How can I fix a dead laptop?

It's got an external power supply doesn't it? Did you check to see if the power supply was putting out? Any cheap multi-meter will do for that. I doubt that the power surge did more than whacking the power supply and/or battery, but it's possible. The fact that it does completely nothing is actually good... probably something simple. You probably won't be able to open the power supply (most of them are sealed) but it it's not putting out you could just get another one. Check that first.

From your questions, I'd say that YOUR chances of fixing it are near zero. Don't take that personally, but this is a task that requires skills that take years to learn, and about which you have no knowledge (when you ask "how do I use a multimeter", it's clear that you have no skills in this area).

Before you do anything to the laptop itself, however, verify that the external power supply (AC adapter) is working. That would be the place to start, it's either working or it's not, and if it's not, you replace it and that might fix the problem.

Paul M wrote:

Since nothing happens when you try to turn it on, I'd start by making sure that the external AC power brick is working. Measure the voltage on the connector and compare to what is stamped on the supply. If that is good, then remove the laptop's battery and measure the voltage on the battery as well. If the battery is low, then attempt to charge it before you turn it on again or find a working battery to try instead. If the supply and the battery are both good, then take the laptop to someone who can open it and check the input power protection circuitry and measure the voltage on the motherboard before and after you press the on switch. From the tone of your post I would not suggest you attempt to open it yourself.

Bob

First, check the AC adapter and make sure it's putting out the correct voltage, ideally into some sort of load. If the laptop still doesn't work, you could open it up and look for anything obvious, but honestly your best bet is to watch Ebay and find a laptop in the same series with a cracked screen and then swap parts around to get a good one.

The power adapter is about the only hope. If it wasn't connected to the phone line at the time of the lightning strike, that may be all that blown out.

There really isn't anything else that would be relatively easy to troubleshoot, especially if it was caused by lightning.

I bet many of the experienced repair people on this newsgroup would rather go to the dentist than try to repair a lightning damaged laptop. :)

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Hi Barry,

Thanks a lot for your confidence in my abilities. Just so you know, I have an M.S. in physics. I used multimeters many years ago while an undergrad, so I do have some cursory experience with them. Perhaps my question ("how do I use a multimeter") was not the best one to ask. A more appropriate question would be: "what measurements should I make with the multimeter to locate any defective parts in the laptop?"

I used the AC adapter of a friend's Dell Inspiron i5100 laptop to test the dead one, and it was still dead. (The AC adapter had the same output voltage of 20 V. The output current was 3.5 A or 4.5 A, I don't remember exactly.) I guess that narrows the problem to the laptop itself. Thanks for the help.

- Paul

You'd be amazed at how many "brilliant" people, forget to plug in whatever appliance they can't get to work.

Not that I'm suggesting that you're brilliant , but the best place to start is at the beginning. (Pretty profound, huh?)

Take care!

Notan

Low-risk investment ... might be helpful.

OK. You asked for it: Get a 5 lbs sledge hammer and hit the laptop as hard as you can and then throw it away. I guarantee you'll have peace of mind :)

"Paul M" bravely wrote to "All" (08 Jan 06 12:16:16) --- on the heady topic of "How can I fix a dead laptop?"

PM> From: Paul M PM> sci.electronics.repair:354510

PM> Hello,

PM> My friend's laptop died several months ago during an PM> electrical storm. He gave it to me after he bought PM> another one. Being a little tight on budget, I would PM> really appreciate any help with bringing the laptop PM> back to life.

PM> The laptop in question is a Dell Inspiron 4150 (model PM> number PP01L). Absolutely nothing happens when I press PM> the power button. No lights, no sounds, nothing.

PM> I did some searching on the web and the newsgroups, PM> and it seems there is a slight hope I might be able PM> to save the laptop if I replace the power board. PM> I haven't opened up the laptop yet so I really don't PM> know if the laptop has a separate power board (i.e., PM> not built into the motherboard).

PM> Also, in order for me to more specifically diagose the PM> problem I need to get a (digital) mltimedter.

