remove the battery. Wait for 2-3 minutes and plug the AC adapter. Turn on the laptop.
2. Try starting the laptop without the hard drive installed and see if you can get any video. It’s possible that the hard drive is bad and it’s preventing the laptop from booting. If the laptop boots fine without hard drive, probably this is your problem.
3. Minimize the laptop as much as you can. Remove the hard drive, DVD drive, wireless card, modem, battery and test it again. If the laptop boots, start installing devices one by one until the laptop fails again. It will help you to find a faulty device.
4. Test the laptop with a known good memory stick.
July 19th, 2007 at 7:50 am
yes, definately do not attempt to open up the notebook yourself if you still need to claim warranty because the warranty is voided once u open up a notebook. Esp if something goes wrong… Un;ess you have the technical support officially from the manufacturer/company of the notebook’s approval or guidance.
July 20th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Up until a week ago my HP Pavilion dv2000 was running fine. Windows would start normally, but then only a blank screen would appear. I’ve reinserted battery and such but I would only end up with the same result. Even when trying to enter safe mode too. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what the problem is.
July 24th, 2007 at 9:41 am
my computer turns on but says no boot sector on internal hard drive
July 29th, 2007 at 10:35 am
my laptop will not turn at all. i tried pressing the power button but it would not work. i do not unstand if it is my AC adapter r my hardwrive. but when i put the adapter in, it would make these noises then turn off. and i don’t know how to replace my hard drive.
August 15th, 2007 at 1:05 am
Help! Anyone?. I’m not a techie person
I have Toshiba Satellite A70. I used automatic repair tool when I received error message about Outlook. I was asked to insert Disc and allowed it to do its stuff. Outlook opened ok. I allowed laptopn to close down normally. Next time I went to use the laptop the screen does not come on. The laptop makes all the right noises. I know the charger is working ok. The three green lights at front are ok. The fan comes on. Is it coincidence or has MS office changed settings? How can I fix? Many thanks. Thomas
August 15th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Thomas,
I think this is a coincidence that fixing Outlook killed the laptop. Here’s how you can test it. Start the laptop without the hard drive installed. Even without the hard drive installed, you still should see Toshiba logo on the screen when you turn on the laptop. Can you see anything? If not, your problem is not related to software.
If you have any memory stick installed into the expansion slot on the bottom, remove it and turn on the laptop. If the laptop starts after that, most likely you have a bad memory stick.
It also could be a problem with the LCD screen. Test your laptop with an external screen. Connect the external screen to the VGA port on the back and start the laptop. If the external video works fine but the laptop LCD will not light up, it’s possible you have a problem with the screen.
August 29th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Hi
My laptop toshiba satellite pro m70 will not start at all! When i plug in the AC adaptor the LED lights up blue but the battery LED flashes amber. When i press the power button it seems like the laptop is going to turn on but 2 seconds later the power turns off again.
I have tried to turn it on with just AC power, just battery power and both - but with no luck. I have no idea how to open up the laptop or such.
Any help on how to resolve the issue would be much appreciated!
September 4th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Can anyone tell me where the cmos battery is located on a Sony Vaio FS215Z? Am getting no lights at all but the AC adaptor is fine. Have taken to pieces but cannot find the battery anywhere. Didn’t remove the motherboard as we felt that was one step too far at this stage. Checked all connections as far as humanly possible. I don’t really want to bin it because the picture quality is great but you can now get twice the machine for a third of the price I paid for it 2 years ago. It isn’t a workhorse and hasn’t been abused at all.
September 8th, 2007 at 8:29 am
hi 2 all,
my problems seems to be one of the above problems,yet i can’t solve it.
i own HP pavilion laptop. lately i used it and found that i am working on battery supply. after a few minutes, the battery dead. and while trying direct AC i did not have no led lit, no HD running, just the battery lit blinking. i did try to disconnect the battery and tried runnig on AC, i did also changed the Memory module, checked also the AC adaptor which runing well and shows 18.5 volt as needed. i opened the back of the computer and cleaned all the dirt and dust, but still i have the problem. i can not operate the laptop on direct AC.can somebody help me ???
September 9th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Avi Gal,
Maybe there is a problem with the power jack? Does the power LED flicker when you wiggle the adapter plug inside the power jack?
September 21st, 2007 at 6:34 am
Hi,
First of all, wonderful website with good information.
Secondly, I work in Tech support (no training, been on the job learning as I go for about 8 months) and I have been working on getting an aging fleet of Toshiba 8100 laptops back into reasonable shape.
There is one in particular that has me puzzled. It matches scenario 2 and I had already tried replacing the memory. Used known good memory, even swapped in a known good hard drive just to be certain the drive in there was not totally dead. No success. Are both slots toast or am I missing something entriely?
