Today I went to turn on my Lenovo w510 and it wouldn't stay on long enough to boot. I tried it plugged into AC power (with and without the battery) and on battery power alone. All attempts yielded the same result. I also tried booting onto an Ubuntu disc which did not work. Since I couldn't boot via a CD I don't think the problem is the hard drive. The laptop doesn't get very hot so I don't think it's the cpu.
Does anyone have any suggestions that might help me diagnose the problem?
Thanks!!!
I would need more info for that. Is it an instant shutdown with a slight popping noise? If so, it's your voltage regulator, and you need a new Thinkpad. If it's just a silent (but instant) shutdown, it's probably either the processor, RAM, or graphics hardware. RAM and processors can be easily replaced in Thinkpads, as they are user-removable, however, the GPU is soldered onto the motherboard, therefore if the GPU is your problem, you need a new Thinkpad. My father's Thinkpad W510 is experiencing the same symptoms, but it is a work machine, so he sent it into the IT dept. at his office. If it's your work machine, you should be good as far as repairs go, but if it's a personal machine, you would need a warranty or a good amount of spare cash. I had a W500 do the same, but I just scrapped that.
Wish you the best of luck with your PC!
Judging from what you said, then the battery seems to be the problem. I would recommend replacing that battery. However, if you are still unsure if it is the battery then you can take a look inside the laptop and see if it is generally overheating from dust. But at this point, everything points to the battery.
