Power issue with HP DV8000

ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
edited February 2009 in Hardware
Just found this group and was very happy to find a post on removing the keyboard from this laptop I'm trying to repair. The reason I was checking the keyboard is because in a moment of stupidity my boss slammed his fist down on the keyboard in the area of the T,Y,U,J,H,G,V,B,N keys. Needless to say the keyboard looked like it was dented in that area. Took the keyboard off and managed to straighten the keys pretty well.
The problem I've been having is that the laptop, since it's beating, will not go any farther in booting than the password screen and even before I enter it the laptop shuts down as if the plug was pulled.
I was just wondering if anyone could give me a clue to what might be the problem or what might need to be replaced. The photos of the tore down laptop looks awesome but way beyond my experence.

Comments

  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Whew, the problem could so many things. There are many different laptop architectures. But my guess is that there's a hard drive problem, either physically or the operating system on the hard drive.

    Was the laptop running when Mr. Numbnuts hammered it? If so, the operating system files on the hard drive may be damaged. Do you know how to boot the computer into Safe Mode? If so, see if you can. (Tap F8 about once a second after the computer is started.)

    Do you know how to perform a Checkdisk operation? Try that if your Safe Mode log in works. If not, we can try booting up with a hard drive diagnostic CD.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    My guess is definitely the hard drive as well. If I recall, the DV8000's hard drive is located very close to the keyboard.
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    Leonardo wrote:
    Whew, the problem could so many things. There are many different laptop architectures. But my guess is that there's a hard drive problem, either physically or the operating system on the hard drive.

    Was the laptop running when Mr. Numbnuts hammered it? If so, the operating system files on the hard drive may be damaged. Do you know how to boot the computer into Safe Mode? If so, see if you can. (Tap F8 about once a second after the computer is started.)

    Do you know how to perform a Checkdisk operation? Try that if your Safe Mode log in works. If not, we can try booting up with a hard drive diagnostic CD.


    Leonardo, Thanks for the reply. First of all yes the laptop was running when this happened. Second when booting into safe mode the same thing is happening. After reading your and Thrax' post I'm starting to think the harddrive may be the issue also. BIOS holds the boot and as soon as Windows/hardrive comes into play it looses it. I might be wrong. It's happened to many times before :)
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    Thrax wrote:
    My guess is definitely the hard drive as well. If I recall, the DV8000's hard drive is located very close to the keyboard.

    Thrax, Thanks for your input on this problem. Harddrive is very close to the keyboard and just a little to the right of where it was hit. Going to see if a friend of mine has a HD I can swap out with and see if that's a fix. Thanks Again! Will keep you both posted with how it goes. Will try tomorrow. Boss is set up on a old machine till his new one gets here so there' no big hurry.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Toria, your laptop will not boot with someone else's hard drive unless the drive from the same model as yours. The hard drive will be configured with an operating system and drivers specifically for the computer it's in.
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    Leonardo wrote:
    Toria, your laptop will not boot with someone else's hard drive unless the drive from the same model as yours. The hard drive will be configured with an operating system and drivers specifically for the computer it's in.

    What about a new harddrive then hunt all the drivers for what the unit has that Windows won't see? Was just out shopping and stopped in Circuit City. 160Gig Western Digital SATA for $89 with another 20% off that. Don't really like WD harddrives but price seemed good. You think?
    Need to see if I can find the spes on this puter to see if it is even setup for SATA.
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    Looks like it's not SATA ready.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    It's either SATA or PATA (old style, 'IDE')
    Circuit City. 160Gig Western Digital SATA for $89 with another 20% off that.
    That's overpriced, yes, even after the supposed discount. The liquidator has artificially jacked up the price, discounted it, and then advertised the it as a deal. No deal at all. Check your local Office Depot, Office Max, or Staples. I just got a 250GB laptop drive last week for $69 from Office Depot. That's a good target price for a SATA or PATA laptop drive of 250GB capacity.
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    Leonardo wrote:
    It's either SATA or PATA (old style, 'IDE')

    That's overpriced, yes, even after the supposed discount. The liquidator has artificially jacked up the price, discounted it, and then advertised the it as a deal. No deal at all. Check your local Office Depot, Office Max, or Staples. I just got a 250GB laptop drive last week for $69 from Office Depot. That's a good target price for a SATA or PATA laptop drive of 250GB capacity.