Thanks for your time
September 22nd, 2007 at 9:01 pm
this website is of great help.. it helped me fixed my laptop by my self…. thanks and god bless
September 23rd, 2007 at 9:49 pm
MC Shortbus,
Could be dead motherboard or dead CPU.
Minimize the system as much as you can and leave only motherboard, CPU and known good memory. Try starting this barebone system with an external monitor. If you still get no video, probably you have a faulty motherboard. There is a possibility of bad CPU but CPU failure is not very common.
September 28th, 2007 at 6:30 am
My problem matches with 2nd scenario but only difference is that in my case when I plug the AC adapter, only the power LED light up. It’s Toshiba A135-S2386 PDC T2080/512/80/15 and I bought it on Sep, 2nd 2007. Along with laptop, I bought 1GB RAM. First three weeks, it was fine but all of a sudden it stops working. Please advice.
September 29th, 2007 at 10:28 am
KK,
The power LED lights up when you plug the AC adapter, so I assume the power adapter work fine.
1. Remove the battery and try turning on the laptop from the AC adapter. Sometimes it helps.
2. Remove both memory modules one by one and test the laptop with each module in each memory slot. It’s very unlikely that both memory modules failed at the same time.
3. Try turning on the laptop without the hard dive installed. In some cases a failed hard drive might suspend the whole system.
Does your laptop makes any kind of sounds when you push on the power button? Any LED activity?
October 1st, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I have a Dell Latitude D610. I replaced the hard drive. Brand new one. I turned on the laptop after installing the new hard drive. It loads up but it goes to a screen where it says: No boot sector on internal hard drive. Then it says CARDBUS NIC boot failed. I need help. Thank you.
October 1st, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Mike,
After you install a brand new hard drive you have to load the operating system and device drivers. Without the operating system installed the laptop will not work. You get these CDs when you buy a laptop. Insert the first CD (operating system) into the DVD drive and boot the laptop from this CD. Follow instructions. After the OS is loaded, install missing device drivers from the second CD (device drivers).
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:09 am
Hi
I have a problem with my packard bell laptop, it for the client she complained that at no notice it just shut down and when she try to power it up it will never come up. so what i did i stripe it up to check if there is any burned wire, change the memory, check the cpu and fan they all fine atfer that i put back together and it powered up but no windows screen, i try to re-install but it couldn’t let after that i formated the hard drive the laptop work fine with no problem. after two months later the same problem occurred and it does even show that its have a life no power, no light in the battery nothing and i don’t know what to do now.
I will appreciate anyone help who knows how to solve this frastrating problem. help
Thanks
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Sphiwe Mdletshe,
First of all, check the AC adapter. Make sure it outputs correct voltage and works properly.
After that check easy-to-remove parts like hard drive and memory. Try starting the laptop without battery installed.
Finally, start taking the laptop apart piece by piece and test it after each step. Minimize the laptop to barebone system: motherboard, CPU and memory. If the laptop is still dead and shows no signs of life, probably you have a failed motherboard.
Just in case. Check the power jack and make sure the motherboard gets power from the AC adapter, you can do it with a voltmeter.
October 5th, 2007 at 7:30 am
acquired a laptop that had a soda spilled on it, was told by the owners that toshiba said it was the hard drive.
It was a recent spill so I pulled it apart and cleaned it up (yes I know what I’m doing there)
The problem now is it will power up fine, charge the battery, fans will go though I dont here a system beep.
But there is no video, at all. No vga nothing on the lcd and I am running out of ideas to try. usually even with a bad hd there will be even an error on the screen but I’m getting nothing. any suggestions?
October 9th, 2007 at 11:00 am
I cannot figure it out. I tested the video, memory, ac adapter and they alll seems to be fine. But still cannot starts. I decided it maybe the motherboard. I replaced and still giving me the problem.
I have Tobsiha Laptop 6100
Any advice would be appreciate
Thanks
October 19th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
I have a Toshiba Satellite a105-s2712 which has a problem that seems to match scenario 1 (no LED lights, no power…no anything) except that whenever the computer is plugged in it makes a steady clicking sound (about 2 clicks per second). The clicking sound IS NOT the hard drive (though many people have tried to tell me it must be). The sound is coming from the rear left of the computer–the area where the power cord plugs in. I’m no techie, so please keep your comments in layman’s terms–something this website seems to do remarkably well.
Thanks for this service.
October 21st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Korey,
There are no LED lights when you plug the AC adapter (even power LED), but the laptop itself is making a clicking sound?
First, check the AC adapter. Make sure the adapter outputs correct voltage. You can check the AC adapter with voltmeter.
Second, remove the battery, the hard drive and the DVD drive. Plug the power adapter and turn it on. Still nothing?
October 26th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Hi,
Reading this website tips was of great help to me!
