Dell Inspiron 1545 startup problem
jeffroid
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termgsi Posted messages 678 Registration date Status Member Last intervention -
termgsi Posted messages 678 Registration date Status Member Last intervention -
Hello everyone,
I could use your input regarding a laptop (Dell Inspiron 1545) of a friend that I am currently trying to repair.
To start, here are the symptoms: when I turn on the computer, the fan starts up for 2-3 seconds, then it stops immediately and nothing else happens. However, the hard drive seems to keep spinning, since I have to press the power button again to stop hearing the hard drive spinning noises.
So I began a phase of small tests to find the problem:
- I tried the operation with another hard drive, nothing changes
- I tried with only one of the two RAM sticks (and by switching them) and no change either (I also tried without any RAM stick, resulting in a beep as expected; without RAM it cannot work but the fan should at least continue to spin)
I then started the disassembly phase of the laptop. I cleaned it completely and even removed a generous block of dust that was blocking the fan. I also disconnected everything possible (card reader, DVD reader/writer, LCD monitor, webcam, USB ports, speakers), but the problem persists: fan starts for 2-3 seconds then stops and the hard drive continues to spin until a second press of power.
I therefore suspect an issue on the motherboard and/or the CPU. Maybe prolonged overheating due to dust (and observed by my friend when the computer was still running) has weakened or damaged an element of the motherboard?
I’m awaiting your opinions and advice on the matter, if you have any ideas or leads to provide.
Thank you very much to everyone!
I could use your input regarding a laptop (Dell Inspiron 1545) of a friend that I am currently trying to repair.
To start, here are the symptoms: when I turn on the computer, the fan starts up for 2-3 seconds, then it stops immediately and nothing else happens. However, the hard drive seems to keep spinning, since I have to press the power button again to stop hearing the hard drive spinning noises.
So I began a phase of small tests to find the problem:
- I tried the operation with another hard drive, nothing changes
- I tried with only one of the two RAM sticks (and by switching them) and no change either (I also tried without any RAM stick, resulting in a beep as expected; without RAM it cannot work but the fan should at least continue to spin)
I then started the disassembly phase of the laptop. I cleaned it completely and even removed a generous block of dust that was blocking the fan. I also disconnected everything possible (card reader, DVD reader/writer, LCD monitor, webcam, USB ports, speakers), but the problem persists: fan starts for 2-3 seconds then stops and the hard drive continues to spin until a second press of power.
I therefore suspect an issue on the motherboard and/or the CPU. Maybe prolonged overheating due to dust (and observed by my friend when the computer was still running) has weakened or damaged an element of the motherboard?
I’m awaiting your opinions and advice on the matter, if you have any ideas or leads to provide.
Thank you very much to everyone!
4 answers
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Hello,
Have you tried plugging a monitor into the VGA output and then starting it up? :D -
Hello,
the screen won’t turn on?
try plugging it into another screen or disconnecting the battery -
No, I have to admit I hadn’t thought of trying that at all. I plugged the monitor from my desktop PC into the laptop’s VGA, then booted (with the LCD screen on the motherboard disconnected), but it doesn’t change anything, still the same ^^
In both cases (this test and when the LCD was connected to the motherboard), the screen never turned on or displayed anything. The fan spins for 3 seconds and then stops, that’s all. And the hard drive seems to be still running. If the LCD had died, shouldn’t the fan keep spinning? I guess we should just have nothing on screen in that case. But still, thanks for the idea ;)
Any other ideas by any chance? -
I tried your lavague23 technique, removing the motherboard battery and booting without the battery, and it's still the same. I tried again afterwards by putting the battery back in, but it's still the same. The fan starts for a few seconds and then stops by itself immediately. Thanks anyway for your suggestion.