BSOD: Hardware Failure

2008-05-23 17:32:21

#1

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6820|CH/BR - in UK

Alright, I am now stealing my brother's laptop because my computer has died on me.

After having it on standby for a day or two straight, I decided to restart it because a stupid popup kept asking me to do so. I restarted it, and it completely froze. I though, ok, no problem - restart again.
Upon getting to the logon screen, I get a BSOD with "Hardware Failure, contact the manufacturer", and now it won't start past the splash screen. I tried Ubuntu as well, and it's the same thing, so I know it's not just a Windows error. So now, I'm hoping to salvage my files with a liveCD.

Could anyone tell me if it's worth fixing this 2 year old (pretty crap) computer, or whether the costs would be so high that I might as well just buy a new one?

Cheers

-konfusion

2008-05-23 17:36:01

#2

Flaming_Maniac: prince of insufficient light; +2,490|6977|67.222.138.85

Well, might as well attempt to fix it yourself before even considering buying a new one or paying to have it fixed, unless time is an issue.

Just what was this popup telling you to restart your computer? What are the chances of a virus?

You can always get to loading the OS?

2008-05-23 17:36:33

#3

Scorpion0x17: can detect anyone's visible post count...; +691|7036|Cambridge (UK)

Gi's yer specs mate.

Oh, and Flaming's right - don't give up on it just yet - the pop-up and then a 'hardware failure' sound a little too coincidental...

Can you take and post a picture of the 'hardware error' report?

Last edited by Scorpion0x17 (2008-05-23 17:39:29)

2008-05-23 17:51:27

#4

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6820|CH/BR - in UK

Right:
It freezes after the flash screen: Screen is black/blank. The hardware failure came up once, since then I've had nothing - just no start at all (after the splash screen).

My specs are:
128MB X300,
1GB RAM,
80GB HDD,
1.83GHz CPU

My computer's 2 years old, and the sound jack has been broken for a while. So's the body of it. Oh yeah - it's a laptop.

If it were a virus, a change of OS should have done the trick (separate partitions for Ubuntu and XP).
The popup was Avast, so I'm going to trust it was genuine (I had just updated the virus scanner)

-konfusion

2008-05-23 17:53:01

#5

r2zoo: Knowledge is power, guard it well; +126|6866|Michigan, USA

Possible it could be a hardrive failure, although im not to experienced with laptops, although replacing the hardrive would be fairly inexpensive, far cheaper then a new laptop.

Is the windows loading bar coming up? Or is it just the bios logo/POST then black?

Last edited by r2zoo (2008-05-23 17:55:45)

2008-05-23 17:54:59

#6

Flaming_Maniac: prince of insufficient light; +2,490|6977|67.222.138.85

Viruses are tricky little bastards, I wouldn't completely rule it out.

If it actually is hardware I would guess hard drive....kinda hard to tell though, since you can't swap parts so easily. 'Course if you can't get far enough into an OS to see if it's a software problem, you don't have much other choice.

2008-05-23 17:55:03

#7

Scorpion0x17: can detect anyone's visible post count...; +691|7036|Cambridge (UK)

Ah... A laptop...

Lovely...

It's probably shagged...

But you might want to check it isn't just a dead battery.

EDIT: I would expect it get further in POST than described if it were a HDD failure.

Last edited by Scorpion0x17 (2008-05-23 17:57:07)

2008-05-23 17:56:47

#8

argo4: Stand and Deliver; +86|6203|United States

do you have 2 different anti virus programs on it by any chance? cause that screwed up my computer for a while.

2008-05-23 17:57:56

#9

r2zoo: Knowledge is power, guard it well; +126|6866|Michigan, USA

Scorpion0x17 wrote:
Ah... A laptop...

Lovely...

It's probably shagged...

But you might want to check it isn't just a dead battery.

EDIT: I would expect it get further in POST then described if it were a HDD failure.

I concur

Should come up with a message telling you no boot media found if it wont load up into anything.

Does it go anywhere after the post(Boot selection screen?) or just to black?

2008-05-23 18:02:37

#10

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6820|CH/BR - in UK

It goes to whatever OS it is, and then boots to the login, at which point it freezes and dies. I'm going to hope that my liveCD boot is enough to save my data (40+ hours of coding)

-konfusion

2008-05-23 18:06:27

#11

r2zoo: Knowledge is power, guard it well; +126|6866|Michigan, USA

konfusion wrote:
It goes to whatever OS it is, and then boots to the login, at which point it freezes and dies. I'm going to hope that my liveCD boot is enough to save my data (40+ hours of coding)

-konfusion

No expert on laptops, might be overheating? Considering you elft it on for 2 days straight, and that laptops have a tendency to heat up. Perhaps give it a while to cool down?(No doubt youve already though of this, just an idea).

Also try booting into safe mode, make sure its not something doing it on start up, failing your Livecd working, could always remove the hardrive, hook it up in an external and try using it on another pc.

2008-05-23 18:08:58

#12

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6820|CH/BR - in UK

Fuck... Alright, booted on LiveCD. Worked fine until I tried to access the hard drive, at which point it locked up, and the CPU jumped to full.

Oh yeah, don't know if I should have mentioned that my battery is dead to the point of 24% (which makes the battery light flash constantly)

-konfusion

2008-05-23 18:12:00

#13

Scorpion0x17: can detect anyone's visible post count...; +691|7036|Cambridge (UK)

konfusion wrote:
It goes to whatever OS it is, and then boots to the login, at which point it freezes and dies. I'm going to hope that my liveCD boot is enough to save my data (40+ hours of coding)

-konfusion

Ah, OK, that's sounding much better. Your description in earlier post sounded like it wasn't even getting past the POST.
At the very least you know most of the hardware is still functioning. To some degree.

