I think my laptop is fried.. please give me some good news?

PaulB007 · 12-17-2007, 10:43 PM

Hey all, I have a Gateway MX6440 Notebook. I was running it tonight, uploading a video onto my Zune, left the room for 20 minutes came back to a black screen with the fan still running. I think "what the hell" and restart it. It doesnt do much of anything, the screen stays black, it doesnt even light up. The computer turns on but just the fan, the hard drive doesnt boot, nothing boots. I have a bad feeling something over heated and that since this is a laptop the whole machine is wrecked.. any input guys?

Helpdesk65 · 12-18-2007, 08:45 AM

Hook it up to a second monitor and verify it's not just the vid card. Boot to safe mode if possible and use VGA mode setting to verify.

PaulB007 · 12-18-2007, 10:59 AM

Hmm I've tried this but I just see "No signal" on the external monitor.

B.B.Wolf · 12-20-2007, 09:13 PM

Check your memory chips to be sure they are seated well, they may be a victim of thermal creep.Thermal creep is a condition caused by the differences in the metal composition of mating electrical components as to expansion and compaction due to changes in temperature over time. (different metals expand and contract at different rates,)
Also, It is unlikely that your CPU is fried as the motherboard should monitor its temperature and shut the system down upon reaching a critical temperature.

12-17-2007, 10:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
PaulB007 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Xp sp 2	I think my laptop is fried.. please give me some good news? Hey all, I have a Gateway MX6440 Notebook. I was running it tonight, uploading a video onto my Zune, left the room for 20 minutes came back to a black screen with the fan still running. I think "what the hell" and restart it. It doesnt do much of anything, the screen stays black, it doesnt even light up. The computer turns on but just the fan, the hard drive doesnt boot, nothing boots. I have a bad feeling something over heated and that since this is a laptop the whole machine is wrecked.. any input guys?

12-18-2007, 08:45 AM	#2 (permalink)
Helpdesk65 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 22 OS: XP sp2	Re: I think my laptop is fried.. please give me some good news? Hook it up to a second monitor and verify it's not just the vid card. Boot to safe mode if possible and use VGA mode setting to verify.

12-18-2007, 10:59 AM	#3 (permalink)
PaulB007 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Xp sp 2	Re: I think my laptop is fried.. please give me some good news? Hmm I've tried this but I just see "No signal" on the external monitor.

12-20-2007, 09:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
B.B.Wolf Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 7 OS: XP	Re: I think my laptop is fried.. please give me some good news? Check your memory chips to be sure they are seated well, they may be a victim of thermal creep.Thermal creep is a condition caused by the differences in the metal composition of mating electrical components as to expansion and compaction due to changes in temperature over time. (different metals expand and contract at different rates,) Also, It is unlikely that your CPU is fried as the motherboard should monitor its temperature and shut the system down upon reaching a critical temperature.