dead Presario 700?

[ploppy]

hi. i have a Compaq Presario 700 (724EA) which is as dead as a doornail. Just stopped working. No power whatsoever. Anyone know any links or info how to troubleshoot the problem? I have all disassembly instructions but need to know where to start looking 4 the prob. Any help would be greatly appreciated. TIA

[kccomputerdr]

hi. i have a Compaq Presario 700 (724EA) which is as dead as a doornail. Just stopped working. No power whatsoever. Anyone know any links or info how to troubleshoot the problem? I have all disassembly instructions but need to know where to start looking 4 the prob. Any help would be greatly appreciated. TIA

first thing i always try is adding a pci video card

[BuggZ]

Do you get any lights on the lsptop at all when the AC power adapter is plugged in? If you don't
Things to check first:
1. Is AC power adapter working?
Try plugging adapter into a different outlet or try another adapter
2. Is battery charging or shorted?
Try removing battery before plugging AC adapter into outlet
Try charged battery from another Presario 700 if available.
3. Check the power jack on the back / side of the laptop to see if it is loose or disconnected from the laptop mainboard.

If power lights on the laptop come on, check the following:
1. Remove battery and try to start laptop.
2. Replace memory with known good memory and try to start laptop
3. Remove hard drive and CD/DVD and try to power up laptop
4. With all components listed above removed and AC power disconnected, press reset button (if laptop has one). Then conncet AC adapter and try to power on.

If none of these suggestions work you will need to get inside the laptop to perform further troubleshooting. If you do not feel comfortable opening your laptop (you can turn your laptop into a very expensive paperweight if you damage the internal boards or LCD) you can try these suggestions:
1. Remove the heatsink and reseat the processor. Make sure the thermal transfer paste or pad is not damaged and clean the processor and apply a new thermat pad or grease if needed. Make sure the processor socket is locked and the heatsink is installed before applying power.
2. If the laptop still does not power up and if the laptop uses a desktop style processor (AMD XP-M) you can try installing the processor into a desktop motherboard if available to verify if the processor is working. Make sure the desktop motherboard supplies the correct voltage for the processor before attempting this.

[ploppy]

thx 4 replies. all happened when i plugged in a pcicma card. slid it in and heard a pop then nothing. obviously, something has popped. but what i am not usre of is the process of events to troubleshoot. with desktop i would check power supply etc. does a laptop have internal power supply? how do i check mainboard etc. would this work in a standard pc or is voltage different? Thx 4 help.

[JANINE]

hi ploppy, welcome to the daniweb forums:D

from what i have been reading it sounds as though the 'pop' you heard when inserting the PCMIA CARD was something shorting out inside.

take this as an example - when you wire a plug with bare wiring (no insulating sheath whatsoever) and the wires touch you will hear a pop as the wires short and burn. the pop you hear could be a fuse blowing. this is only an example.

on the edge of the pcmia card you will have a copper strip (thats right, same thing as in electric plugs). this might have come into contact with a loose and bare wire inside the machine and when you powered up a charge went between the two causing a short-out. this would in turn fry your board and so you would not get any output from it afterwards.

in answer to your question - no a laptop board will not work inside a desktop pc. the voltages do differ, size differs and so does the type of power supply and connections.

my advice is to take it in to have it looked at. you may need a replacement board, powersupply, battery etc.;)

[ploppy]

hi janine. thx 4 reply. quick question. does a laptop have an internal power supply apart from the ac adapter or any fuses internally that could have blown? Thx

[JANINE]

without knowing ur lappys config i dont know. in most cases a lappy gets its AC power from the AC power connector on the back of the machine. this goes direct to the motherboard and feeds power into your battery. a PC doesnt usually have any fuses on the board but it has many Transistor caps which can blow and leak causing short outs.

one final question... has the PCmia card been near or in a damp area?

[ploppy]

no. the card has been in the box since purchase. Guess i need to find a source for 2nd hand mobo for compaq laptop. any ideas spring 2 mind :-)

[BuggZ]

Most newer laptops do not have an internal power supply, only a voltage converter / regulator circuit which may or may not be on the mainboard. Very few laptops have a fuse which you can change unless you have surface mount device (SMD) soldering equipment which is very expensive.
As far as a source for the laptop motherboard, best bet is to try eBay. You may want to consider the price of the motherboard vs. the price of a new laptop with a warranty. Manufacturers are cutting prices on laptops and offering rebates to try to move products.

[JANINE]

Most newer laptops do not have an internal power supply, only a voltage converter / regulator circuit which may or may not be on the mainboard. Very few laptops have a fuse which you can change unless you have surface mount device (SMD) soldering equipment which is very expensive.
As far as a source for the laptop motherboard, best bet is to try eBay. You may want to consider the price of the motherboard vs. the price of a new laptop with a warranty. Manufacturers are cutting prices on laptops and offering rebates to try to move products.

thanks for that BuggZ. learn something new everyday.

ploppy. your best bet is ebay but also try this page at amazon.
www.amazon.co.uk and type laptops into the search menu

unlike ebay.. with amazon you dont need to be a member.:)

[keben]

Hi, I got also an issue with a presario 700 and i read that ploppy got it unmounted...could someone give me a link to any kind of documentation for instruction to remove part. I know compaq used to make that kind of document but until now i was unable to find it.
Thanks for your help

[JANINE]

Hi, I got also an issue with a presario 700 and i read that ploppy got it unmounted...could someone give me a link to any kind of documentation for instruction to remove part. I know compaq used to make that kind of document but until now i was unable to find it.
Thanks for your help

hi keben welcome to daniweb.:)

may i ask exactly what the problem you are experiencing is? I can give you a link of which might help you but evidently i cant promise anything to you as to whether it'll work or not.

the link is www.compaq.co.uk

here you will be able to find repair and troubleshooting manuals for most products but to download them you'll need acrobat reader:)

[quwip10]

Ok, first off I have an old compaq presario 700 and I have serviced multiple others. The power supply is integrated into the motherboard so buying a new one is out of the question. One of the most common problems with the 700 is the internal port into which the power cord connects often breaks. If you plug your cord into the back of your computer and can wiggle it around, the port is probably broken. The best way to check is to take out the keyboard and your cd drive and to look behind the cd drive at the port. The computer I am using the port completely broke off but I have been able to fix it up a little, just enough so it runs. Let me know if that is the problem and I will try to help you more.

[alte]

Where did you get the disassembly instructions ?

thanks

[quwip10]

Click the link for a pretty good illustrated disassembly manual. Disassembly Manual