# Need Help with Windows 7 Machine!

Category: Geeks r Us

## Post 1 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Sunday, 08-May-2011 10:27:53

I know that several of you are great with computers, and I can assure you that this is a totally modern problem. My boyfriend has a nine-month-old compaq presario cq62 running Windows 7. Yesterday, he turned it on in the car for a few minutes and viewed a file on his machine that he himself made and that he knows is clear of any viruses. He also didn't download anything, drop the machine or spill anything in it. Last night, at my place, he tried to turn on the computer and it wouldn't work. He removed the battery and tried again, but still, nothing happened. We even tried different outlets! He has a small multimeter with him but it's battery is dead so he can't test the battery in the computer.
I went on the net to see if anyone else was having a similar problem and found that yes, there were several reported cases where this model wouldn't work. One suggestion was to completely remove the battery and adapter, hold the power button down for 30 seconds to one minute and then plug the machine in and hit power again. We tried that with no luck.
I remember having a similar problem with my IBM Thinkpad X32, wherein it would die while charging or only work for a few minutes on battery. As soon as I got a new adapter and power cord, it worked fine. But he says that his cord looks to be in perfect condition and the computer was working perfectly fine before this. . Can anyone please help us?

## Post 2 by OceanDream (An Ocean of Thoughts) on Sunday, 08-May-2011 12:34:28

I did have one power cord once that looked perfectly fine, but didn't work at all. As soon as I got a new one, it was fine. although, if you decide to go that route, make sure you check the compatibility with the new adapter.
It's possible that it could also be the power supply in the laptop. You can replace it if that is the problem, but depending on the price, it may not be worth it.
I don't know of anything else it could be, but hopefully someone has other suggestions.

## Post 3 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Sunday, 08-May-2011 14:02:23

Sounds like a hardware problem, if the computer does not come up at all, I'd find a way to test the power supply. I had to replace my power supply in a desktop once when it wouldn't turn on, can't remember the price.
I have not had good experiences with Compaq, especially post HP takeover, I stick with Linovo and Asus, though it is just always a bit f a lottery and many people swear by Dell and other laptop models I have not had good experiences with.
If something comes on he can check the error messages, but it really sounds like this is hardware and the operating system has nothing to do with the problem, otherwise he should see messages from the bios when he fires the machine up.

## Post 4 by OceanDream (An Ocean of Thoughts) on Sunday, 08-May-2011 17:01:37

yeah. that's what I was thinking, too. I'd definitely test those possible issues first, though. taking it in is always an option, but most places charge a diagnostic fee just for looking at the thing, and then another hundred bucks or so to actually fix the problem, not to mention the cost of parts if necessary.

## Post 5 by forereel (Just posting.) on Sunday, 08-May-2011 19:21:42

Yes, the power supply quit, or the hard drive locked or froze up. Was it a hot day? You can't leave these machines in a hot place. But okay, its 9 months old, so it's under warrentee, unless it was refurbished, so I'd use that. Look on the computer for the service phone number and tag, or the web. Why try to fix it if the company will, is my motto.

## Post 6 by b3n (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Wednesday, 11-May-2011 19:50:10

Agree with 5, why bother if its under warranty?
He could measure the volts that the adaptor is giving the laptop, but just bear in mind that even if the adaptor is giving out the correct number of volts, it might be falling short in the amps.
The general rule with adaptors (Correct me if I'm wrong Leo) is that you shouldn't change the voltage that you give something from what its meant to be, but you can increase (but not decrease) the amps.

## Post 7 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Wednesday, 11-May-2011 20:37:33

All of you are basically confirming what I thought. I'm sure he has his regular meter at home so can check it there, but I haven't gotten around to asking him if he did so. I'll do so tomorrow if I don't hear from him tonight. Yeah, there are no messages. It's not even turning on. He got it from his son, so I'm not sure if he bought it outright or from Ebay. Still, I'll remember to have him check on the computer for that number. I don't know anything about adapters and voltage, but he's been working with electronics (keyboards, synthesizers and amplifiers mostly) for over 30 years. So I'm sure he knows all about that stuff. Still, thanks for the heads-up.