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Resolved Question

Laptop wont boot?

by Aug 9, 2014 10:30PM PDT

Hi I'm trying to fix an Acer Travelmate 5520. The problem is that it wont boot, wont POST. When I press the power button with the ac adapter connected the power light flashes once and nothing else happens, press the power button again and the power light wont flash. The battery light is constant green with ac adapter connected. If I try without the adapter connected the power light will flash every time I press the power button, sometimes the fan will kick in and HDD light will come on not every time though. I don't have another adapter or battery to suit the laptop unfortunately. Laptop was bought in 98 as far as I know and is running vista but I doubt the OS has anything to do with it. Any suggestions as to what to try with this would be much appreciated! Thanks

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Reddave83 has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
6 Posts
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Clarification Request
The won't POST is a clue
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Aug 10, 2014 2:28AM PDT

That there is a hard failure. Try the usual removal of the HDD and ODD and leave one stick of RAM to downsize the machine. If the battery is the original that's a bad thing. Leave that out too but if so, old batteries can fail and cause the mainboard and power unit to fail.

Good luck.
Bob

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Hi Bob
by Reddave83 Aug 10, 2014 4:54AM PDT

I've tried with HDD & ODD out one at a time and both together. I've tried each stick separately in each slot. AC adapter is giving just over 20v with no load so I don't think it's that. I've tried with battery out, battery on it's own and adapter on it's own. I've completely stripped and rebuilt it, so all connections are good & no obvious damage to anything. Since I've rebuilt it,if I repeatedly press the power button with battery in and no AC adapter connected the HDD light will come on and fan will spin but then just dies again. If the AC adapter is connected though the power light will still just flash once and that's all that happens. I was thinking maybe the battery wasn't taking a charge but it wont boot with the battery out and AC adapter connected and will actually get a little bit further with just the battery. Running out of ideas at this stage

Best Answer

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One last thing.
by Forum moderator Aug 10, 2014 5:01AM PDT

Is the CMOS battery over 3 Volts? Remember this is a typical Turion+ATI laptop that we see fail after the years so let's do that last check.

Also, NO RAM, ODD, HDD and see if it beeps in protect. No beep to me means a main board failure. Again, if the battery is the one that came with the machine, we never put it back into the machine. Send it to the recycler and don't look back as those are great for nothing more than to burn out a main board.
Bob

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I'll try that
by Reddave83 Aug 10, 2014 6:29AM PDT

I never thought to check the voltage of the CMOS, I'll pull it apart again and have a look. I'm not sure if it's the original battery but if I had to hazard a guess i'd say it is. I'll try all your suggestions and see what happens. If nothing works I think I'll just pull data and at least he'll have that. It's y Grand Dads laptop and he's attached to it so I was hoping to get it running again. It'll be a few days before I have the chance to try but I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks for all the help!

Dave

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Fixed
by Reddave83 Aug 12, 2014 11:10PM PDT

I took it apart again and checked cmoss, it was only giving 0.2v so replaced it and back working perfectly. Apart from all the junk on it Happy but that'll be sorted soon. Thanks again for all your help!! Can't believe I didn't think of it

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Nice find.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Aug 13, 2014 1:39AM PDT

This is going to be one of those finds you'll remember forever. I can't be sure of where or when I'll trip over the old dead CMOS battery keeps a machine from booting issue but it is on my list of "My favorite cheap fixes" over the years.

Good to read you persevered and got to it.
Bob

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