Help with some power issues with laptop

[jaharr01]

I'm getting my i5 acer ultrabook with no laptop screen ready to put in my arcade (running off hdmi) and I was trying to figure out how to get the laptop to work with the smart strip. So if the laptop is plugged in, it's charging the battery and powering the laptop correct? So how would i  remotely turn it on? possibly hack the switch? can you hack a laptop switch to work off an arcade button or,another type switch? I don't think it has the option to restart after power failure. I would really like to turn it on from the front without reaching behind the arcade and hitting a button on the actual laptop. Also when the laptop gets turned off would it  be able to trigger the smart strip to turn off my other stuff? I wasn't sure  if the laptop was plugged in it would still be drawing amperage because it was charging the battery. Finally I was wondering could I remove the battery (its internal)so that way it is 110 dependent and it still work? Also, if anyone has used a laptop and had any of these issues could you chime in? I have a new gateway desktop that I use for my xbmc I guess I could use that one if I had to. I really didn't want to have to load all that stuff off my xbmc computer and onto my laptop and use it for my xbmc. I would rather use the laptop. Sorry for all the questions

[BobA]

Laptops will usually run with no battery just the power adapter.    The switch is very small and sometime very hard to get to on some laptops.   It usually means removing the top facing and the keyboard.  The switch is momentary so any arcade pb can be used to replace it.  If the switch in on the side or back more disassembly is usually required.   Check you bios again to see if it can be set to power back on after power fail.  An I5 usually has a newer bios that will have that type of option. 

Remove you battery and plug the laptop into a power adapter and it should work fine.  The battery must always be removed when servicing a laptop.

[jaharr01]

Well you were right about the battery I took it out and it worked fine. The components in that ultrabook will fit in your hand (very tiny). I isolated the switch and tried to take a decent picture (attached). It looks like there are two solder points on the switch. I wonder if I touch both sides with a jumper it would start up. The soldering skills it will take to attach wires to the switch are above my pay grade on soldering. I will think about it and maybe try it. there is a little tiny ribbon cable that attaches it to the switch. Any ideas on how to proceed with this will be appreciated.

[BobA]

If there is a ribbon cable that attaches to the switch and you have 2 contacts then it would be easier to cut the ribbon cable (2 conductors?) and solder wires to your switch there rather then on the switch board itself.

[jaharr01]

well I got the switch issue on the pc lined out.I actually used a computer that I had for my HTPC it's a pretty new AMD and I have a fast video card in it. I'm gonna do something else for my HTPC. ButI have one more issue. I have a smart strip, with the computer in the main slot and the monitor in the switched spot.It turns off the monitor fine, but when you turn the pc back on it doesn't turn the monitor back on ( actually it's a 27 inch Sanyo LCD tv). I have to physically turn the switch on the monitor to get it to turn on. Do I need to hack the switch on the tv ( scary!) to get it to come off and on with the smart strip? I really want to have everything to turn on with one switch. Please help if you can.I'm ready to mount the monitor and I can't until I get this issue fixed.

[EMDB]

well I got the switch issue on the pc lined out.I actually used a computer that I had for my HTPC it's a pretty new AMD and I have a fast video card in it. I'm gonna do something else for my HTPC. ButI have one more issue. I have a smart strip, with the computer in the main slot and the monitor in the switched spot.It turns off the monitor fine, but when you turn the pc back on it doesn't turn the monitor back on ( actually it's a 27 inch Sanyo LCD tv). I have to physically turn the switch on the monitor to get it to turn on. Do I need to hack the switch on the tv ( scary!) to get it to come off and on with the smart strip? I really want to have everything to turn on with one switch. Please help if you can.I'm ready to mount the monitor and I can't until I get this issue fixed.

Test the behavior of the TV by disconnecting the mains connector while it is on. If you reconnect it the TV should turn on again. If it doesn't it will not work in a smart strip setup.

[jaharr01]

the problem is if you turn it off and back on immediately it will come back on. If it sits for a while with the power off and you reconnect the power you have to turn the switch on to get it to come back on. I know it's weird.