Sony VAIO Laptop lights up for few seconds, immediately switches off

[LucasMadword]

My Sony VAIO laptop lights up for a few seconds, only to immediately switch off. It doesn't beep at all, even when headphones are plugged in. It just lights up, and switches off again.

[strike]There is no Hard Drive inserted as I've already recovered the data. I do have a copy of MS-DOS though, and I can boot to that (if I needed to).[/strike] Read the update!

I know it's not anything internal, as I can boot it when there is no battery plugged in (but the AC is in instead).

AC + Battery = Switches on for a few seconds, dies 3 seconds later
Battery with charge= Same symptoms as AC + Battery
AC withOUT Battery = Switches on, can boot to CD drive

I've tried holding the power button for 30 seconds without a battery or AC adapter plugged in, to no avail. I've tried holding the Assist button as well.

Any suggestions? It is out of warranty, I cannot open up the laptop to see what's wrong, and I don't have any spare money to get it replaced. I can't run it from an AC as I am afraid something bad will happen.

Thanks in advance.

Update:
I have put in a new 500GB hard drive, and installed Windows 7 on it. I'm running Memtest86 on the laptop right now. I'm assuming it'll pass, but we'll see.

The technician at my school tested the AC adapter to see if that was the culprit. But, the AC passed, so it's the laptop itself.

I still need to know how to get the battery working. I bought a new battery, but it does exactly the same as the official battery.

I am still absolutely stumped. I have no idea how to get it working, and I need it for my classes in two weeks. Any suggestions on how to fix it is appreciated.

 

[Prostar Computer]

So if I understood all that correctly, the laptop does not have said problem when you boot off of AC only (no battery inserted). Is that right? Because if that's the gist of it, I think the circuit on the board or the contacts are damaged/faulty, therefore your issue would be an electrical problem and not something you can easily fix.

 

[LucasMadword]

So if I understood all that correctly, the laptop does not have said problem when you boot off of AC only (no battery inserted). Is that right? Because if that's the gist of it, I think the circuit on the board or the contacts are damaged/faulty, therefore your issue would be an electrical problem and not something you can easily fix.

Yeah, it only works with AC.

But, I wouldn't say it was something to do with the contacts, as it was fully working before, and since it is a desktop-replacement laptop (I don't move it at all, it stays on my desk at all times), there's no way it could be a contact problem. Is that right, that it wouldn't be damaged if it wasn't moved at all?

 

[LucasMadword]

Last night, I was upgrading the OS to Windows 7 Ultimate, when it completely shut off and died (it was acting like it was running with a battery, even though it was running via AC). I'm pretty sure it's either an electrical problem (thanks Prostar Computer), or a motherboard/CPU problem.

 

[Prostar Computer]

Is that right, that it wouldn't be damaged if it wasn't moved at all?

Unfortunately that doesn't really mean much of anything. Electrical and/or electronic failure can arise by happenstance without any user intervention.

Last night, I was upgrading the OS to Windows 7 Ultimate, when it completely shut off and died (it was acting like it was running with a battery, even though it was running via AC). I'm pretty sure it's either an electrical problem (thanks Prostar Computer), or a motherboard/CPU problem.

Well, I'm glad I could help point you in the right direction, though I'm sorry to hear the computer seems to have kicked the bucket. Though it's out of warranty, it's possible the manufacturer can service it, though a replacement motherboard will likely run several hundred dollars.

Best of luck to you, Lucas!

 

[LucasMadword]

Progress!

I left it for a few weeks, and I sort of fixed it. It booted into Windows, and then shut off. The actual slot that plugs the laptop in is broken, so holding the plug in while it boots makes it work (after it boots, I don't have to hold it in).

I didn't even expect to get it working, but I'm pretty happy! Thanks so much to Prostar Computer for helping me, as he lead me to the conclusion!