On/Off switch problem on Compaq Ivo N620c.

[Emanoil Kotsev]

--- On Wed, 10/15/08, Ignazio Palmisano <ignazio_io at yahoo.it> wrote:

> From: Ignazio Palmisano <ignazio_io at yahoo.it>
> Subject: Re: On/Off switch problem on Compaq Ivo N620c.
> To: "Kubuntu Help and User Discussions" <kubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
> Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 10:18 AM
> Steven Vollom wrote:
> > Money and me are too much strangers.  Recently I
> purchased a used Compaq 
> > Ivo N620c Laptop.  I only owned it a couple of days
> and the On/Off 
> > switch started giving me trouble.  Also, the
> Hibernation button gave me 
> > the same problem before I learned that it was not the
> On/Off button. 
> > 
> > Anyway, the Laptop worked normally for the first two
> days.  Each time I 
> > turned it off and back on again, it worked flawlessly.
>  I did that 
> > several times.  I was using the Hibernate button all
> those times, but it 
> > seemed to shut the computer off.    Then it started to
> not turn on when 
> > the button was depressed.  I would try from time to
> time and eventually 
> > it would turn the computer on again. 
> 
> Is it easy to disassemble the laptop close to the power
> button? It might 
> be that there is some dust that's preventing it from
> working properly.
> HTH,
> I.

I would try first with a vacuum cleaner, but from what Steven is writing I would think that there could be some other issue with it. He says it's being used - who knows how ... and why it was sold.

I found once a site where there were instructions how to disassemble different kinds and models of notebooks. Don't have the link though.

> 
> > 
> > For several days, I just kept the computer running
> while getting the new 
> > OS, Kubuntu Gutsy configured and working properly.  I
> also was looking 
> > for and working out bugs and fixes.  Finally, I
> thought I had figured 
> > the potential problem.  I thought that perhaps the
> battery had to be in 
> > the computer to work, even if plugged into outside
> power.  I thought 
> > perhaps that the connection pins had been used so much
> that they would 
> > not always make a complete connection, so I turned off
> the computer to 
> > allow the problem to return; I wantedd to test my
> theory.  I planned to 
> > check the battery pins and clean and adjust if
> necessary.  But when I 
> > turned off the computer, it would not turn on again. 
> I have been trying 
> > to turn it on several times a day for several days
> without success.
> > 
> > I thought perhaps Compaq Ivo owners may have had the
> same problems after 
> > four years or so of ownership.  If so, I hoped to get
> a solution.
> > 
> > As I mentioned I don't have a lot of money.  I am
> retired on a very low 
> > fixed income and would like to fix the laptop myself. 
> But it would be 
> > nice to know the exact problem before starting to buy
> parts that may not 
> > be defective.  Any experience or knowledge would be
> greatly 
> > appreciated.  Thanks in advance.
> > Steven
> > 

I don't think battery or power supply has to do something with it. I hope for you it's not a defective electronic component, because finding out what  and replacing it is not that easy.

By the way I think the notebook you are talking about is Evo not Ivo ... couldn't find anything about Ivo but a bunch of articles about Evo.

It might be that the on/off button or the hibernate one is not actually contacting the switch below it.  Or the switch is dirty or oxidated. In this case it should be cleaned up and a vacuum cleaner will not help. There are special fluids sold in shops for soldering parts in form of spray.
But those are only theories.

Supporting a company here I had experience with few heavily used notebooks where the switch was not working all the time. When we did open the cover it was visible that the copper plate below the switch was just used up.

I can imagine this for the on/off switch but hibernation ... well might be the first owner was using it more frequently than I do.

hope some of this will give you idea which way to go

regards