I managed to solve my problem (the laptop wouldn’t start) by testing the memories and memory banks as suggested!
My laptop is back again and I saved time and money!
Thanks a lot! (and of course, made a donation)
Paulo
PORTUGAL
October 27th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Hi
I have a Compaq Persario R3000. There are no LED lights, no sound, dead. AC adaptor checked fine. Motherboard removed and checked no signs,power Jack is fine. Reassembled and Now removed all HDD, Cd drive, Battery, RAM’s, PCMCIA card and tried to power up still no joy. Any idea’s before we decide it is the motherboard
October 27th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Vasu,
If the adapter is fine and it plugs directly into the motherboard, but the motherboard appears to be completely dead, most likely you have a bad motherboard.
October 29th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
pls my lap top crashed and i started it back up it goes to the toshiba screen then right after i get a blue password box and i cant get passed it i tryed my password and it wont work pls help
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:13 am
mine is situation no. 2. i was working on it last night when there was a “tick” sound and since then all is blank….i press power button there is no activity..just the 4 lights(charging etc.) come up and the power light goes off itself.
the bad part is that itsmy dad’s and he is going to kill me for this so i cant call an engineer…and i know simply nothing about how to actually enact on your suggestions….i cant open it ….i live in new delhi, india and its a hp notebook………help me and save me from dying…please
November 4th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
dinika anand,
Try starting the laptop without the battery, just from the AC adapter.
Check the AC adapter, make sure it outputs correct voltage. If the ticking sound comes from the AC adapter, it’s possible the adapter is bad.
November 14th, 2007 at 7:02 am
I have Dell D610. I was getting memory problems. Thought it was due to windows XP. Tried to reinstall the software but now it wont install. After reboot it goes to the installation and then shuts down. I ran the diagnostic and it showed memory test failure. Need help. Thanks…
November 15th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
i have a advent 7115 laptop its windows vista i have only had it a few months and its not working properly , it sometimes doesnt turn on and when it does come on it goes into repair and keeps resetting itself ! I dont know what to do can help me ?
November 15th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I have a Dell Precision D630. When i shut down the comp i need to wait for atleast 30 minutes before i can power it back on. If i try to turn it on right away the power light comes on for a second then the there is a beep followed by the wi-fii light and it shuts down. The whole thing take about 2 seconds.
Can you please help?
November 21st, 2007 at 5:54 pm
hi,
I’ve a Compaq Presario V5000 series laptop which is dead. No LED light, no sound, etc. Tried another adaptor but still no response. My guess is motherboard problem from the discussion above. What do I do with the motherboard?
Thks in advance for assisting.
November 25th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
ARI,
I don’t think that you need help because you found the problem yourself, but you definitely need new memory.
November 25th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Joanne,
This sounds like hardware related problem. Most likely your laptop is still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
November 25th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
benny,
I think you are right. Sounds like a problem with the motherboard. Also, there is a chance that the motherboard itself is OK but you have a problem with the power jack.
In both cases, it’s necessary to open up the laptop and take a closer look at the motherboard. Check the power jack first. Connect the AC adapter and using a voltmeter check if power comes to the motherboard. If the motherboard receive power from the AC adapter, but it’s dead, you’ll have to replace the motherboard. You’ll find step-by-step disassembly instruction in the maintenance and service guide (4.18MB pdf file).
November 27th, 2007 at 5:18 am
Hi there
I have a Aspire 1520 laptop. It boots up normally into windows, but as soon as I try reinstalling windows, when it comes to the doss part, it automatically shuts itself down when it is copying the system files?
November 27th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Deon Bosch,
Maybe the laptop shutsdown because it overheats. Take a look inside the heatsink, is it clogged with dust? Clean the heatsink with compressed air and try reinstalling Windows again.
Also, run Memtest86+ utility to test the RAM module. If the memory fails test, replace it.
November 28th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
What migth be the problem if the computers doesn’t load windows, just you can see the screen as windows log loading but windos never load completly, I tried in safe mode but it just load until mup. sys ans stand forever on this step. I extract the hard drive save my information and I scanned in order to find or repair problems but it still continues…. thank you very much
November 30th, 2007 at 2:29 am
My LapTop is Compaq. Suddenly its LCD stopped funtioning. It was repaired from farway.
When it came back, it was found that its powerswitch was not working correctly. The audio buttons etc. were not corectly placed. That is the bottom part seemed to vacant.
I needed to go on pressing the Powerbutton for a long time to start the laptop.
What could be the problem?
November 30th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
Oscar,
Most likely this is software relate issue. Try reimaging the hard drive using recovery discs. This process will erase everything from the hard drive and load everything back to factory defaults.
November 30th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Ved036,
Looks like the repair shop didn’t do a good job. In your case I would send it back to them and ask to fix the problem.
