# Laptop starting up problem.



## STEINER (10 Mar 2012)

Hi,

I have a Dell XPS M1530 laptop given to me as a gift 3 years ago.

In 2011 I had to replace the hard drive and buy a replacement battery, total cost about 200 euro.

Yesterday, it wouldn't switch on until after 2 hrs of trying.  I used it for most of the day, turned it off yesterday evening and then couldn't get it back on.  Today, it started first time and the battery appears to be fine.

I was all set to go out and buy a new laptop today somewhere.

Is my laptop probably just about finished, should I ask a techie to look at it, or should I just buy a new one?


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## Jonny (10 Mar 2012)

Just may need a routine check up  Dont give up on it yet  Definitely get a "techie"


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## briste (10 Mar 2012)

Steiner - was it given to you second hand or as a new gift?

I only ask because you can expect say 4 years of life for day to day use from a laptop.

The main thing is to have everything important backed up to an external hard drive.


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## STEINER (10 Mar 2012)

briste said:


> Steiner - was it given to you second hand or as a new gift?
> 
> I only ask because you can expect say 4 years of life for day to day use from a laptop.
> 
> The main thing is to have everything important backed up to an external hard drive.




It was a new laptop gift.  Yes, I back up externally everyday.


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## Jazz01 (10 Mar 2012)

Hi, I wouldn't be rushing out to buy a new one as of yet.. might be just the connection to the battery that is giving you the issue. Check them to make sure they are clean (no dust / dirt etc on them).

If this happens again (as in won't power up from battery), try plugging in then boot up. Battery for laptops can be troublesome... laptops should last you more than 3 years... once you look after them...


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## NickyK (11 Mar 2012)

In my experience laptops only last 3 or 4 years tops. You've already begun to spend on repairing it. No doubt it will keep costing you more. My advice, put the money towards a new one.


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## AlbacoreA (12 Mar 2012)

Personally I think you paid too much on the battery and hard drive. That said, The battery is consumable item, and hard drives occasionally fail. They are simply replaceable. So I wouldn't consider those repairs of the laptop. It would be worth bring the laptop to a repair shop and getting a quote for the repair, it might be something simple and inexpensive. 

Get a quote first, just bear in mind that a new laptop is about 500 for a basic decent model. The M1530 is a premium model though, so you'd expect to pay around 700+ for something equivalent. That said even a basic model would be a generation or two more advanced (faster) than the M1530 and probably a better spec. Though the M1530 is still perfect good enough for office and web tasks.


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## STEINER (15 Mar 2012)

I bought a new Toshiba for 500 euro. I didn't want to spend anymore than that and settled for one with an Intel i3, 6GB RAM, 2.40 MHz.

I will get someone to look at the old one sometime, it doesn't switch on at all now.


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## Jazz01 (15 Mar 2012)

Hi Steiner,

Where are you located? Have you a contact for someone to look at it or you need a recommendation?


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## Woodie (15 Mar 2012)

Have the same laptop about same age.  I have been having problems starting recently but I think I traced the problem down to Windows updates.   Some of the recent updates take an age to implement and I even had to restore an older release in January to continue working.   An upgrade yesterday again caused an unusual delay in starting but I went off and did something else whilst it was sorting itself out and all returned to normal.  The problem I found was because the system was apparently doing nothing and there was absolutely no notice about what was happening (before the usual installing update x of x messages) it was easy to shut down or restart the system without realizing that a critical event was in progress.


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## AlbacoreA (15 Mar 2012)

STEINER said:


> I bought a new Toshiba for 500 euro. I didn't want to spend anymore than that and settled for one with an Intel i3, 6GB RAM, 2.40 MHz.
> 
> I will get someone to look at the old one sometime, it doesn't switch on at all now.



What model did you get and from where?


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## STEINER (15 Mar 2012)

Jazz01 said:


> Hi Steiner,
> 
> Where are you located? Have you a contact for someone to look at it or you need a recommendation?




Hi, 

am in Lucan area , Dublin.  I think there's a place down in the Superquinn SC, I might drop it in for checking sometime, although I am using the new one now.


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## STEINER (15 Mar 2012)

AlbacoreA said:


> What model did you get and from where?



Powercity.  C660


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## AlbacoreA (15 Mar 2012)

Not a bad deal for the spec. 

When you say the old one won't start do you get anything on screen, can you hit f2 when it appears?

Theres a repair shop in Lucan village too I think, and another in Ongar village. I've not used either though.


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## STEINER (15 Mar 2012)

Nothing happens, when I press the start button it did try to start for a second or two.  Nothing appears on screen at all.

I used it no problem on Monday, started up fine.  Tuesday wouldn't start, and for a second or two some text flashed up on screen, just remember the word REGISTRY appeared, and then dead as a doornail.


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## AlbacoreA (15 Mar 2012)

Then you don't need a techie you need technican in a workshop to see if its the board or just the power connections.


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## onlineprint (18 Mar 2012)

STEINER said:


> Nothing happens, when I press the start button it did try to start for a second or two.  Nothing appears on screen at all.
> 
> I used it no problem on Monday, started up fine.  Tuesday wouldn't start, and for a second or two some text flashed up on screen, just remember the word REGISTRY appeared, and then dead as a doornail.



Can I suggest IF your laptop does turn back on you make a backup of your files, at least the important ones, you cannt be too careful


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## STEINER (18 Mar 2012)

onlineprint said:


> Can I suggest IF your laptop does turn back on you make a backup of your files, at least the important ones, you cannt be too careful



luckily I did a backup to USB and MCAFEE online backup and continue doing so with new machine.


