Dell Inspiron 9100 Laptop - Cold Boot Problems

Hi, I've owned this laptop for some time now, it was in the Desktop Replacement range when I purchased it.

The problem is, for the past few months the laptop does not boot/post screen first thing. You need to switch it on, wait 2 minutes and then restart it for it to post screen.

My friend mentioned that it could be a loose solder that would make it need more time to warm up... What ever that means.

What could be cuasing this? Is there any tips/guides to help me fix it?

http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/hardwar [...] 337,00.htm (difference is mine is 80GB. Not sure if thats any help.)

Thanks!!

Damn, that thing must be old, my own one is still running sans the battery which died a little while ago.

In my parents hands now, was a powerful wee thing in it's time but that was like 2004/5 or something.

Have you tried the basic giving it a clean, the rear heatsinks are a terrible one for picking up dust.

Also is that off the wall power, I assume it is but like I say the battery on my own kicked the bucket and has been discarded now.

Does it turn on at all, you say it switches on but does not post. Perhaps it is a BIOS problem, the cmos battery could be going.

It is difficult to tell due to it's age.

It sounds hardware related, could be capacitors going or maybe some worn solder as your friend suggested.

It may even be unfixable especially as it is a notebook.

Other have had the same issue. http://ask.metafilter.com/50153/Ev [...] to-warm-up