December 4th, 2007 at 3:32 am
I have a Compaq Presario V5000 with the exact same problem that Benny describes in Post 58. The only LED that lights is the one in the front that indicates the battery is charging. AC adapter & battery appear fine. I had a tech at work look at it, and he seems to think that is is something wrong (Possibly a blown resistor) on the LED Board PN: 417024-001. Did Benny find out the source of his problem?
December 11th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
i have a gateway that my uncle gave to me for free because he was upgrading and the batter was weak but it worked and i used the laptop once in a blue moon and now the led on the laptop and the ac adapter does not light and the battery is not charging any suggestions? email me at lil_egy_kid@yahoo.com
December 11th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Hi
I have a Toshiba A85, and my problem is as follows.
Sometimes when I start it, an area somehwere near the cooling fan makes a loud roaring noise, but it doesn’t happen always.
Also, just today, I started it up as always, no roaring or ticking noises, I typed in my password as usual, and then my background showed up, but after that it stopped loading, the computer didn’t freeze, I could still move the mouse and open the Ctrl+Alt+Del window, but it doesn’t do anything after that, I restarted the computer several times, I even tried getting on another profile of the laptop and the same thing happens.
Please and thanks for your help
December 17th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Wow, glad that I found this site.
I have a question. I have a Sharp PC-MM10 laptop Computer with the docking cradle. This laptop, when powered on, show a quick power on green LED, and then goes to a flashing amber LED and nothing else happens. Th battery does indicate that it is receiving a charge and when the laptop is in it’s cradle the laptop’s hard drive does show asa logical drive on the desktop. I do not think the motherboard is a complete lost cause as it is charging and the hard drive is accesible, but I could be wrong.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as it is a great little laptop!
Thanks!
Ron
December 18th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Great website. My Dell 600M laptop just died yesterday. When I press the power button, the power light shows up, but as soon as I release the button, the light dissapears and the laptop doesnt start (nothing on the screen). I have tried multiple adapters and even removing the battery and putting it back after a couple of minutes. I would really appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks
Suraj
December 19th, 2007 at 6:48 am
I have a Compaq presario V5000 t hat needs the internal ac jack replaced. Is there any information out there on how to open the laptop so that we can replace the jack?
December 23rd, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Beth,
Check the HP maintenance manual for your model, it might have step-by-step disassembly instructions.
Here are instructions for replacing the power jack.
December 26th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
My laptop has suddenly stopped working. When I press the on button, the cpu fan starts for about 1-2 seconds then it all turns off again. Can anybody please help.
December 28th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
I have a HP Pavilion. when i turn it on, it shows the HP Splash and goes to the Windows Xp loading screen for about 2 seconds, then it bluescreens and restarts. It goes into an infinate loop. I am wondering if this is a Hard Drive issue? I have tried to reinstall windows with no luck.
December 29th, 2007 at 12:46 am
John,
The power LED stays on or it goes off too?
December 29th, 2007 at 12:48 am
Jay,
It’s possible. Enter the bios and check out if you can test the hard drive in there. Some HP laptops come with hard drive test utility in the BIOS.
If you don’t have it in the BIOS, you can download and run Hitachi’s drive fitness test. You’ll find link to this utility in Resources on the right side.
December 29th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Thanks for the response Jay. Unfortunately, I cannot enter the bios as the laptop only sounds like it is going to start then dies again. I have tried removing the major parts like memory, HD, cpu and none of these make any difference.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:45 pm
My Toshiba M35X-s149 takes too long to start.
I plug it in, LEDs light up, I push the power button and light comes on, fan comes on, blank screen and then wait for a long time. Eventually it boots properly. It is all a matter of time. Several minutes, 5, 10…
Once it starts everything is ok and I can even restart windows. I just cannot turn it off.
Aby thoughts?
January 5th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Fernando,
What if you remove the hard drive and try turning it on without the hard drive installed. Does it still take a few minutes to boot the laptop to the toshiba logo or it appears right away?
Run hard drive and memory test. Hitachi’s DFT for the hard drive and Memtest86+ for memory. Find out if you have failing hardware. Links to both utilities are on the right side of the website.
January 8th, 2008 at 11:31 am
This could be a situation 4 with a slight variation. My laptop Aspire 5583 refuses to boot. When I turn on my laptop, there seems to be some fan activity but no screen or HD activity (the HD LED lights up for a few seconds then stops). Additionally, when everything is off, I still hear something running inside the machine which stops only when I take the battery out. Tried connecting it to an external monitor but it’s not receiving any input from my laptop.
