Hello,

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

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

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

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

Here are my questions:

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

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

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

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

(5) Any general comments or recommendations?

Thank you for any help and guidance.

Best regards,
Paul

Paul M wrote:
Hello,

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

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

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

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

Here are my questions:

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

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

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

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

(5) Any general comments or recommendations?

Thank you for any help and guidance.

Best regards,
Paul

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:
Hello,

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

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

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

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

Here are my questions:

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

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

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

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

(5) Any general comments or recommendations?

Thank you for any help and guidance.

Best regards,
Paul

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

"Paul M" wrote in message
...
Hello,

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

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

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

Paul M wrote:
Hello,

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

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

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

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

Here are my questions:

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

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

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

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

(5) Any general comments or recommendations?

Thank you for any help and guidance.

Best regards,
Paul



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.

James Sweet writes:

Paul M wrote:
Hello,
My friend's laptop died several months ago during an
electrical storm. He gave it to me after he bought
another one. Being a little tight on budget, I would really
appreciate any help with bringing the laptop back to life.
The laptop in question is a Dell Inspiron 4150 (model
number PP01L). Absolutely nothing happens when I press
the power button. No lights, no sounds, nothing.
I did some searching on the web and the newsgroups,
and it seems there is a slight hope I might be able
to save the laptop if I replace the power board.
I haven't opened up the laptop yet so I really don't
know if the laptop has a separate power board (i.e., not built into
the motherboard).
Also, in order for me to more specifically diagose the
problem I need to get a (digital) mltimedter.
Here are my questions:
(1) What are the chances of saving this laptop by
replacing the power board (if any)?
(2) Could the BIOS have fried, or maybe some other
electrical component on the motherboard?
(3) Can someone please recommend a multimeter for
this kind of work? (Some of the decent multimeters
on the market cost above $100 and a lot more, like
the Fluke models.)
(4) How can I use a multimeter to determine any
dead electrical components on the motherboard?
(5) Any general comments or recommendations?
Thank you for any help and guidance.
Best regards,
Paul

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.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 18:23:49 GMT, Barry Watzman
wrote:

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).

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?"

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.

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

Paul M wrote:

On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 18:23:49 GMT, Barry Watzman
wrote:

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).

Hi Barry,

Thanks a lot for your confidence in my abilities. Just so you
know, I have an M.S. in physics.

snip

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 g, but the best
place to start is at the beginning. (Pretty profound, huh?)

Take care!

Notan

http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-Laptop-Serv...cmdZV iewItem

Low-risk investment ... might be helpful.

"Paul M" wrote in message
...

Hello,
Any general comments or recommendations?

Thank you for any help and guidance.


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...

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.



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.

Paul M wrote:
On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 18:23:49 GMT, Barry Watzman
wrote:


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).


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?"


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.


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 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!

Lloid Bell wrote:
"Paul M" wrote in message
...


Hello,
Any general comments or recommendations?

Thank you for any help and guidance.



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


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

Hi!

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

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.

Barry Watzman wrote:
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).

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?

Sam Goldwasser wrote:
James Sweet writes:
..

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.


Considering it was a Dell, one can only hope for it to get struck by
lighting. A direct hit might just be the only thing to rid of the
spyware they put on their systems.

Yet must airplane mechanics never fly a plane and most pilots
never work on them. If it were true, you'd think the crossover
skills would be much more important with airplanes where the
risk is so great.

James Sweet wrote:

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.

"James Sweet" bravely wrote to "All" (09 Jan 06 00:18:03)
--- on the heady topic of " 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!

"mc" wrote in message
.. .
Google for "Pico fuse" and learn to recognize them.