HELP! laptop doesn't boot.

V.P · 05-26-2008, 06:23 AM

Hi all.

I have a Dell Inspiron 6000. Runnin on windows XP. However i spilt orange juice on it a couple months back and since then it hasn't really been the same. Lately it's been working fine but this morning i pushed down the power button, the laptop begins to boot but then after about 5 seconds switches off. The Caps lock,scroll lock lights flash. But the screen remains black, no back light or anything. I have no idea what is wrong. Please help!

Thanks!

**OldGrayGary** · 05-26-2008, 11:13 PM

Hi V.P.

If the cpu fans have failed, the system could be shutting down to save the cpu/motherboard from overheating. During the brief 5-second start-up, do you hear fans spinning?

Try:
1) Start pressing the F12 key as soon as you can while the system powers up. See if this yields menu. If yes, try selecting the Diagnostics item & see if the diagnostics will run.
2) Should you not be able to get as far as the diagnostics, see if you can press the F2 key and successfully enter Bios Setup. If yes, see if you can select a "Save Default Values & Exit" option.
3) If the diagnostics do not run, or if running them yields no useful information, and if you either cannot enter Setup, or if entering default settings doesn't help -- then try:
---a) open the CD/DVD drive and place your Dell Resources CD in the tray (or if you have an "Ultimate Boot CD" or "Knoppix" CD, you can try one of those). Do not close the CD/DVD tray yet.
---b) power off the notebook
---c) unplug the AC adaptor & remove the battery.
---d) close the cd/dvd tray.
---e) plug in the AC adaptor.
---f) power on the notebook, immediately tapping the F12 key.
---g) select your cd/dvd drive from the list of bootable devices
---h) if your notebook boots OK from the bootable CD, run the diagnostics contained on the CD.

Should none of the above work, you likely have a hardware failure that is going to need a knowledgeable repair tech to diagnose. If the motherboard is badly damaged, you'll want to save what parts still work, save what data you can from the hard drive, and sell the old parts to help pay for the PC that will replace the 6000. Replacement motherboards aren't cheap ... but if you don't mind risking your cash, and you are good at reading the Dell Service manuals (there is an in-depth manual freely available for your laptop --- http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...0/en/index.htm ) --- then you could try the repair yourself. If you run into trouble inside the case & damage your replacement parts, you can find yourself $150 or so less wealthy - and still without a working computer. If Dell repairs the unit, it can cost nearly as much as a brand-new laptop -- I rarely recommend that: except for units where the work is covered by the warranty (and spills are not usually covered).

If the diagnostics run, & turn up some clues, let us know if you have questions
. . . Gary

P.S. ... after "step d" above, you might also wish to try attaching an external monitor.

05-26-2008, 06:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
V.P Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1 OS: Win Vista	HELP! laptop doesn't boot. Hi all. I have a Dell Inspiron 6000. Runnin on windows XP. However i spilt orange juice on it a couple months back and since then it hasn't really been the same. Lately it's been working fine but this morning i pushed down the power button, the laptop begins to boot but then after about 5 seconds switches off. The Caps lock,scroll lock lights flash. But the screen remains black, no back light or anything. I have no idea what is wrong. Please help! Thanks!

05-26-2008, 11:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 1,979 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: HELP! laptop doesn't boot. Hi V.P. If the cpu fans have failed, the system could be shutting down to save the cpu/motherboard from overheating. During the brief 5-second start-up, do you hear fans spinning? Try: 1) Start pressing the F12 key as soon as you can while the system powers up. See if this yields menu. If yes, try selecting the Diagnostics item & see if the diagnostics will run. 2) Should you not be able to get as far as the diagnostics, see if you can press the F2 key and successfully enter Bios Setup. If yes, see if you can select a "Save Default Values & Exit" option. 3) If the diagnostics do not run, or if running them yields no useful information, and if you either cannot enter Setup, or if entering default settings doesn't help -- then try: ---a) open the CD/DVD drive and place your Dell Resources CD in the tray (or if you have an "Ultimate Boot CD" or "Knoppix" CD, you can try one of those). Do not close the CD/DVD tray yet. ---b) power off the notebook ---c) unplug the AC adaptor & remove the battery. ---d) close the cd/dvd tray. ---e) plug in the AC adaptor. ---f) power on the notebook, immediately tapping the F12 key. ---g) select your cd/dvd drive from the list of bootable devices ---h) if your notebook boots OK from the bootable CD, run the diagnostics contained on the CD. Should none of the above work, you likely have a hardware failure that is going to need a knowledgeable repair tech to diagnose. If the motherboard is badly damaged, you'll want to save what parts still work, save what data you can from the hard drive, and sell the old parts to help pay for the PC that will replace the 6000. Replacement motherboards aren't cheap ... but if you don't mind risking your cash, and you are good at reading the Dell Service manuals (there is an in-depth manual freely available for your laptop --- http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...0/en/index.htm ) --- then you could try the repair yourself. If you run into trouble inside the case & damage your replacement parts, you can find yourself $150 or so less wealthy - and still without a working computer. If Dell repairs the unit, it can cost nearly as much as a brand-new laptop -- I rarely recommend that: except for units where the work is covered by the warranty (and spills are not usually covered). If the diagnostics run, & turn up some clues, let us know if you have questions . . . Gary P.S. ... after "step d" above, you might also wish to try attaching an external monitor. __________________ Last edited by OldGrayGary : 05-26-2008 at 11:15 PM.