HP laptop doesn't turn on

[yaseminy]

hi all,

i hope you guys can help. i would really appreciate all ideas. lately my hp laptop used to overheat and shut down instantly. i had to wait roughly 5-10 minutes in order to turn it on again. however after that, the screen used to freeze and the graphics started to look wrong with colourful strips at the start up or after on the desktop.

now wen i press the on button, the lights do come up on the keyboard area, but the screen starts of black then the contrasts increases and gradually having a colourful screen but no signs of anything else. its like the colourful signal screen we get on tv channels!!

i had thoought it could be the battery because it never lasted long and it had to be plugged in all the time. but i guess its more than that. i have taken it to pc world but costing £330 to fix :S i just want to know the problem and whether its as big as it looks.


many thanks, and look forward to responses

 

[foxdelta]

This could be a few things:

When you say your laptop used to overheat and shut down, was it sat on a table or was it such that the ventilation could have been blocked (by a duvet or blanket on a bed)?

If the fan has stopped, that will cause immediate shut down as the CPU gets to it's max temperature. In turn, this could affect other areas of the motherboard such as graphics (you did not say whether you had onboard graphics card) and it certainly looks like graphics have been affected.

Are you able to check inside (are you confident to open up your laptop)? If so you will be able to see if the fan is working or not, otherwise you will have to listen to see if the fan appears to be working.

In the end, laptops do not like heat which is why it is essential to maintain the ventilation at all times.

PC world and Tech Guys charge the earth for basic laptop or PC repairs and so if you can find a colleague or friend to have a look just to diagnose the fault that will save you some pennies even if you are forced to take it in for repair. Good luck!

 

[yaseminy]

thank you very much for your reply. yes im sure you're right about the ventilation, as i did sit it on the bed quiet alot of times! :s i knew the ventilation was blocked which caused max temperature and shut down. at the moment when i turn it on, i dont hear anything i doubt the fan is working.

how do i know whether i have onboard graphics card? (im not very good with this)

do you think i should have a go at opening it up? or any other ways of checking the fault?

 

[foxdelta]

Hi again. I forgot to say welcome to Techspot as this was your 1st post!

Firstly and importantly - Only delve into your laptop if you feel confident that you know what you are doing. They are tricky beasts for the unknowing and you could fry everything with one touch!

Secondly - The laptop spec (stickers still on the laptop??) should be in the original product information guide if you still have it and will highlight your graphics capability. Most times it is onboard with standard laptops.

It does sound like your fan has ceased working but make sure that you leave your laptop on for long enough for your CPU to warm up which in turn will cause your fan to come on if it is working.

ps I forgot to add:

how old is your PC as it could still be under warranty if it is 12-24 mths old?

 

[yaseminy]

the warranty has run out, as its just been over 2 years. so do you suggest i leave the laptop on and see what happens? i will check the graphic labels when i get back to the laptop.

p.s. thank you, its rather useful here.

 

[foxdelta]

I would let the laptop run purely to see if the fan kicks in, that way you will know if the fan is faulty or not.

It could well have been that the graphics card reacted to the overheat but I would not hold my breath as it may have been permanently damaged.

See what the fan test does first. Place the laptop on a well ventilated desk or flat surface.

 

[yaseminy]

thank you. i tried that aswell and slowly the fan started making a noise but no change on the screen. i have taken it to a technician now and they said its likely to be the graphics card. thank you for your advice.

 

[foxdelta]

You are welcome. Please let the forum know what th problem was as many people will have the same problem.

Best of luck!