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Laptop won't start at all - please help!

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Hi everyone,

I've come home to find my elder daughter's laptop seems to have "died" as she puts it. There is no glimmer of power, when we put the mains lead in or the battery. I have tried the lead from my laptop as they are both Acer and it fits, but again, no power gets through. I have tried advice from a website about taking out the battery and the mains lead and pressing the power button down for 30 seconds before putting the lead back in and trying to turn it on, but again, no luck.

Does anyone have any experience of this that they would be able to share to help us? It is an Acer Aspire 5920, running Windows Vista Home Premium and is nearly 2 years old.

Thanks.
December GC: £350
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Comments

  • The_Grandmaster
    The_Grandmaster Posts: 1,424 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Not sure what the problem is but when you connect the other adaptor do make sure they are the same voltage etc. or you'll damage the adaptor (I think).
  • tessasmum
    tessasmum Posts: 238 Forumite
    Thanks - they are the same.
    December GC: £350
  • Basil1234
    Basil1234 Posts: 1,146 Forumite
    is it possiable the power socket could be loose or damaged thats usually a favorite? have you tried provided both batterys are the same voltage and size, try swapping your charged up battery and sticking in the non working one that would answer a few questions.
  • Hammyman
    Hammyman Posts: 9,913 Forumite
    Probably a dodgy solder connection, commonly known as a dry joint, on the charge socket in the laptop. It usually requires the laptop taking to bits to get access to the underside of the circuit board where the charge socket is in order to resolder it. I charge £30 to repair them including supplying a replacement if needed as a new socket is £2 tops and it never takes more than an hour. The board rules don't allow me to give you contact info but you can use my price as a guideline.
  • tessasmum
    tessasmum Posts: 238 Forumite
    Thank you - will have to find someone locally to have a look at it, in that case. Thanks for the advice.
    December GC: £350
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Hammyman, the world should beat a path to your door, as most laptop repair shops woud charge around £30 just for the diagnosis, and another £70 for the repair (say £100 all in). As you say, it's the time rather than the parts involved.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Hammyman
    Hammyman Posts: 9,913 Forumite
    macman wrote: »
    Hammyman, the world should beat a path to your door, as most laptop repair shops woud charge around £30 just for the diagnosis, and another £70 for the repair (say £100 all in). As you say, it's the time rather than the parts involved.

    LOL. I just can't bring myself to charge that for what is basically putting the soldering iron on a few contacts and adding a dab of solder.
  • tessasmum
    tessasmum Posts: 238 Forumite
    Advice please, folks! I took the laptop to the local pc shop in town and the chap had a look at it after we explained what had happened and what we have tried. He tried a new charger and lead, and that didn't help, so then he took the back off and took some bits out of the back (RAM? not very technical, I know - sorry!) and then plugged it back into the socket at the wall. Nothing happened, so he said that the motherboard was broken because it didn't beep because it couldn't find the missing RAM so it was not worth replacing, so I'd need to buy a new laptop. I'm not technical - but wouldn't the motherboard need power from somewhere to be able to beep??

    I am looking for someone here to tell me that that is a viable way to check what's going on and that I haven't just been brushed off?! Given that the new laptop he was recommending was £450, I'm sure he wouldn't lose out on the sale, but if this one could be repaired, my bank balance and I would be much happier!! I will have to go elsewhere for a second opinion, and I did say to him that I was hoping that it was something as simple as a dry joint as suggested here earlier, but he brushed that idea aside very quickly!
    December GC: £350
  • fiddiwebb
    fiddiwebb Posts: 1,806 Forumite
    so he said that the motherboard was broken because it didn't beep because it couldn't find the missing RAM so it was not worth replacing, so I'd need to buy a new laptop

    Gosh, just sounds like PC World.it wasn't was it :eek:
  • tessasmum
    tessasmum Posts: 238 Forumite
    No - it was a little independent where I hoped to get honest service and to be fair, he had been recommended by a neighbour.
    December GC: £350
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