Laptop problem - maybe death! - 6th Aug 2008 8:13pm
Looks like a bad problem with my laptop
Machine = Gericom Smartpower. Pentium 4, 3 gig processor etc with Windows XP
The machine is about 4 years old. Apart from being low on RAM (512) very heavy for a laptop (4 kg with the power supply) it works fine - until recently
First sympton was a "blue screen" saying a serious fault had developed and Windows had been shut down to protect etc etc. Suggestion was to try starting again normally if this had not happened before. It had not happened before so I restarted - and all SEEMED well. Internet was there and all the programs ran ok so I just carried on for 15-20 mins
. . . until it told me it was about to hibernate. That is a symptom of the battery being low so it should not have done that because I THOUGHT I was on mains power. However a quick look at the power pack showed - no green "on" light.
Strange - has the fuse gone? NO, checked with a meter and 240 v into the power pack and the expected 20 v out. However, if I UNPLUGGED the powerpack from the computer the green on the power pack light came back on. Plug it back in the computer and the light went out
Also - the power pack was almost cold. Normally it runs quite hot.
I'm confused.
Anyway, eventually the battery was so low the computer just switched off.
My diagnosis:
Duff power supply despite the measured 20V output? I can get a replacement for that easy enough albeit for £40
Something more "terminal" in the machine? Maybe, BUT it did run fine until the battery gave out.
Any ideas gratefully received
Snod
Machine = Gericom Smartpower. Pentium 4, 3 gig processor etc with Windows XP
The machine is about 4 years old. Apart from being low on RAM (512) very heavy for a laptop (4 kg with the power supply) it works fine - until recently
First sympton was a "blue screen" saying a serious fault had developed and Windows had been shut down to protect etc etc. Suggestion was to try starting again normally if this had not happened before. It had not happened before so I restarted - and all SEEMED well. Internet was there and all the programs ran ok so I just carried on for 15-20 mins
. . . until it told me it was about to hibernate. That is a symptom of the battery being low so it should not have done that because I THOUGHT I was on mains power. However a quick look at the power pack showed - no green "on" light.
Strange - has the fuse gone? NO, checked with a meter and 240 v into the power pack and the expected 20 v out. However, if I UNPLUGGED the powerpack from the computer the green on the power pack light came back on. Plug it back in the computer and the light went out
Also - the power pack was almost cold. Normally it runs quite hot.
I'm confused.
Anyway, eventually the battery was so low the computer just switched off.
My diagnosis:
Duff power supply despite the measured 20V output? I can get a replacement for that easy enough albeit for £40
Something more "terminal" in the machine? Maybe, BUT it did run fine until the battery gave out.
Any ideas gratefully received
Snod