Tony Thorpe :
Machine froze. Switched off via on/off button. Tried restart but when powered on the disc light comes on briefly but goes out and disc doesn't run. Nothing on screen. Any ideas?
Hello sir,
Have you tried with or without the power cable and or a battery?
How long have you had your machine? Could be the hard drive finally decided to crash on or could be a RAM issue instead.
Are you certain there is no output on the screen? Could you attempt to access the BIOS? Do you have a spare monitor or TV with the correct output if your laptop suppots it (i see HDMi if your one has it but does it have VGA?)
If above nothing succeeds then you must first check the RAM:
If you can, take apart the panel or back cover to access the RAM. Remove all RAM sticks but one, leave it in. If the computer boots then you now know that, 1) one of the RAM sticks is faulty or 2) one of the RAM modules are faulty.
Power the laptop on, if nothing appears switch it off (remove the battery - health safety for you to ensure you don't damage your laptop or yourself). Move the stick to a free module. Power on. Still nothing? Remove the module and put it aside.
Take a different RAM stick and try the same again. If the works and you have tried it on all RAM modules then you know that one of the RAM sticks is faulty and is the culprit.
If you only have one RAM stick installed then you will need to find replacement. This is the quickest and simplest way to find it fixes it. Leave the more complicated/extra for now.
Maybe re-seating the CMOS/motherboard battery help.
Dan