Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Hoping someone can help.Suddenly this wont power on.When the switch is
pressed the lights come on fan spins etc but no video output,then it
switches off and on constantly by itself..
TIA
Mick

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Mick,
Happened to me once. These are the steps I went through. Unplugged the
power cord and pulled out the battery, then pressed the power button. This
is supposed to discharge the system. Plug in power cord and try again. In my
case, same results. Next removed the floppie / DVD player and tried again,
same results. Next removed the hard drive and tried again, same results.
Next removed the RAM and tried again, BINGO! it booted up or at least went
further. Replaced each item one at a time and made sure it booted up. Lastly
I replaced the RAM memory and it .........booted up just fine. I would have
bet that the RAM had to be the culprit. So this story has a happy ending and
the laptop is still computing. :-) Hope your also works out well. Now you
didn't say if this is a laptop or a desktop, but if it's a laptop you may
want to check to make sure your power supply is putting out juice, it could
be possible that your battery could be almost dead.
Paul

"Mick" <mick@gotout.plus.com> wrote in message
news:41aaffda$0$23398$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
> Hoping someone can help.Suddenly this wont power on.When the switch is
> pressed the lights come on fan spins etc but no video output,then it
> switches off and on constantly by itself..
> TIA
> Mick
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Good troubleshooting steps, Paul, but you should be aware that an Inspiron
is indeed a laptop. Also, due to its age, the battery should he the first
item checked.
If there is a flashing green / orange power indicator, your battery needs
removed / replaced.

"Paul Schilter" <paulschilter@comcast dot net> wrote in message
news:RtCdnSW1HYZbCDbcRVn-tQ@giganews.com...
> Mick,
> Happened to me once. These are the steps I went through. Unplugged the
> power cord and pulled out the battery, then pressed the power button. This
> is supposed to discharge the system. Plug in power cord and try again. In
> my case, same results. Next removed the floppie / DVD player and tried
> again, same results. Next removed the hard drive and tried again, same
> results. Next removed the RAM and tried again, BINGO! it booted up or at
> least went further. Replaced each item one at a time and made sure it
> booted up. Lastly I replaced the RAM memory and it .........booted up just
> fine. I would have bet that the RAM had to be the culprit. So this story
> has a happy ending and the laptop is still computing. :-) Hope your also
> works out well. Now you didn't say if this is a laptop or a desktop, but
> if it's a laptop you may want to check to make sure your power supply is
> putting out juice, it could be possible that your battery could be almost
> dead.
> Paul
>
> "Mick" <mick@gotout.plus.com> wrote in message
> news:41aaffda$0$23398$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
>> Hoping someone can help.Suddenly this wont power on.When the switch is
>> pressed the lights come on fan spins etc but no video output,then it
>> switches off and on constantly by itself..
>> TIA
>> Mick
>>
>>
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Thanks for the help but its not the battery(tried without one),or the
psu(tried another one)not the memory(swapped it)pulled the
dvd/floppy,reseated the vid card,pulled the hdd,reckon it must be the cpu
"personalpages.tds.net/~rcsilk" <dick_silk@antispam.gov> wrote in message
news:41ab9acf_1@newspeer2.tds.net...
> Good troubleshooting steps, Paul, but you should be aware that an Inspiron
> is indeed a laptop. Also, due to its age, the battery should he the first
> item checked.
> If there is a flashing green / orange power indicator, your battery needs
> removed / replaced.
>
> "Paul Schilter" <paulschilter@comcast dot net> wrote in message
> news:RtCdnSW1HYZbCDbcRVn-tQ@giganews.com...
> > Mick,
> > Happened to me once. These are the steps I went through. Unplugged
the
> > power cord and pulled out the battery, then pressed the power button.
This
> > is supposed to discharge the system. Plug in power cord and try again.
In
> > my case, same results. Next removed the floppie / DVD player and tried
> > again, same results. Next removed the hard drive and tried again, same
> > results. Next removed the RAM and tried again, BINGO! it booted up or at
> > least went further. Replaced each item one at a time and made sure it
> > booted up. Lastly I replaced the RAM memory and it .........booted up
just
> > fine. I would have bet that the RAM had to be the culprit. So this story
> > has a happy ending and the laptop is still computing. :-) Hope your also
> > works out well. Now you didn't say if this is a laptop or a desktop, but
> > if it's a laptop you may want to check to make sure your power supply is
> > putting out juice, it could be possible that your battery could be
almost
> > dead.
> > Paul
> >
> > "Mick" <mick@gotout.plus.com> wrote in message
> > news:41aaffda$0$23398$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
> >> Hoping someone can help.Suddenly this wont power on.When the switch is
> >> pressed the lights come on fan spins etc but no video output,then it
> >> switches off and on constantly by itself..
> >> TIA
> >> Mick
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Oh yes, forgot one thing:

Underneath (like as in TAPED underneath) the palm rest section of a laptop
keyboard (not the keyboard itself, but the surrounding lower area) is where
the CMOS batteries are kept on some units. WHY they didn't use button cell
technology, I'll never know. Instead, some units use multiple-cell
rechargeable batteries that look like small round, sliced sections of a hot
dog. When these batteries stop recharging, your motherboard's CMOS / BIOS
settings go kaput, and -- well -- you *appear* to have one *sick* laptop.
All KINDS of errors can result from this condition, and if your keyboard is
3 years old or more, it's time to give them a check with the ol' volt meter.

