Troubleshot: Dell 8600 won't power on.

[lsman]

Troubleshot for my sister's Dell 8600:
1. Problem started (she claim) after I installed a new (clone the old one) bigger/faster spinning hard drive for her. (30G-> 100G ATA IDE 5400rpm etc)

But I am not sure about if this is the cause.
Pressing the power button won't power on. Sometimes, she tried for half an hour, it would turn on.

2. When I check, none of the status LEDs were on (power, wireless etc). Shouldn't one LED turn on when plug in AC adaptor (She most of time has the AC adaptor plug in)

3. Turn over and remove battery and reinstall, plug back AC. It power on the first try time. I read somewhere if the battery is not install right, it won't boot... I thought its resolved... until...

4. A few days later (last night), (#3 solution doesn't work) it won't power on again. I unplug and plug the AC adaptor a few times (without touching the battery), it now can power up again. It feel like the connector on the motherboard is a bit loose. The AC adaptor green light stay green all the time (or I didn't pay much attention to it).
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So any suggestion?
- any key to enable the status LEDs?
- is the battery dead? (come to think of it, I can't remember if I try to power it on without the AC) How to check?
- the connector on the motherboard for the AC plug is bad?
Thanks a lot.

 

[thirtythree]

Can you boot up without a battery? Can you boot up with her old hard drive? Do the Num Lock, Caps Lock, or Scroll Lock lights flash when you press the power button?

 

[lsman]

I will try to see the boot up with battery part tonight. I assume (2 weeks ago) I saw her walking around (power on) with the 8600 (on a cruise ship actually) so I think the battery at least not dead then. I will see.

Num Lock, Caps Lock, or Scroll Lock lights do not flash, nor even light up ....ever now.

old hard drive sold (its been a month since I upgrade) ...

 

[lsman]

Solved! Case closed.

Have some time poke around the notebook.
First try a few times to press the power button without AC plug in. It actually power on after like 20 times... when I hard press its surrounding also. Only 3 out of the LEDs near power button light up (num lock doesn't etc...)

So I think may be if I can look at them whatever.

Look up the service manual of Dell 8600 and its actually the "center control cover". Very easy to pop up... and when it does, the flex cable come out with it. (it should had been firmly connected to main unit). The tape/glue is some strong that the flex cable doesn't look like firmly connected.

Connect it back by slightly separate it from the glue. Then put the cover back. Battery.. power button.... All LEDs now works. Power button working fine.

Great Dell assembly!