Gateway NE51006u Troubleshooting

When the computer is not powering up at all. When this occurs, it is usually a really bad sign. But sometimes, simple things could be done to remedy this situation such as fixing a blown fuse or a damaged power cord, for example. It is important to start with a visual examination and then go from there. In case the computer does not get any power, then no lights should show up at all. Especially, if the problem occurs on a desktop computer. On a laptop, the lights might light up because the battery does not usually drain the power completely. At home, nothing much can be done about this problem. Usually, the motherboard has a serious problem such as a blown MOSFET. To remedy this situation, remove the hard drive and then take it to a repair shop. You can see how to remove the hard drive here.

Usually, the hard drive is located on the side of the laptop and fastened with one or two screws. To replace the hard drive, you will need a Philips screwdriver to take it out.

You will need a new hard drive which should be the same interface as the old hard drive. This can be a SATA (Serial ATA, abbreviated from Serial AT Attachment, is a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives) or IDE interface (abbreviation of either Intelligent Drive Electronics or Integrated Drive Electronics, depending on who you ask; an IDE interface is an interface for mass storage devices, in which the controller is integrated into the disk or CD-ROM drive). IDE hard drives are usually on older laptops and have one wide connector with many pins. SATA hard drives have two connectors, one is used for data and the other is used for power.

First, unscrew the two screws and slide the hard drive caddy out to the side. It will come out with a small caddy.

Next, unscrew the two screws on the caddy sides. Do this but in reverse order for the new hard drive. Make sure you replace the SATA hard drive with a new SATA hard drive and an IDE hard drive with a new one with an IDE interface. If the interface is different, the laptop will not recognize the new hard drive.

Restore the operating system using System Restore Disks that came with the laptop initially. If you do not have the System Restore Disks, you can usually get them from the laptop manufacturer or buy them online from a third party.

If you connect the old hard drive as an external disk, you can then confirm that you did have a hard drive fault.

Here is how to do this. Download GSmartControl. Install it on your laptop and connect the old hard drive through USB to a SATA adapter. Choose the hard drive that is connected. The program will show the specific hard drive model. Next, go to Attributes. If there is a red line showing, then the hard drive is faulty. If there is a record in the Error Log, then you know the hard drive was faulty. If there are no red lines evident and the Error Log is clean, then you can determine whether you have a virus, driver conflict, or another issue entirely.

The laptop begins to heat up and shuts down without a warning.

If the laptop has a buildup of dust in the vents and internal components, it will not work properly until the dust is removed from the device. The dust buildup can be removed in diverse ways.

Tip: Cleaning the laptop is a simple task but should performed with the utmost care to avoid damage to the laptop or harm to the user. Before cleaning the laptop, it should be turned off and disconnected from the electrical outlet. Also, disconnect any other cables that are attached to the laptop.

Items that are required for the task:

• Philips screw driver

• Brush, canned air, or vacuum cleaner

With the laptop turned off, place the laptop bottom to face upward. Once this is done remove screws from the laptop to open the laptop when the interior of the laptop is visible. Now, if you have a vacuum or canned air point the tool to the laptop where dust buildup is visible. Pay attention to the fans and the heat sinks of your processor, video card, and the cooling system. If the laptop has unused AGP, PCI, Ram or other slots, dust can buildup in those locations as well.

When using the brush, try to use a brush with soft bristles so that it will not scratch the surface of the laptop hardware. If you have knowledge on how to disconnect some of the hardware from the motherboard, you make do so which will allow you to rid the device of other dust.

If performed correctly, the dust should be removed from the device, helping the device to function properly.

If the fan has been replaced and the problem of overheating has been alleviated, it is possible that the device is experiencing a battery related issue and may need to be examined or replaced. Batteries can be replaced easily whether you find one online or in stores like best buy. Note: ''Best Buy will typically hold components for newer device rather than old. You can reference the battery replacement guide for help here.

If the laptop has been cleaned of dust buildup and the battery has been replaced, another cause could be related to the processing load rather than the hardware.

First, open the Windows Task Manager to see what programs are running on the laptop. Note: Limit what apps start automatically with Windows and change the order of the startup processes can improve the processing load.

To open Windows Task Manager, go search bar in the start menu and search for task manager. Once opened run the program and wait for it to finish.

When using the laptop look at the placement of the laptop, if the vents are not getting air flow then the laptop will be unable to cool off which may leave the device to overheat.

The LED Screen may be disconnected from the power supply. Unscrew the bottom of the laptop and find the cable which connects the LED screen to the power supply (reference the screen replacement guide for more information on how to do this). If this does not fix the problem, continue to the next step.

The faulty Graphics Card may be causing this problem. In order to check for this, connect the laptop to an external monitor using an HDMI or VGA cable. If the external monitor does not receive a picture, the graphics card is likely the culprit, and needs to be replaced. If the external screen does display an image, the screen on the laptop needs to be replaced using this guide.

The LED screen is likely faulty and needs to be replaced. You can visit the screen replacement guide here.

The laptop may be experiencing battery failure if the laptop is connected to its charger but when the power button is pressed, it will not turn on. If the laptop has been charged to 100% and it won’t power on, you are most likely experiencing battery failure. To fix this, replacing the battery might be the fastest and easiest way to do so.

With the new battery in place, press the power button. If the laptop does power on, there may be a deeper internal problem with your laptop i.e. hardware or virus problems. If this is your case, take your laptop to the nearest laptop repair shop and have them look at it. If your laptop powers on after you replace the battery, then you have fixed the problem and you laptop is ready to be used again.