Laptop Won't Turn On

I have an MSI MS-1683 with Windows 7 64bit and I've had some problems with it since just after its warranty expired last year. It's been kinda finicky, and has slowly gotten worse over time. Finally, about two days ago, it got to the point where it just plain won't turn on.

When I hit the power button, it lights up and a light near the touch pad that indicates power comes on, but the screen shows nothing. It's not backlit or anything, it's just plain black like it's not on. I can hear the fan running as well, but it doesn't boot up. Normally, a series of lights will blink that are by the touch pad, but those don't go through their normal boot up routine either.

I have tried unplugging it and taking the battery out, then holding the power button for 45 secs and trying to turn it on again, but that hasn't worked. Up until now if it did this, I could simply bend the bottom right corner of it up towards the screen some and then it would boot right up, although it might freeze, red screen (a problem I've never seen before...the screen would just go completely red with black lines across the bottom), or blue screen.

I'm pretty sure it's not a software issue. I made a system image for backup right after I got my laptop and had to restore it to that not too long ago due to Windows being corrupt. I recently updated some drivers, but I've had this issue since about 30 days after the purchase of it. I'm really at a loss here, as I use my laptop quite a bit. I know I can buy a caddy to use my hard drive as an external storage device, but that does me no good without a second computer I can use.

If you can give me any help at all, I'm willing to try just about anything to save my laptop

Thanks!

 

It seems you have some trouble with this laptop before. Can you describe what you used to do to get video when you previously had trouble--where exactly you pressed to get it to boot?

I think if I had a total no boot (no keyboard flashes) I would try an external monitor to see if I got anything on screen. If you don't have an external monitor then maybe try removing the HD (since you had Windows corruption earlier it might be a sign of a bad HD) and also remove the DVDROM. See if any difference in boot. Then remove RAM. See if any difference/beeps with no HD, no DVD and no RAM.

This video
This video (different model number but same design) seems to indicate that those three things are fairly easy to access. You don't want to go any further than DVD, HD and RAM in your disassembly.

 

I am just a bit too late to edit my post: I just noticed that your CMOS battery seems to be a standard removable type. It might be worth removing that for a minute or two (with AC and main battery also disconnected) then replacing and see if any change in boot before removing the HD and DVDROM. (This is basically the same as holding the power button for 45 seconds but I would try it anyway if it is an easily removable battery with no solder points.)

 

I used to press in the same area I bent it in. It was right below the arrow keys and number pad. It's in the area of the battery, but I've taken the battery out and tried to run it with just the AC adapter, but it didn't work. Using an external monitor doesn't work either, it just acts like nothing's plugged in. I've taken out the DVD drive and tried to run it without that, but that did nothing. Taking the hard drive out also had no effect on it. I'm at a loss for what it could be because the only things on the right half of the laptop (underneath) are the battery and the DVD drive, both of which have been eliminated as problems. I still haven't tried removing the RAM and booting it, as I thought it might damage something. I'll try that next.

 

No RAM is not a problem as far as damage. You should get a long beep if there is a motherboard speaker. At least that might tell you it is trying to do something in terms of POST.

Do take a look at the CMOS battery to see if it just pops out (with a clip to release on one side of the holder) and give removing that for a minute or so a quick try.

I'm not certain but it doesn't seem to be posting at all, as I would expect the caps lock light to flash first thing after powering on to indicate it found the keyboard which is one of the first thing POST looks for.

 

It normally does do that, but when it has this problem, it doesn't blink. Normally the power indicator comes on, a light on the far right of the touch pad that has two arrows going in opposite directions on it blinks, then the CAPS light blinks at the same time as the light with a cylinder beside it, then the cylinder light blinks pretty much constantly as it boots up, but now just the power indicator light comes on and nothing else happens.

Is the CMOS battery the small round one on the Motherboard? I haven't tried removing it yet either.

 

EDIT: I googled the CMOS battery thing, and I'll try that next. Removing the RAM did nothing, with no beep (although I don't think I have a motherboard speaker, but I'm not sure).

 

Ok, I've tried removing each of those, and nothing has changed. Should I remove all of them at the same time and try that? Will it make any difference? So far it's still doing the same thing and only showing the power indicator light (which has a moon beside it) on the tough pad and the power indicator light on the power button. No other lights show any kind of response except the indicator light for the Wireless Internet, which I can turn on or off with the button that turns the wireless internet card on or off. It's one of the buttons located beside the power button, if that helps.

 

If removing the HD and DVDROM make no difference it shouldn't matter if they are attached or not for further troubleshooting; you can replace them if it is easier.

If you have more than one RAM module try it with only one module in the first slot. Swap modules in the first slot. If neither module works in the first slot then try a module in the second slot. This should rule out a bad RAM module.

I'll take a look around the net to see if I can find a reference to the bottom right corner of the laptop, to see if anyone else finds pressing it effects booting.