Here we go again. Help.

MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
edited January 2006 in Hardware
I'm back. It had been acting so good since Christmas, and I ran a shareware hard drive diagnostic that came up clean, so I was thrilled. Even got my external hard drive for Christmas, so at least I'm pretty backed up right now, although not to the minute. Anyways.

Windows XP, laptop's about 2 and a half now, hard drive was replaced last May in a debacle where apparently my hard drive was physically cracked.

This morning my computer decided to blue screen on me. The general consensus was that it either just told me Windows had been shut down to protect my computer (along with stop 0x0000007F), or gave me a Kernel_Data_Inpage_Error accompanied by Win32K.sys.

It went through checkdsk almost every bootup... started deleting generally harmless things, like Mozilla Firefox and random gif. jpg, and html files (in addition to plenty of files I'm unaware of). Restored some of them. Not all. I ran memtest86 at this point, no errors on the first pass. Decided to try my luck and see how it booted.

This time, it crashed in one final blaze, giving me (BF8E8764 base at BF800000, datestamp 43446a58). Now when I restart, it begins to boot up just long enough for me to see the XP graphic, gives me a blue screen that disappears exceedingly fast even though the auto-reboot option is turned off, and attempts to reboot again. In a neverending loop.

So. Is it even worth reinstalling a repair Windows, or is this internal?

Comments

  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    The first thing to check is the RAM. Download a copy of Memtest86. There are instructions there on how to burn it to a CD from an ISO or run it from a floppy. Once we establish it is or isn't the RAM we can move on down the checklist.
  • MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
    edited January 2006
    It says right in the post that I already did. Next step. :) Profdlp's helped me out before, and that's always step one. Right, good Professor? :)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Molly, I don't recall in your last thread whether we discussed computer cleaning or not, so forgive me if I rehash what's already been covered. If the CPU heatsink or internal fans/ventilation ducts are very dusty (or lint) heat buildup can cause system crashes. Have you been able to ascertain that the parts and areas I mentioned above are clean? Also, have tried running the computer with the latch to the hard drive open. Some laptops have chronic problems with overheating hard drives. I have two hard drives for my laptop. One of the hardrives will cause system crashes under hard usage if I don't open the drive's cover for ventilation.
    I'm pretty backed up right now
    Sorry, but Short-Media is not equipped to provide medical advice. :eek3:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    I may be wrong about heat being the cause of the computer's/hard drive's problems, but heat may have contributed to critical hard drive operating files being corrupted. So assuming that heat is not now causing the problems, here's what I'd like you to try - run a disk check (scan and repair of disk operating files):

    Do you know how to start your computer in Safe Mode? Will your computer start at all now? If yes, start your computer in Safe Mode, go to Windows Explorer or My Computer and right click on the folder symbol for your C:\ drive. Select Properties from the drop down menu, then select Tools from the tabs at the top of the properties window. Select the option called "Error Checking" by clicking the "Check Now" button.

    You don't have to start in Safe Mode to perform this action, but it would be better.
  • MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
    edited January 2006
    Har har har. ;) I need a good laugh right now, I suppose.

    A bit of dust buildup, but nothing that inhibits the movement. Aircanned those out. Restarted with the hard drive cover off, and first it told me no operating system found (agh! a step back that makes me think frickin hard drive again... why oh why do the gods of hard drive hate me?) and then I attempted again and it let me try in Safe Mode-- same thing. It's freezing up after it loads mup.sys, so whatever comes after that... isn't.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    but it will load and run memtest fine?
    (sorry about hte typing, it has been a good night in Puerto Rico)

    If you losd your XP CD does it even try to start it?
    Sorry, but this sounds bad.
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Mollygizer wrote:
    It says right in the post that I already did. Next step. :) Profdlp's helped me out before, and that's always step one. Right, good Professor? :)

    Sorry, poor eyes.:doh:
  • MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
    edited January 2006
    Didn't think it was sounding too rosy. But in better news, Memtest still runs fine, and if I put in the XP disk, it still loads it. the computer hasn't stopped booting, it just freezes before it actually enters Windows. Like I said; after mup.sys. everytime.
  • MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
    edited January 2006
    Kwitko wrote:
    Sorry, poor eyes.:doh:

