[OHKRLL]

My computer was completely working fine until one day I turned it on and it gave me a BSOD. I was unable to check out what it was because my computer just randomly restarted and just got stuck. Completely frozen. I didn't do any new software or hardware installations recently.

The problem with the laptop is that sometimes I turn it on, and although it's on, the system doesn't even boot. It literally does nothing. I see the LED lights on, but the the light for HDD/ODD will NOT come on. When I hold down the power button to manually shut it off it actually just resets itself and attempts to start back up again, but it won't even boot up. It will get stuck again. I can see the CD drive being read and I can access it. What's weird is that I unplugged my AC adapter to the battery since it wasn't allowing me to turn it off and I left it alone for hours, and it didn't turn off (my battery never even lasts more than an hour). When I unplugged the battery from the laptop it turned off (obviously). When I put it back on, my computer magically came back on without me turning it on, being stuck in the same place with the same LED lights on but nothing else. Just the computer on with a blank screen.

I've done mem test on my RAM and it did 6 passes with no errors in almost 4 hours but the process got stuck eventually, requiring me to manually turn off my computer. Sometimes it boots up normally with no problems. Then it will automatically get stuck out of nowhere, no HDD LED sign or anything. It will literally freeze. Sometimes it never even happens.

A few times I've attempted to do a system recovery from a bootable CD and the process freezes. I've ran memtest and although my RAM passed 6 times, even the program eventually froze. I've done check disk and nothing comes up. The only thing I haven't done is a complete system restore from windows. It is not overheating, I cleaned it and have a laptop fan directly under my laptop. When I did clean it, it wasn't even that much dust.

What could be the problem(s)?

System info:

Aurora-M9700 17" WXGA W/ CAM CHASSIS (Windows Vista ultimate 32 bit)
AMD TURION 2.4 GHZ 35W L2 1MB ML-44 PROCESSOR
Kingston Value Ram 1 GB (my computer can hold two sticks of ram but a year ago one of the rams failed and just left the working one in).
TOSHIBA 200GB 4200RPM SATA SYSTEM DRIVE

 

[dai]

d/load and run the h/drive makers diagnostic utility on the h/drive

http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

use the hatachi one

how does it go in safe mode

 

[OHKRLL]

I can hang around a very long time in safe mode. I'm actually in safe mode and everytime I'm in safemode I have no real problem. Are you sure I should use the hatachi one and not the toshiba one?

 

[dai]

use the toshiba one

 

[OHKRLL]

I did the test, both quick test and advanced test and got "disposition code 0x00".

I tried to find the toshiba one but there isn't one, so I just used the hitachi.

 

[dai]

as far as i can find the 0x00 means it found no problems if it does it adds more to the end of the code

i have asked someone else to have a look at the problem they may have some new slant on the problem

 

[OHKRLL]

Thank you. In order for me to do anything on my computer, I need to be in safe mode (which I am in right now). When it does successfully boot up regularly it ALWAYS get stuck on the desktop screen once everything finishes loading. I can't move the mouse, cannot CNTRL-ALT-DEL or anything. I could only get my computer to work in safemode.

 

[dai]

in msconfig startup

untick all

retick one box at a time and try to boot normally and see if you can isolate the cause of the problem

 

[OHKRLL]

I did it, and when I disabled all the startup programs I was actually able to get a normal boot. I unclicked all and went through one at a time. I went through all of them, only allowing one to run and didn't have problems booting up or anything. What should I do? Mix and combine some of the programs to see if it's causing a problem? I'm a bit nervous about allowing all the programs to run...

 

[dai]

when it runs ok you don't remove the one you just added,you add another one if the problem then occurs you have found the faulting one

you can then either leave that one off if it is something you dont need on start or try uninstalling and reinstalling it to see if it cures the problem

 

[night_shift]

Hi OHKRLL

Have a go at dai's suggestion see what happens. This would indicate a software conflict, repair this conflict. If the above does not cure your fault then try this -

Reinstate all those programmes.

First thing, remove that stick of RAM and HD and reseat them. Try a start up and see what happens.

If you still get the fault, start your laptop and go into your bios set up screen, I think for Alienware lappys it's by pressing the "del" key to get into bios setup. Stay in the bios screen for around 10mins and navigate round the menus now and then do not make any adjustments. What I'm looking for is stability and no freezes. Then exit set up screen. If all is ok then shutdown.

Remove your HD and then restart your laptop, it should go through the post and finally come to a halt on a screen that says "operating system not found" or something similar. You should be able to shut it down by holding the power button for a few seconds. Repeat this 3 times.

If all is well so far, then I want you to download Ubuntu live disk, burn it to CD and using the Try it option run your laptop from the disk (keep your HD removed). This gives you a virtual Operating system and if it boots to the Ubuntu desktop ok then your lappy graphics, memory and auxiliaries are operating ok. Shutdown and install your HD.

Restart back into Try it Ubuntu, there are some HD and memory diagnostic tools there you can use, check your memory and HD see if you can find errors.

Download and follow the instructions to burn to CD and the Try it! option (this will not install it to your lappy or alter the OS installed already)here.


If the above works with the Live disk then it looks like you may have a corrupt OS or failing HD.

Let's see what happens.

 

[OHKRLL]

I attempted to access the BIOS but it froze after 5 minutes . I also can't hang around safe mode anymore it will eventually freeze. I removed the ram and reset it but haven't done it yet for the HD.

 

[night_shift]

Ok lets try all the steps first before downloading Ubuntu.