Toshiba laptop will NOT start! Fearing the worst..... :-(

[Hemogoblin]

Hey everyone, this is only my second post here in the forum (I believe?) and the last time, you guys were really helpful. But, it seems now that I am in serious trouble. I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop with 2.4GHz, 512 RAM, 40 GB HDD. Bought it about 3-4 years ago new for $+3K so it did cost a bundle, and although it IS outdated by today's standards, it does a great job for what I need it for. I'm a student and as such, anything is good enough

The problem here is that a few months ago, the computer started to just shut off, right in the middle of using it. It would just literally go blank, shut off, no warning. Then, upon restart (if it did restart at all), if you didn't wait a few minutes, it wouldn't come back on. It became such a headache that I bought a cheap, refurbished comp for school and downloading, etc. and hadn't yet tried the laptop, until last night that is. It has a fresh copy of WinXP on it, and nothing else. When I try to turn it on, the fan runs, cycles even as time goes on, but the screen is completely blank, and the computer itself is making no noises. Not even the little icon on the front of the computer to show that it's busy, is lit. Just "dead" and I can't get it to start at all. Tried starting it all day and still nothing. I have to remove the battery too and just use the power adapter because in order to shut it off, I have to unplug the computer entirely. Also, I did try to hook it up to 2 different working monitor's and nothing. Any idea what may be happening? I am fearing the worst though and that this may spell the end for this beast.

That being said, IF it is a hardware issue, would it even be worth fixing? If not, can laptops be sold in this condition, or for parts? Is there anything in particular that I should keep or sell? Any help would be greatly appreciated Thanks

Cheers,
Steve

 

[RitchieTheBrit]

It doesn't sound to good mate. The problem with laptops is that they are so hard to work on. Repairs usually cost a bundle, and parts can be a real pain to source.

If there's no beeps of any kind, it would indicate that the machine isn't even getting as far as the post. One of your major components could be dead (RAM, CPU, Mobo). This could be a result of a power spike overheating or a drop, amongst other things. The fact that the fan spins up means that there is power, and if it's cycling, then your mobos heat sensors seem to be working. I would think it would probably be either the RAM or the CPU.

Try taking it to a technician. Most shops offer a free diagnosis, and get a quote before ANY work is carried out.

As for spares/repairs, the Satellites can have twitchy monitors, so a spare LCD is quite desirable, as is the batteries, and if the RAM is SoDIMM (I can't remember if it's onboard or whether it takes up an expansion slot), then you could well find a buyer. The HDD's are handy for cheap external caddys as well.

Your best bet is check eBay to see what type of price you could get if it is beyond repair.

 

[Hemogoblin]

Sounds bad, doesn't it Thanks for your help. I'm going to be going home for the Christmas holidays and will have it looked at. I suspect though that it'll be too pricey to fix and that I'm SOL. I guess I may as well find out what's wrong with it first (through a tech) and then sell it. Ebay sounds like a great idea too.
Thanks again.

Cheers,
Steve