Laptop will not turn on

CK8-04 · 08-14-2007, 12:28 AM

One of my friends has given me a Compaq Presario 2204US to fix. There are two problems, one of which I can fix easily: a corrupt boot loader and a defective power turn-on circuit. There is a "special" way to make the thing turn on that is never successful for me but is for him that I find amusing. The battery needs to be slammed into its compartment multiple times while pressing the power button after each slam until it finally turns on. I have seen the laptop turn on after my friend has performed the procedure, but every time I try it, I am unsuccessful. Does anybody have any idea how to fix the laptop? It's out of warranty, BTW.

CK8-04 · 08-14-2007, 12:35 AM

Forgot to add, the laptop is perfectly fine once it turns on.

3 of 7 · 08-14-2007, 03:28 AM

Well, to start I'd clean the contacts on the battery and the laptop to make sure they are making contact.... Will it boot with the battery out of it?

CK8-04 · 08-14-2007, 04:22 AM

No, I'm definitely sure it's not a problem with the battery because with the AC adapter plugged in, the laptop won't boot with or without the battery.

3 of 7 · 08-14-2007, 08:39 AM

Next thing to check would be the power supply itself, if it all checks out it's on to the power switch.

CK8-04 · 08-14-2007, 01:37 PM

Not the power supply either because the battery can charge successfully.

h20-ski · 08-14-2007, 02:01 PM

Next I would try is to beat on the laptop to try and isolate the problem from the battery. IE see if there is a contact that is being shorted, and not necessarily that battery.

ctal · 08-14-2007, 02:29 PM

Just a wild guess, but how about the cmos battery? I believe that many (but not all) laptops have one. See if the laptop can hold its bios settings and real-time clock when the main battery is removed, and the ac supply is disconnected.
-- Al

CK8-04 · 08-14-2007, 02:55 PM

The problem is the laptop won't even turn on. There is no power supplied to anything when I press the power button.

*SRTDodge05* · 08-14-2007, 02:58 PM

Sounds like either something broke on the motherboard or bad solder points. Could of been dropped or even something split on it.

ctal · 08-14-2007, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CK8-04

The problem is the laptop won't even turn on. There is no power supplied to anything when I press the power button.

Yes, I understand. What I intended to suggest was that when and if you or your friend get it to turn on, by slamming the main battery in and then quickly pressing the power switch, you then assess the cmos battery (assuming there is one) by looking at the rtc and/or bios settings.

The other possible cause that occurs to me (besides what the others have suggested above) is a component failure in the circuit that switches between external power and battery power. Maybe a diode or something has gone bad, and the result is that neither power source is being selected. If so, that would probably call for factory repair, and I suspect what they would do is to replace the mobo, unfortunately.
-- Al

*SRTDodge05* · 08-14-2007, 03:36 PM

Check ebay for parts, cheapest way then calling support.

**pointreyes** · 08-14-2007, 04:08 PM

Slamming it sounds like a good idea.

3 of 7 · 08-14-2007, 04:12 PM

What happens if you hold the power button down for 5 seconds?
On one of mine, if you turn it off with the power button, it only goes to sleep (which it never ever did wake up from properly. When it's alseep it just acts completely dead untill I hold the power button in for longer than 4 seconds, then it shuts down properly and will boot just fine after that.

3 of 7 · 08-14-2007, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pointreyes

Slamming it sounds like a good idea.

I saw that and thought "It's a good thing the world is populated with idiots.... It's a good thing that the people that run things are smarter than this guy..... Oh... Hold it..

Never Mind

08-14-2007, 12:28 AM	#1
CK8-04 nVidia nForce 4 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Malden, MA Posts: 951	Laptop will not turn on One of my friends has given me a Compaq Presario 2204US to fix. There are two problems, one of which I can fix easily: a corrupt boot loader and a defective power turn-on circuit. There is a "special" way to make the thing turn on that is never successful for me but is for him that I find amusing. The battery needs to be slammed into its compartment multiple times while pressing the power button after each slam until it finally turns on. I have seen the laptop turn on after my friend has performed the procedure, but every time I try it, I am unsuccessful. Does anybody have any idea how to fix the laptop? It's out of warranty, BTW. __________________ "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" - Steve Prefontaine Antec Solo Corsair 520HX Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 w/ TR SI-128 SE Intel D975XBX2 4GB Corsair DHX DDR2-800 eVGA e-Geforce 8800GT w/ TR T-Rad2 WD Raptor 74GB 16MB NEC Multisync LCD2090UXi Logitech Z-5300 MS Comfort Curve KB 2000 Logitech G3
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08-14-2007, 12:35 AM	#2
CK8-04 nVidia nForce 4 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Malden, MA Posts: 951	Forgot to add, the laptop is perfectly fine once it turns on. __________________ "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" - Steve Prefontaine Antec Solo Corsair 520HX Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 w/ TR SI-128 SE Intel D975XBX2 4GB Corsair DHX DDR2-800 eVGA e-Geforce 8800GT w/ TR T-Rad2 WD Raptor 74GB 16MB NEC Multisync LCD2090UXi Logitech Z-5300 MS Comfort Curve KB 2000 Logitech G3
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08-14-2007, 03:28 AM	#3
3 of 7 You can run..... Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,660	Well, to start I'd clean the contacts on the battery and the laptop to make sure they are making contact.... Will it boot with the battery out of it?
(Offline)

