Member Avatar for goonis311

I have a Gateway Laptop MT3423 (I have had nothing but trouble since I bought it 2+ years ago). It shut down on me and then I was not able to turn it back on. I have tried the trick where you remove the battery and unplug, hold the power button down for 30 sec and then plug it back and and turn it back on. That worked about 3 times. When I try to turn it on, the lights start up like it is going to boot and then the lights fade (you can see them very dimly) and then nothing happens. The monitor doesn't even flicker. Any advice? The warranty is up also.

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Short diagnostic note for the MT3423 power-fade symptom (lights come on briefly then dim, no screen). describes the usual pattern and reports the same on an MT3422 — that combination usually points to a power-delivery or power-management failure early in POST rather than a simple display fault.

Try these steps in order (least invasive first):

  1. Verify the AC adapter: measure DC output (center pin to outer sleeve) with a multimeter while the laptop is connected. If the voltage is missing or collapses under load, try a known-good adapter with the same voltage and polarity.
  2. Test power sources: boot on AC only with the battery removed, then try battery-only if it is charged. That separates adapter/DC-jack problems from battery/charger faults.
  3. See if POST gets that far: connect an external monitor (VGA); if the external stays blank too, the system likely fails before video initialization.
  4. Reseat simple parts: remove and reseat RAM, hard drive and any removable daughterboards, then try power. A bad RAM or shorted drive can sometimes prevent POST.

If you can open the case (and are comfortable with basic electronics), do these board-level checks with care:

  • Inspect the DC jack area and surrounding solder joints under a bright light or magnifier; wiggle the jack while powered (careful) to see if LEDs change.
  • Look for bulging/leaking electrolytic capacitors and cracked traces.
  • With a meter (or a current-limited bench supply/series lamp to limit damage), check for a near-short between the input pin and ground and probe main rails (3.3V/5V) when switching on. If rails collapse or you see a short, the front-end regulator/MOSFETs or a shorted capacitor/diode is likely.

If the problem isolates to the DC jack or a single replaceable part, repair is often inexpensive. If multiple rails or power-management ICs are failed, repair cost can exceed the laptop value; in that case consider replacement or a local shop. Use ESD precautions and disconnect battery before soldering. If you try a repair, post board revision photos and power measurements — that helps others reproduce and advise.

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Member Avatar for dogbreath077

Sounds like a power problem. Inspect the motherboard under a magnifying glass. look for any bad solder joints, especially around the battery plug area and the power jack area. It sounds like a connection is failing under load. If you fins abad solder joint, then repair it.

Member Avatar for nightmare62

i hve a mt3422 with the exact same problem.the hard drive light comes on for a second then goes off but not a flicker on the screen.after a month of turning it on an off i got it to come on mysteriously,kept it on for a day turning it on and off worked fine.but when i turned it off and closed the cover then opened it up it wouldnt work again.the power lights stay on but no moniter.

Member Avatar for Kegtapper

One side of the DC circuit is failing. If it is a MA2 or MA3 it is most likely a MOSFET on the front end, (4814/4816/4916). Also check with a charged and known good battery

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