Need Advice: M9700 will not power up at all, adapter light flickers on\off when plugged in laptop~

Hey Everyone,
I have a 2.5yr old (that in itself is a problem ^^) Aurora m9700 and this is the first time I have had a real problem with it, other than system restores. Few days ago the laptop had been on\in use for quite some time and it was running very hot (common in the last yr or so), then it suddenly crashed and now it will not power up at all.
No light (i.e. battery/ac) appears on the laptop at all. I have tried to power it on with just the battery and with just the adapter, but nothing. When the ac adapter is not plugged in to the laptop, the adapter light is on as usual, but when it is plugged in the laptop the adapter light flickers on and off.

I was told by a technician that "it is probably the motherboard," but Alienware recommended I check the CMOS, hd, memory, dvd drive, and video cards by removing them to see if they are responsible for a short circuit.

These are the components:
Processor: AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile ML37 2.0GHz 800MHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache
Operating System (Office software not included): Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
Chassis: 17" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD with Clearview Technology
Motherboard: Alienware® NVIDIA® Mobile SLi Chipset
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR SO-DIMM at 400MHz - 2 x 1024MB
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 100GB Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ NCQ & 8MB Cache
Optical Drive: 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW & 24X CD-RW Burner w/Software
Video/Graphics Card: Dual 256MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 7900 GS - SLI Enabled
Sound Card: High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Wireless Network Card: Internal 802.11b/g WiFi Card
Communications: Integrated 10/1000Mb Gigabit Ethernet & 56K V.92 Modem
Bluetooth: Integrated Bluetooth® Device
Primary Battery: Alienware® m9700 12-cell Lithium-Ion Smart Battery Pack

My question(s) is: What do you guys think is the problem?
As a beginner (i can follow directions, but no exp. with installing/removing parts) would I be able to remove these parts and test to see if the parts I mentioned above are causing this problem?

Thanks for your time.

 

"Probably the Motherboard" = "Tech Too Stupid or Lazy to Troubleshoot and Fix, Easier To Make Money Off of NOOB User".

Anyone ever tells you that, walk away and don't go back. It is the standard line of any ripoff shop. Also, NEVER, EVER tell someone when you take something in for a repair or estimate that you don't know anything. You'll be treated accordingly as that statement suggests.

Without a spares set to troubleshoot with, it's difficult to impossible to tell if any components Alienware told you to check are bad or not, but that wasn't their intent. What they want you to do is to remove and check each component for any obvious signs of damage, then put them back. You accomplish 2 things by doing this - you verify there's no black soot as a result of a short, and you reseat the component, which is the likely cause of problems from those components to begin with. This is very common after a RAM upgrade or replacement, for example.

You can check hear for instructions on checking those components: Alienware Results


The AC Adapter flashing is probably a code indicating the problem area, though I couldn't find any specific reference. LED's do not just flash on a computer for no reason - they are meant to for specific reasons, and those reasons tell you why they're flashing. 4 years is enough time for the RTC battery to run out of juice - you should pull it and verify the voltage if you have a meter. If not, then just replace it. If you haven't already, find and download the Maintenance/Service Manual for your system.

The AMD Turion has caused similar problems in HP Pavilions, so much so that a special Limited Warranty program was initiated to deal with it.

 

You are definitely right about the moron who suggested the motherboard was dead just be seeing the LED on the adapter flicker. Didn't even offer to actually diagnose the problem since it was an AW.

I just went out and bought some compressed air actually lol. Going to try reseating some of the easier components.The AW guides seem fairly straightforward at the site.

By RTC battery do you mean the removable battery or the chip component? I know the battery itself is pretty useless and needs to be replaced.

Thx for the tips.

 

did you ever clean the system out in the 2 years?

??

if not thats why it was getting hot

 

Never did until today.


Btw, I reseated both the ram and the 2 video cards. Tried every possible configuration (switched places, tried with one card/stick), but the LED on adapter still flickers and system won't power up. I guess I can rule those out. Reseating CMOS next.

 

Update:
I have reseated both video cards, both ram sticks, HD, CMOS battery, TV tuner, wireless card, and keyboard. Still the notebook will not power up, nor does it show any sign of power. The LED on adapter still flickers when plugged in laptop.

Unless both video cards or both ram sticks are messed up, I don't think the above mentioned components are causing a short circuit.

What does that leave, the motherboard?