Re: Dead Compaq Armada 4210T Laptop

Hi Rod,

With the battery removed, same thing. I had tried that already. Remember,
I am a service technician.

The fact that Ctrl and power button (manual says to do this if power won't
go off) makes it go "off" (LEDs) indicates that Bios is "working", at least in
part if it is the source of the problem, which I doubt.

Brad

On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 07:28:06 +1100, in alt.comp.hardware you wrote:

>Brad <bpetria@verizon.net> wrote
>
>> My brother gave me his "dead" Compaq Armada 4210T laptop to repair.
>> I normally service TVs and other stuff. With fully charged battery,
>> absolutely nothing (no hard disk spin or floppy disk drive noise
>> (with a boot floppy), no "beeps" or lights) happens when you turn it
>> on, but with the room totally quite, if I put a floppy disk in the
>> drive, I can hear a faint noise when I turn on the power (but floppy
>> drive doesn't run). If I remove the floppy disk, it isn't there.
>
>> One other thing that happens, even when using the external power
>> (plugged into AC), 4 of five LEDs (power, caps lock, scroll lock,
>> numb lock) light up (the battery charging LED is off). You can't
>> turn it "off" to make the LEDs go off by pressing or holding down the
>> power button. However, if I hold down the Ctrl key, then press the
>> power button, the LEDs go off and I hear a faint "tick"
>
>> I opened the unit and found a tiny 5A fuse, but that tested
>> good (not open). I examined circuits for bad solder joints.
>> Also checked for loose connections of any kind.
>
>What happens with no battery at all ? The battery can
>end up so stuffed that it stops the system powering up.
>

Brad <bpetria@verizon.net> wrote:

> With the battery removed, same thing. I had tried that already.

Then you should have said that.

> Remember, I am a service technician.

Plenty of those arent aware of all the detail with laptops, particularly
on that question of whether its safe to use them without the battery.

> The fact that Ctrl and power button (manual says to do this if power
> won't go off) makes it go "off" (LEDs) indicates that Bios is "working",
> at least in part if it is the source of the problem, which I doubt.

Not necessarily, quite a bit of that sort of stuff isnt done by the bios.

You'll just have to fault find in the usual way, work out if the
cpu is running, why the boot doesnt happen if it is, etc etc etc.

Those Compaqs do have pretty decent maintenance manuals online on the compaq/hp site.
Thats the obvious place to start.


> On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 07:28:06 +1100, in alt.comp.hardware you wrote:
>
>> Brad <bpetria@verizon.net> wrote
>>
>>> My brother gave me his "dead" Compaq Armada 4210T laptop to repair.
>>> I normally service TVs and other stuff. With fully charged
>>> battery, absolutely nothing (no hard disk spin or floppy disk drive
>>> noise (with a boot floppy), no "beeps" or lights) happens when you
>>> turn it on, but with the room totally quite, if I put a floppy disk
>>> in the drive, I can hear a faint noise when I turn on the power
>>> (but floppy drive doesn't run). If I remove the floppy disk, it
>>> isn't there.
>>
>>> One other thing that happens, even when using the external power
>>> (plugged into AC), 4 of five LEDs (power, caps lock, scroll lock,
>>> numb lock) light up (the battery charging LED is off). You can't
>>> turn it "off" to make the LEDs go off by pressing or holding down
>>> the power button. However, if I hold down the Ctrl key, then press
>>> the power button, the LEDs go off and I hear a faint "tick"
>>
>>> I opened the unit and found a tiny 5A fuse, but that tested
>>> good (not open). I examined circuits for bad solder joints.
>>> Also checked for loose connections of any kind.
>>
>> What happens with no battery at all ? The battery can
>> end up so stuffed that it stops the system powering up.