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    Battery + Power Switch problems after replacing the fan

    Discussion in 'Alienware M11x' started by Momijizukamori, Jan 28, 2014.

  1. Momijizukamori

    Momijizukamori Notebook Enthusiast

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    I replaced the fan on my ¬2.5 year old m11x, as it was making awful grinding noises and I was having heat problems. Unfortunately, as anyone who's opened their m11x up knows, this basically requires stripping out everything but the LCD. I couldn't get the ribbon cables for the LEDs on the palmrest re-attached properly (indicator strip or the speaker backlights), and I think in trying I partially shorted some of them as my laptop was cycling on and off repeatedly until I detached them entirely. No LEDs, fine, whatever, the fan was fixed.

    I usually leave it in suspend if I'm not using it, so fast forward a week and a half to yesterday - the battery stopped charging even though the computer registered it was plugged in, and then when it ran out of battery during my last class, it shut down (understandably). I got home, plugged it in - and it wouldn't turn on. No signs of life (though with the LEDs shorted there's a lot fewer ways to tell), and if the battery indicator is correct, it's not charging. Things I've tried:
    -pulling the battery, and powering on with AC only
    -trying a new power cord (one of the Rocketfish universal ones - Best Buy is close and takes returns)
    -Sitting with the power button held down for 30+ seconds

    I can get a new palm rest unit with boards on Ebay for $30 if I've only ed up the power switch, but the battery refusing to charge worries me, and I don't know the guts (or computer engineering) well enough to say if replacing the palmrest boards is going to be a waste of time and money better spent on a newer laptop.
     
    Momijizukamori, Jan 28, 2014
    #1
  2. Alienware-L_Porras

    Alienware-L_Porras Company Representative

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    You could try a different adapter, in the worst scenario the damage is on the board.
     
    Alienware-L_Porras, Jan 29, 2014
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  3. manny951

    manny951 Notebook Geek

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    u know for the longest i thought it would be drivers or something was wrong with my laptop when it didn't want to charge my battery but it was my bios i reupdate it and evreything worked fine even my battery gave me 3 hours but now your laptop doesn't even turn on there are i7 motherboards in ebay for 115$ thats really cheap coming from hong kong i talked to this guy and even took my laptop apart to match motherboards # and they work :] so now i have 2 i7 boards just incase one messes up
     
    manny951, Feb 2, 2014
    #3
  4. Momijizukamori

    Momijizukamori Notebook Enthusiast

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    Got a link? Part of me feels like if I'm going to be putting $100+ in I might as well just upgrade, but an i7 would be an upgrade over my i3, at least....
     
    Momijizukamori, Feb 3, 2014
    #4