My laptop is in Intensive Care right now, or needs to be.
It started out with mouse driver error messages. I cleaned up the drive, ran virus scans, reinstalled the mouse driver. Then video card driver error messages started. I repaired them. (I'm really happy that I backed up 99.99% of my files at this point, onto our other PC.)
Then the system would not boot. It would try to boot for about 15 seconds, and then start over. Then it would start over. Then it would start over. It would not boot in Safe Mode, or any other mode for that matter.
It started out with mouse driver error messages. I cleaned up the drive, ran virus scans, reinstalled the mouse driver. Then video card driver error messages started. I repaired them. (I'm really happy that I backed up 99.99% of my files at this point, onto our other PC.)
Then the system would not boot. It would try to boot for about 15 seconds, and then start over. Then it would start over. Then it would start over. It would not boot in Safe Mode, or any other mode for that matter.
I used the restore disc and reset the system back to its out-of-the-box configuration. YAY, it worked!
...for about 10 minutes.
Then blue screens of crapitude started, crashing the system at random -
Bad Pool Caller
Page Fault in Non Paged Area
IRQL Not Less or Equal
.
Now, I'm not nearly as technical I'd like to be, so please forgive what is likely an ignorant question: With a fresh system restoration and an ongoing "crapping out every 3 minutes" problem, it seems as if it's hardware-related? Motherboard issues?
Clearly, I need to get it looked at by a professional, but I have to guess that if it IS a hardware problem, I might as well buy a new laptop. How long do laptops last, anyway? This is my first one, and I've had it just exactly two years.
Obviously, you can just keep replacing everything that breaks, but how long is that cost-effective?
Clearly, I need to get it looked at by a professional, but I have to guess that if it IS a hardware problem, I might as well buy a new laptop. How long do laptops last, anyway? This is my first one, and I've had it just exactly two years.
Obviously, you can just keep replacing everything that breaks, but how long is that cost-effective?
Yes, your problem is definitely hardware related. The question to ask is this: what piece of hardware could cause intermittent, apparently random crashes? In my experience, it's almost always the memory.
ReplyDeleteMost laptops have 2 slots for memory DIMMs, one easily accessible (for adding more memory than what if came with) and another not easily accessible (which is the original memory chip). Both, however, should be accessible one way or another.
If you only have one memory chip, pop it out, buy a new one *exactly* like it, pop that in, see if it fixes your problem. If so, great. If not, just return it.
If you have two memory chips, and if you can even run your computer on half the memory, take one out first and see if the problem persists. If so, try the other. If using one still causes problems while the other doesn't, then you know which one you need to replace.
If none of that works, you might be looking at a new computer. But that's definitely where I'd start.
I did add some additional RAM, about a year ago. I removed it yesterday just in the hopes that it would help, and got the same issues.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr. Lizard, I appreciate the advice!
Sounds almost exactly what happened with mine, only mine would just freeze or turn itself off. I sent mine to get repaired, it came back, worked for 2 weeks, and the same thing happened.
ReplyDeleteDepending on how old it is, chances are it'll cost almost as much to fix as to replace.
Personally I just think laptops aren't built to last because they tend to be non-upgradable...people tend to buy a new one every couple of years anyway.
Thanks Paulius! I'm thinking the same way.
ReplyDelete