I have been having a problem with my laptop and I just wanted to see if anyone had an idea of what it could be.

Pretty much everytime I turn it on all the lights come on but the screen does not. Usually you have to turn it back off, take the battery out,put the battery back in, then turn it on again and it will come on. On occasion while you are in the middle of doing something, the screen will just go black.

So...anyone have an idea what could be wrong?

Mine did the same but mine was a defected processor. Dell fixed in with in 3 days... Sorry your having problems...Hope it's nothing major:popcorn:

try to see if there is a bios update

This is often due to:

* AC power adaptor sensing an overload of power drain
* Overheating processor due to a build of internal dust (clogged fan)
* AC power adaptor not able to sustain normal power needs (faulty power adaptor)
* Battery overheating, due to internal battery fault, or charging levels
* Intermittent short circuit or open connection (check condition of power leads)

On older Laptops, the most common reason is poor cooling. Try going somewhere air-conditioned and see if that helps. Inspect the areas near the internal cooling fan; see if there is a build up of dust fibres. Easy way to check this; with the unit running, feel the flow of air from the cooling outlet(s) - is the airflow very low? If yes, and the unit is at normal operation temperature, this may indicate the internal cooling system is partially clogged.

This is often due to:

* AC power adaptor sensing an overload of power drain
* Overheating processor due to a build of internal dust (clogged fan)
* AC power adaptor not able to sustain normal power needs (faulty power adaptor)
* Battery overheating, due to internal battery fault, or charging levels
* Intermittent short circuit or open connection (check condition of power leads)

On older Laptops, the most common reason is poor cooling. Try going somewhere air-conditioned and see if that helps. Inspect the areas near the internal cooling fan; see if there is a build up of dust fibres. Easy way to check this; with the unit running, feel the flow of air from the cooling outlet(s) - is the airflow very low? If yes, and the unit is at normal operation temperature, this may indicate the internal cooling system is partially clogged.


My laptop is only two years old. It does get really hot when I use it because I always have to keep it plugged in because the battery doesn't last very long at all.

Check all of your powersaver settings and your Bios settings. If it goes away after you remove and reinstall the battery I would suspect the Bios first. Check all your settings, make note of them or save them, then reset the Bios. This may clear the problem.

Check all of your powersaver settings and your Bios settings. If it goes away after you remove and reinstall the battery I would suspect the Bios first. Check all your settings, make note of them or save them, then reset the Bios. This may clear the problem.

I don't know much about computers...what's Bios and how do you reset it?
I did notice that it was on high performance, so that's what would be making the computer so hot and the battery drain so fast right?

Sounds like 'EBKAC' to me. :yay: If not, go to the manufacturers website and see if they have a BIOS update for your model - ensure that is up to date... if it is, then you might have a hardware issue and I would call it in if it's under warranty.

Yes, high performance settings will drain the battery pretty fast.