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Dell Latitude D600 Start-up problem?

I read with interest the thread in this forum about start-up problems with these laptops, but my problem is different, so I am starting a new thread.
The machine was working fine. Then it was kept indoors but not used for around 5 months. When I tried to turn it on, having connected external power and made sure the battery was charged, nothing happened except for the power button light coming on and the power on indication at top right corner. The hard drive activity lamp did not come on. There was no screen illumination, but I could hear the hard drive spinning.
So I fitted a new CMOS battery. No change. Next I fitted a brand new main battery. No change. Finally I removed the main battery and just ran the machine on external power. Behold, it started up and worked fine.

So the fault is that when any main battery is fitted, it will not start up. Also, if a battery is fitted while it is running on external power the machine freezes - but display remains illuminated and showing whatever was there when the battery was inserted.

camoore
February 2011

Dell Computers, Notebooks/Laptop PCs Dell Startup Problem

Thank you, Computer Focus.

The battery is a genuine Dell one, and I have tried a total of three batteries all of which work fine in my two other D600 laptops.

I am inclined to agree that this is a motherboard problem - but why would it work OK on external power but fail when a battery is fitted, even with external power applied?

camoore
February 2011

First thing, is the new battery a genuine Dell battery?
If it is then my money is on a faulty motherboard and the only way that you can test it is to try anouther battery, Dell system are funny things when it comes to power packs and batterys, I hope this helps a bit.
Good luck.

Computer Focus
February 2011

Thank you K for suggestion. I had already checked the power saving options in the control panel. Anyway, these would not explain a refusal to start up at all - just a possible reason why a machine might shut down quite soon when on battery power.

Also I can not imagine that the problem is associated with the bios, but am open to any suggestions.

camoore
February 2011

just check in the (control panel) and open battery settings" it might be under power settings" as im useing a desktop , i cant see this setting on my pc, but sometimes you can set your labtop to go into battery power saveing , to knock off the hardrive and labtop, after 2mins 5 mins ect, if not in use, look in there for any changes, or you could try (system restore) to put the labtop back to a date when you rember it working as normal. click on start/ all programs/accessories/ systems tools/ and then (system restore) and follow the Ins,this will fix any changes that were made to the labtop by you or the labtop itself, it wont remove any of your work ,thats what i do when i have problems , and it allwats sorts things out.. good luck.

k
February 2011