Laptop Shuts off if moved

**dj913** · 03-31-2006, 01:24 PM

Hi everyone, heres the problem: after my HP laptop was in a car ride it will shut off when moved or tilted too much. I am pretty sure it happens when tilted forward or towards you. There are no warnings it just shuts off as if i was holding the power button. At one point it wouldnt turn back on but it soon did and will turn back on ever since. Does anyone know what might be the problem or how I could find out? Thanks

**dj913** · 03-31-2006, 02:11 PM

Update: Well now its seems a little worse. It will shut off and when i try and start it up the lights come on for only a split second and no fans or anything comes on and then it shuts off. To get it to come back on i have to shake it and then it will start normally. At one point it also got frozen at the BIOS.

ebackhus · 03-31-2006, 03:52 PM

I am thinking that someting inside has come loose. I had an old ThinkPad that'd do the same thing when the CPU card came unseated. it's risky to go in, but you may find your solution there.

**dj913** · 04-01-2006, 07:13 PM

Yeah i guess ill see how much it might cost if something was just loose to be fixed. I could try and do it myself but if its a laptop idk it might get a little scary.

Spektyr · 04-01-2006, 08:49 PM

If you've got the skills to confidently follow a manual, you might look for one online and check the connections yourself (which obviously costs nothing).

If not, you're right - having someone else do it is probably much better. Nothing says "extra charges" like the phrase "well, I tried to fix it myself, but..."

Alternately, you can try to find a friend that has the skills to follow the manual. Some people can, some people can't. I've always been able to - not really sure why, but if you hand me a machine and a manual about how it works/is repaired, I can strip it down and reassemble it without much trouble.

One auto mechanics class in highschool and I've been tackling all my own auto repairs armed with nothing more than my Chiltons manual. (Of course I tend to stick with older cars that are easier to fix with wrenches, and if I need anything fancier the repairs exceed the replacement cost.)

But yeah, it's important to know where the line is, and not to cross it. Don't take apart anything you're not confident you can put back exactly like you found it.

**dj913** · 04-02-2006, 08:57 PM

I found a service manual for it and it looks pretty easy, i will probably just take it apart myself and see if i can figure out whats wrong first.

**dj913** · 04-05-2006, 08:54 PM

Well just to see what prices were to get it fixed, i found that most places were 220 bux just to look at it. I finally found one place that would look at it for only 49 bux even though i was probably going to look at it myself. Anyway it appears that the problem has corrected yourself and it hasnt shut off when titled anymore (I can even turn it upside down) , hopefully it will stay that way for a while.

03-31-2006, 01:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
dj913 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MA Posts: 613 OS: WinXP Home Primarily	Laptop Shuts off if moved Hi everyone, heres the problem: after my HP laptop was in a car ride it will shut off when moved or tilted too much. I am pretty sure it happens when tilted forward or towards you. There are no warnings it just shuts off as if i was holding the power button. At one point it wouldnt turn back on but it soon did and will turn back on ever since. Does anyone know what might be the problem or how I could find out? Thanks

03-31-2006, 03:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 14,147 OS: WinXP Pro SP3/Windows 7 RTM My System Blog Entries: 28	I am thinking that someting inside has come loose. I had an old ThinkPad that'd do the same thing when the CPU card came unseated. it's risky to go in, but you may find your solution there. __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.

03-31-2006, 02:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
dj913 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MA Posts: 613 OS: WinXP Home Primarily	Update: Well now its seems a little worse. It will shut off and when i try and start it up the lights come on for only a split second and no fans or anything comes on and then it shuts off. To get it to come back on i have to shake it and then it will start normally. At one point it also got frozen at the BIOS.

04-01-2006, 07:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
dj913 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MA Posts: 613 OS: WinXP Home Primarily	Yeah i guess ill see how much it might cost if something was just loose to be fixed. I could try and do it myself but if its a laptop idk it might get a little scary.

04-01-2006, 08:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
Spektyr Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 102 OS: XP, Vista Home & Ultimate / Ubuntu "Hardy Heron"	If you've got the skills to confidently follow a manual, you might look for one online and check the connections yourself (which obviously costs nothing). If not, you're right - having someone else do it is probably much better. Nothing says "extra charges" like the phrase "well, I tried to fix it myself, but..." Alternately, you can try to find a friend that has the skills to follow the manual. Some people can, some people can't. I've always been able to - not really sure why, but if you hand me a machine and a manual about how it works/is repaired, I can strip it down and reassemble it without much trouble. One auto mechanics class in highschool and I've been tackling all my own auto repairs armed with nothing more than my Chiltons manual. (Of course I tend to stick with older cars that are easier to fix with wrenches, and if I need anything fancier the repairs exceed the replacement cost.) But yeah, it's important to know where the line is, and not to cross it. Don't take apart anything you're not confident you can put back exactly like you found it.

04-02-2006, 08:57 PM	#6 (permalink)
dj913 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MA Posts: 613 OS: WinXP Home Primarily	I found a service manual for it and it looks pretty easy, i will probably just take it apart myself and see if i can figure out whats wrong first.

04-05-2006, 08:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
dj913 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MA Posts: 613 OS: WinXP Home Primarily	Well just to see what prices were to get it fixed, i found that most places were 220 bux just to look at it. I finally found one place that would look at it for only 49 bux even though i was probably going to look at it myself. Anyway it appears that the problem has corrected yourself and it hasnt shut off when titled anymore (I can even turn it upside down) , hopefully it will stay that way for a while.