Old Laptop Died?

[Elheru Aran]

Hello,

I'm currently living at my mother-in-law's and using her computer. It's an Compaq designed for XP, but for some reason it runs Windows 2000 Pro.

It runs absurdly slow when starting up; can be as much as 5-10 minutes before it finishes booting up enough to start up any programs. And, it has a bad habit of blacking out abruptly. Had, I should say...

Last night it died, hard. It brings up the very first screen, "Compaq" and "Press F10 for Setup Menu" or something like that. And then it just STAYS black. Nothing at all happens. I've had it sitting right by me here for maybe 15 minutes, and nothing has happened. *checks touchpad* yep, still out. I don't know what's going on, mangs.

I've been able to bring up the setup menu and fiddle with it-- but nothing happens, not even after I set it back to default settings.

What's going on here? And will my mother in law have to buy a new PC? Laptop rather, I should say...

Hope you all can help. Thanks.

[Zixinus]

Have you tried pressing the F8 (or F7 or around that area, I don't remember exactly) key to be able to bring out safe mode? It could be just the OS being screwed badly.

If that is not working, you may want to see whether you can boot up at all using a bootdisk of some kind (if this is a netbook, http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ may be your friend if you have a pendrive).

If you can't boot it up, then it is likely that is a hardware fault and that is the key here. You have to determine whether this is software or hardware fault. If its hardware, then you will need some handy-man esque guy with the right tools (like, spare parts).

[Elheru Aran]

WTF, it starts up on safe mode, but it's apparently Windows XP? Even though the load screen says 2K Pro?

Trying 'Last Known Good Configuration' now... I guess it's Windows XP 2000 Pro. Hmm. Aaaaand... nothing. I think the OS is buggered. But how does that happen and still be able to bring up safe mode?

Note that I can bring up safe mode fine, but when I turn it on normally nothing comes up on the screen whatsoever after the first 'Compaq' screen. I don't know if it's loading but the screen's just not displaying or something. Blah. What do you suggest?

[Elheru Aran]

WTF again. Now it doesn't want to start on safemode. The heck is up with this. It just loads a whole lot of info crap and then stops halfway down the screen...

[Zixinus]

I think you should be figuring out how to backup data right now. For one thing, I would guess that you got a virus attack which probably also explains why your system runs so slow. Or you have a very screwed up system.

Again, a pendrive/portable HDD with unetbootin would be your friend.

[Edi]

Yup, time to back up everything you can and then nuke and reinstall.

[Elheru Aran]

Problem is I don't think my mother in law has any of the original install disks. She's not going to be too happy about this, but at least I have another computer I can offer to let her use... ah well. Is there *any* way to recover from this without the digital apocalypse? Note that the computer ha a history of dying abruptly on me; I don't know about her, she's the type who only uses it for like 15 minutes a day.

[Edi]

Problem is I don't think my mother in law has any of the original install disks. She's not going to be too happy about this, but at least I have another computer I can offer to let her use... ah well. Is there *any* way to recover from this without the digital apocalypse? Note that the computer ha a history of dying abruptly on me; I don't know about her, she's the type who only uses it for like 15 minutes a day.

Yes. Follow Zix's suggestion for backup. You don't need the original install disks. If you have a generic Windows XP install disk, all you need is the product key from the label on the machine. You're naturally going to have to download all the drivers from the manufacturer's website to get everything working, but lack of install disks is not a total catastrophe.

[Zixinus]

This is why I keep pointing to unetbootin. Put up some small GUI distro (unetbootin , use unetbootin to place it on a pendrive, boot from pendrive, save essential files to pendrive to your computer, repeat until backup is complete and you can fuck around on non-working computer without losing important data.

EDIT: Note that most some Linux distros allow you to be ran purely from RAM. I used Puppy Linux to backup my files after my laptop went south.

[Elheru Aran]

This is why I keep pointing to unetbootin. Put up some small GUI distro (unetbootin , use unetbootin to place it on a pendrive, boot from pendrive, save essential files to pendrive to your computer, repeat until backup is complete and you can fuck around on non-working computer without losing important data.

EDIT: Note that most some Linux distros allow you to be ran purely from RAM. I used Puppy Linux to backup my files after my laptop went south.

It isn't a netbook, unfortunately. And I'm not sure what you mean about a 'pendrive'-- a thumb drive?

I'll have to think about this one. She's not back yet, unfortunately, so I don't know what she plans to do. I don't think she has anything on there though, so just wiping it entirely may work if she has the install discs... *if*. The damn thing has a floppy drive... Anyway, I'll check with her and see, then update y'all. Thanks for the advice.

[Zixinus]

It isn't a netbook, unfortunately. And I'm not sure what you mean about a 'pendrive'-- a thumb drive?

Erm, it doesn't matter? As long as you have a pendrive (and yes, they are also called thumb drives) and the computer has a USB port, and you can get it to boot from it from the BIOS, you should be fine. I can't imagine why using unetbootin should be netbook-specific.

And if the thing has a floopy drive... Jesus Chirst, that thing must be old and external booting is going to be tricky.

[Stark]

They're also called 'USB drives' or 'flash drives'. 'Pen drive' is a useless name unless people are already familiar.

[Zixinus]

They're also called 'USB drives' or 'flash drives'. 'Pen drive' is a useless name unless people are already familiar.

I'm sorry for not living in a English-speaking country and not being member of the IT culture so I would know which synonym I should use when describing the exact same hardware, a synonym that could be found with a 10-second wiki search.

Oh, wait. I'm not. Fuck you for nitpicking.

[Dargos]

They're also called 'USB drives' or 'flash drives'. 'Pen drive' is a useless name unless people are already familiar.

I'm sorry for not living in a English-speaking country and not being member of the IT culture so I would know which synonym I should use when describing the exact same hardware, a synonym that could be found with a 10-second wiki search.

Oh, wait. I'm not. Fuck you for nitpicking.

Jesus Christ man. Skin, grow some.

[Zixinus]

Jesus Christ man. Skin, grow some.

And this is your sum contribution to the topic? "Grow some skin, man!"

[Dargos]

Jesus Christ man. Skin, grow some.

And this is your sum contribution to the topic? "Grow some skin, man!"

Why should I add anything to the advice you’ve already given? Rather sound advice, in my opinion, I might add.

I added my comment because you took Starks criticism as a direct attack against your person. He simply stated that “pen drive” is not a very descriptive term for the piece of equipment you stated was required for the troubleshooting/repair procedures you proscribed.

Granted, I knew exactly what you were talking about ,because I work with thumb drives/memsticks/usb-drives/jump drive/pen drives (lots of names for the same thing) and other types of storage mediums all the time. Others may not.
At no time did Stark make any type of disparaging remark about you or your advice. He stated that “pen drive” is a useless name. You took it the wrong way and blew the fuck up for no reason.

It seems to me that you woke up in a bad mood today or have a bone to pick with Stark or you are hostile to corrective criticism.
So yes, grow some skin.

[Elheru Aran]

Ahem. If I may be allowed to contribute an update...

It seems the laptop didn't have a fan. No fan... gee, wonder why it died? I don't get why my mother in law didn't tell me about that, but whatever. She doesn't seem too grief-stricken about it, so hopefully it'll all work out.

Thanks for your help, everybody...