Windows7 Crapola

[dented]

My HP dv7 laptop Win7 died. It is maybe about 2 years old. A few weeks ago I had a problem with Startup always going to a fix. MS downloaded a fix and malware removal tool and things were okay. I did a check disk per recommendations of people here. Then it started again and now it won't go past the startup repair and it gives a message to contact the manufacturer.

I'm bringing it in to a dealer repair center. But what the heck could have happened? I had just downloaded a Windows Live Gallery program recently but that went smooth and it was from the MS site.

I have a year old Sony Vaio Netbook 11" that I'll use but I like my HP. Anybody else have this Startup Repair problem?

[J-man]

It's hard to diagnose it with the info you've provided.

Can you boot into Safe Mode? If so, do that and try to System Restore to before the problem appeared.

[cobrat]

No...but I did recently did some repairs/checkup on a client's HP DV6 notebook with a poorly designed cooling/ventilation system. Just went out of warranty and the folks at Costco made matters worse with their "repairs".

Found out there's a serious issue with cooling problems on those line of notebooks because just a little dust is enough to send internal/CPU temperatures to ridiculous levels.

Doesn't help that some other techs have mentioned the thermal paste they use is not the best.

Judging by what I've read and saw in that notebook...I'll be seeing him sometime next year for another checkup.

[dented]

Simple enough. When you start up the computer it would not start normally. It would give a message to that fact and say to use "Startup Repair." I did this. It would go through repair and them come to my log-in screen and all operations were fine. If I tried to put it into sleep mode or hibernate mode it would shut off after a while. It never did that before, usually would just hibernate but stay on forever. But after a couple of days Startup Repair it auto downloaded a fix from MS, I did a checkdisk and it was working fine. Couple of days later it started the Startup Repair thing again and now it will not go past the repair phase. It just locks up and says contact the manufacturer.

I will look when I get home but just once I might have purchased an extended warranty because it was only 20 bucks. Off to "Frys" tomorrow to see about a fix.

[dented]

Originally Posted by cobrat

No...but I did recently did some repairs/checkup on a client's HP DV6 notebook with a poorly designed cooling/ventilation system. Just went out of warranty and the folks at Costco made matters worse with their "repairs".

Found out there's a serious issue with cooling problems on those line of notebooks because just a little dust is enough to send internal/CPU temperatures to ridiculous levels.

Doesn't help that some other techs have mentioned the thermal paste they use is not the best.

Judging by what I've read and saw in that notebook...I'll be seeing him sometime next year for another checkup.

I thought of this too. But now the damage is done whatever it is.

[J-man]

Doesn't sound like an overheating problem to me, if that were the case you'd probably be able to boot into windows fine, and after a while it would shut down without warning.

[earoach]

I agree, doesn't sound like a cooling issue. I have dealt with some HP's in the past that had an issue with the power unit becoming dodgy, would fire up, go into "contact manufacturer"mode. Sometimes they would boot up for a bit, than go thru reboot and contact... never ending cycle, and worse to boot, not an easy or cheap fix.

[rangercaster]

if you don't need to run games or software that are exclusive to Windows, just install a Linux OS ... you can browse the web, access email, and most other stuff ... and it's free ... i am typing now on a computer i found in the dumpster that runs Ubuntu 12 ... no malware or virus worries either !!!

[still_fiddlin]

Assuming you've got backups of your important stuff, just use the built-in recovery and restore the system to the factory image. If it was something you introduced, malware, bad driver, whatever, it should boot with the original OS configuration. You'll have to go through the pain of restoring all Windows Updates, data, etc.

If you don't have your data backed up, pull the hard drive out and put it into an external drive enclosure, and copy all your files to *another* drive first. There will be some security issues to work around once that drive is in another system, since your user account will be unknown there, and all of your files in Documents, Music, et al, will not be accessible without changing security. (This is why regular backups are a good idea.)

If you can't read the hard drive, that would explain the problem. Get a new one - less than $100 for 750GB (just bought one last week from NewEgg).

