Dead System

ajcstr · 04-14-2009, 12:14 PM

I have a Toshiba Satellite A65-S1326 laptop which is non bootable. I am trying to diagnose what the faulty part is. I know the pawer jack is an issue because the only way to charge the battery is to hold the adapter cord at an angle and keep it tight to one side (point being it appears that I CAN get the battery fully charged).

When I try to turn the machine on, the power button lights the fan comes on, the lights in the front come on for maybe 2 secs, then the laptop turns off. I tried removing the hard drive and the memory (though this model has 256 MK or ram on board so I can't remove that). I also tried removing the battery and trying with just the power adapter held in the right position - same result. No post, no beeps, just on for a second, then off.

I am thinking its a faulty motherboard but I am not sute how to tell. The fact that I am able to charge the battery makes me think that even thoigh the power jack is faulty, that is not the only problem. Is there anything else I can try. Though I have taken desktops apart, I would rather not mess with taking this laptop apart which I know limits what I can do but are there any other diagnostic steps I can take?

**TriggerFinger** · 04-14-2009, 12:45 PM

It sure looks like a defective DC connection. You may need to have that repaired/soldered.

Also try a good working RAM. Remove the installed ones. I believe you have two. One you already found the location. The other I think is underneath the keyboard.

ajcstr · 04-14-2009, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TriggerFinger

It sure looks like a defective DC connection. You may need to have that repaired/soldered.

Right, but I don't want to have that done if the mobo is bad also. By trying to boot on battery power, whether or not that connection is faulty should not matter. Is this a correct assumption? I mean, it DOES charge the battery if I hold it in the right position.

Bottom line is if its a mobo, I'm not going to get the thing repaired.

I was also under the impression that the 256 onboard memory was not removeable

**TriggerFinger** · 04-14-2009, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajcstr

Right, but I don't want to have that done if the mobo is bad also. By trying to boot on battery power, whether or not that connection is faulty should not matter. Is this a correct assumption? -- yes, that is correct. If your mobo is faulty it will show if you boot using battery.

I mean, it DOES charge the battery if I hold it in the right position.

Bottom line is if its a mobo, I'm not going to get the thing repaired.

I was also under the impression that the 256 onboard memory was not removeable -- Ok if it has only one RAM, then remove it and use a good working RAM (do not leave the slot empty).

ajcstr · 04-14-2009, 02:22 PM

Please keep in mind I am trying to learn as we go, but if there is a problem with that onboard memory, I would think no RAM I added would work. The pc came with the slot empty and just the 256 MB onboard. I can take a chip out of another PC, but could I be risking shorting the chip out if the mobo is faulty?

**TriggerFinger** · 04-14-2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajcstr

Please keep in mind I am trying to learn as we go, but if there is a problem with that onboard memory, I would think no RAM I added would work.

The pc came with the slot empty and just the 256 MB onboard. I can take a chip out of another PC, but could I be risking shorting the chip out if the mobo is faulty?

-- if there is a problem with the onboard RAM, then it is almost equal to having a faulty motherboard. I do not recommend a DIY on motherboards unless you really know how.

I suggest you refer to the disassembly instructions in irisvista. Remove everything except the motherboard, the LCD, battery and the power ON switch. Power ON using the battery. If problem remains then it is possible that you have a faulty motherboard in your hands.

ajcstr · 04-14-2009, 02:39 PM

At this point what are the possibilities? Can it be anything other than the Mobo or the ram? On the one hand I would like to take it apart just for the experience, but on the other hand I think may be a little beyond my capabilities.

**TriggerFinger** · 04-14-2009, 02:50 PM

The behavior that it is showing (turning OFF 2 seconds after power ON) could be caused by a short in any device attached. It could also be a faulty RAM. That is why it is important to strip the laptop down to barebones so you can narrow down the possible causes.

ajcstr · 04-14-2009, 03:04 PM

So take it down to step 8 on those disassembly instructions? I already tried without the ram and the hard drive, there is no modem as I use a card, so that would leave the dvd drive and the keyboard that would need to go?

**TriggerFinger** · 04-14-2009, 03:10 PM

Yes. But bear in mind that you could be working on something with more than one defective part... so it is easier to really work on the barebones then start putting the parts back one at a time.

ajcstr · 04-14-2009, 03:12 PM

Let me ask could it be a heat issue? Even when it was working it would run hot and would shut down if the air flow was impaired.

**TriggerFinger** · 04-14-2009, 03:23 PM

As long as the fan is spinning and heatsink and CPU with thermal compound, it should not be a heat issue... besides, the symptoms is NOT showing a heat related problem.

ajcstr · 04-16-2009, 11:03 AM

Sounds like a project for the weekend. I will report back.

ajcstr · 04-19-2009, 09:15 AM

One more question though - If this were a desktop, I would suspect the power supply since it actually turns off. Could it be a problem with the adapter/battery? If it is a motherboard issue wouldn't the lights and fan stay on?

