laptop won't stay powered w/ a/c cord

[tattooyourpet]

I've had this laptop for 1 yr.1mth.  It's a compaq presario with a 20G HD and came with 256MB memory, although I did install another 256 MB for a total of 512. It has an AMD Athlon XP processor and runs WinXP home Edition.
My problem is that everyone at home uses it and there were a lot of programs,games, movies,etc. installed. We always used the power cord with it. the computer never cut off on me but when my daughter would play an installed SIMS game, it would just instantly cut off and she would have to turn it back on. It wouldn't cut off again unless she started playing the game again. The computer was getting slow and you could hear the hard drive running almost all the time, so, I wanted to use the restore disks. I've used them one other time before with the laptop and it worked perfectly, but, this time was different. The laptop wouldn't stay powered up long enough to go thru all 4 disks. Sometimes it would cut off on the first disk but one time I got all the way to the end of the 3rd disk and it powed off. The power light still shows that the computer is getting power, so it's not a short in the a/c adaptor.
Now I can't use my laptop because I can't get thru all the disks.
Do you think that the HD is the problem? I don't know what to do. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks, Stephanie.

PS. I don't know a lot about computers. Most of what
I do know I figured out on my own (probably why I'm having problems) Anyway, please explain anything in laymens terms. That is if anyone has anything to explain.

[merlin_2]

 check in the control panel power options...they should all read never.....or is it the ram stick you added

[dl65]

tattooyourpet......I assume that the laptop worked ok after you installed the additional 256mg of ram. When you say it cuts out .....do you mean it reboots or just shuts down? Then you say it is or was running very slow.....it's possible that its infected with adware , spyware and even possibly a virus. What antivirus do you have installed and is it up to date ? Do you have any utilities like Ad-Aware or SpyBot installed ?

let us know

dl65  

[Raptor]

Please Read This First - Viruses & Spyware

Links to useful applications.

[shield]

bad battery

[Stephanie]

First, thanks to all who replied.

I couldn't check the control panel because I had already inserted the 1st install disk for a restore and it deleted everything. But, everything was already set to stay on all the time. The extra 256 memory worked like a dream. I installed that about 2 mths earlier. I was running ( and am now) Norton System Works Antivirus 2004. There may have been adware but it usually shows up on my Norton scans and the virus definitions were up to date.

The computer would just turn off. Immediately shut off. No rebooting or anything. If I turned it right back on and tried to start the 1st restore disk again, it wouldn't stay on but about 2 mins.

But, I fixed it. I think maybe it may have been the HD running hot, I really don't know what it was, but I took the notebook into a room that has a small window a/c and sat it where the cold air would blow onto the bottom of the notebook. The computer went thru all 4 disks and works perfectly now. I tell you what, it just beats the *censored* outta me. It must be a miracle, cuz I don't know anything much about computers, only what I can figure out on my own.
Anyway, thanks again for your posts. I'll probably need them again in the future. I 've had a problem with my desktop for awhile but i don't feel like getting into it right now...I'm wore out.
Sincerely,
Stephanie

[2k dummy]

bad battery

Nope. Laptops will run on the AC adapter even if the battery is removed completely. In this case, I think the AC adapter is going bad. Compaq had a problem with adapters that would overheat and shut down. Try a new adapter.

[Stephanie]

The thing is, I tried to install the disks with just the battery, without the adaptor plugged in and it still shut off. Then I took the battery out and used just the adaptor....still cut off. The adaptor is new because my husband had to call them and get a new one because it was left out of the box(or never put in) when we bought it.
Even if it would have been the adaptor, wouldn't it still be cutting off? It's running good as new now and running on the adaptor.

[2k dummy]

That being the case, it is likely a heat problem with the computer itself. You can purchase a laptop cooler that would probably solve the problem without having to keep it under the air conditioner. Check out http://www.1coolpc.com/
Reliable, reasonably priced, and reasonable shipping.

[dl65]

tattooyourpet......Certainly sound as if temperature is the problem......Have you monitored the operating temp.?  There's a nice little program called pc wizard 2004 .    D/l it at   http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3846.html

The other thing you can look at is in your bios there may be a high temp shutdown feature that is causing the shutdown. You can disable it ....but I wouldnt do so until you are certain that your laptop isn't really running too hot.

Hope this helps
dl65  

[merlin_2]

go back to the 256 ram stick and then install the system? 512 may also be the cause of heat generated?on some systems there is a sensor > to much heat cause the pc to shut down to save the mobo and cpu damage...

[johnwill]

If you had to get a new adapter, they may have supplied the wrong one.  Check the specifications for the adapter with the requirements of the machine.

[mjb]

I think it really is the heat.  There are also "cool pad" things, that actually blow a fan under the laptop....  and keep it cooler.  I use a (very sophisticated) system - I caarry four water bottle tops in my laptop bag so I can ensure airflow in all locations..... put one under each corner before powering up the unit;  It works.

[tattooyourpet]

I forgot to mention that it also powers off during games too. It's really hot at the time it powers off. Why would it be running so hot (or feel so hot) and during game playing or anything to do with the HD running a lot? It did this before I installed the extra 256 ram too so I know that's not the problem. It does have a small HD (20GB) and it's pretty full. Would that have something to do with it?
It never shuts off any other time except during gaming applications. Except for when I tried to use the restore disks. I had used them before with no problem. Just this last time it kept powering off until I held it under an A/C fan.

[Computer_Commando]

Some notebook computers use desktop processors, not notebook processors.  They run extremely hot all the time.  Is the notebook's fan running all the time?