    Very good price on the 250GB. Should of gone next door to Office Depot but had groceries in the car and needed to get home. May run out later this evening and take a look.
    Who's drive is it?
    I've always had good luck with Maxtor on anything I've installed new drives on.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Seagate. Maxtor brand is owned by Seagate. Many of the Maxtor drives are manufactured on Seagate production lines, with Maxtor labels applied.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Leonardo wrote:
    Seagate. Maxtor brand is owned by Seagate. Many of the Maxtor drives are manufactured on Seagate production lines, with Maxtor labels applied.
    had groceries in the car and needed to get home.
    I understand. These liquidators, and many retail stores as well, prey on people who don't have time to research items. They jack up the prices, lower it slightly, and then claim great savings. Not everyone has the time to spend detailing common prices for computer hardware. I'm sorry if I made you out to be a dufus, which you are not. :sad2:
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    Leonardo wrote:
    I understand. These liquidators, and many retail stores as well, prey on people who don't have time to research items. They jack up the prices, lower it slightly, and then claim great savings. Not everyone has the time to spend detailing common prices for computer hardware. I'm sorry if I made you out to be a dufus, which you are not. :sad2:

    No need to be sorry and I didn't feel you were :) Dufus would be trying to go it alone and think your to good to ask questions to more experienced ppl.
    Thx for your concern.
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited February 2009
    Do you have an OS disk? Most laptops have all the recovery data stored on a hidden partition on the HD. If you put a new HD in you wont be able to re-install as the recovery drive image wont be there.
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    RichD wrote:
    Do you have an OS disk? Most laptops have all the recovery data stored on a hidden partition on the HD. If you put a new HD in you wont be able to re-install as the recovery drive image wont be there.

    Welcome to my nightmare RichD
    Just kidding because I really like this kinda stuff.
    If we figure out for sure it's the HD and it is starting to look more that way, I have a couple of new XP home OS's here for when I purchase a new HD.
    Everything on the laptop now is all someones elses stuff I have no need for. A recovery would be nice because it was upgraded to XP Pro so that's all I'll really be missing.
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    Last update on dv8000 for today.
    Tried booting to safe mode and the password on this machine won't work. It is the right password and works in normal mode just before it shuts itself down. As it stands now I left it in safe mode to check some things out on this computer and when I turned around to look it was on screen saver. This has been going for the last 25/30 mins. Guess that rules out the power supply :)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    my boss slammed his fist down on the keyboard
    I'm just curious. Why are you taking care of this and not your boss? Is he paying you for the new hard drive?
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited February 2009
    The other possibility is some sort of grounding or shorting fault but I wouldn't think it would even post if that was the case.
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    Leonardo wrote:
    I'm just curious. Why are you taking care of this and not your boss? Is he paying you for the new hard drive?

    Leonardo, nothing wrong with being curious, curiousity killed the cat but satisfacation brought him back :)
    He's already had our office manager order a new one and I'm hoping if I can fix this one for not to much I can keep it. I've got a dv9000 and love it when I'm on the road. Major tonage to carry around but a great laptop. Before I knew what was going on he had it sent to Best Buy (Geek Squad) and from what I heard they couldn't do a thing with it. Hence the test, can I fix this thing. Never liked any of those in-store computer repair guys. Always thought it was a rip. To tell you the truth I've put together a few decent desktops and always thought it would be fun to do that for a biz. BUT now it's impossible to cut the big guys as far as pricing goes.
    GEEZ am I long winded tonight or what. Sorry, I probably should have made this a little shorter but just wanted you to know why I'm here :)
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    RichD wrote:
    The other possibility is some sort of grounding or shorting fault but I wouldn't think it would even post if that was the case.

    RichD

    Grounding or a short was the first thing I thought about that's why I was looking for instructions on removing the keyboard and how I found you guys. Took the keyboard off and straightened it out but was still having the same problem with it dieing about the time I was entering the password. Did you read my last post yesterday about not being able to get the password to work when in safe mode. It works (password) fine in normal mode until around the "loading your personal settings" screen pops up which is the fartherest it's gone. It sat in safe mode last night with the password screen open until the floating windows xp pro screen saver came on and stayed like that until I shut it down. Was about 45 mins to an hour. Never died. Figure if it was a short or ground prob it wouldn't have done that.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    You may just have to buy a hard drive, cross your fingers, and if it doesn't work, sell the unneeded hard drive on Craigslist....or a trading forum, like your very own Deal Depot and Trading Post.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Or return the hard drive to the store. ;)
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited February 2009
    Is it worth trying a bootable Seatools?
  • ToriaToria Brooksville, Florida
    edited February 2009
    RichD wrote:
    Is it worth trying a bootable Seatools?

    Not sure what that is (Seatools) but if it involves getting into the BIOS to change the boot order like to the CD not going to be able to keep it up long enough to do that.
    Still looking for a good harddrive. Well a good price anyway.
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