08-14-2007, 04:22 AM	#4
CK8-04 nVidia nForce 4 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Malden, MA Posts: 951	No, I'm definitely sure it's not a problem with the battery because with the AC adapter plugged in, the laptop won't boot with or without the battery. __________________ "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" - Steve Prefontaine Antec Solo Corsair 520HX Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 w/ TR SI-128 SE Intel D975XBX2 4GB Corsair DHX DDR2-800 eVGA e-Geforce 8800GT w/ TR T-Rad2 WD Raptor 74GB 16MB NEC Multisync LCD2090UXi Logitech Z-5300 MS Comfort Curve KB 2000 Logitech G3
(Offline)

08-14-2007, 08:39 AM	#5
3 of 7 You can run..... Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,660	Next thing to check would be the power supply itself, if it all checks out it's on to the power switch.
(Offline)

08-14-2007, 01:37 PM	#6
CK8-04 nVidia nForce 4 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Malden, MA Posts: 951	Not the power supply either because the battery can charge successfully. __________________ "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" - Steve Prefontaine Antec Solo Corsair 520HX Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 w/ TR SI-128 SE Intel D975XBX2 4GB Corsair DHX DDR2-800 eVGA e-Geforce 8800GT w/ TR T-Rad2 WD Raptor 74GB 16MB NEC Multisync LCD2090UXi Logitech Z-5300 MS Comfort Curve KB 2000 Logitech G3
(Offline)

08-14-2007, 02:01 PM	#7
h20-ski Forget Wakeboarding Join Date: May 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 2,460	Next I would try is to beat on the laptop to try and isolate the problem from the battery. IE see if there is a contact that is being shorted, and not necessarily that battery. __________________
(Offline)

08-14-2007, 02:29 PM	#8
ctal Eschews Obfuscation Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut, USA Posts: 1,315	Just a wild guess, but how about the cmos battery? I believe that many (but not all) laptops have one. See if the laptop can hold its bios settings and real-time clock when the main battery is removed, and the ac supply is disconnected. -- Al
(Online)

08-14-2007, 02:55 PM	#9
CK8-04 nVidia nForce 4 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Malden, MA Posts: 951	The problem is the laptop won't even turn on. There is no power supplied to anything when I press the power button. __________________ "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" - Steve Prefontaine Antec Solo Corsair 520HX Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 w/ TR SI-128 SE Intel D975XBX2 4GB Corsair DHX DDR2-800 eVGA e-Geforce 8800GT w/ TR T-Rad2 WD Raptor 74GB 16MB NEC Multisync LCD2090UXi Logitech Z-5300 MS Comfort Curve KB 2000 Logitech G3
(Offline)

08-14-2007, 02:58 PM	#10
SRTDodge05 Grab Life By The Balls Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,830	Sounds like either something broke on the motherboard or bad solder points. Could of been dropped or even something split on it.
(Offline)

08-14-2007, 03:36 PM	#12
SRTDodge05 Grab Life By The Balls Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,830	Check ebay for parts, cheapest way then calling support.
(Offline)

08-14-2007, 04:08 PM	#13
pointreyes The race for quality has no finish line- so technically, it's more like a death march. Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 18,159	Slamming it sounds like a good idea. __________________
(Offline)

08-14-2007, 04:12 PM	#14
3 of 7 You can run..... Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,660	What happens if you hold the power button down for 5 seconds? On one of mine, if you turn it off with the power button, it only goes to sleep (which it never ever did wake up from properly. When it's alseep it just acts completely dead untill I hold the power button in for longer than 4 seconds, then it shuts down properly and will boot just fine after that.
(Offline)

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