Dick Silk -- The Computer Tutor
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcsilk
for rates and online chat

- Are dog biscuits made from collie flour?

"Mick" <mick@gotout.plus.com> wrote in message
news:41abb4d0$0$18462$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
> Thanks for the help but its not the battery(tried without one),or the
> psu(tried another one)not the memory(swapped it)pulled the
> dvd/floppy,reseated the vid card,pulled the hdd,reckon it must be the cpu
> "personalpages.tds.net/~rcsilk" <dick_silk@antispam.gov> wrote in message
> news:41ab9acf_1@newspeer2.tds.net...
>> Good troubleshooting steps, Paul, but you should be aware that an
>> Inspiron
>> is indeed a laptop. Also, due to its age, the battery should he the
>> first
>> item checked.
>> If there is a flashing green / orange power indicator, your battery needs
>> removed / replaced.
>>
>> "Paul Schilter" <paulschilter@comcast dot net> wrote in message
>> news:RtCdnSW1HYZbCDbcRVn-tQ@giganews.com...
>> > Mick,
>> > Happened to me once. These are the steps I went through. Unplugged
> the
>> > power cord and pulled out the battery, then pressed the power button.
> This
>> > is supposed to discharge the system. Plug in power cord and try again.
> In
>> > my case, same results. Next removed the floppie / DVD player and tried
>> > again, same results. Next removed the hard drive and tried again, same
>> > results. Next removed the RAM and tried again, BINGO! it booted up or
>> > at
>> > least went further. Replaced each item one at a time and made sure it
>> > booted up. Lastly I replaced the RAM memory and it .........booted up
> just
>> > fine. I would have bet that the RAM had to be the culprit. So this
>> > story
>> > has a happy ending and the laptop is still computing. :-) Hope your
>> > also
>> > works out well. Now you didn't say if this is a laptop or a desktop,
>> > but
>> > if it's a laptop you may want to check to make sure your power supply
>> > is
>> > putting out juice, it could be possible that your battery could be
> almost
>> > dead.
>> > Paul
>> >
>> > "Mick" <mick@gotout.plus.com> wrote in message
>> > news:41aaffda$0$23398$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
>> >> Hoping someone can help.Suddenly this wont power on.When the switch is
>> >> pressed the lights come on fan spins etc but no video output,then it
>> >> switches off and on constantly by itself..
>> >> TIA
>> >> Mick
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Dick,
Stupid me, next time I'll read the subject line a little better. The
computer I had the problem with was an Inspiron. Duh! Thanks for the
correction. :-)
Paul


"personalpages.tds.net/~rcsilk" <dick_silk@antispam.gov> wrote in message
news:41ab9acf_1@newspeer2.tds.net...
> Good troubleshooting steps, Paul, but you should be aware that an Inspiron
> is indeed a laptop. Also, due to its age, the battery should he the first
> item checked.
> If there is a flashing green / orange power indicator, your battery needs
> removed / replaced.
>
> "Paul Schilter" <paulschilter@comcast dot net> wrote in message
> news:RtCdnSW1HYZbCDbcRVn-tQ@giganews.com...
>> Mick,
>> Happened to me once. These are the steps I went through. Unplugged the
>> power cord and pulled out the battery, then pressed the power button.
>> This is supposed to discharge the system. Plug in power cord and try
>> again. In my case, same results. Next removed the floppie / DVD player
>> and tried again, same results. Next removed the hard drive and tried
>> again, same results. Next removed the RAM and tried again, BINGO! it
>> booted up or at least went further. Replaced each item one at a time and
>> made sure it booted up. Lastly I replaced the RAM memory and it
>> .........booted up just fine. I would have bet that the RAM had to be the
>> culprit. So this story has a happy ending and the laptop is still
>> computing. :-) Hope your also works out well. Now you didn't say if this
>> is a laptop or a desktop, but if it's a laptop you may want to check to
>> make sure your power supply is putting out juice, it could be possible
>> that your battery could be almost dead.
>> Paul
>>
>> "Mick" <mick@gotout.plus.com> wrote in message
>> news:41aaffda$0$23398$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
>>> Hoping someone can help.Suddenly this wont power on.When the switch is
>>> pressed the lights come on fan spins etc but no video output,then it
>>> switches off and on constantly by itself..
>>> TIA
>>> Mick
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>