Hi all, just found this forum and I could do with some help! :-) My wife has an old Time laptop, bought on Ebay second hand,about a year ago. Recently, over the last week or three it's started randomly shutting down - instantly, like the power went off suddenly. Tonight it did that and now won't start at all. When the power lead is plugged in, all the power leds are on as normal but pressing the on swith just results in a momentary flicker of activity then nothing. No screen messages, post - zilch!
Now, when we bought it the battery was past it's best and wouldn't hold a charge. My wife didn't mind as she simply ran it from mains all the time. I know nothing much about laptops never having worked on one or owned one before so I'm wondering if the battery finally becoming totally dead would cause this? I'm kinda guessing that the power supply cable supplies power the battery that in turn powers up the rig and that if the battery is sooo dead it maybe can't give out enough juice to start the computer. Is this possible or am I talking rubbish (I often do!) I'd like to have an idea before we start trying to track down a new battery for this slightly vintage machine!
I can't see any signs of cables or components not seated/plugged properly.
Many thanks for any thoughts/tips

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Hi all, just found this forum and I could do with some help! :-) My wife has an old Time laptop, bought on Ebay second hand,about a year ago. Recently, over the last week or three it's started randomly shutting down - instantly, like the power went off suddenly. Tonight it did that and now won't start at all. When the power lead is plugged in, all the power leds are on as normal but pressing the on swith just results in a momentary flicker of activity then nothing. No screen messages, post - zilch!
Now, when we bought it the battery was past it's best and wouldn't hold a charge. My wife didn't mind as she simply ran it from mains all the time. I know nothing much about laptops never having worked on one or owned one before so I'm wondering if the battery finally becoming totally dead would cause this? I'm kinda guessing that the power supply cable supplies power the battery that in turn powers up the rig and that if the battery is sooo dead it maybe can't give out enough juice to start the computer. Is this possible or am I talking rubbish (I often do!) I'd like to have an idea before we start trying to track down a new battery for this slightly vintage machine!
I can't see any signs of cables or components not seated/plugged properly.
Many thanks for any thoughts/tips

The laptop should start without the battery in it at all, if it is plugged in to power. Your problem not the battery. It could be the power source itself.

Hmmm, bugger! When the laptop has thebattery in it, all the power led's are lit but when I take the battery out, the whole thing goes dead, not a glimmer of anything! :-(

Hmmm, bugger! When the laptop has thebattery in it, all the power led's are lit but when I take the battery out, the whole thing goes dead, not a glimmer of anything! :-(

Well there you go. No power coming from the wall to the pc. Your power supply is not putting out, or the LapTop is not accepting it.

Check all contacts, on the LT and from there out to the wall socket. Make sure power is at the wall socket with a lamp or some such.

If so, see if you can check for power from your power unit with a voltmeter.

They do die, sometimes. Contacts can break or get bent.

Hi, thanks. It does seem to get power from the power supply. With just the battery in, the pc is dead and pressing the on switch results in a brief flicker of the battery warning light then nothing. With the power supply connected, the power LEDs for the screen and keyboard come on as normal but pressing the on swith just results in a second or so of activity as if it was going to start but then it dies. Sometimes the power LEDs stay off for a few seconds then come back on, sometimes they just flicker for a moment as the pc fails to start.

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