    I forgive it due to your quotage of the D in your tagline. And maybe because you're helping my rather doomed self. Y'know. :D
  • MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
    edited January 2006
    Okay, since everyone went quiet, I went ahead and I went into install mode on the Windows XP disk. Wheee. Instead of letting me run a repair installation, it's telling me the disk is unformatted, damaged, yadayadayada.... and to format the disk. About to do it, unless anyone has any great ideas. Nothing's on there that isn't replacable right now. Although my episodes of Arrested Development I haven't watched yet will be sorely missed.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    I'm sorry, Molly, I'm stumped on this.
  • MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
    edited January 2006
    Leonardo wrote:
    I'm sorry, Molly, I'm stumped on this.

    Oddly enough, I'm up and running after reformatting. I just can't find my disk with my Microsoft Office on it... which is getting really frustrating. Grrrrr.

    I have a feeling this is a temporary solution, but here we go.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    OK, that's good news. If the system is running now, we can probably narrow down the variables. We need to figure out what screwed up the file system/disk operating files on your hard drive. You probably already know, but let me toss out some examples of potential disk scrambling events:

    electrical shock
    power spike (over voltage from the wall)
    improper shutdown (abrupt power off)
    hard drive physical disconnect during startup or shutdown
    motherboard problem (hard connection port faulty signals)
    virii
  • MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
    edited January 2006
    Alright. Not virii, since I ran a Norton virus scan that morning when it started acting up. I had teatimers and everything on that hard drive... yeah. I have a rather nice shock protector between the wall and me, and none of my other equipment had any problem, so I don't think it's a power surge/spike.

    The first time it happened recently I was composing an email in Firefox when my system CPU went all the way up and wouldn't come down. Froze virtually the whole computer. Tried to save my text in Notepad and it wouldn't let me save, once I fiiiinally got it to load, even. I did end up shutting the computer down by means of power button, then when I rebooted I could still get in, but that was the go around it deleted Firefox.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited January 2006
    Mollygizer, have you gone to your hard drive manufacturer's website and downloaded and run their diagnostic tools and checked on the health of the new hard drive? It sounds to me like the new hard drive is trying to pack it in already, for some reason.

    Also, I don't remember the original problems, so do you mind telling me what laptop model you have? I'm wondering if your laptop is a P4 or Celeron based laptop, which are known to run notoriously hot due to the netburst architecture's high thermal output. A guy I work with had a Dell lappy that had a P4 get so hot it warped the plastic around the keyboard. If it's a P4 or Celeron (not Celeron M), the heat from the processor or cooling devices might be overheating the hard drive and causing premature failure.
  • MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
    edited January 2006
    I'm running a Pentium 4 on it. I've never really stopped to consider it... I'll admit it gets a little toasty sometimes, but nothing I thought to be irregular. Plus the fan faces downwards underneath the laptop, toward the desk (except I usually have it in my lap when working). That's definitely something to think about.

    My problem is I have no clue what kind of hard drive is in there, other than basic size information. Any way to find out?
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Mollygizer wrote:
    ...Profdlp's helped me out before, and that's always step one. Right, good Professor? :)
    Go to the head of the class. :D

    I'm running a Pentium 4 on it. I've never really stopped to consider it... I'll admit it gets a little toasty sometimes, but nothing I thought to be irregular. Plus the fan faces downwards underneath the laptop, toward the desk (except I usually have it in my lap when working). That's definitely something to think about.
    See if SpeedFan or Motherboard Monitor will work with your machine, then keep track of the temperatures you get as you move the laptop from place to place. If neither of those programs work for you, you may be able to find something similar from the manufacturer.

    You might also consider investing in something like this.
    My problem is I have no clue what kind of hard drive is in there, other than basic size information. Any way to find out?
    The Belarc Advisor should tell you.

    Good luck, Molly. :)
  • MollygizerMollygizer New York, NY
    edited January 2006
    profdlp wrote:
    Good luck, Molly. :)

    <3 you! :D

    Will do.
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