Inspiron 600m Motherboard on Last Legs?

Hi,

I have a 2.5 year old Inspiron 600m that is on the verge of death. I'm
starting a new job in Sep and will get funds to buy hardware, so I don't
want to buy a new laptop now. I'd like to invest a bit in fixing this
one so it ties me over until the Autumn.

I think that I basically need a new motherboard and this one is not
fixable. I list the symptoms beneath. Is it OK for me to just buy one of
those 600m/D600 motherboards that are being sold on eBay for $150 or so.

I presume I don't need to buy one with fans and brackets, just the bare
with video? Will any of them work with my CPU (1.5GHz Pentium M)/memory,
etc.? Anything I should know? Is it reasonably easy to install?

In case there is something that can be done to this machine, or it's not
the motherboard, the symptoms are:

1) Every other day, after being moved around, the laptop turns itself
off from sleep and I can not power it on. After the power button is
pressed, the keyboard LEDs blink rapidly for 2 seconds and then switch
off. I have discovered that a couple of well-placed punches to the
power-button area (even while the LEDs are blinking) seem to fix the
problem. The laptop then boots. However, it has been getting more and
more difficult to resuscitate it this way.

2) It seems that the laptop is draining a lot of power during sleep, but
I've not been able to quantify this. Keeping it closed and unplugged for
an hour is enough to have the battery low LED flashing on wake up.

3) The Ethernet port is not recognised by Device Manager, it just sits
there as an unknown device. Disabling it and re-enabling sometimes makes
the machine recognise it and load the driver. The port then seems to
work, but if I have a cable plugged in, after some time (10-30 mins)
Windows will blue screen and reboot with the port dead.

4) The MiniPCI Dell wireless card is increasingly often not being
recognised after wake up from sleep. Either it sits there as Dell
Wireless in Device Manager and needs to be disable and re-enabled for
the driver to start and the computer to connect, or it is not recognised
at all and missing from the device list, in which case a few punches and
a reboot seem to bring it back.

4) Just now the PCMCIA drivers also disappeared and I had to reinstall
them after a reboot. But they seem to be OK right now (I don't have any
PCMCIA stuff to test the port).

If I am unlucky, the devices will appear but will not be recognised as
anything useful. Again, this fixes itself after some time.

Strangely enough, the computer is otherwise perfectly stable, no
software crashes or anything like that.

Any ideas? Thanks a lot!

Some of the problems you describe could just as easily be due to Windows having
gone flaky. It would not be the first time. It may be painful, but it may be
worth saving your valuable data, then reinstalling all programs and reloading
your data. Or, your suspicion of motherboard hardware wearing out could be
correct... Ben Myers

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:34:26 GMT, Wigster <> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I have a 2.5 year old Inspiron 600m that is on the verge of death. I'm
>starting a new job in Sep and will get funds to buy hardware, so I don't
>want to buy a new laptop now. I'd like to invest a bit in fixing this
>one so it ties me over until the Autumn.
>
>I think that I basically need a new motherboard and this one is not
>fixable. I list the symptoms beneath. Is it OK for me to just buy one of
>those 600m/D600 motherboards that are being sold on eBay for $150 or so.
>
>I presume I don't need to buy one with fans and brackets, just the bare
>with video? Will any of them work with my CPU (1.5GHz Pentium M)/memory,
>etc.? Anything I should know? Is it reasonably easy to install?
>
>In case there is something that can be done to this machine, or it's not
>the motherboard, the symptoms are:
>
>1) Every other day, after being moved around, the laptop turns itself
>off from sleep and I can not power it on. After the power button is
>pressed, the keyboard LEDs blink rapidly for 2 seconds and then switch
>off. I have discovered that a couple of well-placed punches to the
>power-button area (even while the LEDs are blinking) seem to fix the
>problem. The laptop then boots. However, it has been getting more and
>more difficult to resuscitate it this way.
>
>2) It seems that the laptop is draining a lot of power during sleep, but
>I've not been able to quantify this. Keeping it closed and unplugged for
>an hour is enough to have the battery low LED flashing on wake up.
>
>3) The Ethernet port is not recognised by Device Manager, it just sits
>there as an unknown device. Disabling it and re-enabling sometimes makes
>the machine recognise it and load the driver. The port then seems to
>work, but if I have a cable plugged in, after some time (10-30 mins)
>Windows will blue screen and reboot with the port dead.
>
>4) The MiniPCI Dell wireless card is increasingly often not being
>recognised after wake up from sleep. Either it sits there as Dell
>Wireless in Device Manager and needs to be disable and re-enabled for
>the driver to start and the computer to connect, or it is not recognised
>at all and missing from the device list, in which case a few punches and
>a reboot seem to bring it back.
>
>4) Just now the PCMCIA drivers also disappeared and I had to reinstall
>them after a reboot. But they seem to be OK right now (I don't have any
>PCMCIA stuff to test the port).
>
>If I am unlucky, the devices will appear but will not be recognised as
>anything useful. Again, this fixes itself after some time.
>
>Strangely enough, the computer is otherwise perfectly stable, no
>software crashes or anything like that.
>
>Any ideas? Thanks a lot!

