Dustpuppy Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 My laptop (Dell Inspiron 5000e) seems to have died, but I can't afford to bury it prematurely. I've got a few months of my PhD left and that was the machine I was writing it on... so if I could get it back just for a while I would be very happy! I also have no money for a new one until I get I job (which won't be until I write up... you get the picture). I was using Kile and xpdf when the whole machine locked up completely - nothing was changing on the screen (including the clock and the eth0 icon when I pulled the lan cable out), no response to any keypresses, and I couldn't restart by pressing the button. The only way to turn it off was to unplug the power cable and take the battery out. Then the fun started - it wouldn't boot. When I press the on button the power light comes on, and the first whirring noise (that always comes first at boot) happens, and then nothing. The power light stays on, but there's no noises and nothing on the screen. The only thing I can do is take the battery out to turn it off. I've tried rebooting several times, and always got the same thing. I tried booting from floppy and CD, but neither drives came on at all - it's like the BIOS doesn't even get to the stage of checking for boot media. No lights other than the power supply light come on, not a peek out of the harddrive light. Please please please please help me, I don't know where to go from here, or what could be causing the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devries Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Try a livecd. Hit esc, f8, del to get in the bios. Change the boot media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuppy Posted May 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 I can't get into the bios - nothing happens when I try. A live CD doesn't do anything either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmc77 Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 (edited) Had a similar exp. while using XP on one of my machines. I ended up having to reflash the bios. Edited May 2, 2005 by kmc77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuppy Posted May 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 How do I do that if I can't get into the bios?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bb002 Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 I to had a similar experience. I'd turn my laptop on and after 2 seconds it would turn right back off with nothing coming on the screen. I eventually took it apart just enough to unplug the cmos battery on the inside for a couple of hours. After that couple of hours, i remembered i had unplug the cmos battery plugged it back in an bingo. booted up just fine and has worked ever since. My laptop is a Dell Latitude CP M233ST, so no garentees. But good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ac_dispatcher Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Some Laptops have a "reset" button to press on the bottom. Usually needs a pen to do it. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durvish Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 I was just given a Compaq EVO n1020v from the IT guys at. They said it was dead and the mother board had to be replaced. Took it home and took it apart to make sure all the connections were nice and tight. I had your same exact symptoms. Turns out the ddr memory was bad. When I put in a brand new stick it started right up. Matter of fact I'm posting this from the same laptop while sitting on my front porch drinking a cold beer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuppy Posted May 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Unplugged the cmos battery for the whole of ER and it's still not working. Did the reset button, ditto. Just off to see how much laptop ram costs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durvish Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Not to give you false hope but in all the years of building my own computers and running a very tiny side buisness of fixing computers it has never been a major blow out, it's always something very small and overseen. I always try to go by the K.I.S.S. thought process --- Keep It Simple Stupid!!!!! But if it is something big remember I was never here !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmc77 Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 If the memory doesn't work, there's always the reflash. I just called the motherboard manufacturer (soyo), mailed it to them and they charged me $15 to do it. I guess in your case, you'd just have to get a hold of the notebook manufacturer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuppy Posted May 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 Here's hoping it's the ram... I'm going to take it in to college and see if the computing people can do anything with it. I've just been through my external backups and made the un-pleasing discovery that my USB key is dead, and so the last full backup I have is dated 30 March :o . So here's another qu - assuming it's not a harddrive problem, can I mount the laptop harddrive in my desktop in any way? Basically, if I have a functioning laptop harddrive, how do I get the data off it without a functioning laptop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durvish Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 with an external usb harddrive enclosure, i think they run around $30 US Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmc77 Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 I just had a laptop go down. No real explination, board just died, anyway, I did just like durvish suggested. Ext case ran me about $23 at Fry's. Plugged it into the new lappy and just pulled everything off. By the way, I would suggest, if the old laptop is dead, part it out (the parts you know are working) and sell the parts on ebay. I made about $600 off of my dead laptop. Only had to come up with $400 for the new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sellis Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 (edited) assuming it's not a harddrive problem, can I mount the laptop harddrive in my desktop in any way? Some time ago, I had a similar requirement, and I managed to find a little adapter (on eBay) that converts a mini-IDE connector to a full-size IDE connector, and that would allow you to put a 2.5" HDD in your desktop machine. Total cost, about $8. With one of those, and a modicum of luck, you should be able to get the files off the disk at least. Edit: Here's a url to one possible source, and to show you a picture: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/cablesonline/25hdmounkitw.html Edited May 3, 2005 by sellis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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