Either buy cheap and replace every other year, or buy the extended warranty, is my suggestion for PC notebooks, unless you buy business-class systems that already come with a 3 year warranty.

[cobrat]

Originally Posted by J-man

Doesn't sound like an overheating problem to me, if that were the case you'd probably be able to boot into windows fine, and after a while it would shut down without warning.

Was wondering if it was the product of cumulative damage to CPU/board/other parts from overheating over a period of time....especially if the notebook was used on surfaces/areas without good ventilation for the system.*


* I.e. Resting the notebook on top of a bed, couch, or a "Cushtop"....wonder what the geniuses at Belkin were smoking when they thought that up.

if you don't need to run games or software that are exclusive to Windows, just install a Linux OS ... you can browse the web, access email, and most other stuff ... and it's free ... i am typing now on a computer i found in the dumpster that runs Ubuntu 12 ... no malware or virus worries either !!!

Am actually running Win 7 Ultimate on a Latitude D610 which was part of the pair of D610s my friend's company was going to dump for heat issues until I expressed interest and they dumped them on me.

Runs pretty well and decently cool once I cleaned out the dust bunnies and replaced the dead $5 fan in this particular machine.

[Slow Reflexes]

If it keeps needing to have the boot files repaired, it's probably the hard drive going out.

Most hard drive manufacturers have a program on their support page that will scan the drive and identify any bad segments. If bad enough, it will generate an error code that will get you an RMA number to exchange the drive... except that probably isn't an option since the laptop "maker" bought the drives in bulk with no warranty. But you can still run the diagnostic.

[dented]

It will not let me do a system restore or disk check anymore. It has no reponse to the function keys upon booting. Going to the shop today.

[dented]

Alrighty then. Laptop is getting the data recovery right now for 135.00 and after that they will tell me what is wrong with it. Doesn't make sense to put too much money into it.
Well, I tried to use my VAIO Netbook at home. Wouldn't collaborate with the router. Had to download upgrades for the router, uninstall Norton, Install Mozilla Firefox 2012 and Malwarebytes. Back in business with an itty bitty computer. In between I was using my Droid. I am moving to a multiplatform household. Getting rid of the desktop PC (totally offline since it was purchased) and going Apple. Got a multiple TB storage server that will back up both systems continuously. I like having the one system totally offline for use on a original projects. Not being online was stressing me out. I had to play my Tele more. :-)

[imwjl]

Why not look at the event logs instead of all this speculation I catch reading through this?

I wonder if the people who always propose all sort of solutions without looking at the data the computer offers drive in a way they'll get tires balanced when the oil pressure and temp gauges have the actually signs needed to fix the problem?

[Schmikey]

Originally Posted by rangercaster

if you don't need to run games or software that are exclusive to Windows, just install a Linux OS ... you can browse the web, access email, and most other stuff ... and it's free ... i am typing now on a computer i found in the dumpster that runs Ubuntu 12 ... no malware or virus worries either !!!

+1

I have an Acer Netbook with Win 7 installed. Data got corrupted somehow and despite numerous tries, could not reboot it or re-install Windoze. Of course it was off warranty.

Eventually ended up installing Ubuntu, and it works great. I use it for web surfing, email and watching downloaded movies.

[dented]

I am not skilled on them nor has anyone informed me how to read or interpret event logs. Now that you mention it, I'm on it. Thanks. There was little if any warning there was a problem. I did the check disk after the startup repair happened and then bam, done. And I've got the car thing down.

[Slow Reflexes]

Originally Posted by imwjl

Why not look at the event logs instead of all this speculation I catch reading through this?

Well, in the specific instance of my suggestion - the motivation was that he couldn't boot into Windows (and therefore couldn't easily look at the logs), the restore wasn't working anymore, and the hard drive diagnostic is on a bootable disc so it could still be done.

Can't speak for the others, but that part about not being able to get into Windows and not being able to run the repair kinda seems to trump most other things

[dented]

Correct could not get into Windows period. Would not let the function keys work.