HELP. I think my laptop is DEAD.

[alogram]

So I was using my laptop today, and it just shut off.

It was plugged in, so it is not the battery.

I tried to hit the power button, the light flashed for a second, and then nothing.

Any ideas?

[AccountingDrone]

well, could be a combo issue - somehow it became unpowered by the wallwart ... i have an hp, and sometimes it can get the power brick unplugged slightly from teh cord that goes to the wall so it stops charging the battery and runs on battery. when the battery is dead it immediately powers off. i found this out because it will get unplugged in the middle of the night, and the battery dies and so it power cycles until i notice it, replug it back in and let it sit for half an hour to get a bit of charge back in the battery...

someone who knows more will be along in a minute=)

[Broomjockey]

Did this just happen? Was the laptop very hot after it shut down? Will it start now? Have you double checked the cord for shorts, plugged in fully at the socket, laptop, and if you've got a cord with a removable plug, check that as well. Were you doing anything new? Did it exhibit any unusual behaviour beforehand? Running sluggish, excessive hard drive noise, etc?

[alogram]

It was not hot, and did nothing unusual. No weird sounds, etc.

It was very odd.

It had been plugged in, and when it went off the light where the plug goes into on the laptop (I am such a wordsmith. )was lit like it normally is. My first thought was that it somehow became unplugged, but that all seemed fine.

It will not start now. When I hit the power button it does nothing.

Thank you all so much!

[Mr. Rude]

Is it an HP recent model? If so, they have acknowledged that there has been a MESS of issues with a recent line.

Check the link. The have extended warranties for some models for an extra year. Free shipping & repair

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...77&lc=en&cc=us

If not, I'd recommend you yank the batt, press & hold the power button for about 10 seconds, then replace the batt & try powering it up.

Best of luck

[alogram]

Mr Rude....

I think I love you.

Yanking the battery did not work, but it does apply to the extended warranty!

I will definitely be looking into that!

Thank you!!!

[alogram]

So, I was not eligible for the extended warranty.

I think I was addicted to that thing....I am going crazy without it!!!

I have a desktop, but haven't used it much since I got the laptop. I have to hook that back up so I have something. I have to try and hook it up wirelessly though because I use my landlord's wifi.

I have heard that some companies will be offering good deals online on Black Friday this year, so hopefully I can get a new one for a reasonable price.

I was going to go have it diagnosed, but I figure I may as well just invest in a new one. It just sucks because it is less than two years old. (I know, that is old for a computer, but still)

Thanks again everyone for your help!!!

OH.

Does anyone know how I would get a DVD out of the drive?

[Broomjockey]

Most drives have a pinhole emergency eject.

[alogram]

Okay, thanks.

I will look again.

I must sound like such a newb.

[Eric the Grey]

Have you verified that your brick is still working?

If your brick has gone out (the block portion of the power cord) it will be cool when plugged in and not supplying power to the laptop, causing it to drain the battery all the way down. If it's working, it'll be warm, but should not be HOT.

This is something a shop should be able to tell you quickly. They will have the tools to test the amount of power coming out of it.


Eric the Grey

[petd8]

Might be the dc jack

Lurker techie type here

I've seen a lot of laptops where the dc power jack on the main board is loose/damaged.

Laptop will work until batterry is dry then die. Usually I look to see if the charge indicator light is on when plugged in - if not I suspect it's the dc jack.

I fex 'em by doing a "DC Jack repair" search on e-bay. There are several guys that fix it. It costs about $100.00.

Paul

[Broomjockey]

when it went off the light where the plug goes into on the laptop (I am such a wordsmith. )was lit like it normally is. My first thought was that it somehow became unplugged, but that all seemed fine.

Sounds like it's not a power brick or DC jack issue. Honestly, the fact that it won't do anything now really suggests that something's loose inside the laptop. Try taking it to a small computer shop (Not best buy, etc.) and see if they'll do a diagnosis cheap/free and let you know the approximate repair costs. Once you have a quote, you can decide if it's worth it to repair or just get a new one.

[alogram]

Thank you so much for all your input!

I had someone look at it, and he seemed to think it was the power cord, so I am waiting to get a new one and try that out.

If not, I may just give up and buy a new one. I haven't been on here much because I have only had internet access at work!

I will update when I try the new power cord!

[alogram]

I got a new power cord.

It didn't work.

[crashhelmet]

When you plug the AC Adapter in, there are 2 lights that should come on. The light to show power is plugged into it and the battery charging light. Do they both come on?

This kinda rehashes everything others have recommended to asked about, but it's only because this is trademark of a DC Converter failure. DC Converter fails, which prevents the system from working off of the AC Adapter and runs off of the battery. Once the battery runs out of juice, it shuts off and you can't get it back on again.

If the lights don't come on, it's either your AC Adapter or the DC Converter.

If they do come on, it's more than likely something else on the motherboard.

CH