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    Turn on laptop with usb keyboard

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by homestyle, Dec 15, 2011.

  1. homestyle

    homestyle Newbie

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    So I'm planning on using my old Dell Inspiron 5160 like a regular desktop and have it tucked away with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse plugged directly into the laptop.

    I'll be keeping the lid closed, so is there a way to turn on the laptop without opening the lid with a keyboard or some other device?
     
    homestyle, Dec 15, 2011
    #1
  2. Abidderman

    Abidderman Notebook Deity

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    You should check the cooling before using it with the lid closed. Many lappys use the keyboard in addition to the vents to cool. Also, you might have issues with the heat against the screen, so make sure you don't kill the Dell. At work, I use my lappy with a mouse and monitor, but I still type on the keyboard of the laptop.
     
    Abidderman, Dec 15, 2011
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  3. H.A.L. 9000

    H.A.L. 9000 Occam's Chainsaw

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    In any normal condition I've never found 'lid-closed' operation to be an issue at all, cooling wise... with the notable exception of Apple products. They draw a lot of air in through their keyboards, and closing the lid will make a MacBook Pro cook.

    The Dell in question should be fine.

    Now about turning it on, IDK. Certain notebooks can use magic packets to initiate boot or wake, but normally I don't believe there's a way to bypass the physical power button.
     
    H.A.L. 9000, Dec 15, 2011
    #3