Dell Vostro...No Power Up.

I am trying to get my Vostro to power on. I know the AC cord is working and the machine is getting power because the yellow light on the network connector, on the back lights up.

However it is completely dead. I tried w/ battery, w/out, reseated the RAM, held down the power button and FN and am in the process of checking the HD to see if it is connected properly. If it checks out and the HD does not fix the problem, does anyone have any ideas.

I am leaning towards a MoBo problem or a power supply. I have never replaced a power supply on a Laptop and dont know if I can. Is it replaceable?

Any help would be appreciated....Thanks

 

It could also be the board that you power switch is mounted to (if it's separate from the mobo). Even though you're getting the light on the network connector to light up, I would still check your AC adapter output with a multimeter (if you have access to one). It should be around 19 volts, but check the label on the adapter itself to be sure. If that's good to go, I would disconnect all peripheral devices (Battery, RAM, HDD, WiFi, etc....) and try to boot it up like that. If you still get absolutely no response from the computer, It's probably your mobo or the power switch/card. Did anything specific happen to it to start this issue?

 

Nothing specific...It was working fine. Went to use it again and no power. I dont have a multimeter but I used 2 separate Dell AC adapters and had the same problem.

 

I would say it's either the mobo or the power switch. I've seen problems with either of those two before. The power switch is generally on a separate pcb just above the keyboard. You could try reseating that (uses a small ribbon cable most of the time). Is your DC jack on the back of the laptop loose at all?

 

The Jack itself is not loose but the 2 power adapters I used fit a little loose and could move around while in the jack. I made sure to hold it in and try to power on and still nothing so I dont think its the adapter or the jack itself.

 

Hmmm. I guess we're back to where we started then. Mobo or power switch. Would you be comfortable pulling the machine apart? What's the exact model number?

 

It is a Vostro 1710.

I would if it was my Laptop.,,Family and friends are always giving me work. About 99% of the time I remove viruses,setup Wifi, routers, printers etc... I am working toward an A+ cert and I have 3 weeks of class left and I graduate with a PC Repair and Networking degree. But I have never replaced a mobo or soldered in a component onto a board. I think I can do it, but I dont want to take a chance. Its just something I have never done.


I know the DC jack itself can be removed from the Mobo. Their is a pretty good tutorial online for replacing that exact part. I have never soldered onto a Mobo and I know the littlest mistake could damage it.

Is their a way of bypassing the actual on/off switch to determine if its the switch or the DC Jack on the side?

 

The DC jack can be tricky sometimes. I know some makes/models (like HPs) aren't soldered, they have a connector. All the Dells I've ever had apart however were soldered, and there's suface-mount components around it that are very easily damaged if you're not careful with your iron. I would lean more towards the power button though (assuming it's not your mobo that is), I'm not familiar with Vostros specifically, but after checking it out online, I'm pretty sure you can remove the hinge cover and it's inside that. Try a continuity check on the cable with a multimeter.