Computer keeps crashing

hustler07

Hi,

My Comp was going too slow, so I decided to reformat. 10% through reformatting my laptop turns off. I have tried 3 different CDs and a different cd-rom drive. I did a test on the HDD on system Bios and it failed. I'm guessing that means my Hard drive is broken. Please help. Thanks guys.

Jon

hustler07

Hey guys,

I have replaced the hard drive after hours of frustration with my local Fry's. I retested the HDD in Bios; it passed on the first test and ended up shutting of on the longer one. The same thing happened as before when I tried to reformat. I am going to test the ram now with Memtest. Almost thinking it might be too much $$ to fix this junk.

Thrax

Given that you replaced the hard drive and it's still shutting down, you really need to look at the laptop's temperature and fans. Similarly, a computer that's randomly shutting down is not typically symptomatic of a failing hard drive.

You can give memtest a go for good measure, but I really think heat is to blame.

hustler07

I am still stumped. It has passed memtest. I have reformated and installed xp on 10% on the hard drive space. It doesn't shut down on its own now that it has on OS. I'm not sure what else to test for. I suppose I could just format 10% at a time and have 10 Drives, but I feel that wouldn't help the underlying problem.

I will try and check the fans when I have a chance.

Eleventh-Sun

If the fans don't work out, you can try checking your CD drive capabilities. Check the XP cd for cracks and scratches. Just take a nice look over the bottom of it. You can also clean your drive itself and the sensor. Another thing that can check if its the CD drive would be to pop in a live bootable cd of linux, open solaris, bart pe or something, and see if that lasts longer than your windows install. Actually having a nice bart PE disk could let you do alot of HDD, system, and mem tests.

hustler07

I have tried 4 different Cd's and an external cd drive. I will try to install using the other bootable cds. I haven't used bart PE, but I will give it a shot. Thanks again for the help.

hustler07

This is really frustrating. I retried the memtest and It didn't froze halfway, so I put in new working ram. The new ram froze as well on the memtest. I also tried Bart-PE, but that was not very helpful either. I used Ubuntu (linux based OS) and it installed fine, I just couldn't get the the drivers for it nor do I know how to use it. I installed XP on 7% of the hd(since it doesn't crash if I only format a small amount). Unfortunately, I am having a hard time trying to get my wireless to work now. If anyone has any other ideas on what to try please let me know.

I am at my wits end, and am thinking of taking it in to a professional. I don't know where to take it or if it would even be worth it to try.

Thanks for the help as always, everybody.

manuleka

as Thrax emphasized, it most probably a heat issue but it could also be a mainboard problem or anything else...

if you are taking it in to profesionals, try asking to see if the problem can be fixed before you pay... some places might be able to quickly have a look and see first if the issue is fixable...

but judging from your report, i think its a major issue on either the board or ventilation system of your laptop

anyhow, best of luck mate

hustler07

Thanks manuleka. I have run out of options and am now going to take it to a professional. Good call on seeing if they will do it for free.

I am in the East Bay, if anyone knows of a reputable place to have it checked out. Please let me know.

btw that is a really creepy avatar.

muddocktor

Yes, I know my laptops get dirty inside over time and heat can really become an issue. After my E1705 was a little over a year old I saw that my temps had gone up quite a bit, so I decided to open it up and clean it out. After I got into where the heatsinks were, I found them all clogged with dirt and lint. After blowing out the crud the temps were back to normal.

hustler07

Well, I have somewhat fixed the problem. I was able to format the rest of the HD by formatting through windows(not the cd). The other problem was the wireless internet card not working. I decided on getting a card hub wireless card. There is something wrong with the comp, but it isn't slowing me down. I have decided that this is the best I can do without getting a new comp or spending a bunch of money. Thanks for the help everybody.