Reviving a dead laptop

[Jawneh]

So, I had a laptop some years ago that mystically just died one day. It happend one morning after I had installed some updates from Windows the previous night. From what I have gathered since then is that the updates were most likely coincidental and had nothing to do with the laptop dying.

Okay onward!

When I try to boot the laptop, I can hear the lock on the hard drive click and the CPU fan starts spinning. Couple seconds later it dies. The power will stay on and wont shut off unless I unplug the laptop and/or remove the battery. All in all there is some kind of a hardware issue, but I am wondering if I could locate the source of the issue and maybe replace the broken part. I'd have a laptop for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Any ideas anyone?

Aaaaand some specs I mined up:

F&S Amilo Pa 3553.
OS: Windows Vista HE
Processor: AMD 2.1GHz Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80
Graphics: ATi Mobility Radeon HD 3470 Hybrid X2 + Ati Radeon 3200 (Crossfire X)
Mem: 4GB

 

[Silent_Predator]

are you able to get to the boot screen and see something that says "boot menu F12" ? Push it and see if there is a diagnostics program that can be run. My wifes laptop just went down and self diagnostics said faulty hdd... perhaps yours has a similar diagnostics routine.

 

[Jawneh]

It wont get that far. The screen stays black.

 

[Kiririn]

I'll shoot an idea your direction, however, if it isn't the following; the laptop isn't worth fixing.


We'll assume it is your RAM. If you can, open the beast up and remove one of the RAM sticks and see if it boots. If not, I'd honestly say it is dead. (not big surprise ~heavy voice~)

 

[Jawneh]

I'll give that a try. I kind of remember poking the RAM before, but I'll try again. After I find my small screw driver set... No idea where that thing is.

Also I would argue that a couple RAM sticks is still cheaper than a whole new laptop, seeing that I don't even need a laptop. I'm more or less toying with it again to see if I can breathe some life into it.

 

[Kiririn]

I'll give that a try. I kind of remember poking the RAM before, but I'll try again. After I find my small screw driver set... No idea where that thing is.

Also I would argue that a couple RAM sticks is still cheaper than a whole new laptop, seeing that I don't even need a laptop. I'm more or less toying with it again to see if I can breathe some life into it.

Well, that is what I'm saying. If that is the problem, no biggie. However, if it is say....the CPU or graphics card....you can't replace those xP

 

[Cloakedsphere]

Well, that is what I'm saying. If that is the problem, no biggie. However, if it is say....the CPU or graphics card....you can't replace those xP

They dont have a graphics card.

 

[Ric]

I'll shoot an idea your direction, however, if it isn't the following; the laptop isn't worth fixing.


We'll assume it is your RAM. If you can, open the beast up and remove one of the RAM sticks and see if it boots. If not, I'd honestly say it is dead. (not big surprise ~heavy voice~)

Take your hard drive, and battery apart too when you remove the RAM.

Only if you're comfortable, of course.

 

[Simon]

They dont have a graphics card.

completely wrong. In fact, mine has 2 chips for graphics!

RAM is likely. Be careful with the battery though.

 

[Jawneh]

Spidey had offered one tidbit of info that I did. He found a similar even where resetting the CMOS would help. Well, it did make the laptop a bit livelier. I can turn it off from the power button now which I couldn't do before and I actually hear the laptop read something from the hard drive. The monitor though still stays black and it isn't reading enough from the hard drive to say it's trying to fully boot up Windows.

 

[Cloakedsphere]

completely wrong. In fact, mine has 2 chips for graphics!

RAM is likely. Be careful with the battery though.

No. I am not wrong. Graphics chip and Graphics cards are two different things. A laptop does not have a graphics card.

EDIT:

Thats a graphics CHIP.

Thats a graphics card. Obviously a massive difference inbetween the two. A laptop does not have a graphics CARD.

 

[Kiririn]

No. I am not wrong. Graphics chip and Graphics cards are two different things. A laptop does not have a graphics card.

EDIT:

Thats a graphics CHIP.

Thats a graphics card. Obviously a massive difference inbetween the two. A laptop does not have a graphics CARD.

I apologize if I set off your Grammar Nazi side. He knew what I meant. Also, I was fully aware that there is a difference, and I made my point regardless x_x

 

[Snipeye]

Graphics card and graphics chip are used in the same meaning when it comes to laptop. For a quick example, just look at laptops on newegg.com and look at the details. You will see a Geforce gtx 680m labeled as a graphics card, even though it's a chip technically.

So on a strict, literal meaning, yes you are correct. However, it's the norm to refer to it as a graphics card. So in that regard, you're wrong.

As for the original issue, the two likeliest suspects is the RAM or the video card. It sounds like it's trying to boot up, but the process is interrupted at probably one of those two points. The RAM will be the easier of the two to grapple, for the simple fact that it's easier and less expensive to replace.

The reason I'm hedging with the GPU is that the screen doesn't even show the boot process. I don't know the best ways how to test the laptop to figure out which part is working or not (verify the screen is working or not, which part is broken, etc.) Please keep us up to date how your tests goes.

 

[Jawneh]

Ah yes. I did flip around the RAM and none of them made any difference that I could notice. I could try out if I can hook up a second monitor to it to see if it reacts any different.

 

[Cloakedsphere]

I apologize if I set off your Grammar Nazi side. He knew what I meant. Also, I was fully aware that there is a difference, and I made my point regardless x_x

No you didnt. I was just making a joke. ;p sheesh. I must come off a little too serious.