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Blank screen on Laptop?

My laptop (Compal IFL90/Sager 2090) wont boot up! Blank screen, HD, CD drive still whirring. DESPERATE help needed! More details inside...

  • My laptop (Compal IFL90/Sager 2090) wont boot up! Blank screen, HD, CD drive still whirring. DESPERATE help needed! More details inside... When i started up my laptop today (http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3895) it showed me the normal Phoenix BIOS startup screen, and then i accidently pressed one of the "special" keyboard buttons on the far left of the laptop, the one on the http://www.dinside.no/km_bilde/0/2355700.jpg which i believe is a button to charge the battery only up to a certain percentage to help save battery life (i never use it). Well anyway, I press this button I believe during the Phoenix startup screen and my computer just turns off. When i turn it back on the monitor does not turn on meaning its not even black but completely off with the normal green tint. However, I hear my harddrive working and if i insert a CD it wirrs up as well. No matter how many times i turn off and turn on my computer its the same thing it will not get to my GRUB menu (i dual boot ubuntu and vista). This makes me believe its a BIOS or a hardware problem but im not really sure. Things I have done so far: (have not done much since i don't want to screw up comp further) -removed battery and held power button down for a min, no luck -tried a/c only without battery Anyway, this is really my only computer and im a CS student so i really need it up and running again. ANY help you could give even ideas would be appreciated im freaking out thanks! :)

  • Answer:

    Can you describe the icon on the button? What happens if you push it, wait a few seconds, then push it again, repeat until your monitor returns?

Javed_Ahamed at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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any chance its some sort of hibernate button? or even a button to engage a secondary monitor?

kaydo

The icon's picture is just a wire, with two prongs on it. Apparently this is "smart battery" "Smart Battery Charge lets the user “manually push the notebook charge 70% in an hour”." The button under that has the usb icon, and this button lets you charge usb devices when the computer is off, but im pretty sure i didnt hit that. I also tried starting the comp holding down that button, and pressing it multiple times and nothing happened :/

Javed_Ahamed

Ah Kaydo you posted while i was typing up the last one. No it doesn't do hibernate, and I also tried using a secondary monitor to see if that worked and pressed the FN+f3 button to switch monitor viewing modes but no avail :(

Javed_Ahamed

I was wondering if this could be a BIOS problem, and if it was how would I go about resetting my bios or making it better again?

Javed_Ahamed

Some machines have an over-all reset button. It'll be on the bottom somewhere and it'll be the kind that you have to push with an unbent paper-clip. If you have one, and you can locate it, try pushing it once. If that doesn't work, try holding it in for a few seconds. Alternatively, you can try taking out the battery, push the power button (to drain the system), put the battery back in, and hold the power button down for a few seconds.

jeffamaphone

I don't have a reset button and i have already tried the battery draining tip. :( thanks though.

Javed_Ahamed

Does anyone here know how to fix the BIOS? I've posted this problem on a number of sites and no one seems to know whats going on :(. My guess is still since screen isnt turning on and Phoenix BIOS logo is not coming up that the BIOS is kaput?

Javed_Ahamed

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=159777 might help if it is a problem with the BIOS, but be warned: the procedures described within could easily render your computer a useless brick if done wrong, or possibly if even done right. However, it sounds like that's already the case, so it might be worth a try. Make sure you read the entire thread, every page of it, and understand exactly what's going on before you do anything. On the other hand, it's odd that the BIOS/CMOS would suddenly just die like that, no matter what button you pressed. Unfortunately a hardware failure seems much more likely, unless there's a specific issue you somehow triggered with your laptop. Have you called Compal support? Perhaps they can shed some light on the situation.

Xuff

I am going to call XOTIC pc, the company i bought the notebook from monday, but I really do not think im under warranty anymore. My dad bought the notebook and hes not one to spring for extra warranties and i bought this one and a half years ago.... That and people bored at work on monday mefi'ng all day are what I am going to count on for the future of this laptop :(

Javed_Ahamed

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