How-To Geek

I got an Inspiron 1501 dell laptop like 1 year ago. yesterday it decided to die. I was running Mozilla and the mouse froze. So I was like "okay, ctrl-alt-del." Nothing. So I let it sit. it was plugged in but it was on one of those switched sockets and i think it was off. So, i come back like an hour later, computers off. Press power button, nothing. Plug in to anther socket, nothing. not even a charging light. It is completely and utterly dead. I need help. Anyone know what could be wrong with it. I have little money to spend on the computer, being a student, so any cost effective solutions are greatly appreciated. Oh yeah, recently i had to replace my hard drive, so i have a brand new one. Thank in advance.

PS The adapter light is green, so im thinking its not an adapter problem

Hmm, That is difficult to diagnose especially since your laptop seems to be totally dead. Here are some thoughts.
1. Since it is a laptop, it should be able to run on the battery and not rely on external power. Or did you remove the battery? In that case, put it back in and if it has any charge left, see what happens.
2. The external power goes thru the little transformer. Maybe that one died. If you have a friend or neighbor with a Dell laptop, try to borrow that for testing. Just make sure it has the same power specs.
3. A remote possibility is that the battery on the motherboard is dead. They are supposed to last for 7 years, but you never know.
4. Lastly, it is always possible that some internal power connection died (e.g. by corrosion). In that case only Dell Service can help.

@jd, Thanks for the clarification. I was not 100% sure what other effects it could provoke.