Solo 9300 won't boot-floppy stuck

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.gateway2000 (More info?)

This ng is my last hope.
i've posted in a couple laptop ng's & have
had only one or two responses.
I'd like to see if you'll could help.

My symptoms looked like a boot-block bios problem & I thought it was.
WRONG!
Y?
Since the unit ran correctly for months & i did NOT flash the Bios
within the last several months, that problem has been ruled-out.

Laptop's basic SYSTEM:
Gateway Solo 9300 Pentium-||| 500hrz Phoenix BIOS- with Win-2k Pro

strange symptoms:
when powering_on...the bezel lights flash very briefly, but Nothing is
displayed (or posted) on the LCD screen. No POST at all....just a black
screen.

No hardware busy lights turn-on, except for the floppy's read light on
the floppy, itself (no activity on bezel light). After powering on the
laptop, the floppy's green read light stays-on (solid) all the time.
However, this LS-120 floppy does not read & makes no noises at all.
The CDRW drive does not spin correctly ( it sounds strange, not the
normal spin sounds) and it only spins very slowly for just a few sec
before turning-off.
The CD bezel (busy) light never comes on, either.
The floppy drive read light activates immediately as soon as the green
power light comes on & it cannot be turned-off. An inserted floppy is
not read (used a dos start-up disk) & the floppy disk cannot be ejected
( the floppy must be must be removed by carefully prying-it out,
manually).
I've tried removing all hardware like LS-120 floppy, CDRW, Power
Battery, all Ram sticks. it made no difference.
I've checked the CPU for looseness, it was not... no change.
BTW- can not remember if the cooling fan should come-on after power-up
button is press . Tried both AC & DC power systems. no cooling fan
noises..
i've got lots of question for you laptop gateway experts! LOL

Since the CPU was not loose, would reseating CPU do anything helpful?
BTW- how do you do that, exactly, as it relates to the Solo Model #
9300?
Any other ideas?

Is it the CPU ? or is it the mobo that could be bad?
Is there anyway to tell which of the two, is bad?
is there a way to test CPU?
Is their a hardware reset on Solo 9300, i can not find it, if there is?

ONE BIG Request- Describe or show me where the hardware "reset" hole is
(for the 9300) !

What do Power Supply failures look like in laptops?
it could not be that, cause i would get an error of some sort? Plus,
main power light would not stay-on.. right?

Help or ideas?

PS- email responses are cool, too.

S_H
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.gateway2000 (More info?)

Can't help you except with the reset hole ... right to the left of the power
button, before and just above the first button to the left.. Insert a
paperclip and hold.

Good luck. Might mean a trip to Gateway. IF a trip is needed, they do turn
around stuff fast, though they leave out lots of screws (or fail to tighten
them properly). If you do ship and get it back, things will be falling off
your laptop for months. And you'll be able to use it as maracas because of
all the loose stuff inside. But it will work.

--
Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

The return address for this post is fictitious. Please reply by posting back
to the newsgroup.

<snip>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.gateway2000 (More info?)

>From:
>pleasepostbacktothetgroup@postbacktog
>roup.invalid (Anthony Giorgianni)
>
>Can't help you except with the reset
>hole ... right to the left of the power
>button, before and just above the first
>button to the left.. Insert a paperclip and
>hold.
>
Thanks Anthony, i'll see if i can find that hole but don't think there
is a "reset" hole located there on the 9300. I'll certainly look again!
:)

Is there no one in this ng that is still willing to help, who is an
expert on the Solo 9300 & it's hardware related defects or failures? All
i have found are 3 year old related ng posts from this newsgroup (ng) by
experts,.... but nothing current. Those old poster's email addies are
now dead.

Ideas?

S_H
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.gateway2000 (More info?)

Well, Semi, I'm posting with a 9300 right here. The hole is on mine, anyway.

I did have a pretty big failure on my 9300. It caused the power pack light
to flicker when I'd plug in the machine, which would operate on batteries.
That sounds like a different problem than yours. But I sent it in, and it
turned out to be some type of hardware problem in the computer itself -
nothing I could have fixed. Your problem sounds pretty extreme as well.
Unfortunately the amount Gateway charges for repair - $300 flat fee as I
remember - is more than these computers probably are worth. . But I'm glad I
got mine fixed. I don't know if you'll find that kind of expertise here. But
good luck with it


--
Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

The return address for this post is fictitious. Please reply by posting back
to the newsgroup.


"Semi Head" <semi_head@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:4005-40FE464F-6@storefull-3117.bay.webtv.net...
>From:
>pleasepostbacktothetgroup@postbacktog
>roup.invalid (Anthony Giorgianni)
>
>Can't help you except with the reset
>hole ... right to the left of the power
>button, before and just above the first
>button to the left.. Insert a paperclip and
>hold.
>
Thanks Anthony, i'll see if i can find that hole but don't think there
is a "reset" hole located there on the 9300. I'll certainly look again!
:)

Is there no one in this ng that is still willing to help, who is an
expert on the Solo 9300 & it's hardware related defects or failures? All
i have found are 3 year old related ng posts from this newsgroup (ng) by
experts,.... but nothing current. Those old poster's email addies are
now dead.

Ideas?

S_H
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.gateway2000 (More info?)

The Reset hole did not work.
Time to sell it for parts, i guess.... or buy a used MB.
Thanks

S_H