What is the Make & Model so we can check the history of the laptop, sounds like over heating common problem with laptops.

Does she get any error? Does it reboot or just shut down completely. What operating system xp, 98, vista?

Is it a Toshiba?

As Zep said, what operating system does she have, how old is her laptop and what brand, and what does she see on the screen before it shuts down?

Personally the first thing I would try is a system restore.

You should also make sure the PSU is working properly. I was given one with the same problem. After about 10 minutes of playing around with it, I found that there was a short in the cable.

It's a Dell inspiron about 4 to 5 years old....running XP.
I didn't ask her what she sees before it shuts down....but I will!
The problem with a system restore is it doesn't stay on long enough to do anything constructive or diagnostic.
As for the PSU...hmm? She did plug it in to an outlet a different room, while she was on the phone.
But this problem happened after she left Florida and carried the laptop, through the air port, likely put it into the over head bin and came home and plugged it in and..."poof!"
How would you remedy or even diagnose a power supply problem?
Linda C

The power supply is the ac adapter the thing she plugs in, or the battery acts as a power supply if running on battery, I still think it is heat related, or the connector on the ac adapter is faulty jiggle it, also try taking battery out & only use ac adapter & vice a versa---4 to 5 years old sounds like clean out the heat sink time & you may need help for that like taking it somewhere, in the mean time I can google the model with heat issue & see if I find anything.

4-5 years is a looong time for a laptop of any type. Not saying it's toast, but a check-out from local pro would be a good idea....if she intends to keep it.

If she's a serious user, considering new wouldn't be a bad idea. Things have changed a lot. If she just does surfing and WP, maybe cheap maintenance call.

Like others, I suspect heat/electrical...maybe just clogging.

Thanks.....she has and had before this happened, plans on getting a new one. But her worry is retrieving all her files....which likely are not backed up...

There should be no worry getting the files everything is there, but you need to get the laptop booted into windows first.. again probably electrical or heat that someone needs to look at, then address the file issue once the laptop is booted files can be moved over a network or to cd type media..

Getting files from a dead laptop would be most difficult...

If its a heat issue, you might be able to suck everywhere there are openings with a vacuum.. be careful around your keys and speakers.

Also for a dead fan you can probably open a panel or two on the bottom, elevate the laptop by sitting it ontop of a couple sticks or 2x2 chunks... put a portable fan blowing under & across the whole thing to temporally cool it.

Then you can get your files out of it.

Since preserving data is the biggest worry, I would advise NOTHING other than getting that machine to a pro pronto. It'll cost a buck or two but if her files are like mine, they're irreplaceable.

I think I see another convert to the wisdom of backing up emerging.

Wondering if she may have closed the lid on the laptop without shutting it down and put it in the carrybag which could have caused it to overheat and burn out something on the mainboard

I bought my daughter a Dell Inspiron 1000(Win XP), when she started college. It is now about 3 1/2 years old. For the last several months-it has done this same thing. Usually after several tries-I get it to boot into Windows and I do a system restore-back to a date when it was working properly. It will then boot with no problems for a few weeks-then it will do the same thing again. I have taken it to a couple of different places to have it fixed. The first PC Tech replaced the LCD cable. It didn't fix the problem. The second PC Tech said he couldn't find any thing wrong with the laptop other than some settings-which he changed. The problem is still not fixed. So if anyone out here has any idea what could possibly fix this problem-I would be very grateful. I really hate to keep spending time and money and still have the same old problem-so now the laptop just sits most of the time, and she is using one of my desktops. I have been told that the problem might be the motherboard-but if this were the case-would it work after a system restore? All of my daughter's files are backed up-so should I try to reinstall everything to the way it was originally. Can I do this with the disks that came with the laptop? Thanks

don na na;
You really should start a seperate post for your problem and not piggyback on another post, it makes it much easier for those to help. It wouldnt hurt to use the restore disks, but if you do, you lose everything ie files pictures

I can fully sympathise with Lindac and Don na na with these problems. While I fully understand Asolo's thoughts about taking it to a 'pro' I think that is a very difficult task. You need someone who has seen this problem before and walking in and asking will not get you the right answer because they all want the job/money whether they can fix it or not.

My suggestion would be to now move to a Dell specific forum. This is a Dell forum. Give them as much detailed information as possible and see where you go. Do not think they will overwhelm you, if you do not understand a part of an answer simply ask for a simpler explanation.

Thanks. I didn't mean to piggyback-I do have a separate post(more than 1 actually) for this problem on this forum and on a Dell Forum. It may not be the one linked to above-but I am going to check that one out and make sure I post to it. I have done a lot of reading online about the Dells shutting down-Lots of people are having this problem, however, I haven't read a solution yet. I just wanted to warn the person posting that the problem may not be easy to find. I have tried everything that has been suggested-and have appreciated all of you for trying to help. I hope we both find a solution to the problem soon-I have given up on the Dell laptop for my daughter to use-but I just can't seem to give up trying to find a solution. Just one of those things that keeps nagging at you. Thanks again. Don

I have read where some folks are reapplying the Thermal paste on the processor for some of these dell shut down heat problems. If the problem can not be isolated sometimes we need to just go through the motions & try what we know...

The thermal paste on the processor is what conducts the heat away from it..

Don na na, check this place out

Here is a link that might be useful: Dell notebooks (Peer to Peer)

The same thing was happening to my Dell Inspion - also about 5 years old. The first thing you should check is if the power cord that plugs into the computer is in good condition. My was frayed at the plug and every time it moved in a certain way - it would shut the computer down. I would definitely check that first.

Definitely agree the top runners for that kind of symptom are bad power supply, bad fan somewhere, over heating, bad connection/cable.

I would try what was suggested, put it up on something so that the bottom is not flat on anything and put a small fan blowing on it, preferably on the vents, if it can get cooled down enough that way it might boot long enough to get some data off of it. Ideal situation would be to have some one with Acronis True Image handy to slap it in and make an image of her drive on to another hard drive, like a usb portable.