[Help] Dell n5010 laptop wont boot.

[ZeroTwo]

Hello,
I have dell inspiron n5010 core i5, with ATI graphics.. While I was playing a game it get suddenly turned off as if it was being shutted down, I tried to turn on again but I cant pass Dell Logo anymore.
But sometimes, it boots to windows but not for long, usually died in a minute again. The charging has no problem and same for the battery. Some people are suggesting it might be a motherboard problem, so I am planning to buy a new motherboard but since its extremely expensive I just want to confirm it first,
here's a video if you want to see what happens when I pressed the power button https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMTtnIW3x2s&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Any help is appreciated .. Thanks

 

[Harvey]

As you said, a new motherboard would be expensive and even more so if you're not able to install it, yourself, and replacing it may not solve the problem. It's also possible that your hard drive is failing or infected by malware.

The first step in problem solving is to define the problem. Before buying a motherboard, it may be worth investing in having your machine checked out by a qualified tech who has the diagnostic tools to check it out.

Before you spend money on that, you could remove the drive from your machine, connect it to another machine as a slave, scan it for malware and run CHKDISK.

Before starting, be sure the other machine is well protected against malware and backed up to avoid the possibility of infecting the other machine. If you find any infected files, you can safely delete them from your drive using the working anti-malware software on the other machine.

Any programs affected by such deletions may have to be re-installed, and some viruses can completely destroy a working Windows installation, but that's the price of getting rid of an infection. If it's seriously infected, I'd consider saving all critical files and re-installing Windows from the ground up using the recovery partition and/or recovery disk set.

A final note - The BEST backup you can have for a laptop is to clone the hard drive. A cloned drive is more than a backup for your files. If clone your drive to a similar 2.5" SATA drive, and your main drive fails, the cloned drive plugs in and runs.

If you clone it to an external drive, good cloning software allows you to create a bootable CD that will allow you to clone back to a new drive from the backup. The free version of EaseUS Todo Backup works well. Seagate and Western Digital offer free branded versions of Acronis True Image, which is even better. These branded versions require that at least one of your drives (source or target) is from the company providing the software.

If you buy a separate laptop drive and an external case, instead of an assembled external drive you won't void the warranty by opening it up to use the backup drive in your machine.

Good luck.

 

[paul878]

Pull out the hard drive, dvd, battery, and anything else you can.

 

[Virgorising]

From the uTube video, my take is this can be put right. It could simply be a short. Many reasons a system does not POST. Assuming it's the board, I think is entirely premature.

Have you ever monitored yr temps?

Could also be ram gone bad. Is there more than one stick? If so, try removing one and see if the system boots normally. Just delved, you have two ram slots. If you have 8GBs, 2x4GB sticks, try to remove one at a time and see if your lappy POSTs.
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Edit: are you still under warranty? And, even if not, Dell support is now worldclass. You can phone, real time chat, many options.

Bet a dollar it's not the board.
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Delved more, yr lappy is known to have some heat issues, but what lappy, esp one with ATI graphics doesn't over time? I still think the issue can be identified and lappy can be fixed, and, without replacing the board. Question is, how long have you been using it and do you want to fix it or ditch it?
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Below, yr ram bay:

 

[Ketchup]

Based on your video, looks like there is a short, as the power light is going off during post. Honestly, if you are not familiar with laptop internals, you may want to take it to a repair shop. Show them the issue and ask for an estimate, to see if it's worth fixing.

 

[ZeroTwo]

A big thanks to you all for taking your time.

I formatted some drives and reinstall windows recently because I downloaded a virus, it ran in the background and also kept increasing, this made the computer slow as hell and I immediately formatted system and one other drive. I never install anti virus and usually rely on windows 8 Defender because I do phone firmware modifying a lot and anti virus software detects and blocks those software used. Yeah, I was prone to a virus.

To the point, i use 2x2gb RAM and I have tried removing the both and reinstall it a lot of time, well that doesnt seem to work. For the motherboard replacement, I have a relative computer technician and he said he will do it for me.
And there is no dell care centre in my place nor a good laptop repair shop, all I can rely on is you guys .. Another problem is Dell laptops are not popular here, I dont think I will be able to find other device for testing my harddisk,can't I do that on other laptops like acer?
I really really am out of ideas right now and I need my laptop very much cause I am a computer science student :'( but when it comes to hardware stuffs my knowledge is so short.

 

[ZeroTwo]

@ Virgorising
You are right overheating is like a normal thing for me.. Happened with my previous lappy Dell n5050 as well, I just sold it because it was seriously uncomfortable to work with that much heat, and sames happening for my current one. I now have a cooler and btw I tried turning on again and again and the windows did automatic repair and the lappy is being turned on for more than an hour now, I dont know if it will die again though.

Its already been a month since I cant use it and I actually gave it to a repair shop and they said its the motherboard, I somehow doubt it thats why im asking here. I've already contacted dell and since the laptop is out of warranty it seems no help is possible.

 

[Virgorising]

@ Virgorising
You are right overheating is like a normal thing for me.. Happened with my previous lappy Dell n5050 as well, I just sold it because it was seriously uncomfortable to work with that much heat, and sames happening for my current one. I now have a cooler and btw I tried turning on again and again and the windows did automatic repair and the lappy is being turned on for more than an hour now, I dont know if it will die again though.

Its already been a month since I cant use it and I actually gave it to a repair shop and they said its the motherboard, I somehow doubt it thats why im asking here. I've already contacted dell and since the laptop is out of warranty it seems no help is possible.

My take still, is the issue re the system U posted about is not the mobo.

As I always say, the newer, the lighter, the thinner the lappy.....the shorter the life expectancy unless you use it with a really good aluminum cooling pad, and even then, not so hot, cause STILL too hot. Just discreet graphics = huge challenge re thermals.

U think maybe the cybergod is trying to tell U sumthing as a gamer? i.e., DESKTOP.()

 

[Harvey]

I dont think I will be able to find other device for testing my harddisk,can't I do that on other laptops like acer?

You're right that heat could be the problem. However, it could also be the hard drive.

Here's Dell's link to the service manual for your machine, which includes instructions on how to remove it.

If you remove the hard drive from your machine, you can test it on any other Windows machine by installing it in an external enclosure that holds a 2.5" SATA drive or a stand alone multi-drive adapter with USB output.

I don't know which models are available in your country so here are examples external cases on Newegg.com.

Examples of universal (SATA, PATA to USB) adapter cables.