Laptop problems

[mooret]

Hey All , Im in need of some help

I have a laptop thats playing up. Several days ago the laptop shut itself down and since then windows startup then just gets stuck on the welcome screen ( just before the desktop screen) . I have tried safe mode , last known good configuration but still gets stuck at the same point.

When my PC used to have problems with windows I remember I could stick a diskette in and boot up , doing this then takes me to dos mode for scandisk , repair.

Since the laptop does not have a diskette drive, how can I get it to boot into dos mode ? or can anyone suggest any better ways to sort the laptop out.

I have a real license of windows XP Home edition with license key but since it is oem i didnt get a windows cd with it .

[nihil]

Hi there mooret,

Haven't seen you here for a while............ well, not with a problem that is

First move with your problem is to open the thing up, and get rid of all the dust bunnies. Check that the fan(s) is/are working also. Clean and reseat/reconnect everything.

What you are describing is a classic heat problem.

Look at the processor.............. any "gunge" running out aroud the seating?

Silver based componds are 20x (2,000%) better than what is supplied. So you may want to re-attach the heatsink?

Then we can look at software problems mate?

[mooret]

Thanks Nihil. as always your a star and ready to help. Glad to see your still around these parts.

Me ive been lurking more than posting just been busy with life issues.


I don't only post when I have a problem ya know

will try the suggestion and let you know

Cheers

[nihil]

Hi,

If it is an OEM installation they generally don't give you a full Windows CD but there should be a "recovery disk" which is bootable. Have you got one of those?

The actual recovery files may well be in a hidden partition on the HDD, but you should have been given a CD that will boot, and let you get into it.

[morganlefay]

Recently had this happen to a few computers.....

I am assuming you are running XP

Get any XP disk...and boot to recovery console...then run chkdisk /r

Has fixed 3 XP home machines

Event Type: Information
Event Source: Winlogon
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1001
Date: 11/3/2007
Time: 8:36:21 PM
User: N/A
Computer: MORGAN01
Description:
Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.


One of your disks needs to be checked for consistency. You
may cancel the disk check, but it is strongly recommended
that you continue.
Windows will now check the disk.
Inserting an index entry with Id 11598 into index $SII of file 9.
Inserting an index entry with Id 11598 into index $SDH of file 9.
Inserting an index entry with Id 12322 into index $SII of file 9.

Think it had to do with this

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/284947

as all machines had avast installed

MLF

[nihil]

Hi MLF,

That is interesting, and also rather strange. I didn't think that FRS shipped with Win XP Home, as I would tend to associate it with client/server environments? I know that it is in Win 2000, 2000 Server, 2003 Server and possibly in XP Pro.

Mind you, it wouldn't be the first time that Microsoft haven't told us the full story?

Certainly worth a try though, thanks for the tip.

[zallison]

Who makes this notebook?

Is it new enough to have that blasted recovery partition?

Touchpad feel warm?

HDD making odd noises after power on during post?

[nihil]

Hi zallison,

Is it new enough to have that blasted recovery partition?

I agree wholeheartedly! recovery partitions suck, big time. The obvious problem with them is that they can only perform a software recovery. If your HDD goes south then you are regally stuffed.

It doesn't present a technical problem to people who know what they are doing [ ] but at least 80% of computer owners do not fall into that category. They either:

1. Send it back to the manufacturer and get ripped off. They get a new drive with the same recovery partition.

2. Take it to one of the big repair stores who replace the drive and sell them a new copy of the OS, so they get ripped off.

3. Buy a new computer, probably with an extended warranty, so they get ripped off again.

[AngelicKnight]

Couldn't it also be as simple as a Windows repair install?

[nihil]

No, AK, you are missing the point of my rant.

As long as you can get the drive to spin up and boot properly, you can do what you like: revert to restore point, repair install, reinstall.

My beef is when the drive electro-mechanically dies. You cannot access it, and all your recovery disk does is let you boot the machine. It cannot see the HDD so it cannot see the recovery partition.

Now this recovery partition thing would be a lot more acceptable if it were on an independent, solid state, flash memory card. They are very robust and have no moving parts, so anything that trashed one of those would trash the whole box.

In that case, if the hard drive dies, you would just slap in a replacement, boot from the recovery CD and do a full reinstall from the flash memory card.

There are four drawbacks to this from the manufacturers' viewpoint:

1. Flash memory cards are expensive.
2. It would reduce their highly profitable repair business.
3. It would reduce the potential for selling a new machine, or at least doing a deal.
4. It would reduce the attractiveness of their extended warranty schemes.

Of course, another alternative would be one of those solid state HDDs, but, as the cost as much as a whole damn computer for 32Gb, I don't see anyone going there in a hurry.