Has my laptop snuffed it?

[Loiseau]

I love my Toshiba laptop, Portege M300, which I have carried with me around France for two years or so.
The battery has been clearly going down for some time, but as I almost always can use it with its mains connection plugged in, I have not changed it yet.  It will still run without mains connection for 15 mins or so, which is usually enough to collect emails quickly if necessary.

The other day I had just collected emails (not plugged into mains), when there was almost a sort of "ping" and the screen went black.  No amount of button-pressing, attempts to reboot etc would get it going again, even with its mains lead plugged in.
But, whether plugged in or not, there was a flashing orange light on the front; it seems to be a sequence of 8 flashes of varying duration; then a pause, then the sequence starts again.

I had to be away for a week, so left it at home, unplugged (but orange light still flashing).  [8-)]
I have now returned; orange light no longer flashing.
Plugged it into mains hopefully to recharge overnight, orange light sequence flashing again. No other lights illuminated.

Does this sound as if it has died permanently?  Or is there hope of a resurrection if I invest in a new battery?

It's a UK-bought machine, and is running XP.

Angela

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

My guess is your motherboard is dead.

Possibly it could be your hard drive. If you are computer savvy or have access to such a person, I'd recommend you buy one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-5-Laptop-To-Desktop-3-5-IDE-Hard-Drive-HD-Adaptor_W0QQitemZ290225251937QQihZ019QQcategoryZ41994QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

which allows you to hook your laptop hd to a desktop computer and at least get all your information off. You'll also find out if the hard drive is ok too.

There are far more computer savvy posters on here than I, who would be able to give you further and better advice.

[Bugsy]

From what you describe I would be looking at the battery. Some laptops will run without the battery installed but not, as far as I am aware, Toshiba. The mains power on those models runs through the battery not direct.

I'm no expert but that is certainly a place to start.

If you bought it from PC World their Tech. Department (I use the term loosely [:D]) will be able to put a good battery in to check for you.

Hope this helps.

Gary.

[Danny]

Angela, Have you tried removing the battery (after unplugging from the mains, of course!) and then switching on with just the mains lead attached. Bugbear might be right that it needs the battery in to function but it is worth a go. If that still does not work try this before you take it anywhere http://www.w00tw00t.co.uk/support/viewtopic.php?p=7813 

you never know. It might help.

Danny

[Loiseau]

Thanks for that flurry of suggestions, folks!

LyndaandRichard, I don't think I am computer-savvy *enough* for that little gadget!  As soon as I saw it was a thing with spiky little legs that looked as if it belonged out of sight *inside* my computer, I panicked!  Also I recognise the word "motherboard", but have no idea what it actually is. [:(]  Not the same thing as the hard drive, I presume.  (There.  Now you know just how computer-savvy I am - not.)

Danny, those are a couple of things it might be in my capacity to try...

Yes, Bugbear, it did come from PC World originally, so I guess I should just take it over there and get them to have a look at it.

Many thanks to all

Angela

[Loiseau]

YESSSS!!!

Up and running again, thanks to you - especially Danny.

I located the position of the battery, but could not find out how to remove it in order to try that first suggestion about plugging it into the mains *without* the battery. (Where was the manual?  On the computer - which would not open of course!  Reminds me of that song "There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza...").

So I trekked along to PC World and queued up for the Techguys.  Got to the front, explained that I wanted to try it on mains *without* the battery, and they did it for me.  Worked right away!   They didn't even charge (though I slipped them a little something).  So I stuill have the old battery in, as they don't stock the one I need. And I am home, and writing to you on it now.

[:D] [:D]  [:D]

Many thanks to all.

Angela

[Cat]

I love a happy ending [:)]

[Fridgeman]

Hi

Google search for Toshiba battery model No. xxxxxx and there will be quite a few places selling it at half the price the likes of PC world charge.

 

 

[tracteurtom]

Angela, You don't know the lines to "there's a hole in my bucket" by any chance do you ??

I get to "with what shall I fix it dear Liza dear liza" but the rest escapes me !

Sorry to hijack your thread, but that song has haunted me for years !!!

Maybe I should Google it !!

Thanks

[tracteurtom]

Well. I'll be, Google list 37000 entries for "there's a hole in my bucket"  !!!

There's a Hole in the Bucket

Written By: Unknown

Copyright Unknown

 

There's a hole in the bucket,

Dear Liza, dear Liza

There's a hole in the bucket,

Dear Liza, there's a hole.

Then fix it, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, dear Henry

Then fix it, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, fix it.

With what shall I fix it,

Dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I fix it,

Dear Liza, with what?

With a straw, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, dear Henry

With a straw, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, with a straw.

But the straw is too long,

Dear Liza, dear Liza

But the straw is too long,

Dear Liza, too long

Then cut it, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, dear Henry

Then cut it, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, cut it.

With what shall I cut it,

Dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I cut it,

Dear Liza, with what?

With an axe, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, dear Henry

With an axe, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, an axe.

The axe is too dull,

Dear Liza, dear Liza

The axe is too dull,

Dear Liza, too dull

Then sharpen it, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, dear Henry

Then sharpen it, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, sharpen it.

With what shall I sharpen it,

Dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I sharpen it,

Dear Liza, with what?

With a stone, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, dear Henry

With a stone, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, a stone.

The stone is too dry,

Dear Liza, dear Liza

The stone is too dry,

Dear Liza, too dry

Then wet it, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, dear Henry

Then wet it, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, wet it.

With what shall I wet it,

Dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I wet it,

Dear Liza, with what?

With water, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, dear Henry

With water, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, with water.

How shall I get it,

Dear Liza, dear Liza,

How shall I get it,

Dear Liza, how shall I?

In the bucket, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, dear Henry

In the bucket, dear Henry,

Dear Henry, in the bucket.

There's a hole in the bucket.

[Loiseau]

That sounds like it, tt.  [;-)]

Angela