Computer Related > More Laptop Woe Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Bromptonaut Replies: 19
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 11:28 
 More Laptop Woe - Bromptonaut
The Lad's latest laptop is a Lenovo G50-70. Probably had it about a year, replacing one that was stolen from his student flat.

It's currently dead, doorstop style. He says it was instantaneous with no obvious cause except that it fell off a chair arm about 48hrs previous but still worked subsequently. No activity whatsoever on power up, neither lights nor HDD/Optical drive even flicker. He says it was fully charged.

First thought was to check PSU. Output should be 20volts. Got a brief flicker of 19 testing it with a multimeter then nothing. Fuse is OK and mains flylead works OK with another, non Lenovo, PSU. I assume it's unlikely that a multimeter would overload the PSU to point of zapping it?

So next step is off to Maplin to look for a substitute PSU (or an adapter for one of the several other 19/20v PSU's kicking round the house).

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New Sat 4 Jun 16 11:41 
 More Laptop Woe - Bromptonaut
Forgot to add warranty is void as he's had screen replaced and a computer shop near his uni and I'm going to have to extract the HDD to get his data off it. Data includes both his dissertations though fortunately they'd already been submitted.
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 12:25 
 More Laptop Woe - No FM2R
>> Data includes both his dissertations

You need to have a word with him about not having backups of such data. Would you like me to help with appropriate vocabulary?

> I assume it's unlikely that a multimeter would overload the PSU to point of zapping it?

Very very unlikely.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sat 4 Jun 16 at 12:26
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 13:58 
 More Laptop Woe - Manatee

>> Very very unlikely.

Agreed, unless you accidentally shorted it with one of the probes or had the leads plugged in to current measurement by mistake (which might fry your MM too).

I have a laptop that I use infrequently that sometimes shows a dead battery - in fact it usually just need reseating. That's a Lenovo too. But it does of course work when plugged in.
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 14:15 
 More Laptop Woe - Bromptonaut
Meter definitely set on DC volts.

Only replacement in Maplin was £50 (!!!!). OEM item on Amazon Prime is £20. Delivery tomorrow. No further action until I've tried it.

No vocab Mark can suggest will advance on what I've used already about backing up. We've been there before with A level coursework and music he'd ripped from the extensive collection belonging to his best mate's Dad. Might even be recorded here as i sought help getting data off a HDD he'd FUBAR, probably with a virus from a porn site.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 4 Jun 16 at 14:18
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 14:37 
 More Laptop Woe - Manatee
Hackneyed, but there are two types of computer user; the ones who have had a HDD failure, and the ones who will.

Same goes for flash memory and floppies, and CDs/DVDs. I've had read failures on all of those. Backups improve your chances, or just keep in in the cloud.

I keep all my documents now on Google drive with copies of really important ones on Onedrive. Much easier when I change PCs too. Google drive's free 15GB is more than enough for a dissertation.
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 14:43 
 More Laptop Woe - Robin O'Reliant
Have you tried running it from the mains with the battery removed? That worked for mine when it went dead.
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 14:49 
 More Laptop Woe - Bromptonaut
>> Have you tried running it from the mains with the battery removed? That worked for
>> mine when it went dead.

That's another possibility but until I've got a PSU with a measurable output voltage can't go much further. PLenty of spare PSU from old laptops but DC connector is of a type that seems Lenovo specific. Similar profile to a USB plug but with a single central pin (+ve) and negative outer.
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 14:56 
 More Laptop Woe - Manatee
>> Similar profile to a USB plug but with a
>> single central pin (+ve) and negative outer.

I've got one of those...but it's not a spare so I'm going to resist the temptation to put a MM on it to see if I can measure the voltage:)
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 14:53 
 More Laptop Woe - Manatee
I'd certainly try it without the battery first when I got a working power supply, in the hope of getting the important stuff saved to the cloud first just in case the battery has gone bad and taken the PS with it.

Of course it could be just the PS that was knackered, and if it had been left plugged in to charge up then that would explain (a) that it won't start up when plugged in, (b) the battery being completely flat, and (c) the lad thinking it was fully charged.
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 18:36 
 More Laptop Woe - spamcan61
>> Have you tried running it from the mains with the battery removed? That worked for
>> mine when it went dead.
>>

Like he said. Lithium batteries don't like mechanical shock.
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 20:41 
 More Laptop Woe - Manatee
Laptop batteries aren't just big versions of AA Li-ion cells. The laptop ones have electronics in them - voltage regulator, sensors, charge switching etc. I didn't know they were especially fragile but that might be another reason they don't like being banged about.
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New Sat 4 Jun 16 23:13 
 More Laptop Woe - busbee
Running equipment without the battery bothers me. Think about it. You have a power supply that puts out about 18 volts, or a bit more, until loaded by the battery to hold the supply voltage down to battery voltage at which it normally works. OK, there will be some protection against it doing damage because someone is bound to try it. But it is not good operating practice. If the protection packs up, goodbye PC.
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New Sun 5 Jun 16 17:31 
 More Laptop Woe - Bromptonaut
Been waiting ages for charger to be delivered. Found it in garage. No card etc. Delivery info on line says it was handed to me at 15:50!!

Anyway, connected without battery and still no joy. Battery in however and there's an orange light winking on the front of unit. Will leave it for an hour or two and see what happens next.
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New Sun 5 Jun 16 18:57 
 More Laptop Woe - No FM2R
Aside form anything else, is it not concerning that someone can open and get into your garage without you knowing?
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New Sun 5 Jun 16 20:04 
 More Laptop Woe - Bromptonaut
>> Aside form anything else, is it not concerning that someone can open and get into
>> your garage without you knowing?

It's a quiet cul de sac and barring two houses all of us have live here since it was built in 1998. Garage door was open and left that way, I'd had variously mower, strimmer and parts of a dismantled bike out and was back and forth dealing with them.

I guess with well over a grand's worth of bikes etc in there I should be more careful but it's a quiet cul de sac......
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 5 Jun 16 at 20:05
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New Sun 5 Jun 16 20:10 
 More Laptop Woe - Bromptonaut
Laptop started briefly but died before windows could boot. All lights now off so I guess there's an issue with supply from PSU input>battery>mobo.

HDD is easily accessible along with memory and CPU under a flap secured by 2 screws. HDD out and into caddy is task for tomorrow morning.
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New Sun 5 Jun 16 22:25 
 More Laptop Woe - No FM2R
>> I guess there's an issue with ....

Well of course it could be, but I might ponder why the behaviour changed with a new PSU.

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New Tue 28 Jun 16 07:34 
 More Laptop Woe - Bromptonaut
Update.

Took it into a repair shop for diagnosis. Charging port is badly damaged with connections broken and internal fuses blown. Presumably result of the fall mentioned in my OP.

£80 to fettle. I'll get it back in about a week - delay due to awaiting parts.
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New Tue 28 Jun 16 11:59 
 More Laptop Woe - Bromptonaut
Hmm,

Repairer phoned. Crack in board. Checking prices but could bump total cost up to £120 mark.
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