Computer problem. HELP!

[InigoMontoya]

So I'm goofing off on the computer when I try to open a .jpg file. Nothing. It acts like it's not there. I figure it's just taking the hard drive to spin up (.jpg is on a second HD) and continue goofing off. Many seconds later I realize, it isn't EVER going to bring up that .jpg. WTF?

I try a few more files. Nothing. I can maneuver through windows fine but I can't open up .jpgs.

I try to reboot.

It won't.

I give it the 3-fingered salute.

It brings up the task manager, but I still can't reboot.

OK, time for a hard reboot.

It hangs almost immediately. I wasn't paying too much attention, but I'm not sure it even made it through the bios check.

Being stubborn, I hard reboot again.

This time it asks me if I want to bring up windows in safe mode or normal. Like a fool, I say normal.

It starts to bring up windows and then locks up on a blank screen (I believe the one right after the little windows logo with the cylon status bar at the bottom).

Hard reboot.

"Do you want to run the windows start repair tool?" Oh, hell yes! I hit enter. Things are looking good. It spends a few minutes thinking and then it asks me if I want to do a system restore. The default selection is to do so and so I hit enter.

Nothing.

I then notice that the mouse is dead (no light) and the keyboard appears to be dead as well. WTF? It worked a few minutes ago (when it asked if I wanted to run the windows start repair tool)!

Repeat the last three paragraphs a few times and here I am (on Agatha's computer) asking if anybody has a clue, 'cause I sure don't.

[logic88]

Any chance you have a LiveCD sitting around somewhere?

That's what I usually pop in to see if it's a hardware problem or not.

[miramarguy]

The last time our computer went haywire the memory somehow developed a problem. I swapped out the sticks and all was well again. Before that the power supply was acting up and needed to be replaced. Do you have any spare parts to try and switch out to see if it might be something simple like that?

[Snowman]

As soon as the bios screen goes away, start jamming on F8. Try "last known good configuration". If that one doesn't work, try safe mode.

Now, you can't talk dirty to Agatha because the kidlet might hear :).

[dobrien]

Hard for me to tell the real problem from here, but if you've got important data on your hard drive, the first thing I'd do is put it in Agatha's and try and mount it. (Assuming her machine has two hard drive bays. You'd want your drive to *not* be the boot drive on her machine.)

If you're successful mounting it in her machine, copy all the data. Then put it back in your machine. Then from then on, the pressure's off and it's trial and error.

[dansee]

First thing I'd probably do is pull and re-seat the memory sticks, and check the drive cables. Nothing changes, and you can't F8 into the OS? Grab an .iso of Gparted, and see if you can boot it and do a drive analysis.

[InigoMontoya]

No idea what a LiveCD is, so that'd be a no.

Pulled memory one chip at a time and tried a reboot (with half as much memory). Other than the "system memory has changed" message, no change.

Humped on F8, last known good configuration hangs just like the others.

Humped on F8 again, tried to boot safe mode.... Hangs up on "Load \Windows\system32\drivers\crcdisk.sys"

No important data on my boot drive (that's what my data drive is for!). Well, other than installed software that I probably won't be able to find activation keys and such for again.

Just reading Dana's suggestion made my head hurt (gotta go find a translation of that).

[dcheesi]

Ugh, sounds bad. Good going with the separate data disc at least. You might want to pull it just to avoid any inadvertent scrambling of the contents while you deal with the main problem...

BTW, a liveCD is an operating system that boots directly from CD without installing anything; it's the perfect tool for diagnosing hard drive troubles, etc...

[Marc]

If you do decide to get a live DVD, I recommend Knoppix (http://www.knoppix.net). It's a fully functional Linux system with lots of applications, utilities, and diagnostics. Being a DVD (and a full one at that), it'll take some time to download. They have it available through BitTorrent.

[dansee]

BTW, is this Vista? I'm assuming it is, since crcdisk errors are a plague with some Vista setups. Anyhow, if you don't have a Vista recovery CD from your mfr., you can download one here, using bittorrent:

http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/

Actually, that's sort of advisable for everyone who didn't get a recovery CD with their computer.

[InigoMontoya]

Yeah, it's Vista.



And the damndest thing happened....

OK, so I tried to start in safe mode and it hung as previously described. I kinda just left the computer there while I was typing and surfing on this computer. 15 minutes later it was still stuck.... But at some point I turned around and it was in windows! In safe mode, of course.

So in safe mode I commanded system restore (restore point of a few days back). It does it's thing.....

....and hangs.

[Makita]

If you have 4 Gigs of RAM, take 1 or 2 Gigs out (and leave it out)
Technet article (http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1568647&SiteID=17), also mentioned on TomsHardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/236475-44-vista-load-help) forum

Which VISTA? Home, Business, Ultimate, Bitch-Funky, Sex-Machine or Standard?
32 or 64?

This happened trying to load a picture, I think entering safe mode again may be in order then changing the video driver to the generic video driver, getting updated drivers for the Video card and re-booting might work.

Full system specs might be the best way to start here.

[Makita]

The last time our computer went haywire the memory somehow developed a problem. I swapped out the sticks and all was well again. Before that the power supply was acting up and needed to be replaced. Do you have any spare parts to try and switch out to see if it might be something simple like that?
Replacing random bits and baubles? Seriously?

[Otto]

If you do decide to get a live DVD, I recommend Knoppix (http://www.knoppix.net). It's a fully functional Linux system with lots of applications, utilities, and diagnostics. Being a DVD (and a full one at that), it'll take some time to download. They have it available through BitTorrent.
Ubuntu's install disc is also a LiveCD. I use it for all sorts of stuff. Including installing Ubuntu. :)

[InigoMontoya]

Haven't had a chance to work on it for a bit (life is BUSY). But tonight....


I took the boot drive out of the box and put it in Agatha's computer. She and I have very similar systems so I figured it should tell me if there was something wrong with the hard drive or if something was wrong with the rest of the computer.

Suffice to say that it booted just fine (barring a few "hey, these driver's aren't right!" errors that would be expected).

I cycled it a few times and used the "repair" tool just to be sure.

Everything looked fine (driver for "new devices" issues aside).

I put it back in my computer.



It made it to the Vista boot "cylon screen" and..... nothing. Dead. Kaput.



ARGGHHH!!!!



So I'm looking at a hardware issue, right?

And since I'm dealing with a Dell, where just about everything is integrated into the motherboard....


...Is it new motherboard time?

And can that even be had for a 16ish month old computer (that is no doubt obsolete now)?

[miramarguy]

I'm guessing that the computer only came with a one year warranty. Did you happen to buy the system with a Visa card? If so you might be covered under their Warranty Manager program. It basically an automatic extended warranty for things you buy with an eligible Visa card. You can find more info here: http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/benefits/bft_warranty_mgr.html