Member Avatar for showerhater

hello and thanks for taking the time to read this.
i have a gateway mx7120 and it will not turn on. when i hit the power button the laptop tries to turn on (i hear the usual noises and beeps) and then after 5 seconds it shuts itself off and tries to power up again. it fails to power up again but i hear the usual noises. right now i have the laptop in pieces looking for some sort of reset button a friend told me about. i have not been able to locate anything that even looks like it might be a reset switch. please help.

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Symptom recap and context from the thread: reports an MX7120 that spins, beeps, then powers off and retries with no video. Replies from and pointed at power/storage and the manual. Below is a concise, prioritized checklist that fills gaps in the replies and gives tests that isolate components without guessing a cause.

  • Remove all power (AC and main battery) and press-and-hold the power button for 20–30 seconds to drain residual charge. Reconnect AC only and try to boot (this rules out a faulty battery that drags voltages down).
  • Attach an external monitor (VGA) and power on. If the external shows POST/BIOS while the laptop panel stays dark, suspect inverter/backlight or LCD cable rather than the motherboard.
  • With the lid open, shine a bright light at an angle onto the LCD while it is powered on — a faint image means the backlight/inverter is dead.
  • Reseat memory: unplug, remove and reinsert RAM modules (try one stick at a time in each slot). Faulty RAM often causes early power cycles or beep codes.
  • Remove nonessential drives (HDD and optical) and try to boot. If behavior changes, the drive or its connector may be shorting or failing.
  • Count and record any beep pattern exactly (short/long and pauses). Check Gateway/Packard Bell beep-code documentation or the MX7120 service manual for interpretation.
  • Visually inspect the board for bulging/leaking capacitors, burn marks, or loose connectors.

For : a locked "selection option" screen can be the Windows boot menu or BIOS/boot-password issue. Try repeated hard power-offs, F8 for advanced boot options, or clear CMOS by removing the coin-cell RTC battery (after disconnecting AC/battery) for several minutes to reset BIOS settings.

Safety: avoid probing while powered, use ESD precautions, and seek a shop if uncomfortable. If the board is failing, salvaging the HDD with a USB adapter is an easy way to recover data.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for mechbas

From another site: "even done the hard reset button on the bottom of the laptop"

Member Avatar for bobbyraw

does any thing comes up on the screen when you boot the laptop. is the battery fully charged. are you using a wall outlet for power or the battery.

Member Avatar for showerhater

nothing comes up on the screen, i have tried the laptop battery and being plugged into the wall. i cannot find a hard reset button anywhere on the bottom of the laptop.

Member Avatar for bobbyraw

i believe you might have a dead battery, or your HDD is definitely shot,

Member Avatar for mechbas

go to mfg.s site & dnld a operations manual.

Member Avatar for Estlanee

MX7120 - Booted to selection option screen - screen locked. Unable to move from screen; various options including safe mode do not work, reset, power off/on o remove baterry.

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