When I turn on my Thinkpad it turns itself off after a few seconds.Does this really mean that the motherboard is gone and I should not even think about repairing my note pad.Just throw it away say the technical people.My IBM Thinkpad is a Lenovo R50e
Optional Information: Computer OS: Windows XP Browser: IE Already Tried: I was told nothing would help.I have recently,a few months ago,changed the hard disk.
Hi, thank you for using JustAnswer.com. My name is XXXXX XXXXX X am glad to assist you today.I am really sorry about this problem of yours. I really hope that I am personally there to personally and physically check the laptop. Regarding their opinion of just throwing it away, that is only possible if the repair cost and the part-replacement cost is more than that of the cost of the new laptop. In this case, this is a hardware fault. But there are few things that you should check.
You need to eliminate the factors above and the last thing that will be concluded as faulty is the motherboard, which is really hard to find, thus expensive if the laptop is quite old. This is really the trend since old supplies are more costly than the new parts since only few stocks are normally left for old parts.
To check the power adapter, please carefully check if the power cable is not loose. Then if the big rectangular box of the power adapter has LED in it to indicate power on, please check if this led now is still lit when you plug the power adapter to the power source. In this way, you will learn if the power adapter is more or less intact.
If the power adapter is intact, with LED being lit (though other adapters has no LED indicators) when plugged in to the power source, please try to do a hard reset of the laptop:
1. Remove the battery pack2. Unplug ALL USB devices attached to the laptop3. Eject the CD/DVD drive and make sure that there is no disc in the drive4. Unplug the power cord from the laptop and from the mains5. While the battery is out and the power cable unplugged, press and hold the power button or switch for approximately 60 seconds6. Then release the power button/switch7. Then, without the battery, plug in the power cable to the mains8. Then plug the other end of the power to the laptop9. Then turn it back ON and see if it boots this time battery bypassed10. If that did not work, please try to insert back the battery and try turning on the laptop again then see if it boots this time.
If after the hard reset the problem continues, then this is already a motherboard fault that requires replacement. In this case, I suggest that you bring the unit to a local repair shop and has the replacement estimated. But of course you need to pull out the hard drive of the laptop so that you can retrieve all your data. Once they price is not that bad or high compared to buying a new one, you can choose to have it repaired with the motherboard replace.
I hope you find my answer helpful. If you do, please ACCEPT and leave a positive feedback if you are satisfied. A bonus is always greatly appreciated. If the problem continues, please let me know by posting a reply so that I can help you further. If the problem is NOT solved, please do not leave a negative feedback. Instead, post a REPLY so that we can continue further. Best regards, Jess
Experience: Computer Hardware Support Specialist for more than 10 years