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Laptop clicks then switches off

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  • 18-02-2013 4:39pm
    #1
    shnaek
    Registered Users Posts: 1,172 ✭✭✭


    I have a dell inspiron 1521 laptop, about 5 years old. Earlier when I was using it the screen went blank -it stayed lit, with nothing on it. I shut it off after a few minutes, and it has failed to boot since. It starts for about a second, fans come on, then there's a 'click' and it shuts down.
    I have tried a few things, but I am thinking this is a hard drive failure. What do you guys think?


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    #2
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    shnaek wrote: »
    I am thinking this is a hard drive failure. What do you guys think?

    Can you get into the BIOS (F2)? If not, pull the HDD (it's only 2 screws) and try again. If it works, you'll have nailed the perp. ;)


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    #3
    shnaek
    Registered Users Posts: 1,172 ✭✭✭shnaek


    Torqay wrote: »
    Can you get into the BIOS (F2)? If not, pull the HDD (it's only 2 screws) and try again. If it works, you'll have nailed the perp. ;)

    Hey Torqay - I can't get into the bios with F2. I tried pulling the hard drive and switching it on - no response. You reckon the bios is corrupted?


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    #4
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 83,324 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Depending on the kind of click you hear it could be a bad electrical failure.


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    #5
    shnaek
    Registered Users Posts: 1,172 ✭✭✭shnaek


    Overheal wrote: »
    Depending on the kind of click you hear it could be a bad electrical failure.

    Crap. Well, it was a click I've heard many times in the past from that machine. And when I remove the hard drive there is no click at all.
    I did try reset the BIOS by removing the battery for a minute, but that didn't work. Searches online suggest that a new CMOS coin battery might solve the problem. I guess that's the cheapest thing to try for now unless anyone has any other suggestions.


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    #6
    yoyo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,016 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    When you remove the hard disk does anything appear on screen? Or does it just shut down immediately? Could be a dodgy power supply, if you could borrow another Dell one try it!

    Nick

    My Beer Glass collection site 🍺

    My Irish Callcards site



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    #7
    shnaek
    Registered Users Posts: 1,172 ✭✭✭shnaek


    yoyo wrote: »
    When you remove the hard disk does anything appear on screen? Or does it just shut down immediately? Could be a dodgy power supply, if you could borrow another Dell one try it!

    Nick

    Nothing appears on the screen - it shuts down immediately. I'll give that a go - though the battery is fully charged.


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    #8
    whizbang
    Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭whizbang


    Try it both; without battery - charger only, then with battery only, see if any difference.

    If no difference, start dismantling bit by bit. DVD, Memory, etc


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    #9
    shnaek
    Registered Users Posts: 1,172 ✭✭✭shnaek


    whizbang wrote: »
    Try it both; without battery - charger only, then with battery only, see if any difference.

    If no difference, start dismantling bit by bit. DVD, Memory, etc

    Cheers, whizbang. I'll give that a go.

    One more thing - if the CMOS battery failed while you were using the computer, what would be likely to happen?


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    #10
    Dale Parish
    Registered Users Posts: 894 ✭✭✭Dale Parish


    The internal power supply has probably detected a short somewhere on one of the PCBs on powerup; it's possibly a blown/damaged cap/IC of some sort.


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    #11
    wheresmybeaver
    Registered Users Posts: 1,120 ✭✭✭wheresmybeaver


    Try removing the memory, then booting again. If the laptop gets further than normal, you may have a faulty memory module. Or even better, it may just have come loose. This happened recently on one of my old laptops where it wouldn't even get to the bios screen. Once i removed and replaced the memory module i was back in business! Best of luck.


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    #12
    whizbang
    Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭whizbang


    cmos battery won't cause anything like your issue.
    Dell systems will reset to defaults, which they come from the factory working with, so all you will see is F1/F2 prompt or something like that.
    Newer laptops dont have a cmos battery anymore.


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    #13
    RodgersLFC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 283 ✭✭RodgersLFC


    shnaek wrote: »
    Cheers, whizbang. I'll give that a go.

    One more thing - if the CMOS battery failed while you were using the computer, what would be likely to happen?

    As far as I'm aware, the CMOS battery's role is to store the BIOS settings while the computer is powered off. A symptom of a faulty CMOS battery is, for example, if every time you switch on the computer, the time and date settings are all wrong. The battery failing wouldnt really affect the machine when powered on, only when you power it off.


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    #14
    shnaek
    Registered Users Posts: 1,172 ✭✭✭shnaek


    Thanks for all the help guys. I tried a new power supply yesterday with no results. So I guess I'll just have to take it apart and see what I find.


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    #15
    shnaek
    Registered Users Posts: 1,172 ✭✭✭shnaek


    whizbang wrote: »
    Try it both; without battery - charger only, then with battery only, see if any difference.

    If no difference, start dismantling bit by bit. DVD, Memory, etc

    Dismantled it today. I took out each memory stick and tried it each time, removed every part with no luck. Must be the motherboard. :(


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