Right... You got an XP install CD, and your CD-key, handy?

Well, first, get any important data backed-up, if you can.

Then try a Repair install.
If that doesn't help, try a full re-install.

konfusion wrote:
Fuck... Alright, booted on LiveCD. Worked fine until I tried to access the hard drive, at which point it locked up, and the CPU jumped to full.

Oh yeah, don't know if I should have mentioned that my battery is dead to the point of 24% (which makes the battery light flash constantly)

-konfusion

That's not good.

Very not good.

hmm...

is your bro's laptop the same as yours?

can you swap your HDD into his lappy?

Last edited by Scorpion0x17 (2008-05-23 18:14:09)

2008-05-23 18:16:25

#14

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6820|CH/BR - in UK

Scorpion0x17 wrote:
Ah, OK, that's sounding much better. Your description in earlier post sounded like it wasn't even getting past the POST.
At the very least you know most of the hardware is still functioning. To some degree.

Right... You got an XP install CD, and your CD-key, handy?

Well, first, get any important data backed-up, if you can.

Then try a Repair install.
If that doesn't help, try a full re-install.

That's the problem, I can't back it up! I have shitloads of coding on there, as well as other work, and a couple of passwords that I simply cannot lose. And I can't get it, even through the LiveCD.

-konfusion

2008-05-23 18:18:19

#15

Scorpion0x17: can detect anyone's visible post count...; +691|7036|Cambridge (UK)

konfusion wrote:
Scorpion0x17 wrote:
Ah, OK, that's sounding much better. Your description in earlier post sounded like it wasn't even getting past the POST.
At the very least you know most of the hardware is still functioning. To some degree.

Right... You got an XP install CD, and your CD-key, handy?

Well, first, get any important data backed-up, if you can.

Then try a Repair install.
If that doesn't help, try a full re-install.
That's the problem, I can't back it up! I have shitloads of coding on there, as well as other work, and a couple of passwords that I simply cannot lose. And I can't get it, even through the LiveCD.

-konfusion

Sorry, was still typing when your last reply came in - see my edit...

2008-05-23 18:21:55

#16

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6820|CH/BR - in UK

Ah, right, sorry about that. It's a different laptop
I'm doing a Memtest (whatever that linux thing is) and hoping it'll do something good...

Basically, all goes fine until I access the HDD. Shit...

-konfusion

2008-05-23 18:25:49

#17

Gooners: Wiki Contributor; +2,700|6903

Off-Topic, but, I love your site Konfusion

2008-05-23 18:28:21

#18

Scorpion0x17: can detect anyone's visible post count...; +691|7036|Cambridge (UK)

Hopefully it's just the HDD controller that's died and not the HDD itself - at least that way your work will be accessible...

But, you'll be needing to find a compatible laptop to plug it into...

Unless it (the physical HDD itself) happens to have accessible standard power and IDE/SATA sockets - then you just need a desktop PC with a spare plug...

2008-05-23 18:38:03

#19

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6820|CH/BR - in UK

Scorpion0x17 wrote:
Hopefully it's just the HDD controller that's died and not the HDD itself - at least that way your work will be accessible...

But, you'll be needing to find a compatible laptop to plug it into...

Unless it (the physical HDD itself) happens to have accessible standard power and IDE/SATA sockets - then you just need a desktop PC with a spare plug...

That'll be hard in a house full of laptops
Thankfully my dad works at Dell, so he'll take it in on monday. I was just hoping to be able to salvage my documents beforehand.

-konfusion

2008-05-23 18:40:10

#20

Scorpion0x17: can detect anyone's visible post count...; +691|7036|Cambridge (UK)

konfusion wrote:
Scorpion0x17 wrote:
Hopefully it's just the HDD controller that's died and not the HDD itself - at least that way your work will be accessible...

But, you'll be needing to find a compatible laptop to plug it into...

Unless it (the physical HDD itself) happens to have accessible standard power and IDE/SATA sockets - then you just need a desktop PC with a spare plug...
That'll be hard in a house full of laptops
Thankfully my dad works at Dell, so he'll take it in on monday. I was just hoping to be able to salvage my documents beforehand.

-konfusion

Sweet.

Is it a Dell laptop?

(if so) So when it said "contact the manufacturer", you were like "D'AAAAD!"?

2008-05-23 18:43:09

#21

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6820|CH/BR - in UK

I was more like "Dad, this had better be a joke" xD

Oh yeah, I'm not really allowed to have another laptop, as it would look bad for the company

-konfusion

2008-05-23 18:47:02

#22

Scorpion0x17: can detect anyone's visible post count...; +691|7036|Cambridge (UK)

Tell your dad to get you an XPS, or you'll take the story, of how it (may have) destroyed 40+ hours of coding, to the News of the World, or something...

Last edited by Scorpion0x17 (2008-05-23 18:47:26)

2008-05-23 18:59:03

#23

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6820|CH/BR - in UK

Scorpion0x17 wrote:
Tell your dad to get you an XPS, or you'll take the story, of how it (may have) destroyed 40+ hours of coding, to the News of the World, or something...

xD Nice idea

-konfusion

BF2S Forums BSOD: Hardware Failure

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