vaio notebook, power, battery and memory problems

[wappinne]

I have a Sony Viao Picturebook (PCG-C1VN) that has started having an odd asssorment of problems.

This machine has a Transmeta Curusoe Processor, 128MB built in RAM, a 64MB RAM expansion card and windows XP home installed.

Three months ago, it started freezing and crashing. When I pressed the start button, the led lights would flash and the fan would start, but then that was it. Nothing else happened.

At first I dismissed the problem as just a nuisance from an older computer. If I kept trying, eventually something would click and the thing would start.

Things started to get more strange though in short order. Sometimes it would begin starting ok -- the led lights would flash, the fan would spin, the bios would get loaded an the hard drive would take an initial spin -- but then, the hard drive just sort of paused. I discovered that the pause would come to an end and the computer would continue booting normally if I removed my linksys wireless card from the PCMCIA slot. Sliding the card back in at any point during the rest of the booting would result in a pause again. It was almost as if there wasn't enough power for both the card and the hardrive during boot. Once windows was running, then I could put the card in an use it without trouble.

While trying to figure this mystery out, I then discovered another. The 64MB RAM expansion card was no longer being recognized by either the BIOS or windows. It had been for several months, and then no recognition, no matter how many times I took it out and put it back into the machine.

Then finally, the most vexing appeared. The computer stopped functioning on battery. It recognizes the battery is attached. It is even able to distinguish between the orginal I have a newer double capacity model I bought just a few months ago. But, when I pull the AC plug, it dies. If I try and start the machine without the AC cord, absolutely nothing happens.

I've reinstalled windows xp. Even tried wiping the hard drive and going back to windows ME. Same problems. I've taken the entire thing apart, and can see nothing physically amiss at the macro level. I really quite stumped.

Any suggestions?

[joe_73]

Hi,

This problem sounds like either 1) a problem with the hard disk cable
or 2) a problem with the power cable that goes to the motherboard. Try re seating them, and see it that makes a difference. I've had this happen to me before, and it worked.
Also, you can still find parts for this machine fairly inexpensively. The repairs aren't too difficult either-just tiny screws, and taking off those caps on the hinges. Use a small non philips screwdriver and work slowly.