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Presario 700- won't do anything!
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Well, I bought a used presario 700 laptop about 2 months ago. The owner is a friend who told me that it was not the best computer but I wasn't really thinking of using it for much more than taking notes.
Anyway- i realized that the battery didn't hold much of a charge... it went from holding about 20 minutes to 10 to about 30 seconds. The other day, I tried starting it up PLUGGED IN and it wouldn't start. It gives a sound of about 1 second of the hard drive trying to do something and then NOTHING. Nada. no screen. NOTHING.
Called Compaq tech support (actually "chatted" with them). They said to unplug AND take out the battery and hold the powerup button down for 15 seconds and then replug it back in and try again. Didn't work. They say, now, to take it into the dealer.
Before I do and risk spending more good money after bad... any suggestions?
Anyway- i realized that the battery didn't hold much of a charge... it went from holding about 20 minutes to 10 to about 30 seconds. The other day, I tried starting it up PLUGGED IN and it wouldn't start. It gives a sound of about 1 second of the hard drive trying to do something and then NOTHING. Nada. no screen. NOTHING.
Called Compaq tech support (actually "chatted" with them). They said to unplug AND take out the battery and hold the powerup button down for 15 seconds and then replug it back in and try again. Didn't work. They say, now, to take it into the dealer.
Before I do and risk spending more good money after bad... any suggestions?
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 56
Reputation: 
Solved Threads: 1
Junior Poster in Training
Unforetunately there isn't alot you can do with laptops, taking them apart is very difficult for the unexperienced and there are not many parts you can replace. Sounds like your motherboard may be bad, most laptops that I have taken apart have the AC power connector on the motherboard and while it is possible to have a cold solder joint that is easy to repair it isn't very likely to be the problem. The battery itself is probably bad, we have alot of Dell and Gateway laptop batterys die after a year or so of use so if yours is that old it more than likely is the problem (especially since its ability to hold a charge has degraded over time).
My friend has a presario 700 as well.. if the problem is the battery, i could just borrow hers.
I was wondering, if it IS a dead battery, don't you think that the computer would start up with the AC adapter plugged in? Or is it necessary to have some kind of minimum charge in the battery for the thing to start up?
I was wondering, if it IS a dead battery, don't you think that the computer would start up with the AC adapter plugged in? Or is it necessary to have some kind of minimum charge in the battery for the thing to start up?
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 56
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 1
Junior Poster in Training
The PC should definitely startup with the AC adaptor plugged into it so that isn't the problem, the battery light when the AC is plugged in is usually orange or red when charging.
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Originally Posted by goodby1
Well, I bought a used presario 700 laptop about 2 months ago. The owner is a friend who told me that it was not the best computer but I wasn't really thinking of using it for much more than taking notes.
Anyway- i realized that the battery didn't hold much of a charge... it went from holding about 20 minutes to 10 to about 30 seconds. The other day, I tried starting it up PLUGGED IN and it wouldn't start. It gives a sound of about 1 second of the hard drive trying to do something and then NOTHING. Nada. no screen. NOTHING.
Called Compaq tech support (actually "chatted" with them). They said to unplug AND take out the battery and hold the powerup button down for 15 seconds and then replug it back in and try again. Didn't work. They say, now, to take it into the dealer.
Before I do and risk spending more good money after bad... any suggestions?
Actually I sent my computer in to Compaq TWICE. The first time they couldn't replicate the problem (I couldn't start my computer for 2 days and then it got to their lab and it started up just fine!). The second time the found a bad sector on my hard drive and fixed it but then said that they couldn't be sure that that was it. Anyway, in the end, they sent it back saying that they didn't find conclusively what the problem was. Their options were
1) That the battery was so dead that somehow it was effecting the start up (even though it was plugged in)
2) That it was something software related so they recommended wiping the hard drive and starting all over.
3) or, that it was something that could be found and eliminated with Adaware and SpyBot but they didn't know exactly what.
So, after they sent it back (this time it started up for them AGAIN) I bought a new battery (about $120). I am going to wipe the hard drive soon and start all over and hopefully everything is okay. What's frustrating, I'm sure, is the inability to start it up. For some reason, once my computer hit their lab table, it started up. For me, though, it wouldn't start up for days.
