zv5000 Laptop help

[hpuserzv1]

is there anybody out there that still has the HP zv5000 notebook? This version uses ATI for the graphics. My neighbor gave me the ATI  one but, it did not come with the hard drive. I know these specific laptop uses a connector for the hard drive. My problem is that the laptop shuts off about 5 seconds later after it powers on. The monitor doesn't turn on. I can't view the startup BIOS menu or any kind of logo. My question is , could it be since i'm missing the drive that is the reason that it keeps shutting off.

I would not mind buying a new hard drive with the connector if it'll work, but can anyone please verify that this laptop wont stay on or the monitor won't come on if it doesn't have a hard drive installed. 

Also i do have another zv5000 with the NVIDIA for the graphics but it's severely busted and it also doesn't have the hard drive. Later on today I will switch the RAM from one laptop to another and see if that helps any. 

Any help regarding the ATI version of this laptop would be greatly appreciated. If anyone has it, can you confirm that this laptop will shut off if a hard drive is not in place. I would hate to throw it away since it's in great condition. 

Thanks again.

[Huffer]

The absence of a hard drive is not the problem. I owned the nVidia version of the zv5000 and have worked on quite a few. Great big heat machine. The likely cause of the shutdown is either a problem with the power jack (see if it is wiggly where the AC adapter plugs in) or overheating. You can sometimes bring them back by opening them up and cleaning out around the processor and putting on new cooling compound between heatsink and CPU.

It is also possible that bad memory is the problem so that is worth a try but a bit of a longshot.