Member Avatar for OutlawTrucker

I have a Gateway W340UI with Vista.

Anyway - for some reason, I went to start it up, and got nothing. Now..I have two identical machines -
The pretty little lights in the front.. on the working one -when Plugged in, I have one solid blue light, and one that flashes. If the battery is charging, there will also be a red light glowing.
Now, the broken one, I only have one blue solid light, no matter what - plugged in or not, even with the battery out of it.
I've switched batteries, power supply's, places to plug in - everything. .. and it wont plug in.
It's acting like a power supply issue - I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts - and if anyone knows where the power supply is on this model..having a little trouble getting the case to come apart, never taken a laptop apart - taken apart plenty of towers through the years, first lap top for me - any help would be great. Thanks..
Jess..

  • 2 Contributors
  • 1 Reply
  • 210 Views
  • 9 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by digitalocksmith

Dani AI

Generated

Short expert summary and next steps (adds to and ): because you swapped batteries and adapters between two identical W340UI units and the failed machine still only shows a single steady blue LED (even with the battery removed), that strongly points to an internal power/charging problem — the adapter is reaching the notebook’s standby/indicator circuit but the board is not bringing up the main rails. The W340UI user manual and the W340UI schematics show the status‑indicator and charger/charging circuitry as discrete parts worth checking. (manualslib.com)

Immediate, safe checks to try now:

  1. Do a hard (power) reset: unplug AC, remove battery, press and hold Power 15–30 seconds, then try AC only.
  2. Verify the AC brick: read its label for expected DC output and measure with a multimeter at the adapter tip to confirm voltage.
  3. Watch the jack and LEDs: plug/unplug and wiggle the connector while watching the LED—intermittent LED change = mechanical jack issue.
  4. Listen/observe for blink/beep codes or other LEDs when pressing Power; note exact patterns (they’re diagnostic).

Do the power‑reset and meter test first — they’re low risk and often reveal whether the adapter is healthy. ()

If the adapter reads correct voltage but the laptop refuses to start, the DC jack, DC‑in / charger daughterboard or the motherboard power regulation is likely faulty. On many Gateway models the jack is either on a small harness or soldered to a board; replacing it usually requires removing the bottom/palm assembly (follow the service/manual pages) or skilled soldering — iFixit-style guides show typical approaches and what to expect. If uncomfortable with disassembly or soldering, stop and get a shop to avoid further damage. (ifixit.com)

Practical note: document LED patterns, the adapter label voltage, and whether the LED ever responds to pressure on the jack — that information will save time for whoever repairs it. If you’d like, post those exact LED/blink details and the adapter voltage reading and the next steps can be narrowed further.

Member Avatar for digitalocksmith

I have a Gateway W340UI with Vista.

Anyway - for some reason, I went to start it up, and got nothing.

'For some reason' could be anything from a fall off the cars dashboard (taking a heavy knock)....to.....downloading and running 'Debbie does Dallas' complete with infection.

Can you think back to what may have happened for this to occurr?
Any clues you can give us will help with a possible diagnosis for either a hardware or software related issue.

In the meantime here is your notebooks manual in PDF format: http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fassets.gateway.com%2Fs%2FManuals%2FMobile%2F8512150.pdf&ei=aBKQSK68CoOspwSQ9NX4Bw&usg=AFQjCNGVFStZiQwtDWe-5qHf4CfX_NCKMw&sig2=EaCs6eXSrDlpIbgsMWqxYA

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.