black06stang

I know there has been millions have threads on turning on a laptop, and I have probably read alot of them. I don't want to mess with wake on lan, wake on ring, I dont have UPS power on resume for my laptop, and I cant just solder on an external swith because the button manually presses down on a mechanism instead of an electical signal through a wire.

The laptop is about 4 years old, it is a toshiba satellite A25-S207. What is the simplest method for me to turn of my laptop in the car? I am sick of getting out and pressing the button in my trunk every day. Please dont just tell me to . I just need some help, (BTW im only 16).

turbocad6

that mechanism HAS to connect to a switch that may be part of the mechanism, the computer has no way of knowing anything about mechanism's, all it can see is continuity between two points,those two points will be a ground reference & another that sees a ground pulse as an on signal request... you have to find these two points... any pictures??

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Wiredwrx

Like TC said. That mechanism is connected to wires. At some point, the computer, an electrical device, needs to know that the button was pushed. THat is the point which you have to solder to. Just like, your car, when you put the key in and turn the it, that is mechanical, but the car knows this is donw because WIRES CONNECT power.

Pictures would be helpful, but they are probably no different then any other laptop.

Of course, if you are unwilling to use WOL, WOR, etc.., and your laoptop is "mechanical" as you state, then you can't use the laptop. Get something else.

Michael

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Laidback

I recommend a long pole....but not to push the on/off button with!!! ;-)

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turbocad6

if you really can't mess with the switch (wimp), a cable like a gastank release could be rigged, (bicycle cables) or a small electrical solinoid could be rigged even, but cleanest is to just go to the board...

__________________
MY NEWEST INSTALL:modded infiniti fx with big screen - "If my typing sucks it's probably because I'm driving....................."

first windows carpc install........my liquid cooled LVDS screen :D

1bad2v

take you laptop apart and just solder the damn wires on the frikin switch and wire to your car how you see fit. No need for mechanical this or that.

McFreak

I found the pin that presses the power button on the bottom docking station port. I doubt it is the same but it was just one pin and then a ground to the case to turn it on and off... I have a picture if it would help. Though mine is an IBM laptop.

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darkdrake

got a question do the length of the cables matter... like will it lose signal after so far?

Wiredwrx

Which cables? And yes, it does and it will.

Michael

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...I love the French language...especially to curse with...Nom de Dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperies de connards d'enculés de ta mère. You see, it's like wiping your *** with silk, I love it. www.yellinlawoffice.com

crazyhorse

Yup, think of Ohm's law, V=IR

The longer the cable, the more resistance. (R)

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2001 Toyota Corolla CE 5spd.
Laptop:
Pentium 4-M 1.8 Ghz
512mb RAM
40GB
SUPER 7" VGA w/ TC

gutterslide

i just did this on a Toshiba A15-S1271. the laptops look nearly identical, the power button is in the same location, the motherboards are different, but it should be the same basic modification.

here is your motherboard, and your button location.


here is my modification. you can just use a multimeter to check for which solder points have continuity during button press, and then solder the extension wires to those points, and attach a momentary switch, startup/shutdown controller, or whatever. i installed a 1/8" audio jack (RadioShack #274-274) into an empty space for optional S-Video out, but you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want.

and, here is a great site with step-by-step tutorials for disassembling Toshibal Satellites. http://www.irisvista.com/tech/

Bugbyte

Beautiful. Nice mod.

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Wiredwrx

Well done.

Michael

__________________
...I love the French language...especially to curse with...Nom de Dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperies de connards d'enculés de ta mère. You see, it's like wiping your *** with silk, I love it. www.yellinlawoffice.com

vipervin

My IBM Thinkpad X24 laptops power button is nearly impossible to get to. Few other threads on this board with people having similar problems. To get around this, I took out the battery and the laptop powers on whenever there is a power signal through the AC cable (ie when the car starts). However, you do have to manually shut down through your frontend/windows before you get out of the car, or else you run the risk of corrupted files.

black06stang

Thanks for that great website for laptop tearing apart!