Help! - Kickstart my PC's!

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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:37 pm

I'm sat here with the laptop on my knee. Upstairs the PC is booting up and shutting down again.

It does the POST, then goes to the page with the black screen and windows logo. Then back to as if it had just been turned on.

It puts up the screen asking if I want safe mode, last known settings etc, but whatever I select its exactly the same. I can get into the POST settings screen, but can't see anything I can change that would help at all.

Anthing I can do other than beat it to death with a large rock? I'm using XP with service pack 3, btw. Last night it shut down normally.

EDIT: If the HDD was down, would I even see the Windows logo? I think not. There is no BSOD

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 1:23 pm

What are your PC's specs?
Did you just install SP3 on it?
Can you check your system temps in BIOS?
You could make an Linux live boot disk w/ your laptop and see if it will boot with it.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 1:45 pm

I know this won't help much, but it seems I saw somewhere within the last 2 weeks a virus was going around that would cause a computer to do what you are describing. I will look and see if I can find some info on it.

I had to re-format a machine after downloading SP3. F'd up everything. I have the auto updates turned off now.........

ETA: Don't know if this will help, but try looking HERE

Trophy Videos · Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:51 pm

Roy,

Try OD's tip of trying a live CD. If that works, then your motherboard is fine, and everything points to the hard disk. Either an infection, a corrupted Master Boot Record by glitch or by an infection, or a hard disk failure. In any case, it looks like you could be in for a total re-install of Windows to be sure there are no infections on the hard disk. I hope you have backups of important files, Roy.

@Harry, turning off Microsoft updates will leave your pc open to nasties.
At the very least, set it to "alert me of updates, and let me install them" or whatever the setting says.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:06 pm

if you can run the Ubuntu live disk and see if you can mount the hard disk there, then you know it's still working, can safe files too.
Had this once with a 2 HD STA raid Volume and fixed it, still up and running fine https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FakeRaidHowto

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:21 pm

First try to find out the error message: From the link that Harry posted:

Quote:

Start your computer back up and tap F8 to get into the advanced startup options. Here, choose "Disable automatic restarts on system failure" This should keep it from restarting. The blue screen error message should stay on the screen now.

Some time ago I had a PC with the same symptoms, turned out to be corrupted 'registry hives'. Windows automatically saves these files, they can be copied back to replace the corrupted ones following this procedure: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/ . Worked perfectly for me.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:25 pm

Just to add to the jollility, the laptop is now crashing, but after it boots up windows. Both computers got an autoupdate earlier in the week. Just trying a system restore with the laptop (it crashed while doing it). Running chkdsk /f from the boot disk has got this desktop up and running, even though it didn't complete it.

I'm going to back some stuff up PDQ, in case it won't fire up again, back later.

EDIT, found how to save the BSOD on the laptop (as above), the message is

'IRQL_NOT_LESS-OR-EQUAL' I'll Google to see what that's about next.

Also STOP=0x000000A (0xFF1511F2, 0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0x804D9B64)

It most be an XP problem, it doesnt crash with the BSOD, or the loading screen when I press F8, they'll stay up indefinitely.

I cant beleive they pick the same day to F8ck me about, I darent turn this PC off now to run chkdsk, in case it wont restart. Twisted Evil

At Least the important stuff is backed up, in case I have to do a reinstall.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 5:48 pm

SlapHappy wrote:

@Harry, turning off Microsoft updates will leave your pc open to nasties.
At the very least, set it to "alert me of updates, and let me install them" or whatever the setting says.

You are correct, and that's exactly how mine is set. When I said turned off, I meant the auto D/L and install. I wait at least 1 week before installing the update. That gives MS time to patch the feck up they just released.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:01 pm

/\/\ Good idea.

Anyone know a free registry cleaner that works? The laptop is still crashing from XP, and despite running Spybot (and finding 10 items to be removed) I daren't turn this desktop off until I feel I've done all I can.

Of course all the reviews of registry cleaners Ive seen are biased or paid for, I trust noone (apart from you guys).

