Laptop won't POST

I have an MSI Megabook M677 that has stopped booting up. Nothing of significance that I am aware of caused the problem, just one day it wouldn't turn back on. Here's what's happening:

Laptop powers up, you can hear the HDD and fan going, but no beeps etc.. and no POST screen.

Tried disconnecting the CMOS battery for 5 minutes (with the laptop battery removed) to reset, but still the same thing

Tried booting with both Parted Magic and Memtest seperately via DVD, heard the DVD working, lights flashing, but nothing.

Tried connecting the laptop to external video source, nothing

Removed the RAM (it has two 1 GB sticks), and tried them individually in both slots, no dice

Removed the HDD and tried booting like that (to see if I could get a POST screen up). Nope.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Dead GPU ?

 

Thought that at first, but I'm not getting any kind of audio whatsoever. I even tried removing both RAM sticks to see if it would beep. No such luck.... What are your thoughts on a possibly corrupted BIOS?

 

Don't say that! Now he's cursed!

If there are no booting sounds, that means that it is indeed not doing anything. (Unless you muted the speakers last time you turned the laptop off).

 

Check the processor lock buddy, (Y)

 

Muting the speakers would have only affected the system once windows was booted though....right? I should still have audio during the POST/Startup. What do you mean by the processor lock?

 

Check if it's lock in properly in the socket. I doubt it can become loose any moment but you never know.

Could be dead processor or gpu .. can you try it on another pc ?
don't think it's the bios.

yeah it should come into effect in windows only.

 

If the GPU nwas dead wouldn't still be getting audio though? I don't have another laptop available right now to check the processor.... But that definately sounds like it could be a possible problem...

 

I have no idea about sounds as I haven't experienced it .. yet (fingers ******** crossed ) . Do you have warranty ?

 

Nope... Warranty is done and gone

 

Well mute wouldn't effect speaker if it was internal beep test,

Its definately GPU or CPU, Possibly RAM,

The processor has a locking screw, occasionally sometimes its not locked but just check that the screw is in the correct position (I dont know too much about it, i just know its there,dead you've changed the CPU, is there anything specific to it?)

 

Nope , It's pretty straight forward , turning right unlocks it and left locks it in , I tried pulling my CPU without unlocking and it doesn't move at all.

Don't even need to use force to place it on the socket , just drop it in and it takes its place.

That's 2 people thinking it's the CPU & GPU , check them out and keep us posted

 

Has to be, but more likely CPU than GPU.

 

Checked the processor lock and it's good to go. Not sure how I would check the GPU....

 

Hmm, you could try completely rebuild it from scratch, but if not, one of the components must have suddenly died.

 

I think I'm going to try replacing the processor. It has an AMD Turion 64 X2, TMDTL chip. Do I have to use the exact same processor? And if I do, what is the difference between TMDTL and TMDML? Thanks again guys.

 

this happened to me 3 times. it was awesome best experience of my life.
first time it was the ram, RMAEd those
2nd time mobo
3rd time my cpu.
it wouldnt make any noise with the cpu it would go on then about 15secs later turn off.

 

Everything is powering up.... DVD drive, I can hear the HDD, Fan, even the WiFi can be activated/deactivated (I know this because of the indicator light on the front of the notebook).... If it was the CPU would I get a POST screen at startup before system failure?

 

I don't think so, but then i've never ripped a cpu out to test this, all i know is "Without a brain, a human is utterly useless."

I don't think it would post to be honest.

 

woah there did you forget about zombies????

 

Dam, you got me .

You got the mindless machine then, the lights glow .

 

So it could be the mobo OR the processor..... No way to narrow it down huh?

 

Unfortunately, i can't think of anything else, unless you have another machine to test the components, or say a processor you could quickly swap in .

 

So let's assume for arguments sake that it is the processor. It has an AMD Turion 64 X2, TMDTL chip. Do I have to use the exact same processor? The sockets are dirrerent with different chips... The processor that's in it now is a TMDTLxxx. I've found other Turion 64 X2 CPUs online that are TMDMLxxx, will that make a difference?