**TriggerFinger** · 04-19-2009, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajcstr

One more question though - If this were a desktop, I would suspect the power supply since it actually turns off. Could it be a problem with the adapter/battery? -- yes

If it is a motherboard issue wouldn't the lights and fan stay on? -- It depends.

ajcstr · 04-20-2009, 08:32 AM

OK, I did my best - did not get all the way there, could not get the CD drive out but I got the keyboard, HD, memory our (no modem or network card on the PC). Same think lights go on CPU fan spins for 2-3 secs then everything off. I was able to see that the video chip fan did not spin up but I don't know if that is normal or not.

No beeps so I am not even hitting the POST process.

So at this point I know I have a bad adapter jack. What are the other possibilities? I wanted to be sure it wasn't something stupid like the battery but I guess it could still be that.

I am not comfortable with stripping this thing down any further and I realize that while I have replaced Desktop motherboards, this is a whole other story, I don't even know if I got the keyboard ribbon reattached properly.

04-14-2009, 12:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
ajcstr Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 34 OS: 98/XP	Dead System I have a Toshiba Satellite A65-S1326 laptop which is non bootable. I am trying to diagnose what the faulty part is. I know the pawer jack is an issue because the only way to charge the battery is to hold the adapter cord at an angle and keep it tight to one side (point being it appears that I CAN get the battery fully charged). When I try to turn the machine on, the power button lights the fan comes on, the lights in the front come on for maybe 2 secs, then the laptop turns off. I tried removing the hard drive and the memory (though this model has 256 MK or ram on board so I can't remove that). I also tried removing the battery and trying with just the power adapter held in the right position - same result. No post, no beeps, just on for a second, then off. I am thinking its a faulty motherboard but I am not sute how to tell. The fact that I am able to charge the battery makes me think that even thoigh the power jack is faulty, that is not the only problem. Is there anything else I can try. Though I have taken desktops apart, I would rather not mess with taking this laptop apart which I know limits what I can do but are there any other diagnostic steps I can take?

04-14-2009, 12:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Dead System It sure looks like a defective DC connection. You may need to have that repaired/soldered. Also try a good working RAM. Remove the installed ones. I believe you have two. One you already found the location. The other I think is underneath the keyboard. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-14-2009, 02:22 PM	#5 (permalink)
ajcstr Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 34 OS: 98/XP	Re: Dead System Please keep in mind I am trying to learn as we go, but if there is a problem with that onboard memory, I would think no RAM I added would work. The pc came with the slot empty and just the 256 MB onboard. I can take a chip out of another PC, but could I be risking shorting the chip out if the mobo is faulty?

04-14-2009, 02:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
ajcstr Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 34 OS: 98/XP	Re: Dead System At this point what are the possibilities? Can it be anything other than the Mobo or the ram? On the one hand I would like to take it apart just for the experience, but on the other hand I think may be a little beyond my capabilities.

04-14-2009, 02:50 PM	#8 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Dead System The behavior that it is showing (turning OFF 2 seconds after power ON) could be caused by a short in any device attached. It could also be a faulty RAM. That is why it is important to strip the laptop down to barebones so you can narrow down the possible causes. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-14-2009, 03:04 PM	#9 (permalink)
ajcstr Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 34 OS: 98/XP	Re: Dead System So take it down to step 8 on those disassembly instructions? I already tried without the ram and the hard drive, there is no modem as I use a card, so that would leave the dvd drive and the keyboard that would need to go?

04-14-2009, 03:10 PM	#10 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Dead System Yes. But bear in mind that you could be working on something with more than one defective part... so it is easier to really work on the barebones then start putting the parts back one at a time. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-14-2009, 03:12 PM	#11 (permalink)
ajcstr Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 34 OS: 98/XP	Re: Dead System Let me ask could it be a heat issue? Even when it was working it would run hot and would shut down if the air flow was impaired.

04-14-2009, 03:23 PM	#12 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Dead System As long as the fan is spinning and heatsink and CPU with thermal compound, it should not be a heat issue... besides, the symptoms is NOT showing a heat related problem. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-16-2009, 11:03 AM	#13 (permalink)
ajcstr Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 34 OS: 98/XP	Re: Dead System Sounds like a project for the weekend. I will report back.

04-19-2009, 09:15 AM	#14 (permalink)
ajcstr Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 34 OS: 98/XP	Re: Dead System One more question though - If this were a desktop, I would suspect the power supply since it actually turns off. Could it be a problem with the adapter/battery? If it is a motherboard issue wouldn't the lights and fan stay on?

04-20-2009, 08:32 AM	#16 (permalink)
ajcstr Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 34 OS: 98/XP	Re: Dead System OK, I did my best - did not get all the way there, could not get the CD drive out but I got the keyboard, HD, memory our (no modem or network card on the PC). Same think lights go on CPU fan spins for 2-3 secs then everything off. I was able to see that the video chip fan did not spin up but I don't know if that is normal or not. No beeps so I am not even hitting the POST process. So at this point I know I have a bad adapter jack. What are the other possibilities? I wanted to be sure it wasn't something stupid like the battery but I guess it could still be that. I am not comfortable with stripping this thing down any further and I realize that while I have replaced Desktop motherboards, this is a whole other story, I don't even know if I got the keyboard ribbon reattached properly. Last edited by ajcstr; 04-20-2009 at 08:35 AM.