SurClaro Flight Simulator Resources

capt.PropwashKCHS · Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 1:57 am Post subject: Paperweight

im sure im going to get a few mixed results with this inquiry, but its been bugging me for about the past year. I am on a Dell Inspirion 2200 Laptop, and I am starting to develop possible HDD problems; or should I say the MOBO / BIOS at times does not recognize the C: as being installed.

I have for the moment got to recognize and I am on it...... BUT I also have an old HATEWAY (gateway) SOLO 1400 laptop that I believe that the onboard video chip is messed up. Is there ANY possibility of UNIX the 2 together and power up the Hateway and see what happens??? Is there any way to "hack" the computer and see what is wrong that way??? OR should i just get out a flat pry bar, few screwdrivers (not the drink) and a small hammer and just rip it open and look at it???

I already called Hateway telephone support and they said I probably need to send it off to TEXAS from South Carolina to have it "looked at, and if needed or wanted serviced / replaced" but that it would cost in the range of $1500 to ship / repair / ship and I dont have that kind of money.

Is there any chance that I, or a 'ahem' could gain access to it and see what is really wrong with it????? -------- symptoms of course... Push the power button ON ~~~> NO LIGHTS TURN ON ANYWHERE ON THE COMPUTER ~~~> BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!! (1 long steady BEEP, then it stops and NOTHING happens).

Any answers would be appreciated, thanks.

tropicalfish · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 863

UNIX the two together??

What on earth is that supposed to mean?

I've disassembled three laptops to fix, and they usually didn't start up due to overheat or dead BIOS battery...

Reseat the harddrive on the Dell..
On the computer where you say it just beeps when you turn it on, is that the Dell or the Gateway?

capt.PropwashKCHS · Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:44 am Post subject:

unix = unified, 2 processors, 2 harddrives....... you know sorta the precursor to DUEL CORE PROCESSOR, Master / slave computer from 1995???

dell laptop = bios does not recognize hard drive, then after a number of hours it will. (like now...)

gateway = dead. 1 long steady beep when you try to turn it on. No power lights, cpu "thinking" light, just BEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!

I thought about taking the Universal Hard drive out of the Gateway, putting it in the Dell and then seeing if i can copy/paste info or files to my external drive, then swap BACK to the DELL HDD and reinstall it all to DELL....... but thinking about it for 1/2 a second, its a GATEWAY UNIVERSAL HDD, and probably wont fit in a DELL.

tropicalfish · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 863

Unix is an operating system.

Did you try reseating the hard drive? How old are they? Take out the hard drive and see what the interfaces look like.

capt.PropwashKCHS · Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:56 am Post subject:

gateway comp is about 5-6 years old, but will handle FS9 flawlessly......

dell comp is about 2 years old, and will handle up to FSX on 2 hair widths above barebone's minimums.

I was just thinking if i could figure out the Gateways problem and get it working again, then it could be a server, or extra monitor.....

EDIT:::: I tried taking out the DELL HDD and putting it back in with a little force, not too much, but just enough to hopefully seat it a little better 4-5 times. I had a Brainfart to plug in the External hoping that it might somehow use the E: as a bootdrive, and it actually worked. I guess. Or it saw the C: when i plugged in the E:. either way, it is ON and running and I am using the DELL laptop right now, and do not plan on turning it off unless the power goes out, and the battery dies BEFORE i can borrow a generator from my construction job. lol

...... Dell is primary flight display (cocpit / spot plane), Gateway could be ATCRadar Screen 5. or another RADAR program.

or would just be nice to have 2 "WORKING" laptops.. :roll:

viche12345 · Joined: 01 Apr 2005 Posts: 836 Location: San Diego, CA, USA

Looks like the Hateway is dead. Some critical component got fried. It's really no use having to send the laptop over to Texas. Use that $1500 to invest in a more powerful laptop. $1500 can get you a LOT these days. Don't bother trying to fix that old laptop.

Have you tried resetting the BIOS back to default?

capt.PropwashKCHS · Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:08 pm Post subject:

the dell is now back up and running like it is supposed to be. which is the good news. I had tried to reset the BIOS to default, no go. "no bootable drive found" ... or "the item in the modular bay was not identified, please reinsert it" or when Windows did load up, BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH. oh, and the ever so popular "black screen / blinking cursor in the upper left" then it would only say "INTERNAL".

i had my fiance' plug in my E: (E xternal) and boot up the computer to see if there was a way that the E:\ would force it to boot..... BINGO!!!!! it booted up. do not ask me how, or why, or whatnot, i just know that when i plugged in the FAT32 E:\ it booted up with no problems. C:/ is NTFS. .... (scratches head) go figure. oh well.... the DELL that could not find the HDD is what i am now, and seems to be working just fine again....

edit: If you are referring to resetting the BIOS on the Hateway, no can do. As soon as you turn it on, NO lights will come on, just a constant steady loud BEEEEP!!! for about 15 seconds, then it stops and NOTHING happens. it just sits there silently like a .. lol... PAPERWEIGHT!! But I wish there was a way to repair the HATEWAY. oh well, looks like its time for a flat pry bar, screwdrivers, chisel, and 2 hammers - 1 16oz, the other 20lb sledge for when i get done for the heck of it... hehe :lol:

tropicalfish · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 863

Gateway is in Texas? 8O

capt.PropwashKCHS · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:50 am Post subject:

that is where they told me i would have to send it.... i guess they have a service center there. I even tried to ask them for schematics on how to take the computer apart and they told me that no one has that information, they just pretty much unscrew it and take it apart. ......

umm, OK TFISH.. without schematics how do you get the laptop apart.... i took EVERY @#$% screww out of the dang thing, and right in the middle of the keyboard something is holding it together. there is no *beep* that i can see from the bottom side.... do i need to pop all the keys off and figure out how to remove the rubberized mat that is below the keys to find another screww???????? I would love to get this thing apart and see its guts, and take some pics to play "GUESS WHATS WRONG WITH IT!" LOL

EDIT:: ok, for those that might know a good deal about computers , laptops in particular.... could it possibly be a LCD INVERTER that is messed up?? (see info below, found on http://www.lcdinverter.co.uk/19.A03V7.001.htm#schematics )

GATEWAY 600YGR, 600YG2 lcd inverter for 15.7" LP157E1 display, Solo 1400, 1450, for 14.1" or 15.0" display, may also have part number 33EA1IV0005 (Part#: 3HYA1IV0008 )

EDIT 2:: OK, i think i found a way to get into the laptop and look around. BUT without knowing what or where I might need to look at closer, I wont really know a general place to start taking better pictures. So, in that, by the following picture, is there anyway that any of you can figure out where the Video Chipset might be located? if not, its ok, ill see what i can do about getting a better pic of my MOBO. (this one is off the internet http://logicalplus.stores.yahoo.net/gaso14nomo21.html )

viche12345 · Joined: 01 Apr 2005 Posts: 836 Location: San Diego, CA, USA

I really don't think it's a video issue. You said there's a long beep and the screen stays black. I'd bet your CPU or a critical component on the motherboard has fried since your computer can't even POST.

rd · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 5:24 am Post subject:

Have to agree with Vince on that one. That long beep means it isn't "posting", and a critical component is defective. Could be MB, HDD, CPU, etc.

RD

tropicalfish · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 863

There is no point in taking all the screws out.

Put them back, and if you really want to take it apart, get the service manual so you know which screws to take out at the right order.