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Windows XP Startup Problems

  • 30-08-2010 1:26pm
    #1
    iquitalready
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭


    I'm trying to fix a Lenovo laptop that belongs to a friend. When she brought it to me, it would load for about thirty seconds and shut down. Under safe mode it was the same except it would hang rather than shut down. I figured it was a software problem of some variety (driver, app, virus...) and as it was two years old I just decided to reset it up from scratch rather than diagnose the problem.

    The same problem occurred once during setup but over the next few days I had no problems whatsoever and everything was working fine. On returning it, of course it reared its head twice but on restarting it, the system would run fine for hours. I've had it back now for two days and must have turned it on and off at least fifty times and the only time it re-occurred was this morning on first try since yesterday. I've run diagnostic software but it revealed no hardware faults and there's no apparent software conflicts - all the drivers are from the Lenovo site and it's running nothing that wasn't working fine before.

    I can usually find a solution using Google but this time I've had no luck with these set of circumstances and was hoping someone on here might be able to help. Any help is much appreciated.


Comments

  • #2
    bhickey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭bhickey


    If the problem is that inconsistent then maybe it's dodgy RAM?


  • #3
    iquitalready
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭iquitalready


    bhickey wrote: »
    If the problem is that inconsistent then maybe it's dodgy RAM?

    The problem is so infrequent at the moment that by swapping out modules, I'd be testing my patience more than anything. I might try running memtest on it but I hate the idea of dragging an old floppy drive out. Anyone know of a good (free) memory diagnostic test?


  • #4
    bhickey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭bhickey


    iquitalready wrote: »
    Anyone know of a good (free) memory diagnostic test?

    Ultimate Boot CD


  • #5
    Odaise Gaelach
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,235 ✭✭✭Odaise Gaelach


    iquitalready wrote: »
    I might try running memtest on it but I hate the idea of dragging an old floppy drive out.

    You can also download memtest as an ISO for burning on a CD.


  • #6
    iquitalready
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭iquitalready


    bhickey wrote: »
    Ultimate Boot CD
    Odaise Gaelach wrote: »
    You can also download memtest as an ISO for burning on a CD.

    Thanks all, I'm downloading UBCD now and I'll run the diagnostic tests (CPU and Memory at least). I'll let you know how I get on with the results later. Cheers.


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  • #7
    iquitalready
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭iquitalready


    Ran the CPU and memory tests and no problems to report. However, just before I ran them, on starting up the system (which had been off for a few hours) the fan was making an unusual sound and the system shut off. There is definitely no general issue with the fan as all the burn-in tests I've run over the past two days would show up any overheating issues. But is it possible that, while inactive for a while, that the fan might fail to kick in properly and Windows XP is shutting down the system itself to avoid overheating? It shut down very quickly, within ten seconds after post/OS launching.


  • #8
    iquitalready
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭iquitalready


    I'm beginning to think the fan is a symptom and not the cause of the problem. I removed and cleaned it and the heatsink out - it was fairly clean already. I ran a stress test while monitoring it with speedfan. Under normal load it was in the low 40C's and peaked at 61C while under sustained 99%-100% load. From what I can tell, these figures are reasonable and I've also had no errors on any other stress tests I've run.

    I do have a clear picture of what is happening though, just no idea what it means. The problem only occurs when the laptop has been off for at least a few hours. Normally when you turn it on, the fan immediately kicks in during post for about a second or two and then turns off while Windows loads (only turning on again when needed). However when the system is cold started the fan, again, turns on during post for second or two and off again (as normal) but when windows starts to load the fan turns on again and the system shuts off two to three seconds later.

    Does anyone have any idea why the fan would start on Windows loading and why it would cause it the laptop to shut down? Might it be a problem with a sensor rather than the fan? Any insight is much appreciated.


  • #9
    ferguson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 137 ✭✭ferguson


    software or hardware conflict?


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