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Laptop Keeps Turning Itself Off!

CelticStar
Posts: 548 Forumite


in Techie Stuff
Can anyone give me any idea why my laptop keeps doing this? I am worried that I am going to have to buy a new one as it is just out of its guarantee. :eek:
It keeps telling me that my battery is low and I need to switch to an alternative power source but it is already plugged in to the mains.
I have tried checking all the cabling and changing sockets but nothing seems to work. I also tried taking the battery out but this just resulted in no response at all. Sometimes it does start working for a litte while but it keeps going into hibernation mode and turning itself off. Can anyone give me any advice on what it is and how serious it is? I would really appreciate any info.
It keeps telling me that my battery is low and I need to switch to an alternative power source but it is already plugged in to the mains.

I have tried checking all the cabling and changing sockets but nothing seems to work. I also tried taking the battery out but this just resulted in no response at all. Sometimes it does start working for a litte while but it keeps going into hibernation mode and turning itself off. Can anyone give me any advice on what it is and how serious it is? I would really appreciate any info.
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Comments
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May be over heating - check the fan in/outlets for dust - do you hear the fans ? Maybe they have stopped.
Did you reguarly discharge the battery ? I know "modern" batteries don't need the cycling but they can still suffer from over heating and charging.
Clean the all connectors on the battery with a pencil then -
use the laptop just on battery power till totally flat then fully charged it - a few times.
Have you made any changes to where or how you use the laptop recently ?
HTHRich people save then spend.
Poor people spend then save what's left.0 -
I will try all the things you have suggested as it does seem quite hot, the fan did kick in a while ago but I don't think I've heard it since.
I haven't made any changes to where or how I use it so I'm guessing it could be something to do with heat.
Thanks again. It's working at the moment but I am backing up all my files and folders remotely just in case.0 -
I second boatmans response. Definately sounds like a 'bad' solder joint, caused by either knocking the jack while plugged in, or from heat generated loosening the solder. The charger board is still ok which is why the battery charges, but the laptop doesn't detect when the laptop is plugged in. Althought its an easy fix, on most laptops you have to take the entire thing apart to get to the jack point... which means a fairly hefty repair charge if taking to a shop (I'd guess £50) JD0
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I'd also agree with the comments about the power socket - I'm currently using my daughters "old" laptop which had that fault.
( you may find if you move the power plug about a bit while watching the "charging" indicator you can get it to work for a little while longer)
I looked at the cost of getting the 2 1\2 year old laptop repaired, and there didn't seem to be any better offer than - "£100 with no guarantee that it will work afterwards."
So I took it to bits myself, and regretted it - the connector for the keyboard didn't unclip the way I was expecting, and it broke: game over, according to the guides I was working to.
This was the point daughter #2 announced there were still files she needed to get off the laptop, despite being told to do that before I started..
So, I thought I'd carry on and resolder the socket just to power it up (and use a USB keyboard) as the battery life is now measured in minutes, well, I don't know if they use low lead solder (with a very high melting point) or if it's just the quantity of metal to heat up, but it was difficult to resolder the socket - I tested the connectivity with a meter, only to find that the inner pin wasn't connected, as the "plated through" hole on the circuit board had been damaged by the arcing when the socket was loose. So I took a pot shot with the soldering iron and got sufficient solder on the inner pin to bridge the gap.
It did work with the USB keyboard, but while I had the magnifier out I had another careful look at the keyboard connector and discovered the locking piece which holds the ribbon cable in fitted on the opposite way around to the way the numbered ends would suggest, and that a piece of masking tape it would hold together in lieu of the broken clips.
It is all back together and working - but I wouldn't trust it for "work".
Regards
Novice-saver
p.s. this laptop has dc power in from a little power supply in the power lead, not AC mains into the laptop.0 -
I've a similar problem, even time i get onto a forum and start to type something interesting it suddenly will0
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Thanks for all the help everyone, on further and much closer inspection I've discovered that the covering on the wire carrying the power has worn and some of the copper wiring is showing through, so the mystery is solved and in the process of being repaired.
Thanks again.
CelticStar0
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