BIOS update interrupted

You have a bad battery and now your system is dead.  Thats why they warn you to have a fully charged battery and working power supply BEFORE attempting.

It wasn't a good idea to try the BIOS update on a system that was known to shut itself down.  At this point, the least expensive way to deal with the problem is to have a shop that can do the job unsolder the BIOS chip, flash it externally and re-solder it.  The cost will be about $100-150 - about half the cost of a new mainboard, which is the other option.

It may be too late now.  But I do have external power supply connected to Laptop, so as fully charged battery.  The computer does have problem of shut itself down after while even with external power supply connected.  Since I have 2 Dell laptop, I know both PSs are working.   This is a shock to me that the computer is only 15 month old (just out of warranty).

Thanks.  It seems that if the laptop will not run on PS power, there may be other problems.  Just a question, if the fan is not working, can laptop be turned on?

Shutdowns are caused either by overheating problems or by power issues (mainboard or power supply).  Unless the shutdown problems disappear when the battery is removed, the battery is not the problem.  

If the system was overheating, it may just have needed a  good cleaning of the heatsink-fan assembly - they do accumulate dust over time, preventing them from doing their job.

Unless something other than the battery is at fault, then the system will run just fine on AC power only.

Thanks for the suggestion.  The dilemma is that I have no way to know whether update the BIOS will solve random shutdown problem.  If the computer is shutting itself down after while, let us assume that it is just a bad battery, I replace the battery. Wiill there be other problems besides BIOS? Also, should the computer work when the PS is connected, even without battery?

It sounds like you're going  to need a system board to solve both problems.

www.parts-people.com/index.php

Yes, though it may not run for long if the fan isn't working.

If you're referring to a system where the BIOS flash is known to have failed, the BIOS is gone - the system won't power up until that problem is remedied.

I am trying to determine if it worthwhile to repair the laptop. The laptop won't turn itself on when only PS is connected (this is before BIOS update).  Since the fan problem shouldn't cause this, then it is very likely that there are other problems with this laptop.  Of course, I have no way to find out except spending 100-150 first.  Dilemma, dlemma :<)

Actually, Dell is among the more reliable - but none of them are spectacularly reliable.  Somewhere between 1/4-1/3 of all notebooks will have a major component fail within three years.

If you don't want to wind up in the same boat next time -- buy a 3-year minimum warranty on your next system, whatever "brand" it carries (remember, "Brand" is relative, since about 70% of all notebooks are actually made by just two contract suppliers - the other 30% come from another half-dozen contract suppliers).

Thanks.  It is clear now that it will cost me around 450 plus labor and I still get an old laptop.  Buying a new laptop seems a better choice.    It is so expensive to have the "toy" like this these days.  I will need to look for other more reliable brands.

Understood.  I just wondering why Dell reliability rating is 20% lower than Toshiba.

What I've seen places them at about the same level.

www.squaretrade.com/.../laptop-reliability-1109

Excellent report! Thanks for the info.   So Toshiba and ASUS are the top brand.  From statistics point of  view, they are about 20% more reliable than Dell.  If I interpret the data correctly.

I wonder if there are newer report available.   Your advice to purchase 3 year warranty is worth to consider.

At this point, I have to consider that the motherboard of my laptop is toasted.