The laptop does not respond when the power button is pressed. Or, begins to power on but does not complete the Power on Self Test.
Check to make sure the power adapter is plugged in. If it is, make sure the light on the adapter is on. If the light is not on, and the adapter is plugged in, the adapter is faulty. Consider purchasing a replacement adapter.
If your battery is dead, your computer will no longer hold a charge or function without the power cable. However, the laptop will still function from the power adapter as long as the battery is not connected. A faulty battery may prevent the laptop from completing the Power on Self Test and instead the laptop will power off (hdd light not illuminated). In this case the laptop may be sensitive to movement (and hang frequently). To remove the battery or replace it, refer to the battery replacement guide.
The laptop will not fully load the Operating System and an error message pops up.
If your computer crashes during normal operation, crashes during memory intensive tasks, or beeps and will not boot up, this could mean that you have faulty RAM or insufficient RAM. For replacement instructions, refer to the RAM replacement guide.
The computer may encounter various errors due to an old or faulty processor. This would warrant a replacement of the processor; for compatible processors, check this link. For further instructions on replacing the processor, please refer to the processor replacement guide.
The hard drive may be faulty and prevent the laptop from booting up. To resolve this issue, get a Windows DVD for the version that you have. Please note that the specific version does not matter, only that it is for Windows XP, Vista, 7, or 8. Boot to the DVD, and choose “Repair your computer,” then click next. On this screen, pick “Startup Repair” and let it run. If you are still having trouble booting up after the repairs, you may need to replace your current hard drive.
The laptop will not read or load any optical discs.
If the laptop is not responding to the insertion of a disc, check to make sure you are not holding down the Shift key, this will prevent the program on the disc to start. To check if the optical drive has recognized a CD or DVD, open up My Computer and check the D drive for an inserted media disc. If not, the optical drive may be faulty and a replacement can be done. For a replacement instructions, please refer to the optical drive replacement guide.
Keys are missing or do not respond entirely.
If keys are missing, you can easily replace them by attaching compatible replacement keys.
If keys are not responding, the keyboard may be disconnected or faulty and may need to be replaced. For instructions on how to replace the keyboard, refer to the keyboard replacement guide.
While the laptop is turned on, it becomes very hot and runs slowly or turns off without any notification.
It is likely that dust or dirt is clogging the fan. Using a can of spray air on the vents located on the back of the computer should remove most of the dirt that is causing the problem. The fan should then stop causing overheating and make less noise.
If the fan is making a rattling or whining noise, there may be a problem with the current fan setup and a replacement would be beneficial. To replace the fan, please refer to the fan replacement guide.
The Vaio PCG-7184L cannot connect to the internet wirelessly.
Check to make sure the wireless network adapter is turned on. If not, you should enable it and and try to connect again. To enable, open up Control Panel and continue to the “Network and Internet” and find the “Network and Sharing” option. From there, find the “Change adapter settings”. You should see a wireless adapter which should be enabled.
If the wireless adapter is enabled but cannot connect to the Internet, or you cannot enable the adapter, you may have a faulty wireless card which can be replaced. To replace the wireless adapter or card please refer to the network adapter replacement guide.
The computer feels unresponsive or has trouble running multiple tasks simultaneously.
The laptop could be running slowly because there is insufficient RAM. To check how much memory is being used, open up the task manager by pressing Crtl+Shift+Esc and navigate to the performance tab. Look under the Memory graph and see if a high percentage of memory is being used. If so, it may be useful to upgrade the amount of RAM in the laptop. To replace the RAM, please refer to the RAM replacement guide.