January 10th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I have a HP ZV5000 laptop that is totally dead. It was working perfectly except for the dc power jack was loose and when I replaced it the only function that it had was the battery charge lcd light blinked 3 times. There was no other action on the laptop. I reseated the memory, no help I then removed the cd/dvd drive, hard drive, and still no help. The battery is totally dead. Before this started if the laptop ran down under 20 percent remaining battery it was a real problem to get it to recharge back., but after wiggling the power cord it would take a charge and continue to work. I have no way to charge the battery and was wondering if anyone had tried to driect charge the battery using the contacts on the battery. This is the only other option I can think off other than replacing the motherboard and I haven’t seen one under 250-300 bucks. Iwould just like to be sure before I spend that much or more likely trash the laptop. ANY help would be appreciated
January 11th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Jimmy Knight,
Did you replace the power jack yourself or you took the laptop to a repair shop?
If the laptop worked fine before the power jack replacement but not after, apparently you didn’t do a good job. Remove the motherboard again and examine the power jack, make sure there is no shorts between solder joints.
Unfortunately, there is no way I can troubleshoot this laptop without looking at it.
You can minimize the system to bare minimum - motherboard, CPU and memory. If these three parts are good, you should be able to start the laptop with an external monitor.
If the laptop is still dead, even after you minimized it, one of the above mentioned parts is bad.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:01 am
I replaced the power jack myself. I had done some before with sucess but I’m going to re-do it and try it again from the bare bone start when I’m done. Thanks so much for your help.
January 15th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Pls I got compaq amada p3 I change d hard disk since then it developed problem it always switch off while loading operating syst
January 19th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Olujide blessing,
Make sure the heatsink is clean and not clogged with dust. It’s possible the laptop shuts down because of overheating.
January 22nd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I have a Dell Inspiron 600m with a situation similar to:
Situation 2.
When you plug the AC adapter the power LED and the battery charge LED light up. When you press on the power button the laptop will not start and you cannot hear any activity from the hard drive, cooling fan and the DVD drive.
————–
I’ve tried both suggestions but have had no luck. Fried motherboard? Any further suggestions?
This all came about after the battery ran down to the warning level during normal use and everything shut off abruptly when it tried to shut down properly. The battery still charged back up and all indications were that things were ok until I tried to turn it on minutes later. The only reaction to the power button being pushed are the lights that normally kick on during startup. This lasts for 1-2 seconds and nothing else happens. If there are any other helpful details, please let me know.
Suraj, we appear to have the same problem. Let me know if you get any good help from anywhere. ben.gonzo@gmail.com
January 28th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Hi i need help fast. Please help me
I have toshiba stelite m70-122 and i have it 2 years and everything it was ok. Today when i work and put on power supply its turn off. After that when i thorn on it show me that the message
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
I fix that and go on. when i need again power supply its thorn off and now is dead LEDs (power light, hard drive light, battery charge light, etc…) do not light up and the laptop is not reacting at all if i press on the power button.
P.S. sorry for my bead English and pls help me(its not mine
)
January 31st, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Filip Atanasovski,
Did you test the power supply with a voltmeter? Maybe the power supply is not providing correct voltage?
February 13th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I have a 3 years old ++ BENQ laptop (Joybook 2000E). I accidentally tripped over my AC adaptor, and my laptop completely turn off.
When i try to turn it back on, the only things that run is the cooling fan and DVD drive. Hard disk drive doesn’t run and the LCD screen is black. I tried to output it to an external monitor but no video as well.
What might be the problem? I tried the memory module method but it doesn’t work
February 19th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Hello, I am about to give up on my Toshiba Satellite M35X-S149… A couple of days ago I tried turning it on and got nothing but a black screen. I thought that my screen died on me since the button’s blue light was on and all my led lights are on. But the fan only turns on for a few seconds and after several tries to turn it on it did boot up. It worked fine for hours like nothing was wrong. When I rebooted again the next day I had the same problem. Now it won’t boot up at all and when it does it shuts off before everything loads. Should I just give up on it? —–typing this on my Nintendo DS so ignore the typos. Thanks for any help.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:56 am
Laura,
Memory is the first thing to test, could be faulty memory module. Try reseating it as I mentioned in the situation 2.
February 24th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Hey, cj2600,
I’m working right now on a Toshiba Sallite Pro 6100 (manufactured in 2003). I have all-around two-decades of experience in the field of electronics (EE) and troubleshooting, however; right now I’m facing a really weird problem that is frustrating as hell. Any sort of assistance is much appreciated. Oh and by the way, your website is really helpful — keep it up, you’re doing a great job.
The laptop was brought to me because its CMOS battery was undercharged and as a result, the BIOS couldn’t hold the user-set values including the system clocks and such. Other than these, the laptop was in working condition. As soon as I’ve heard the symptoms of the problem I predicted that it’s a low battery. I’ve placed the laptop on my workbench and half-disassembled (did not take out the system board, CPU, and such because my goal was to only reach the CMOS battery) the notebook, ultimately I’ve located the battery and measured it with my multimeter. Indeed, it was barely showing off 300mV instead of 3V.
