Dell Inspiron 1526 Troubleshooting

There is a blank black screen and nothing will display on it.

If your computer is charged and powered on, but there is still nothing on the display, there could be damage to the screen itself. Check for cracks, dents, or any other external indications of damage. To verify the integrity of the entire screen, shine a bright light onto the powered-on screen. If you are able to see the screen faintly, you will need to replace the back-light. If you are unable to see anything, consider replacing the entire screen by following the Screen Replacement Guide Dell Inspiron 1526 Screen Replacement

If your screen is not powered on, and the computer does not seem to be on, then there could be an issue with your power source/battery. If, after plugging in the computer to a power source, there is still no indication that the computer is on, you may have a problem with the battery.

No keys on the keyboard do anything or the keys do not type text.

Over time, the connection between the motherboard and keyboard may be loose or disconnected. Additionally, the connectors and/or the ribbon cable may be damaged. Follow the Keyboard Repair Guide Dell Inspiron 1526 Keyboard Replacement to alleviate this problem.

It is possible that the device may be disabled in Windows. If necessary, use an external keyboard and navigate to Device Manager to make sure it is enabled. Also, it may need to be updated in Device Manager.

The computer turns off or warns you of an overheating CPU.

The laptop’s fan must have clean access to air on the intake of the fan. The underside of the computer is where the intake is so it is not recommended to rest the computer on soft surfaces like carpet, bed sheets or other plush materials. By resting your computer on a hard, flat surface it allows the fan to properly cool the laptop.

The computer has an inlet and exhaust for the fan to cool the computer. The best way to remedy this is to acquire a can of dust cleaner to blow dust and dirt away from and inside the vents. The inlet for the fan is located on the bottom of the computer near the side where the power cord is plugged in. The exhaust is on the side near the same area of the computer. Blow the dust and dirt out of the vents until nothing comes out of them.

If the previous steps have been taken and the computer still overheats then the cooler inside the computer might need to be replaced. See the guide on GPU and CPU Cooler Removal Guide here:Dell Inspiron 1526 Heat Sink Replacement.

If you press the disk tray button and it does not open or sticks when it first opens or closes.

The disk tray in most laptops cannot be opened unless the computer is powered on. If the battery is dead or not working, plug the power cable into the wall and then the laptop. Turn the computer on and allow it to boot fully; the tray should be able to open after this.

Miss-alignment of the tray is not uncommon and sometimes it will simply jam from not being aligned properly. While pressing the button to open the tray, wiggle the plastic of the tray to dislodge the tray. If this does not work, do not force the tray open as this could damage it.

The drive could simply be faulty and not functioning anymore. It is recommended to replace the drive if possible. Use the Disk Drive Replacement Guide for this Dell Inspiron 1526 Disk Tray Replacement.

The webcam cannot be manually turned on or an application cannot identify it.

Sometimes the programs that run the webcams need to be updated. These programs are released by the developer in order to update their products so they continue to function properly. Consider updating these programs.

Usually webcams are sensitive and can be affected by fall damage or other reasons. If you tried all the available software fixing guides and still can’t operate your webcam, consider replacing it using the Webcam Replacement Guide Dell Inspiron 1526 Webcam Replacement.