Anyway- Radio Shack sends it to Compaq for $39. That's all they charged me since they couldn't find the problem...
Sorry couldn't be more help.
1) That the battery was so dead that somehow it was effecting the start up (even though it was plugged in)
2) That it was something software related so they recommended wiping the hard drive and starting all over.
3) or, that it was something that could be found and eliminated with Adaware and SpyBot but they didn't know exactly what.
So, after they sent it back (this time it started up for them AGAIN) I bought a new battery (about $120). I am going to wipe the hard drive soon and start all over and hopefully everything is okay. What's frustrating, I'm sure, is the inability to start it up. For some reason, once my computer hit their lab table, it started up. For me, though, it wouldn't start up for days.
Anyway- Radio Shack sends it to Compaq for $39. That's all they charged me since they couldn't find the problem...
Sorry couldn't be more help.
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Originally Posted by goodby1
Actually I sent my computer in to Compaq TWICE. The first time they couldn't replicate the problem (I couldn't start my computer for 2 days and then it got to their lab and it started up just fine!). The second time the found a bad sector on my hard drive and fixed it but then said that they couldn't be sure that that was it. Anyway, in the end, they sent it back saying that they didn't find conclusively what the problem was. Their options were
1) That the battery was so dead that somehow it was effecting the start up (even though it was plugged in)
2) That it was something software related so they recommended wiping the hard drive and starting all over.
3) or, that it was something that could be found and eliminated with Adaware and SpyBot but they didn't know exactly what.
So, after they sent it back (this time it started up for them AGAIN) I bought a new battery (about $120). I am going to wipe the hard drive soon and start all over and hopefully everything is okay. What's frustrating, I'm sure, is the inability to start it up. For some reason, once my computer hit their lab table, it started up. For me, though, it wouldn't start up for days.
Anyway- Radio Shack sends it to Compaq for $39. That's all they charged me since they couldn't find the problem...
Sorry couldn't be more help.
Did the give you an answer as to whether in fact a battery does need to be in the slot ?
Or did you replace yours and have any luck ?
thanks
Hi,
As a disappointed owner of a Presario 700 I can offer the following advice.
Restart your computer using the discs provided (put the 1st disc in and switch it on and follow the instructions)
With any luck you will now have a "virgin" 700. Let it remain so. i.e. don't update windows.
Somewhere in the windows updates an incomptability exists. I reconfigured mine at least a dozen times before I realized that it would work just fine until I updated.
Hope this helps.
Pete
As a disappointed owner of a Presario 700 I can offer the following advice.
Restart your computer using the discs provided (put the 1st disc in and switch it on and follow the instructions)
With any luck you will now have a "virgin" 700. Let it remain so. i.e. don't update windows.
Somewhere in the windows updates an incomptability exists. I reconfigured mine at least a dozen times before I realized that it would work just fine until I updated.
Hope this helps.
Pete
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Originally Posted by phedge
Hi,
As a disappointed owner of a Presario 700 I can offer the following advice.
Restart your computer using the discs provided (put the 1st disc in and switch it on and follow the instructions)
With any luck you will now have a "virgin" 700. Let it remain so. i.e. don't update windows.
Somewhere in the windows updates an incomptability exists. I reconfigured mine at least a dozen times before I realized that it would work just fine until I updated.
Hope this helps.
Pete
Hi
I had the same problem with a 700C...and needless to say it has been driving me nuts. Will not power up...tried reseating the processor, removing the BIOS battery to reset the BIOS...nothing....removing everything I could...leaving it unpowered...nothing helped.
What I ended up doing is pulling the HDD, and trying to boot sans HDD...and that worked. Now it seems to be OK...so perhaps the HDD is starting to die...who knows....
Now I know about a bunch of these machines....
Hope that helps
aug171@netscape.net
I had the same problem with a 700C...and needless to say it has been driving me nuts. Will not power up...tried reseating the processor, removing the BIOS battery to reset the BIOS...nothing....removing everything I could...leaving it unpowered...nothing helped.
What I ended up doing is pulling the HDD, and trying to boot sans HDD...and that worked. Now it seems to be OK...so perhaps the HDD is starting to die...who knows....
Now I know about a bunch of these machines....
Hope that helps
aug171@netscape.net
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