OK, I’ve taken out the battery, recharged, and placed it back in its place. I’ve assembled the laptop totally and when I pushed the “power” button, nothing happened. I was like - ‘what the heck?’ Hmm. The AC adapter LED lights up, so the circuitry gets powered up until that stage. At least I knew there’s nothing wrong the power jack. I thought I’ve made a mistake when I’ve assembled the notebook so I’ve taken apart again, totally and completely, and tried to power on - still nothing.
Then I’ve followed the approach of narrowing down the problems by minimizing the components (disconnected and taken out the HDD, wireless card, DVD-ROM, LCD screen, even the sound card, etc.) and still it didn’t show _any_ sign of aliveness. I’ve taken out the CMOS battery, re-seated, still nothing. I was becoming frustrated and I’ve measured the power on switch - its condition was fine.
As a last resort, I’ve totally disassembled the laptop. Of course, I’ve also considered the anti-ESD protections. Once I’ve taken out and thoroughly examined each little section of the system board, even with a magnifying glass, I haven’t noticed anything “weird.” So I’ve connected together the necessary components, once again, to create a bare-bone notebook only with the system board, CPU, memory module (it has only one), and the cooler. This setup was on an anti-static conductive material. I’ve hooked up to the AC adapter, the LED lights up, but pushing the “power” button is still worthless; it does nothing, shows no signs of being alive. Nada. Nothing. Zero.
I’ve cleaned the contacts of the memory modules (isopropyl alcohol). I’ve tried reseating at the another slot - nothing changed. I’ve tried reseating everything, every little connector and cable starting from the LCD screen to wireless antenna, anything that I could find - still nothing changed. I was running out of ideas, as you can imagine, so out of frustration I’ve taken my trusty multimeter and was starting to measure the resistances between components, but the system board was grounded (you know, those metalic rings underneath the screw holes).
At this point I have absolutely no idea on what to do anymore, what to try, etc. Like I said earlier, any kind of guidance or assistance is much appreciated. I’m curious what would you try if you were in my place. This scenario is pretty weird, especially since the laptop was in working condition and I have done nothing to it than disassembling it with care, taking out the CMOS battery (first I’ve disconnected its 2-pin connector and then taken out the whole battery with connector and cable), recharged, and assembled it again. From this point, no matter what I did, how many times, the laptop couldn’t be brought to life again. I wonder what happened… and how could I ressurect this system board, if possible, because due to all of the aforementioned, it’s pretty much nothing but the system board, though, everything can be.
Thanks in advance and I look forward to reading your knowledgeable and professional answer. Have a great week.
Regards,
–Anthony.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
My lovely daughter was takiing my laptop out of the car in the rain ( in it’s case ) , and sat it on the ground ( claims she didn’t drop it )!
After 30 minutes i was able to get it to boot, It didn’t get wet, I was able to use it that day, but i hae not been able to get it to boot since. I get the microsoft screen with the hourglass telling me to wait but, after about 15 minutes i get a totally black screen with a cursor at the top right hand side of the screen and that’s it!
March 4th, 2008 at 7:47 am
I have an HP Pavillion dv2000, thats almost a year old. Just yesterday I went to turn on the laptop and it seems that the hard drive tries to boot for about 3 seconds, then stops, the fan is running, the power light is on, as well as the charging light (if plugged in) but not the hard drive light… (there are 3 blue lights in the front to display these three things) Also, all of the media buttons above the keyboard are lightin up but the screen never comes on, and I dont think it ever boots at all.
Now I did recently, about a month ago, upgrade my RAM and installed a 1 gig chip that I bought from best buy (taking out the orignal 512… it came with two seperate 512’s, and now has the 1 gig and the 512.) I know that is has been stated to try to remove the new memory, which I will surely try as soon as I get home. If this does solve the problem, am I to just accept that my machine has to run on the slow 1 gig of RAM that it came with?) And more importantly, if it doesnt work, what am I to do??? I kinda remember this similar situation happening a few weeks back, but I just left it on without being plugged in until the battery died, then pluged it in and booted and it worked. But this time, I have tried that like 20 times, and I am getting sadder and sadder and going through laptop withdrawl. Thanks for the help, this site is really cool.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Anthony,
Sorry for a late response, I was busy.
Man, I wouldn’t touch a Toshiba Satellite Pro 6100 with a 10-foot pole. A few years ago we had a customer with hundreds of these units and working on them was a nightmare. You take it apart and it never starts again.
First of all, the laptop couldn’t hold the user-set values including the system clocks and such and you would think that the CMOS (RTC) battery has to be replaced, but replacing this battery doesn’t help.
