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"A" Lock Flashing

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13 replies

by shanjeevb

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When I try to on up my laptop, my A Lock Button is flashing for like 4 seconds then the laptop shuts down. It is located in the middle of the computer and it has a lock symbol with an A on it. It is in the middle of the three lock symbols. It is located near where you control the volume. Please help me with this problem.

13 replies

by shanjeevb

No, it is not like that. I can't on my computer and the A Lock symbol on the top flashes for a couple of seconds, then it shuts down.

by shanjeevb

It is where it has the symbol of a lock sign of and A in the middle of the laptop. It is in the middle of the three symbols.

by older mycroft

If so, that always lights up at boot-up, as part of the POST, while the system checks the keyboard function.

If it is shutting down after 4 seconds the cooling fan may not be running, and the laptop is shutting down to prevent overheating damage.

What model of DELL laptop?

by shanjeevb

It is a Dell Latitude D600. What should I do know?

by older mycroft

Look to check if you can see it turning, if it doesn't (even for those 4 seconds - it should start turning immediately) then that is a reason for the shutdown.

If the fan DOES turn for those 4 seconds, you then should check for signs of fluff that has built up on the fan grille, or on the fan blades themselves.

[b][u]DO NOT MOVE THE FAN WHEN CLEANING IT!![/B][/U] - If the fan moves when the laptop is turned off, the winding in the fan motor can generate electricity, reversing the flow, sending it back into the laptop. This can damage the laptop circuits.

Dust and fluff and bits of stuff (flakes of skin, bits of biscuits, hairs from clothes or pets) all build up and impede the flow of fresh air which would otherwise cool the CPU down. You may have to take the laptop apart in order to clean it out sufficiently.

One easy option is to buy a can of compressed air that comes with a little plastic straw. You put the straw into the aerosol head and using the other end, direct the pressurized air in and around all the vents on the laptop, in the hope of dislodging whatever is blocking the flow of cooling air.

I would suggest that you DO NOT take your laptop apart, as it requires a degree of familiarity with computers that I don't think you have.

Also have you checked that all drive slots are empty and no usb devices are connected?

Any laptop that is shutting down as quickly as yours is - my first guess would be that it is overheating.

by shanjeevb

The fan looks clean, but is not starting. what else could be the problem.

by var1016

I think that he must have a French version. Here in France I am stuck with a French keyboard, which is actually very irritating - imagine having to press shift to get a full stop!!

Anyway, "A" is the symbol for caps lock on a French keyboard.

Paul

by older mycroft

But you'll have to be sure of this, otherwise you'll be off on a wild goose chase.

The fan should start immediately that you power up.

SO - if you are certain that the fan isn't starting then THAT is why the laptop is shutting down - without a steady rush of cooling air across the CPU, it can overheat in seconds, literally. The CPU is shutting the laptop down to prevent itself from frying (or worse, melting).

Inside a laptop there are only solid-state components like the motherboard, and electro-mechanical parts like the optical drive, the hard disk drive, and the FAN.

The electro-mechanical components are, like any mechanical parts, prone to wear and tear. As a result they can and will breakdown from time to time. To investigate why the fan has stopped turning you will have to dismantle the laptop chassis, removing either the TOP or BOTTOM cowling to get at the fan.

This is where it gets tricky: Laptops are held together by both deeply-recessed tiny screws and devious means. The screws are most likely to be on the bottom, inside deep pits in the moulding. Removal of these screws allow the removal of the [u]TOP[/u] of the laptop, which will also involve removing the laptop keyboard, which is where the deviousness comes into play!

Frequently laptops have hidden clips that hold the top of the casing onto the chassis, as well as the screws on the bottom. The keyboard is also connected by a flimsy, [b]and easily broken[/b] ribbon cable, attached to the motherboard.

Depending on your level of micro-electronic experience, I would advise that you would probably be better taking the laptop, before you start fiddling with it, to a computer tech in your local independent computer shop, and let them check out the fan, replacing it if needs be. ;)

by icerider.raun

Hi I have exactly the same problem on my Dell Precis M70. Did you get a solution to your problem.

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