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Dell Latitude 2100 won't start anymore

post #1 of 30
9/22/10 at 8:56am
Thread Starter 
Hi!

Yesterday I decided to change the disk of my netbook and bought a bigger one. I also found a detailed description at the dell pages how to open it up and change it, with images, video etc. This instructions had been very good! I'd wish every company would give out such good informations!

Anyway, I opened it up, changed the disk and closed it. And: it didn't boot. Not even any sound, no fan, just some blinking lights. I changed it back to the old disk: nothing changed.

In the instructions they also explain the blinking leds. Only the "9" field (left of the upper 3 right leds) was blinking. Diagnostics say: system board or processor bad or "reseat processor".

Several questions:

What could've gone wrong? Maybe there are cables which snap off or something?
What is reseating? Do they mean resetting? How to do this?
And last: is there any hope or do I really need a new motherboard or CPU?

Thanx,

Udo
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post #2 of 30
9/22/10 at 10:59am
Re-seat processor = remove the heatsink, then CPU, then put it all back with new thermal paste.

Re-seat simply means remove then put things back. Try that with your ram modules as well.

cheers ...
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post #3 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
Re-seat processor = remove the heatsink, then CPU, then put it all back with new thermal paste.

Re-seat simply means remove then put things back. Try that with your ram modules as well.

cheers ...
Ah, ok. But there's one problem: From the view of the motherboard I'd say the CPU is soldered directly at the mainboard. I'll take a look at the instructions again.

Nevertheless it's hard to understand. I didn't even touch anything around the CPU, how can this be?

Anyway, thanx for the fast reply!
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post #4 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:38am
Yes, it baffled me as such - replacing a hard drive should be as easy as 1-2-3. Did you remove all power inputs during the exchange?

I would try first in your situation just to re-seat the ram modules (power off and out first). And whilst you are at it, hold down the power button for about 30-40secs just to discharge anything that is left on the circuitry

cheers ...
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post #5 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:39am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by UWP View Post
Ah, ok. But there's one problem: From the view of the motherboard I'd say the CPU is soldered directly at the mainboard. I'll take a look at the instructions again.
In the instructions sheet there's a replacement procedure for almost everything but not for the CPU. It doesn't seem to be replaceable...

I guess in that case it doesn't make sense to touch the heat fan at all?
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post #6 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:42am
The service manual should have everything.

http://support.euro.dell.com/support...0/en/index.htm

cheers ...
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post #7 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:45am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
Yes, it baffled me as such - replacing a hard drive should be as easy as 1-2-3. Did you remove all power inputs during the exchange?
That's what I thought too. Of course all power had been removed before, I haven't done working on such things the first time. That's what's really strange for me: a simple process left a unusable machine. It never happened to me, since I ever worked on hardware (about 20 years I'm doing this now...).

Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
I would try first in your situation just to re-seat the ram modules (power off and out first). And whilst you are at it, hold down the power button for about 30-40secs just to discharge anything that is left on the circuitry
Ok, there's just one ram module, an extra one. The original 1st GB is also soldered at the mainboard. The idea with the power button sounds interesting, but I don't think that there are so many heavily loaded condensators to actually destroy something.

Thanx for your help, I really appreciate this!
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post #8 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:47am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
The service manual should have everything.

http://support.euro.dell.com/support...0/en/index.htm

cheers ...
You're absolutely right, that was the one I mentioned. And exactly this is what I was talking about: no hints for replacing the CPU...

Without these informations I'd say I wouldn't have even started the hard disk replacement...
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post #9 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:49am
Take a close look at the other RAM module, it can't be soldered to the mainboard, it is probably just being hidden away

Go slow on the dis-assembly. Good luck.

cheers ...
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post #10 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:53am
I take it back - you are correct about the other ram being soldered on the board.

cheers ...
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post #11 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
Take a close look at the other RAM module, it can't be soldered to the mainboard, it is probably just being hidden away
Why it shouldn't be soldered? At least this is a netbook, not a standard laptop. When everything is smaller you often have compromises... Watch this:

http://support.euro.dell.com/support...D04_Memory.htm

What you can see here is the extra RAM. In my case the ram to disassemble was 1 GB. And the machine had 2 GB total. 1 GB are the four chips you can see in the last picture next to the extra RAM...
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post #12 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:56am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
I take it back - you are correct about the other ram being soldered on the board.
You're too fast for me.
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post #13 of 30
9/22/10 at 11:56am
Just reviewed the 2100 internals, there is no hint for replacing the CPU since it can't be replaced (doh me)

cheers ...
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post #14 of 30
9/22/10 at 12:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
Just reviewed the 2100 internals, there is no hint for replacing the CPU since it can't be replaced (doh me)
No problem. Ok, so we're almost at the beginning again. What would you do now? I guess the warranty is over from that time I opened it. Anyway, the machine is maybe out of warranty, I have it for more than one year now I guess. And buying a new motherboard might cost more or almost exactly that amount I'm paying for a new netbook. Maybe there is no such option for an end-customer like me to buy spare parts from dell? And let them repair it will be the most expensive option. All of this is strange, it was just a hard-disk replacement...
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post #15 of 30
9/22/10 at 12:08pm
Well, we can always take things apart and put them back (slowly), making it sure that they all snap in nicely - and the power trick of course

cheers ...
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post #16 of 30
9/22/10 at 12:11pm
The CMOS battery is also accessible, you might want to remove it and put it back. Be very careful not to break the latches.

cheers ...
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post #17 of 30
9/22/10 at 12:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
The CMOS battery is also accessible, you might want to remove it and put it back. Be very careful not to break the latches.

cheers ...
resetting the CMOS (removing the CMOS battery and then reconnecting it) usually fixes these sorts of problems. I've seen people reporting problems like this when replacing optical drives as well, usually pulling the CMOS battery and then reconnecting fixes it.
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post #18 of 30
9/22/10 at 12:35pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
The CMOS battery is also accessible, you might want to remove it and put it back. Be very careful not to break the latches.
This is an idea I also thought about. But: will this really change something? At least this is one of the smallest operations I can do here...
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post #19 of 30
9/22/10 at 12:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dougadamsfan View Post
resetting the CMOS (removing the CMOS battery and then reconnecting it) usually fixes these sorts of problems. I've seen people reporting problems like this when replacing optical drives as well, usually pulling the CMOS battery and then reconnecting fixes it.
Ok, two people say, this is important, I'll try it! Thanx!
(Of course I will report it if I succeed!)
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post #20 of 30
9/22/10 at 12:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by UWP View Post
Ok, two people say, this is important, I'll try it! Thanx!
(Of course I will report it if I succeed!)
You are leaving us if it does not work?

cheers ...
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