We think that all these startup problems, including the CMOS battery issue, are related to poor connectors between motherboard, power board, VGA board. Witch of them are failing? I don’t know. When we were “fixing” these laptop we just kept replacing all these parts until we find a good working combinations.
What you can do is try reseating all these parts and make sure they all making good connection between each other.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Zach,
First of all, try swapping memory. It looks like you have a few different modules to paly with, try installing them one by one into different slots. Try this first.
March 10th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I am no a computer technician but I am familiar taking electronics apart, putting them together and still work.
My problem is with an Acer Travelmate 620.
The laptop would not start without the AC adaptor. It did 4 short beeps during post the led light comes up and it shuts down again.
If I start it with the AC adaptor then the laptop starts even though I pull out the AC power right the next second after I press the Power button.
I assumed it was the battery even though it lasted for an hour if I started the laptop with the AC.
So I got a new battery but the problem remains, 4 short beeps and it shuts down.
According to the service manual this message means “Battery Critical Low” but the new battery last for almost 3 hours after I use the AC adaptor to start up.
Is there a chance this message to refer to the RTS battery?
Although the time and other information stays on time and order.
Could it be a sensor that gone bad and wrongly reports “battery low” during the first second of startup?
Any help would be greatly appreciated
March 12th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
MjW,
I don’t think that this problem is related to the RTC (CMOS) battery because the system time stays the same and doesn’t reset to defaults.
To me it sounds like a possible problem with the motherboard. Take a look at the battery contacts on the motherboard, make sure they are clean. Check the BIOS version and update it to the latest version if needed, it may help.
Try discharging the battery. Run the laptop with the AC adapter unplugged until the battery dies and then plug it in and recharge the battery.
March 13th, 2008 at 2:59 am
Hi there
I have a thinkpad t31 which turns on but doesnt boot up at all. I can hear the fan turning on but thats about it. Nothing happens after that. No screen, nothing. However, the computer stays on plus the fan doesnt stop running. Sometimes (very rarely), it does bootup and comes in fully working condition but freezes after a few hours with a wierd message that ‘your computer has been turned off, if this is a first time you are seeing this message try rebooting it if it happened before try removing un necessary hardware and software and reboot again. If, i try rebooting it sometimes it does reboot and somtimes the same problem occurs as discussed above. Can anyone please help? thanks soo much
March 13th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I am Having A prob. With My Hp compaq Nx6110.It was Given to Me as A gift,it worked fine until nov.2007, since then i have tired very thing.the lights come on when i plug it in to a/c then the amber lights blinks 8 times. does not boot to post.alson the battry does not work it was fully charged at the time.i got it to work later in dec. of 2007 by pushing down near the battry slot on the motherborad.but now that stoped working to. any sugg. is help full…..to think i went to school for this.maybe i need to go back…..thanks
March 14th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I have a compaq laptop which starts to boot into windows but fails, displaying the message “Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this problem”. It then gives three options to choose from for starting it: Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, Safe Mode with Commande Prompt. I have used all three modes to no avail. In each occasion it asks for the use of the Recovery Disk which I used but then it would only allow a full reinstall which wipes away most of my files and files. How can I fix this problem without losing my files? Thanks
March 15th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Noman,
Try solution number 2. There is a chance that your laptop has bad memory.
March 15th, 2008 at 8:59 am
RobertDrag,
Check out the maintenance and service guide. I think it may have a translation for this error message.
March 15th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Freddie,
I think you’ll have to try reinstalling the operating system from the recovery disc. You can back up all personal files using an external USB enclosure for notebook hard drives, it’s not expensive. You can find it online for about $15.
Backup files and reinstall software.
March 17th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I tried your suggestions, twice just in case, but it did not help.
Appreciate your help and thanks for your time.
March 18th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Could it be the CMOS battery? or is this just the same as RTS battery?
March 19th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
MjW,
I tried to find the error message explanation in the service manual and looks like you are right, it says:
Battery critical LOW
In this situation BIOS will issue 4 short beeps then shut down
system, no message will show.
I don’t think that the manual refers to the RTC (CMOS) battery. Because if there is an error code related to the CMOS battery, it says SMOS battery, not just battery.
RTC battery=CMOS battery
March 20th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Aha, ok thanks for the clarification
I guess I’ll just let it be.
March 25th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I have a sony vgn s1xp(similar to 360), which does not power up at all, no lights.