 

I think there are a few chips you can use, as long as the sockets match, they should work quite nicely (But mobile processors, or anything around at the time of the machines release )

I suppose to be on the safe side, you would wan't to get the exact same because along with socket requirements, you could also bump into the odd bios problem with support.

 

well there is ways you can test if its anything like mobo the simplest way is if you have a friend with a similar laptop that you can borrow the cpu/ram for a couple seconds then its that. Or do what i did on the third time where my cpu died . Okay not gonna lie tottally forgot the name of it (ill edit it once the name comes back) well anyway it connects thru usb and you click buttons it does a diagnostic and it always pointed to my cpu when i ran it double checked grabbed my friends comp put in the cpu bam it worked.

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac259/espada09/IMG_0499-1.jpg

 

So I've ordered an identical processor online. Not too expensive so if it's not the problem it won't be the end of the world... Should be here by the end of the week, I'll slap it in and let you all know the outcome. If anyone has any more input between now and then I'm still all ears! Thanks folks.

 

Installed the new CPU and still nothing. So I've ordered a minipci diagnostic card. Maybe that can shed some light on this.....

 

did you try an external monitor? that will show if your gpu still works? try reseating the ram trying getting ram or sumethin from someone see if that works.

 

Yeah I've tried an external monitor, no good. I've also reseated and switched the RAM around, also nothing. When I drop the new processor in, there isn't anything else I have to do right? Should just come to life if that was the problem?

 

Here's another interesting point... at the front right of the computer there are several lights that represtent differnt things (WiFi, Caps lock, Num lock, HDD activity, etc...) The one on the far left is a 'lightbub/halfmoon', and it's lit up. What does this represent? Does it mean the computer is hibernating? As if it thinks the lid is closed?

 

That moon thingy is fine , mine is also on all the time. So no luck with the CPU ?
Hopefully that USB thingy will help clearing things up.

 

Well I'm not sure if there's anything else it could be except the mobo. I think I've ruled out RAM, now the CPU, even if it was the GPU (which I'm not convinced it is...) It's onboard is it not? There's isn't really anything else I could replace without switching out the motherboard...

 

Looks like it's upgradable according to a website. is it a geforce 7600 ?

 

Honestly I'm not sure... and now I can't get it going to check...

 

Can you post a pic of it ?

 

Opened it up again... and it looks like it is a 7600. But the chip isn't in a socket. Mounted right to the mobo....

 

really ? is it Soldered ? not MXM type ?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nvidia-Geforc...pAccess_RL?hash=item2eab2c2a88#ht_1439wt_1165

 

Most likely soldered i think Dead, fairly certain alot of 7600s were,

Pictures of the internals would be nice though, just to confirm.

 

If the gpu is integrated onto the mobo (like an intel gpu) then it could cause the audio to not respond. I would think that some connection may have come loose on the mobo...

 

Agreed ! pictures please . According to a review i just read , it's upgradable , but sounds like it's soldered from what he said above.

 

Haha yep, Its hard to say at this moment in time lol.

 

Here we go...the closeup's not very good , but you get the idea. The number on the chip is GF-GO7600-N-A2.

 

Seems like its soldered to me, curses, and we can't really perform a bake either because the Mobo is plastered in all sorts of material, unless you can get that thing off, i guess were doomed for now .

 

Yeah... That's what I'm thinking too.

 

Unless you can grab a hairdryer and blast it lol, stupid idea, i just don't know what to do,

Maybe get in touch with MSI and see if they are willing to repair it for a fee?

To be honest i think the best course of action would be a new notebook, how long have you had this?

 

Yep soldered. Hairdryer ?

 

I think hairdryer has a small chance of working, but it really depends if it can produce the heat, and we could possibly nulify the air blowing with the chip + pcb being covered in foil?

Man do i feel like someone out of a wacky sci fi show right now?

(EDIT DONT PERFORM WHAT THIS CRAZY GUY HAS TO OFFER LMAO)

 

No man no hair dryer use a heat gun.
That's what I use for the HP DV6000 and DV9000 works great.

 

there we go!

thanks Mark, i knew someone had experience in this craze haha!