[RESOLVED] Laptop Won't Start, No Power

[dudesweetrad]

Hey everyone,

I am currently using a Toshiba Satellite A215-S4757

I was surfing the internet on my laptop the other day and it up and turned off with no warning. Wasn't running slow, didn't show me any warning of a low battery or anything. I felt it and it did not seem to be overheated. Now it shows no signs of power - NO lights turn on when plugged in, and it will not start.

I generally leave the laptop plugged in (bad I know). What do you think would be the problem, and how can I fix it?

I've done a little bit of research online and tried a few solutions to no avail. Could it be the motherboard, or the connectors? I am going to try to disassemble it today and put it all back together again (namely take out the RAM and the battery - that seems to be a popular solution).

Please help! This is my work computer and I have clients waiting on me

[jdc2000]

Does it start up with AC adapter connected and the battery removed? Is the connection to the AC adapter power cord loose?

[dudesweetrad]

Nope, it's not starting up with the adapter connected and power removed. The connection is not loose from what I can tell. Still no power light on either!

[jdc2000]

Did you mean AC adapter connected and battery removed? Some laptops won't start without a GOOD battery installed, even if the AC adapter power is connected. Toshiba might be able to tell you if yours is one.

[dudesweetrad]

Hey JDC,

I've tried both with the battery installed and the battery removed. No luck in either event! The battery I'm using is the same one that came with it - purchased it new from Best Buy about 2 years ago, so I'm assuming that it's just the stock Toshiba battery.

[jdc2000]

Like I said, if your battery is bad AND your laptop is one of those that simply won't work without a GOOD battery installed, then you would need a new battery to fix it. Of course, the problem could be elsewhere, but you may not be able to tell until you try a known good battery. The drawback is that if you purchase a new battery it still might not fix the problem if the problem isn't the battery.

[dudesweetrad]

What would you say would be the best way to troubleshoot/pinpoint the problem? I could take it into Best Buy or something but I'm afraid they would charge me just to tell me what the problem is. Thanks in advance!

[jdc2000]

You could try using a voltmeter on the battery and the AC adapter (output). If you could find a known good battery to try without having to buy it that migh also be an option.

[dudesweetrad]

You could try using a voltmeter on the battery and the AC adapter (output). If you could find a known good battery to try without having to buy it that migh also be an option.

Wish I had access to either of those! My friend told me that he once had trouble with a Toshiba and it turned out to be that the power source had gone bad, and it cost about $80 to fix. So, I'm going to be optimistic and take the lappy to Best Buy (Geek Squad) and see what they say. Hopefully it's not the mobo! Will post back with results.

Thanks again for your help JDC!

[dudesweetrad]

Just as an update to readers, it turned out my motherboard went bad. Would have been a $400 fix or so, but fortunately I had a warranty.

[Train]

Thanks for the update. Happy you had a warranty.