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Question

Samsung 700Z notebook intermittent - driving me crazy!

Jul 27, 2018 8:26AM PDT

I have this great notebook bought a few years ago. The reason I still have it is that I love everything about the engineering...it's like new. Why? Because it stops working, dead, for months then I'll give it a try just before throwing out the window and, voila, it comes on and works like a dream! Then...it won't.

Nothing...dead...except...

The battery light is flashing and when I hold the power button down for 5+ seconds it stops as if the system has gotten a hard reboot.

When I hit the power button again the light comes back on, green, and flashing.

I have tried every trick in the book - that I've come across - battery, basically disassembling it and putting it back together, placing it upside down in the freezer (all true) which even worked once, you name it and if I've come across it I've tried it.

I just read something about fast-boot option causing problems and sure enough when I ran all the updates yesterday (because it's been months since it worked) that was one of the pop-ups and being a total idiot thought, oh, okay, well that sounds good, and selected it. I'm not saying that's the issue because I can't remember all the times this has happened and the 'maybe this' cause each time.

But...it does revive...it does come back from the dead...so some spark of life has to be in there somewhere. Does anyone have any ideas? I really love this hunk of junk and when it works it's a dream!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
I wish I had a good answer.
Jul 27, 2018 9:10AM PDT

The flashing battery light to me is the only clue.

I'd replace the CMOS battery first and hope that's it. This is a cheap part from 25 cents (we buy in bulk) to just under 10 bucks at a rip off counter.

-> There are folk that want to drag out the discussion about this part but I won't. Sorry folk, it's a common part that is cheap, we flip in a new one and re-test.

Next up is the big battery. Try a new one if this machine is worth saving. After these 2 parts it's back to Samsung for service. My bet is mid 500 bucks.

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I see - power supply or motherboard
Jul 27, 2018 2:01PM PDT

so should that not be the allspark that breathes it back to life your thought is no doubt that it's the PS or MB - true? It's the long rest and revival time and again that's so mysterious. I have always had the impression that it's an all or nothing with those parts. When they're fried they're fried but maybe not.

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Let me repeat a little.
Jul 27, 2018 2:18PM PDT

We always swap in a new CMOS battery because it's cheap and has brought back a few laptops that were diagnosed with "bad motherboard." Yes, the new motherboard would have fixed it since most ship with a new battery along with the rest of the board.

I always wonder why the simple cheap ideas are often passed up.

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thumbs up
Jul 27, 2018 2:22PM PDT

gotcha. it's the first thing I'll try when I get home.