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:10 pm

Using one that was recommended here last week http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=155495 no problems so far

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:39 pm

Not that it's of much help ... http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ms793589.aspx ... Now which driver is causing the probs?

I came across some forum posts having probs with the wireless adapter in combination with error code 0x804D9B64. Try and update your wlan adapter driver with the latest version.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:45 pm

Thanks for that Bill2. Ccleaner found a squillion cookies, some quite dodgy looking (as in did I really visit that site? Embarassed

) and cleaned them > Ijust rebooted the desktop, no hangups. Phew!

The laptop is still being an arse, but getting spybottted and ccleanered too as I type this.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:02 pm

Does the laptop have a wireless connection to your router/ modem? If so: switch off your wifi on the laptop, and hook it up with a network cable. If it's stable you can be sure it's the wlan adapter driver.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:04 pm

@Roy, Ccleaner works good, but I have found THIS finds even more errors and it's free too. I've been using it for about 1 year now with no problems.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:43 pm

Wierdly, I've realized that the laptop has always crashed when I've taken it upstairs, near the wifi hub. Now it's behaing perfectly.

A couple of weeks ago I tried using it in bed and it constantly crashed, when I brought it back down here, where I'm typing on it now, it was fine. I put that down to overheating, due to the vents being blocked when I had it on the quilt.

Now I'm starting to wonder if the wifi hub could be overwhelming the laptop, maybe the rf is crashing it. Strange how there's no problem down here, ever, it crashed all day upstairs. A brief Google didnt show up similar problems. Just glad Ive spent my Sunday dicking around with my PC's and not lost a day's work. Ho hum.

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:05 pm

Glad you managed to find something to do other than beat it to death with a large rock?

Now what are going to do with the rock?

Laughing

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:12 pm

I think the laptop is crashing because the altimeter senses it's too high. Wink

Ok, no idea why that one is, but that is strange.

As for the desktop, mine was working great until XP SP 3 was installed a while back, then it started taking almost 10 minutes to boot. I heard Dell's were caught in a constant reboot. Is yours a Dell?

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 9:05 pm

Did you test a cable network connection on your laptop yet?

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 9:15 pm

/\/\ Naa, it's now working fine again, downstairs.

RFI can discombobulate electronics, as I found out when I used to radio ham using strong transmitters, I could set alarms off for fun. That's why the wont let you use mobiles in hospitals and airplanes.

Neither is a Dell, the laptop's a Sony Vaio, and the pc is best described as 'Generic'.

Thanks for your help peeps, hopefully all will be back to normal now, and the laptop will stay downstairs.

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:15 am

Roycropper wrote:

and the laptop will stay downstairs.

Well.. If you're happy with that, so am I. errr.. No I'm not. So it's the wlan after all, why not just update the drivers and carry the bloody thing wherever you wish to collapse with a laptop? A solution is better than a workaround isn't it?

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:49 am

That's me told! I'll look for drivers tomorrow, my eyes have had enough. The laptop usually lives down here though.

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 5:02 am

Harry Bawls wrote:

@Roy, Ccleaner works good, but I have found THIS finds even more errors and it's free too. I've been using it for about 1 year now with no problems.

@ harry
when you say this which one do you mean ??

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 6:36 am

CCleaner comes to the rescue again. I really like the program. I don't bother with Spybot and ADaware anymore. I've turned the radio off my router and have strung Cat 5 four ways throughout my house. I bet its reduced the need for tin foil underwear but I keep it on anyway.

Edit- Removed evidence of posting at 3 AM.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:48 pm

Glad to hear it's mostly working ok. Smile

Do you have a portable phone that runs at 2.4GHz upstairs? Maybe that's what's interfering with the laptop wireless connection. Confused

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 5:05 pm

@SH, I do have a portable up here, right next to the wireless router. between them they must make a right old rf racket. If I put either near my PC speakers you can hear them.

What frequencies they run on is a mystery known only to BT, no info in the manuals.

@ Skyhook, when you see a word in a different colour like that, it's usally hiding a link - click on the word to see what happens (Only on a site you trust Wink

)

@ dutch, I'll see if Sony do an updated driver tonight, I'm on the desktop right now.

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