Member Avatar for saren

I was using my computer at the airport the other day and it suddenly powered off as though the plug had been pulled. I unplugged its AC plug, plugged it into a different outlet and the computer functioned fine. A couple days later, it did it again, I did the same thing, and it was fine.

Two days ago, I use the computer at home. I’m sitting on the couch with it, and I shift my weight slightly and the thing powers off (it has no battery in it, as the battery died 2 months ago and won’t hold a charge – gives the “Battery is defective, contact Dell” sequence of light flashing). No amount of plugging in, wiggling of cords, checking the connections in the power cord, holding down the power button on the laptop, etc would bring it back. There was no sound, no sparks, no smells. To check if there’s power going into it at ALL, I plugged in the dead battery. The battery light showed that it was trying to charge it, and then settled into its usual error flashing sequence. I don’t know anyone else with a Dell laptop, so I haven’t been able to swap power cords and see if that was the problem. The computer shows no signs of life at all unless the battery’s in there, and it’s telling me the battery’s toast.

I was told to do a hard reset on the machine, but I don’t know how to do one other than the “hold the power button down” trick on the Inspiron 8200. Does anyone have any ideas, or does it sound like my little senior finally kicked it (it’s five years old this year).

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This thread shows the classic “sudden dead” Inspiron behavior: intermittent life when the system is jostled, a dead or defective battery, and replacement motherboard attempts that did not cure the symptom (, , ). That combination narrows the likely culprits to a few hardware points outside normal software troubleshooting — but it also points toward repairs that are cheaper than full-board replacement if caught early.

Inspect the power-delivery area first (with AC and battery removed). Look for bulged or leaking electrolytic capacitors near the DC-input and regulator area; on machines from this era these caps often fail and can kill the main rails intermittently. Also examine the DC barrel/jack assembly and the small ribbon cable that carries the power-switch signal to the board: a cracked jack, torn solder joint, or a broken power-button flex cable will produce exactly the “moves = dies” symptom. A quick non-powered check is visual and gentle manual inspection for wobble, corrosion, or brown residue around components.

If comfortable working on laptops, open the chassis with proper anti-static precautions and visually confirm those items before spending on a full motherboard swap. A short, careful test that experienced techs use is to momentarily bridge the two motherboard power-switch pins to see whether the board will spin up (this isolates a bad switch/harness from a no-power condition). If any caps are bulging or electrolyte is visible, a recap or targeted component replacement is far cheaper than a new board. If the power jack is the problem, many Inspiron 8200 owners have had success replacing just the jack or the jack subassembly.

For data-first scenarios or when repairs don’t pencil out, remove the hard drive for data recovery and consider selling working modules (screen, RAM, optical bay). For safety or if unsure about board-level work, take the unit to a specialist who does board-level soldering rather than a general big-box service.

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Member Avatar for dcc

It sounds like a connectivity issue in the power supply, not necessarily the PSU. I don't think it is you cord, but you can eliminate this by shorting the AC plug and using an Ohm meter to read continuity at the other plug. Having the computer shut off after moving it suggests that this is a physical problem, and taking the laptop apart can be bear if you are not familiar with it. Unfortunately in order to effectively trouble shoot the power supply you will need to get to different points of reference to see where it is breaking down.

Can you demonstrate any repeatability by moving it and having it shut off?

Member Avatar for saren

No, I cannot, because it will not turn on at all at this point.

Member Avatar for drewgeo

My 8200 also has (or had) the same problem. Mine lasted about 2 months after it first started. I called Dell, changed memory, new batteries and then then finally it stopped. Now it won't turn on all the way- all four green lights come on (power, Num lock, Alpha Lock & lock with the down arrow) for about 3-5 seconds and then everything shuts off. I took to a local repair shop and just got back today because they replaced the motherboard and still could not fix the problem. Have you made any head way with yours?

Member Avatar for saren

You know what? I've basically given up on it. I was given a new laptop by a family member who was very generous, and now the Dell's just sitting on the floor flashing and being a burden on my utility bill. I'm thinking of stripping it for parts and selling it for all it's good for (screen, RAM, etc) on eBay. Before I do that, though, I'll take it apart and check all its solder connections.

Member Avatar for RueB2sDe

I would suggest to first try replacing your battery or taking it in to have some one like Best Buy's Geek Squad to check the integrity of your Laptops Battery.
You may still pay less then what you would if you sell parts.

Member Avatar for digix

You might want to ensure that all of the cards in the machine are all connected. I recently had an issue where mine wouldn't power on at all, and it seems one of the cards just below the video card had come loose during transport. Your computer will not power on if it's disconnected. It's not that big either.

Member Avatar for yankintx

Mine does same thin. You ever get yours fixed? What was it?

email me at if you get this message and know what it is. Thanks.

Member Avatar for saren

No, I never bothered to get it fixed, as I was given another (old) laptop for free. I just stripped it for parts, kept the RAM and HD for the next machine and sold it for parts on eBay.

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