Laptop start up problems

nick1nick1
edited September 2005 in Hardware
Hi I'm new to this forum stuff.

Anyway the problem is this:-
I have a Compaq laptop.
Whenever I switch it on I get a funny noise from the floppy drive, screen is blank but it sounds as though it is going through the startup process. It can take up to 15-20 times of switching on and off before windows loads.
I've been into the bios to make sure the hard drive is searched first.
I've tried to disable the floppy drive but it seems to enable itself again.


Please help

Comments

  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited August 2005
    Has the floppy always made this noise? It sounds like it's just the "Search 40/80 track" option in the BIOS which is completely harmless and nothing to do with your boot troubles...
  • nick1nick1
    edited August 2005
    Enverex wrote:
    Has the floppy always made this noise? It sounds like it's just the "Search 40/80 track" option in the BIOS which is completely harmless and nothing to do with your boot troubles...
    No, never heard it make that noise before. The floppy led light lights up when it makes the noise.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited August 2005
    Yeah, the light should light up when it checks it. Strange... are you sure you just never noticed it before?
  • nick1nick1
    edited August 2005
    I know its always searched the floppy and made a noise, but this is more of a grinding noise and it doesnt stop. I cant find an option to dissable it in the BIOS either. Ive tried opening it up and disconecting the floppy cos I dont use it but cant seem to get inside. Maybe I should launch it then buy another one! Ive had many problems with computers but always managed to sort them out in the end, this one is driving me mad. Maybe I could try a re-instalation of windows, but I dont think its a windows problem cos I think the problem starts before it even looks for an operating system. One more thing it only happens when cold.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited August 2005
    Hmm, may be the Hard-drive dying then. Go to the Maxtor site (despite not having a Maxtor drive) and download the Maxblast software and write it to a floppy disk. Boot that and it will tell you if there is anything physically wrong with the drive.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited August 2005
    Most Anti-Virus programs check the floppy drive at boot to make sure there isn't an infected system disk in the drive. (An old trick to infect the unsuspecting.) See if you can turn off any "scan floppy at boot" option in your AV program.

    It could be caused by a bad drive. It sounds as if it can't make up its mind as to whether there is a disk in the drive or not. You could try inserting and removing a disk several times to see if the mechanism seems to hang up. I'd check it for dust, too. FDD's don't get much use these days and that seems to be a common problem. :)
  • nick1nick1
    edited August 2005
    Ive had a look in my AV settings but cant find anything to switch off scan at boot, mind you im currently using avg free edition until i get round to getting Norton back on.
    It worked first time when I switched it on just, instead of taking about 20mins to boot.
    Gonna have a go at the maxtor site thing and see what turns up.
  • nick1nick1
    edited September 2005
    still having problems booting, im gonna try a format and re-installation see if that works, i was trying to put that off!
  • nick1nick1
    edited September 2005
    Formated and re-installed windows, still no joy. Ive just taken laptop apart and disconected floppy drive, still got the same problem. Tried the maxblast thing, didnt come up with much. Could it be the hard drive or worse the mother board? Doesnt seem to be a software problem. Any more hints or tips would be welcomed.
  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    sounds like a HD to me! odd grinding noises....not the floppy get a new drive and issue should be fixed, a Mobo would cause an issue like this!
  • a16659235a16659235 The United States of America
    edited September 2005
    Formated and re-installed windows, still no joy. Ive just taken laptop apart and disconected floppy drive, still got the same problem. Tried the maxblast thing, didnt come up with much. Could it be the hard drive or worse the mother board? Doesnt seem to be a software problem. Any more hints or tips would be welcomed.

    What model is it?
    What OS are you using?
    Modifications?
    RAM? different than stock? type? speed?
    You said you have opened the case, everything go back the way it should? (I know sounds belittling but it is not... :scratch: )
    Are you able to boot the computer with the top cover off?
    What makes you say it is the floppy drive? Is the noise coming directly from the drive? Is the floppy servo spinnning up and then stopping, repeat x 10 - 15
    With floppy disconnected, same noise? Come from?

    Thanks
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