Im sorry if this has been repeated, but after going through MANY of the threads i couldnt find anything that would help. even tried google searches that people said to do...

I have an Dell Inspiron 6000, Windows XP pro, and is running on 3 years old.
It was running normally, but all of the sudden wont start anymore. I went to eat and came back an hour later; and it was just dead. it wont start or anything - no booting, no flashing lights, no nothing.

i checked the battery - still full.
only thing i noticed was the ac adapter (original). if its not connected its on (the green light on the ac adapter), but everytime i plug it in, it'll turn off right away.

if it is ac adapter problem, i would think that battery power would work, but still no success...
p.s. i live in California, and today was a hot day. i think it just overheated and shut itself off but still nothing after hours of cooling off.

i would appreciate any help at all for this problem. Thanx in advance.:)

Dani AI

Generated

Brief, practical next steps to rule out the usual suspects (adapter, DC jack/input stage, or a shorted motherboard) without immediately buying a replacement board. This builds on suggestions from and and focuses on simple, verifiable tests and safe visual checks a technician would use.

  • Measure the AC adapter with a multimeter on DC volts and compare the reading to the printed rating on the adapter label. A steady voltage near the label means the brick is likely OK; a low or zero reading means the adapter is faulty. If available, swap with a known-good adapter of the same voltage and polarity to confirm.
  • Check the laptop DC jack and input area visually and electrically. Look for loose/broken solder, melted plastic, or bulging capacitors around the jack. With the adapter unplugged, use continuity/ohm mode to check for an unexpected low-resistance short between the inner pin and chassis ground; a near-zero reading indicates a short in the jack or input circuitry.
  • If the adapter measures correctly and the jack looks intact, inspect the motherboard input components (SMD fuses, MOSFETs, coils) for visible damage. Many input failures are small replaceable parts; a trained technician can probe for shorts and swap a blown SMD fuse or a failed transistor.
  • If no diagnostic tools or skills are available, recover the highest-value, easily removable parts (hard drive for data, RAM, optical drive, LCD assembly) before parting the machine. Professional diagnostics are inexpensive in many areas and can save money versus blind replacement.

Caution: disconnect all power and observe ESD precautions before opening the case. Replacing SMD parts or probing live circuits requires experience. If the cost of repair approaches replacement, parting out is a reasonable option.

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All 5 Replies

i dont think being a hot day would have affected it this way. It would have just kept the cooling fans running to cool it down. And also if the battery is full then i dont think the power supply is to blame.

WHen you say the Green Led on the ac adaptor when not connected and goes off as soon as connected to pc, is the pc switched on when the AC Adaptor is connected? Can you manage to get into bios or not even that?

Raj

hi, try to reseat your memory, take out also the battery and leave it for a while.. after that put back your memory and batt..check if you will be able to have a display..if not then it could be an end of life of your mobo.. good luck

Raj - i leave the ac adapter unplugged from laptop; ill get the green light on it. once i plug it into the laptop, that green light shuts off, almost like a powersurge flipping off. i never get a display, no power ever reaches laptop. no bios or anything. power led on laptop itself never turns on at any point.

cguan_77 - ive tried those methods, and im starting to lead towards the end of its life too...

p.s. thanx for replying and trying to help

May be there is something getting short on the mobo then which in turn disconnect the powers upply from the battery or from the ac adaptor. In any case you will have to either get it thoroughly tested to find the culprit or replace it. I would also recommend testing your power adaptor with another similar laptop as well just to be sure that its not the adaptor thats the cause although its very very unlikely.

Raj

yeah, i was thinking that its the mobo too...dont have the money to replace or test so i guess im just going to sell it as a parts comp. thanx for all the advice and recommendations though...

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