PM> Here are my questions:

PM> (1) What are the chances of saving this laptop by PM> replacing the power board (if any)?

Your chances are 50/50 and that really isn't bad odds, considering.

PM> (2) Could the BIOS have fried, or maybe some other PM> electrical component on the motherboard?

It isn't typical for a bios to fry. Usually it is the powersupply components which give up their little lives to save the rest.

PM> (3) Can someone please recommend a multimeter for PM> this kind of work? (Some of the decent multimeters PM> on the market cost above $100 and a lot more, like PM> the Fluke models.)

Spend what you can afford. A simple $5 dmm can get the job done. What costs extra is precision and ruggedness. If you have need for either then you can justify spending more.

PM> (4) How can I use a multimeter to determine any PM> dead electrical components on the motherboard?

If you are familiar with Ohm's Law and how components behave then how to use a dmm should be obvious. Basically a dmm lets you see what the electricity is doing at the moment. An oscilloscope does even better by showing an image of what electricity is doing over a period of time.

PM> (5) Any general comments or recommendations?

No doubt there is a steep learning curve but the concepts are basically simple enough that anyone can grasp but don't expect too much if you have zero knowledge of the subject at hand. Dig into some library books about servicing stuff to get an idea. As analogy: you don't need to know how to drive a car to be a mechanic and you don't need to be a mechanic to drive a car. Ditto with the engineer.

Philosophically speaking, it all really boils down to how much your investment in time is worth to you. Good luck!

A*s*i*m*o*v

... I am Ohm of Borg. Resistance is V/I...

Though on the same note, I would argue that the best mechanics are very familiar with driving a car, and the best drivers are very familiar with the mechanical workings of a car. It helps a great deal to know what one is actually doing when manipulating the controls of a car, and at the same time it's much easier to track down many types of car problems if one is an experienced driver.

You seriously think that having an M.S. in Physics is going to help you to service a dead laptop?

Thanks for giving em a good laugh this evening!

Adding to this excellent advice, ensure that you are wearing safety glasses PLEASE!

Hi!

Lightening damage is just about the worst thing that can happen to any piece of electronic equipment.

Further, in all honestly, no matter what you know and understand, if you've never been in a laptop computer before, then you may be in for quite the surprise. Things inside there are very highly integrated, space is tight and many things are quite fragile.

If you want to try to resurrect it, then give it a try! You've got nothing to lose, but I don't think a DMM will help you much. Spend some money on a good set of small tools. You will need them more than anything else, especially if you must go deep inside the computer after a failed part.

Having the right power supply would also be a good idea. Some laptops work fine as long as the voltage and current levels are about correct. Others behave strangely. A very few won't even work if the power supply is not exactly right.

Finally, smell around for anything burnt. I've found that the modem is usually what gets blitzed in an electrical storm. If that's the case then you might find it on a separate card that could be removed if you don't need it. I'm not sure that would cause the machine to not power up though. (Most bad modems I've seen would let the machine come on, but they'd hold the machine down dead.)

William

Google for "Pico fuse" and learn to recognize them.

If everbody knew as much as you and me, then there would be no need to come into a group like this and ask questions. Therefore, there would be NO REASON for these newsgroups, would there be you butt plugging asshole?

"James Sweet" bravely wrote to "All" (09 Jan 06 00:18:03) --- on the heady topic of "Re: How can I fix a dead laptop?"

JS> From: James Sweet JS> Xref: core-easynews sci.electronics.repair:354549

JS> Though on the same note, I would argue that the best mechanics are JS> very familiar with driving a car, and the best drivers are very JS> familiar with the mechanical workings of a car. It helps a great deal JS> to know what one is actually doing when manipulating the controls of a JS> car, and at the same time it's much easier to track down many types of JS> car problems if one is an experienced driver.

True, Eddie Shoemaker did know which end of the horse was which.

A*s*i*m*o*v

... KPLA: Klingon Radio: All Klingon Opera, All The Time.

Now that's the best answer to this thread

Good job mc!