How to raise an old laptop from the dead?

[RocketDog]

On 4/20/2021 at 10:55 AM, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Thanks, but I did write that plugging it in had no effect so it isn't the battery that is the problem. However, it might be the internal battery that has died and I'll get that checked.

Batteries can fail in various ways. If they are near shorted internally for instance, the external charger will sense the overcurrent load and crowbar itself to prevent battery fires or explosions. 

In the case of my Asus ROG laptop, over 5 years old now, it would die every few hours even plugged in. The battery indicator registered 0 % charge but the computer worked fine until it would just shut down. 

I bought a replacement battery pack for 1k฿ on Lazada and it took 30 min to install the pack. Now 100% charge and the computer has been on 7/24 for several weeks without dying. 

It is probably worth the small cost to have it checked or just gamble and buy/install a new pack. Not much to lose. I'd say the odds are high it's the battery pack. 

 

Somebody else suggested the small battery, which all computers had in the old days to support the clock chip timekeeping and the 'CMOS' BIOS settings.

As far as I know those days are gone except there may be a clock lithium cell. Still in that case the worst that happens is your clock is wrong if that cell fails.

I doubt that the 'soft switch' power cell somebody mentioned for turn on is even present, much less an issue. If the computer has power, battery or mains, it has power for the on/off switch. If no power then the switch is a moot point. 

Good luck, but as others point out more info would be helpful. 

[peterson12]

The laptop is not old, it is only four years old, you must have used it a lot.  Old laptops are the  one which are made in 2005 or before.  The laptop I'm typing on is also 2012 dell laptop but it is working perfectly,  and you have to get a new battery, a new charger and then a new inverter.  It's better to buy a tablet, they are much cheaper than that, or rent laptop. These ideas are the best for you.

 

[impulse]

Not meaning to be Captain Obvious on this old thread, but did the OP check the power supply to see if it's putting out voltage?   You can buy a voltmeter for less than $10 on Lazada or street markets

 

I went through several laptop power supplies living in Thailand.  Probably due to dirty mains power- lots of spikes and brownouts.  And if the power supply is no good, your battery won't charge...

[dddave]

 A friends laptop ( 10 year old lenovo,  Win-7 4gb RAM and old HD) was similar to the OPs: hadn't been used in  years and wouldn't turn on at all.

I took it to Pro-Corner computer repair in Fortune City, a very reliable shop and he said that when a laptop refuses to power up at all, then 90% of the time it's a motherboard issue.

I had him replace the MB (B2000) and it booted right up.  

I then added 4gb additional ram (B700), replaced the HD with a used 256gb SSD I had in a drawer and replaced the keyboard which had a couple of dead keys. (B250, Lazada)

Now runs like a new machine, great for websurfing, Youtube, streaming.  

[Eindhoven]

Seems the OP is happy with his wife's old machine and has abandoned the idea of doing anything with the laptop in question.