anupamk

Hey
I have a compaq presario laptop R3000 series (R3070US to be specific). Lately the machine has been kind of loud so I figure it is overheating or something. So now, when I turn it on (with it plugged in), it shuts off after it loads the windows xp screen automatically. when i remove the ac adapter (running only on battery), it will not turn on at all. however, i used it last night on the power and it said the battery was charged all the way right when I was about to shut it off. also, when i take the power out of the laptop and put it back in, the battery charge light comes on for about 3-5 seconds and goes away. does anyone know what is going on here? i appreciate all responses thanks!

sting

get one laptop cooler, I'm using it now, work greatly.Slim and smart design of the cooling pad system with large, extra quiet 3 fans built-in which absolutely helps to dissipate the heat-air away from underneath the notebook computer

saralvr247

It sounds like its turning off too quickly to be a heat issue. I'm guessing the battery may be messed up.

TheMatt

See if you can boot into Windows. Then, download Mobile Meter and post your CPU and hard disk temps.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley-Oakland/8259/

laboye

Thats a great utility! To me, these sound like you have a battery with a fried "smart" controller. Try a new battery.

anupamk

yes but if i have a faulty battery, shouldn't the laptop be able to boot normally under AC power? i cant get into windows.. it shows the windows xp screen with the loading bar for a minute or so then shuts off... the laptop is pretty poorly designed.. i can't even fit the straw into the vent because the spokes are so close together. also i cant open it because the screws r machine shut, otherwise they would dull out.. is there any way i could open the laptop up..

laboye

Well, use a good, non-chinese screwdriver and apply as much downward force as possible, and turn. The machine screwed screwed often take one 'pop' then unscrew easily from there. Does the machine now exhibit the SAME problems regardless of AC/Battery power? If so, it could be the motherboard, or simply the Windows installation.

anupamk

it simply wont turn on when i disconnect the ac (aka running on battery), on ac it will shut off after it shows the windows xp screen... i ordered a cooling pad and i will try that otherwise i will have to find a way to open the damn thing... i've tried putting downward force, there are a couple screws that are deep in and wont open... in the past ive had problems of the system shutting down but it would work fine when i turn it back on...but it has gotten pretty hot.. im almost certain it is an overheating issue

laboye

Goodness, this is just crazy. This really sounds like a serious motherboard problem. It could even be the power controller.

OldGrayGary

Hi anupamk

Is your Compaq notebook OK now?

If not, and it is still under warranty, you'll probably want to get it in for repair right away, because any damage to the motherboard or other internal components can be expensive - but are usually covered by the warranty (with the exceptions of liquid spills & dropping the laptop).

Re: the noise
You mentioned the laptop was getting noisier. This may have been due to a fan that was failing. If it was the cpu fan - that's fairly serious, and could well explain why the system shutdown so quickly. If just a rear exhaust fan, that's not as bad, but needs fixing.

If the hard drive in your Compaq was the older metal ball-bearing type - it could be the bearings grinding [this sound is often referred to as a "whining"] .

Re: battery
Not booting from the battery would most likely be 1) faulty battery 2) faulty connectors 3) faulty motherboard.

Re: ac power
Starting to boot, and then shutting off - sounds just like your top suspect - overheating.

Working inside a laptop is tricky business & requires that you pay attention to getting things apart & then back together again in the right order. If you do decide to take a look inside yourself (ie, if the laptop is out-of-warranty), here's a link to the Service Guide for your model http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00212209.pdf

It has all the diagrams & procedures you'll need. The hard part will be finding suitable replacement parts, should they be necessary. Generally, if the motherboard needs replacing, the most common response is to buy a new laptop (especially for value-market models), because there's no guarantee that replacing the motherboard will fix all the laptop's problems (should overheating have damaged the lcd screen - that's another expensive part). And motherboards are easy to damage when first learning how to repair them (you have to be careful about static shock to the components, etc.).
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If you are lucky enough that the hardware is OK (if the cause of some overheating has been fixed, for example) - but the system still hangs while loading Windows - try booting into Safe Mode (start tapping the F8 key while the computer is powering on).

Best of luck
. . . Gary

laboye

I'd like to know what happened to this machine...