It fits scenario no 1. I have checked the voltage from adapter and it’s correct. I think it must be the motherboard. Something must be fried. Could anybody help me to locate the fried part or give me a schematic of the motherboard. Replacement of motherboard isn’t worth it (350-400$)
March 25th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Hello,
I have a Toshiba Satellite A55. I was having problems with the AC adapter supplying power, which meant either the adapter was bad or the power supply socket connection was faulty. Since it was late, I decided to take apart the laptop and check the power connection. After disassembling it, the power socket looked ok. I put back together and got a new ac adapter. I plugged the new adapter in and the charge lights on the front of the machine work, but absolutely nothing happens when I hit the power button (no sound, no nothing). I’m afraid I may have knocked something around during my disassembly/reassembly. Is there one or two things I should look at to solve this issue? I have already tried going back through the machine and looking for disconnected cables. However, it looks pretty set. Thanks for your help!!
March 26th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Gregg,
In order to boot a laptop with video on internal or external monitor, you need three major parts: motherboard, CPU and memory.
Check the memory module first, make sure it’s seated correctly, try reconnecting the module or even move it into the empty slot.
If for some reason you removed the CPU, make sure it’s seated properly and the CPU socket on the motherboard is locked.
You can assemble a barebone system: system board, CPU (with heatsink and fan) and memory and then connect an external monitor. If all three main parts are fine, you should be able to boot this system and get at least Toshiba logo on the screen.
I believe in this model the power button is not on the motherboard, it’s on a separate board witch is connected to the motherboard via flat ribbon cable. Make sure this cable is properly connected to the motherboard and the connector is locked. Loose connection between this board and motherboard can be your problem.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:20 am
Hello, I have a dell inspiron 5150 and doesnt turn on, just power for a few seconds and then it shut off, nothing shows on the screen. any help
thanks
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:25 am
Hello, I have a dell inspiron 5150 and doesnt turn on, just power for a few seconds and then it shut off, nothing shows on the screen. I noticed that when hit the on botton a lock with the later A blinks for a few seconds
thanks
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:04 pm
If it’s a power adapter you need, I suggest these guys, they’re grreat! Way cheaper than going to the manufacturer. 12V Power Supply
April 5th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Hi laptop does not get started, once we press power button , screen display nothing
April 5th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Hi, i have a Dell Inspiron 1525, only had it 2 months and its suddenly conked out on me!
When i start it it recommends startup repai i click that it goes on for like an hour then brings up a blue screen sayin random stuff about hardware or programmes which may have caused the failure.
It recommends pressin f8, i have tried every option on f8, nothing helps i have inserted teh re installation vista dick too, really peeved as i need to finish my dissertation for uni, dont know what to so, somebody help please!!!!!
April 7th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
hey sam same thing happened to me… its not fun. and now it wont even start up
April 8th, 2008 at 6:47 am
Hi,
I have a Sony Vaio (VGN-FS600 series) which was working beautifully (it’s definately not software related) when one day while I was on the laptop it turned it’s self off without warning. I thought I had somehow unplugged it and not noticed it was running on battery power (since I turned off the “sleep mode at 5 percent battery power” option a while back to help fully discharge my battery before I recharged it to promote battery life) because it felt almost exactly like when it turns off because the battery dies.
I checked the adaptor, realized it was indeed plugged in, lifted it up and felt the underside, it was warm but not ungodly hot and certainly not the warmest I’d felt it in the past, and just pulled the cord out and popped it back in, and pressed the on button. The laptop lights (charging battery, etc) did not turn on, the laptop did not turn on, and I heard an extremely brief and faint clicking or popping sound repeated a few times before stopping. I pressed the on button again, nothing. I unplugged the cord, reseated it and jiggled it a bit to make sure it wasn’t a loose connection at a wrong angle, then pressed the on button, and again the faint clicking/popping sound about 4-5 times but otherwise nothing. No activity of any kind including the lights. I don’t -think- it’s the laptop cord, as the cord’s brick is still lit up when plugged in, and I’d rather not go shell out the money to buy a universal laptop cord while I have the option to find out if it is a different problem.
Does this sound like an power cord problem or a motherboard problem?
April 9th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Andrea,
Did you notice if the popping sound was coming from the power adapter or from the laptop itself?
Unfortunately, you cannot tell until you test the laptop with another working power adapter. At least, you can test the adapter with a voltmeter and find out it it outputs correct voltage.
Try this. Unplug the adapter, remove the battery. Wait for a few minutes then plug the power adapter and try turning the laptop on again. I had a similar problem with my Sony laptop in the past (only without popping sound) and removing adapter/unplugging the battery helped.
Also, try this. You mentioned a popping sound and It’s possible this sound comes from the hard drive. Try removing the hard drive and starting the laptop without it. In some cases a faulty hard drive might halt the whole system from booting. Can you boot the laptop with video when the hard drive is removed?
April 12th, 2008 at 1:30 am
I have problem with satellite a135, when i turn it on, everything goes normal until few momment and hang, i try to disconnect, modem, wifi module, harddisk and dvd drive, and then try to start again. it look booting in few momment and then hang again. what wrong with this laptop?
April 16th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Working on dc jack Compaq V2000, the voltage is on