Hi,
I want this (~2006) laptop to live forever, but it is falling apart
It has a better screen and equal computing power to my wife's 7 year younger laptop (albeit at several times the powerconsumption) and it runs essential car-readout software that needs XP, so I see no need to replace it unless absolutely, unequivocally necessary.
Two issues:
Screen is no longer working. It could initially get it to work by switching between internal and external screen after it finished booting (this is one of the reasons I don't think it is a simple CFL or whatchamacallit issue, I also see no image on the screen whatsoever with flashlight or under different angles). But now it does not even show up in e.g. NVIDIA software program to set the resolution (1440x900 14"). This is something that baffles me with my limited knowledge: I did not 'remove' it in the bios or anything, so what would it make it disappear from the screen selection menu or make the computer not 'know' it's there? It works fine with an external display (NVidia Quadra NVS 110M graphics card)
Second issue:
It won't turn on properly with any of my Dell powersupplies (3 laptopsupplies from ~60 to ~100W and one 230V~ powered docking station all give the same result). Maybe one in ten tries makes it start up normally instead of the LED's lighting up shortly and it then powering down again. If I hear sound from the DVD drive (head moving or spinning up), then I know it will start normally (and removing the DVDRW completely does not change the startup chance). If I do't hear this sound after a second or two, then I know it will power down again.
If I try it on batterypower alone without the powersupply plugged in, it will work 2 out of 3 times!!!
The latter made me think of a bad powercap somewhere and made me post it here.
Any thoughts, advice, etc are welcomed!
I want this (~2006) laptop to live forever, but it is falling apart
It has a better screen and equal computing power to my wife's 7 year younger laptop (albeit at several times the powerconsumption) and it runs essential car-readout software that needs XP, so I see no need to replace it unless absolutely, unequivocally necessary.
Two issues:
Screen is no longer working. It could initially get it to work by switching between internal and external screen after it finished booting (this is one of the reasons I don't think it is a simple CFL or whatchamacallit issue, I also see no image on the screen whatsoever with flashlight or under different angles). But now it does not even show up in e.g. NVIDIA software program to set the resolution (1440x900 14"). This is something that baffles me with my limited knowledge: I did not 'remove' it in the bios or anything, so what would it make it disappear from the screen selection menu or make the computer not 'know' it's there? It works fine with an external display (NVidia Quadra NVS 110M graphics card)
Second issue:
It won't turn on properly with any of my Dell powersupplies (3 laptopsupplies from ~60 to ~100W and one 230V~ powered docking station all give the same result). Maybe one in ten tries makes it start up normally instead of the LED's lighting up shortly and it then powering down again. If I hear sound from the DVD drive (head moving or spinning up), then I know it will start normally (and removing the DVDRW completely does not change the startup chance). If I do't hear this sound after a second or two, then I know it will power down again.
If I try it on batterypower alone without the powersupply plugged in, it will work 2 out of 3 times!!!
The latter made me think of a bad powercap somewhere and made me post it here.
Any thoughts, advice, etc are welcomed!
So any links with more info are appreciated, along with any info on options (like is there a minute chance any other card will fit?)
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