help! HP notebook problem!

[dasspr]

Hello everyone! My hp notebook started having problems a while back! But since I didn't need it, I just stored it and ignored it! But now I need a running lap top and yes! im FK'ed!

The problem is that it won't start! I remember when it 1st happened, I pressed the on button, it went on like 3 seconds then it shut down and never started again! What can it be? What can I do to trouble shoot it? I'm a pilot, I travel all over, I don't have time to leave it in a shop and pick it up a few days later! I know it's not battery, because it charges, the yellow power light (has a lightning symbol is always on) and the battery and the housing gets hot after charging! It just won't start

Its an hp pavilion notebook btw! I dont know the number, its us5300 or something like that! I got it in 2003

 

[99nasha]

At first glance it looks like a motherboard issue. If this is the case, it isnt a quick fix. All your data will still be intact though.

Reseating the RAM modules may help. Give that a go.

 

[setishock]

I beg to differ here. The getting hot is a sign of a bad cell in the battery. It may take some what of a charge but I bet it didn't last any where near the time it did when you got it.
Look at the fact it's 6 years old and batteries are outragous to say the least. If you have a moment you can take the battery out and plug in the power brick to the laptop. If it will fire up on the power pack then that confirms it's the battery.
If still no joy. Then it would be prudent to reseat the ram as suggested and recheck. If it still won't fire up then considering it's age I would reccomend looking in to getting a replacement. Good HP are inexpensive. Check Circuit City and Best Buy for deals.

 

[dasspr]

lol! true, battery only lasts about 20 mins... but I already tried running it with out the battery but with the power cable pluged to the wall!

I took the 2 ram cards out, tried it with just one, switched them around, even tried it with out any ram cards... still no luck! I did get a 1 second start, then it all just turned off!

I think I might need a new pc! but not another hp! my dad works in hp and he even says I shoudl get a dell or something different!

 

[Celegorm]

Yeah, that's the main board. I work with nothing but HP at school and that's the sign.

I'd stick away from dell, they are more known from breaking than HP.

 

[dasspr]

so this isnt a $30 fix right...? they probably dont make main boards for this model anyways!