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    laptop not working

    Discussion in 'HP' started by Cooly, Oct 14, 2008.

  1. Cooly

    Cooly Newbie

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    Hi Im new here and been introduced to this website, I must say very well informed reviews. Anyway need any advise, my nephew's compaq laptop doesnt start when I press the power button on, the lights went on but the screen is just blank. Any reason why this is happening? thanks for any help.
     
    Cooly, Oct 14, 2008
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  2. Chk

    Chk Notebook Consultant

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    Check the power supply, is it working? Was it fully charged? Did he recently update windows vista?
     
    Chk, Oct 14, 2008
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  3. S_P_Q_R

    S_P_Q_R Notebook Evangelist

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    I'd check this first since it's an easy diagnostic test, if you have a vga (External monitor) port, unhook a screen from a computer and plug it in, if that works you have a screen issue, I have a pic to show you what it looks like if you don't know which it is. (Ths is not what your laptop should look like, rather just the port)
     

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    S_P_Q_R, Oct 14, 2008
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  4. s1aughteredlamb

    s1aughteredlamb Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi, My father had a problem like this. He would turn on his computer and have no screen. I found out he had inadvertantly pressed the button that makes the lcd screen turn off so you can use an external monitor. On my computer you press fn+f4 (press the fbutton with what looks like a square within a square with a vertical line on each side of the little square). You could also try pressing fn+(f7 0r f8) the brightness controls on the keyboard. I have also found that this sometimes works and that is to turn the computer on, wait for the hard drive light to stop flashing, press ctrl+alt+del and log off. Hopefully the screen might come to life.
     
    s1aughteredlamb, Oct 15, 2008
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  5. brianstretch

    brianstretch Notebook Virtuoso

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    brianstretch, Oct 15, 2008
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  6. Tenspeed

    Tenspeed Notebook Consultant

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    it could be a bad battery as well.... may want to try taking the battery out, and just using the ac power supply.
     
    Tenspeed, Oct 15, 2008
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