On Mar 15, 6:34 pm, Wigster <b...@blob.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a 2.5 year old Inspiron 600m that is on the verge of death. I'm
> starting a new job in Sep and will get funds to buy hardware, so I don't
> want to buy a new laptop now. I'd like to invest a bit in fixing this
> one so it ties me over until the Autumn.
>
> I think that I basically need a new motherboard and this one is not
> fixable. I list the symptoms beneath. Is it OK for me to just buy one of
> those 600m/D600 motherboards that are being sold on eBay for $150 or so.
>
> I presume I don't need to buy one with fans and brackets, just the bare
> with video? Will any of them work with my CPU (1.5GHz Pentium M)/memory,
> etc.? Anything I should know? Is it reasonably easy to install?
>
> In case there is something that can be done to this machine, or it's not
> the motherboard, the symptoms are:
>
> 1) Every other day, after being moved around, the laptop turns itself
> off from sleep and I can not power it on. After the power button is
> pressed, the keyboard LEDs blink rapidly for 2 seconds and then switch
> off. I have discovered that a couple of well-placed punches to the
> power-button area (even while the LEDs are blinking) seem to fix the
> problem. The laptop then boots. However, it has been getting more and
> more difficult to resuscitate it this way.
>
> 2) It seems that the laptop is draining a lot of power during sleep, but
> I've not been able to quantify this. Keeping it closed and unplugged for
> an hour is enough to have the battery low LED flashing on wake up.
>
> 3) The Ethernet port is not recognised by Device Manager, it just sits
> there as an unknown device. Disabling it and re-enabling sometimes makes
> the machine recognise it and load the driver. The port then seems to
> work, but if I have a cable plugged in, after some time (10-30 mins)
> Windows will blue screen and reboot with the port dead.
>
> 4) The MiniPCI Dell wireless card is increasingly often not being
> recognised after wake up from sleep. Either it sits there as Dell
> Wireless in Device Manager and needs to be disable and re-enabled for
> the driver to start and the computer to connect, or it is not recognised
> at all and missing from the device list, in which case a few punches and
> a reboot seem to bring it back.
>
> 4) Just now the PCMCIA drivers also disappeared and I had to reinstall
> them after a reboot. But they seem to be OK right now (I don't have any
> PCMCIA stuff to test the port).
>
> If I am unlucky, the devices will appear but will not be recognised as
> anything useful. Again, this fixes itself after some time.
>
> Strangely enough, the computer is otherwise perfectly stable, no
> software crashes or anything like that.
>
> Any ideas? Thanks a lot!

Punches? An in pounding on the laptop with your fist? If that does
anything to "fix" the problem, then the motherboard is defintely hosed
or connections are loose. Given the number of otherwise unrelated
problems, i'd point to the motherboard.

However.... it may limp along like this long enough for you to save
for a whole new machine. I'd just leave it in one spot, plugged in
and turned on and be nice an gentle to it, to slow the rapid
deteriation of this machine. I say this because hitting the machine
as often as you have done is likely to eventually damage more than the
motherboard. A motherboard at this point may be only part of the
problem.

It could be a whole bunch of loose connectors, too. (Violence
again ). You can try reseating various connectors. Here's the
manual.

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...n/sm/index.htm

"" <> wrote in news:1174019796.166311.105560
@p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:

> Punches? An in pounding on the laptop with your fist? If that does
> anything to "fix" the problem, then the motherboard is defintely hosed
> or connections are loose. Given the number of otherwise unrelated
> problems, i'd point to the motherboard.

Yeah: in desperation, the first time my laptop died I hit it and it
turned on. It's become a bit of a sick relationship now of course, not
benefitting either party. Abuse really.

Unfortunately I do need to carry it around with me every day. I've been
trying to be gentler than in the past, but clearly things aren't going
well.

So would you say it's worth buying a new motherboard for this laptop? It
seems on eBay I can get one for something like $200. It's not nothing,
but it's cheaper than buying an old laptop to tie me over till
September.

> It could be a whole bunch of loose connectors, too. (Violence
> again ). You can try reseating various connectors. Here's the
> manual.
>
> http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...n/sm/index.htm

Will dissect it this weekend. Thanks a lot!

On Mar 16, 11:30 am, Wigster <b...@blob.com> wrote:
> "pau...@efn.org" <pau...@efn.org> wrote in news:1174019796.166311.105560
> @p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:
>
> > Punches? An in pounding on the laptop with your fist? If that does
> > anything to "fix" the problem, then the motherboard is defintely hosed
> > or connections are loose. Given the number of otherwise unrelated
> > problems, i'd point to the motherboard.
>
> Yeah: in desperation, the first time my laptop died I hit it and it
> turned on. It's become a bit of a sick relationship now of course, not
> benefitting either party. Abuse really.
>
> Unfortunately I do need to carry it around with me every day. I've been
> trying to be gentler than in the past, but clearly things aren't going
> well.
>
> So would you say it's worth buying a new motherboard for this laptop? It
> seems on eBay I can get one for something like $200. It's not nothing,
> but it's cheaper than buying an old laptop to tie me over till
> September.
>

Hmmm... I'm pretty sure you can find a p3 laptop for under two
hundred. But not far under. Flip a coin. Given the abuse you've put
your current laptop through, it might be better to get another one
entirely. (Break the cycle of violence )

You can also ask friends if they have any old laptops collecting Dust,
that you might buy. There's lots of servicable machines going
unused.



> > It could be a whole bunch of loose connectors, too. (Violence
> > again ). You can try reseating various connectors. Here's the
> > manual.
>
> >http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...n/sm/index.htm
>
> Will dissect it this weekend. Thanks a lot!

FWIW these guys have repaired numerous Dell Inspirons and Latitudes of
mine ...
http://www.parts-people.com/