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Sat 16 Apr, 2005 09:36 am
My computer is 3+ years old now, it's a Dell Inspiron 8100.
When I brought it back from home at the beginning of the semester and tried to set it up in my dorm again, it wouldn't start up because it couldn't identify the modular bay (exchangeable DVD-ROM/floppy drive) because it wasn't pushed in all the way. It turned out that it had come out somewhat on the journey, but I couldn't take it out because it also seemed to be stuck somehow. (The bay with the battery, on the other side of the case, was fine.) I managed to hit it hard enough to make it go back into the case all the way, and the computer started up fine after that. I can't take it out, but I only use floppies as a last resort anyway, so I figured it was survivable.
Today, I was using it, and was an idiot and spilled soda across the front of the case. I was busy trying to get it cleaned up and prevent it from going into the keyboard when it shut down apparently from lack of battery power. The poor battery on this computer hasn't been able to charge properly for a few years now, so I keep it plugged it constantly. The light that's supposed to indicate that the battery power is VERY LOW is constantly flashing, but since it's always plugged in, I've never had problems with it shutting down for that reason before, or gotten messages to that effect. Today it did for some reason. Then when I tried to boot it back up, it complained about not being able to identify the modular bay again. It's not any more ajar now than it was before, and I can't take it out and put it in again, because it's stuck. Can anyone help me?
Ok, the computer managed to start up again. Still can't move the drive anywhere though. Maybe it'll be ok now. Hopefully.
rufio, sounds to me like its screwdriver time. More news-you-didn't-wanna-hear; its prolly long past time that battery got replaced. An old battery, particularly one that no longer holds a charge, very well could begin to corrode stuff near it, and that's somewhere you really don't wanna go.
Anyhow, I strongly suggest you get that puppy some professional care, before its too late to do anything with it. A good physical cleanin', along with a new battery and the mechanical repair of that modular bay glitch certainly are in order. Then, I'd back up all my personal data and 3rd Party software, format-and-reinstall. Do that, and you'll be astounded how much life there is in the old girl. Helluvalot cheaper than a new machine, too.
Yeah, I did pry the drive out with a screwdriver, and cleaned the soda off of it, and out of the inside of the case, but the computer still won't recognize it as a drive. Other than that it seems to be doing ok. It runs as long as I start it with the drive out of the bay.
I've been thinking about getting a new battery for a while, but I never really use it away from a wall socket anymore, so I figured it could wait. It could probably stand to be cleaned too - I don't think that's the first coke I poured into the keyboard - but I don't know how much all that would cost. I did hear a story about someone who spilled coke on their keyboard and had to get the motherboard replaced though. Yechhh. All my electronics seem to be unnaturally sturdy considering what I wind up doing to them.
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