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## STEINER (23 Mar 2012)

Just an aside on the new Toshiba laptop.  The old Dell one had 3 USB ports in total on both sides, handy for modem, printer, usb stick etc.  The Toshiba has 2 USB ports side by side and I stick my O2 modem in one.  However, when the modem is in, there isn't room to stick in the printer lead or USB stick in the adjacent USB port, it seems that the two USB ports are too close together.  There might as well be just one USB port as I can't use both simultaneously.  Apart from that , laptop is fine.


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## AlbacoreA (23 Mar 2012)

Use a USB hub...


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## STEINER (23 Mar 2012)

AlbacoreA said:


> Use a USB hub...



Ok, I see, its just like a little adaptor.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...vpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_4gm60pcsdr_e


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## AlbacoreA (23 Mar 2012)

It just handy to have when you stuck with too few ports or them too close together. 

Be aware that USB device often use power from the port. So a hub may not supply enough power for somethings. So many hubs can be plugged into the mains for power. 

You can also get short extension USB leads for devices that are too big for the port. 

http://www.amazon.com/6in-USB-Extension-Adapter-Cable/dp/B000E5CYW8


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## STEINER (13 Aug 2013)

STEINER said:


> I bought a new Toshiba for 500 euro. I didn't want to spend anymore than that and settled for one with an Intel i3, 6GB RAM, 2.40 MHz.



I am getting a message on my Toshiba C660-28D laptop (purchased March 2012) regarding the battery " consider replacing your battery".  It is still charging 100%.  Should I invest in a proper Toshiba replacement battery? Is 15 months reasonable for a battery life?  They are not cheap as per the toshiba website....

http://www.toshiba.ie/discontinued-products/satellite-c660-28d/tab/accessories/


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## Time (13 Aug 2013)

Try ebay for replacement batteries.


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## STEINER (13 Aug 2013)

Time said:


> Try ebay for replacement batteries.



I know ebay can be cheap, but for some of those prices, the batteries are counterfeit or of dubious quality, only pictures of a toshiba product on ebay...


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## Blinder (13 Aug 2013)

Steiner, do you have windows 7 installed on the toshiba?
If you, you might want to try the steps lined out in the following link: ( See steps in 'Most helpful reply')
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...indows-7/b2ffdaa5-e62f-47dd-9336-da268e0f54ed


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## AlbacoreA (13 Aug 2013)

STEINER said:


> I am getting a message on my Toshiba C660-28D laptop (purchased March 2012) regarding the battery " consider replacing your battery".  It is still charging 100%.  Should I invest in a proper Toshiba replacement battery? Is 15 months reasonable for a battery life?  They are not cheap as per the toshiba website....
> 
> http://www.toshiba.ie/discontinued-products/satellite-c660-28d/tab/accessories/



It depends on how you are using it. If you use the laptop plugged in all the time it may shorten the battery life.


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## STEINER (14 Aug 2013)

AlbacoreA said:


> If you use the laptop plugged in all the time it may shorten the battery life.



Ok.  I am guilty of leaving my laptop plugged in most of the time.


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## STEINER (14 Aug 2013)

Blinder said:


> Steiner, do you have windows 7 installed on the toshiba?
> If you, you might want to try the steps lined out in the following link: ( See steps in 'Most helpful reply')
> http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...indows-7/b2ffdaa5-e62f-47dd-9336-da268e0f54ed



Aye, I have Windows 7.  I tried to follow the steps in your link and failed as I need to be spoonfed in IT.

I found the same procedure easier to follow in this link.

http://www.helpwithwindows.com/Windows7/Check-your-laptop-battery-health-in-Windows-7.html

It generated the report for me showing battery design capacity is 47,520 but only charging to 18,058 38%, so it is on the way out.


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## Blinder (14 Aug 2013)

STEINER said:


> Aye, I have Windows 7.  I tried to follow the steps in your link and failed as I need to be spoonfed in IT.
> 
> I found the same procedure easier to follow in this link.
> 
> ...




the first link seems to suggest that you can increase the battery charging by:
1. Charge the battery completely, 
2. Start using laptop on battery and unplug the charger. Use the laptop until it automatically shut down itself. 
Repeat steps 1 and 2 again.

Then try to run the report again to see if the charging has increased. It's worth a try before you order a new battery.


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## STEINER (15 Aug 2013)

Blinder said:


> Then try to run the report again to see if the charging has increased. It's worth a try before you order a new battery.



I will give it a try.


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## STEINER (29 Aug 2013)

I have had enormous difficulty sourcing my Toshiba replacement laptop battery, I was forced to order it from a German supplier, and I am still awaiting arrival.  BMS, the authorised Toshiba service provider in Ireland has gone bust, apparently a few months ago. There is no back up in Ireland for Toshiba laptop owners. The UK equivalent Topaz, won't deliver to Ireland, and has a decent online website, but only for UK.

I got no joy at all from Toshiba customer care, certainly no help in sourcing a battery.

"Thank you for your recent enquiry.
We are sorry at the frustration you have encountered when trying to purchase a replacement battery.

Unfortunately, due to BMS being forced to close, it has left us without an authorised service provider to supply our parts inside Ireland, whilst we are looking into any suitable partners to work with in the future, we are unable to comment or commit to when this will occur. "


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## AlbacoreA (29 Aug 2013)

Try Parcel Motel


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## STEINER (29 Aug 2013)

AlbacoreA said:


> Try Parcel Motel



I have an account with them.  With the UK supplier, Topaz, the credit/debit card used for payment must have the same address as the delivery address!


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