[Www]

I have a Dell Inspiron laptop, 4 yrs old. It has been running slowly for a while but it otherwise pretty reliable. Then it froze once, and afterwards I couldn't turn it back on. When I push the power button some lights go on on the keyboard and it tries for a few seconds but then it turns back off - screen stays blank.
Sometimes it will turn on, and Windows will load, but it will freeze immediately if I open an application or even if I leave it alone - takes about one minute.

What is going on? Is it salvagable?

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Welcome to G2G

It sounds like one of two things is happening :
Either the laptop is overheating or there is a problem with the power (battery or power supply)

First thing is to check where the fan is located. It will often be either along one of the sides or the back, or in some cases underneath. Look for a grill (air vent) in the casing - you should be able to see the fan through it.
If the vent is clogged up with dust then you need to clean it out with compressed (canned) air. Next, if you can get the laptop to stay powered on for a few seconds, then check to see if the fan is spinning while its powered on. Easiest way often is just to place the palm of your hand a few millimeters from the vent & feel for any air flow.

Next thing to check is the power :
Try powering up the laptop with only the battery (no mains adapter) connected. If this doesn't make any difference then try removing the battery altogether & connecting the power adapter instead.

Let me know how you get on

[Samm]

Welcome to G2G

It sounds like one of two things is happening :
Either the laptop is overheating or there is a problem with the power (battery or power supply)

First thing is to check where the fan is located. It will often be either along one of the sides or the back, or in some cases underneath. Look for a grill (air vent) in the casing - you should be able to see the fan through it.
If the vent is clogged up with dust then you need to clean it out with compressed (canned) air. Next, if you can get the laptop to stay powered on for a few seconds, then check to see if the fan is spinning while its powered on. Easiest way often is just to place the palm of your hand a few millimeters from the vent & feel for any air flow.

Next thing to check is the power :
Try powering up the laptop with only the battery (no mains adapter) connected. If this doesn't make any difference then try removing the battery altogether & connecting the power adapter instead.

Let me know how you get on

[Www]

Removing the power cord or battery does not help, it still won't turn on. The fan looks fine too - any other thoughts?

[Samm]

How long does it stay powered up for until switching itself off again?