Dell Latitude - tries to start but stops

[The lost one!]

Hi,
I need help!!!
My old Dell Latitude cpX tries to start up but shuts itself down after 4 seconds. Sometimes it tries to start again on it own!! :evil:
Any ideas? :idea:
I've tried booting up docked, undocked, battery in / out, DVD drive in/out, floppy drive in/out.
I did think it was a dodgy screen switch (no idea where I would find it) or power switch but I'm not sure what I can do (complete novice for PC hardware tinkering! :!: )
Any ideas much appreciated

[The lost one!]

The machine will now start to boot when docked but just hangs indefinately!! The only way to power it down is to undock and remove the battery!!

I'm still lost!!

Any ideas??

[The lost one!]

Someone must know something.

The machine will now hang either docked or undocked but won't boot from a windows boot disk or floppy!!

Help Please!!!!

[JAM_Siko]

u may need a new battery or power supply.

[djrivera1]

Could be a bad power supply or it sould like you system is over heating bad fan maybe take the keyboard off, removed the bottom screws keyboard sure be loose left up carefully without removing the ribbion cable turn on computer see if fan is spinning if not replaced and check to make sure heatsink is on tight.

[md-89]

The lost one!!!
Is your problem solved ? Please provide feedback or comments if people give advice then we know where we stand ?

[nbynorthwest]

I've worked with these for a while and I believe it involves a loose solder joint in the memory holders. If I warp the motherboard slightly, it boots. With it just sitting flat, it doesn't. I have to apply pressure in the middle of the board. If I warp the board and start it, and then remove the pressure, it then hangs.

I've searched many times for a resolution to this. Other then pulling off the black memory labels and reflowing solder, I can't think of any other solution. Basically it means buy a new motherboard. They aren't too expensive on ebay.

I've tried many different parts: cpu's, powerboards, memory sticks. The one common thread is that it will boot if you have the keyboard off, put your left hand under the cardbus area so as to raise that in heighth and apply pressure to the powerboard area downward.

[Netter]

:cheesy: s'wonderful! nbynorthwest, your suggestion to put pressure over/under the cardbus worked like magic. Perhaps it should be a 'key learning' to NOT leave a laptop continuously plugged into power source since the heat commonly generated by running laptops is high. I suspect that is what contributed to warping of the motherboard?

[sanderson]

I've worked with these for a while and I believe it involves a loose solder joint in the memory holders. If I warp the motherboard slightly, it boots. With it just sitting flat, it doesn't. I have to apply pressure in the middle of the board. If I warp the board and start it, and then remove the pressure, it then hangs.

I have suffered with the same problems as described in this thread, with the addition that the CPU fan (beneath the PGUP button) is dead, too. Removing the keyboard and applying pressure resolved the problem.

Could you or someone else advise of the right part number(s) for a replacement motherboard and fan.

I have taken the reference information off of the fan:REV 3A Panasonic DC5V 0.15A 3320B, but don't really want to take the whole lot apart if I don't have to, just yet.

Any information appreciated.

Regards,

Sean Anderson