Diagnosis

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Specs:

Compaq Presario Notebook PC
Intel Celeron M Processor
410 (1,46GHz, 1MB L2
cache, 533MHz FSB)

521MB system Memory
80GB hard drive, and Super
Multi 8X DVD R/RW drive
with Double Layer support

15.4" WXGA high-definition
BrightView widescreen
disply

802.11 b/g wireless LAN


Problems:

First symptons included lagging and massively slowing down during gameplay (Company of Heroes).

Now the computer won't even boot up. If I try to use safe mode with command prompt, it gets all the way to Mup.sys, freezes, then shuts itself down. No amount of fiddling with my limited knowledge will get it to boot.


Is there anything to be done to save the patient, doctors?

[Jaime Tomahawk]

Specs:

Compaq Presario Notebook PC
Intel Celeron M Processor
410 (1,46GHz, 1MB L2
cache, 533MHz FSB)

521MB system Memory
80GB hard drive, and Super
Multi 8X DVD R/RW drive
with Double Layer support

15.4" WXGA high-definition
BrightView widescreen
disply

802.11 b/g wireless LAN


Problems:

First symptons included lagging and massively slowing down during gameplay (Company of Heroes).

Now the computer won't even boot up. If I try to use safe mode with command prompt, it gets all the way to Mup.sys, freezes, then shuts itself down. No amount of fiddling with my limited knowledge will get it to boot.


Is there anything to be done to save the patient, doctors?

Spyware is the first thing that coems to mind. Second is a disk corruption.

You will need to go to Windows Recovery from the boot disks and use chkdsk in there to see how good the disk is. Probably still okay.

[Morgan Evanar]

It's also quite possible that some of the hardware has decided to call it quits. First, put the HD in another machine and back up whatever data you consider valuable, and then do a repair installation as suggested above.

[Park Kraken]

Sounds like a processor or onboard memory problem. First it starts to slow down, then it stops completley. Do you have any spare RAM at the house to try and see if that's the problem?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It's not my computer, it's a friend's. I've got it right beside me though. Next time I can catch him between breaks at work, I need to get any boot discs he has.

He brought it over once before because it was lagging, and so I installed Firefox, AVG, and SpyBot. Cleaned out a freakishly large load of crap.

I'm going to see about piecing it back together software-wise since he got it at Circuit City >_<

[Khendon Sevon]

This is a laptop, right? Since you said notebook.

How long have they had the machine? Do the fans wind up and run when you run it or are they silent? How hot does it get (before it used to shut down, now if it barely gets through boot it won't get too hot).

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Aye, tis a laptop.

I'll have to ask him about the heat issue. He hasn't had the thing but for maybe two or three months.

[Jaime Tomahawk]

Sounds like a processor or onboard memory problem. First it starts to slow down, then it stops completley. Do you have any spare RAM at the house to try and see if that's the problem?

Extremely unlikely. There is a chance hardware is causing the hard drive to corrupt that can look like the current halt, but otherwise CPU and memory do not cause system slowness and then a stop as described. A hardware failure causes random failure, BSOD or a total stop.


This is a laptop, right? Since you said notebook.

How long have they had the machine? Do the fans wind up and run when you run it or are they silent? How hot does it get (before it used to shut down, now if it barely gets through boot it won't get too hot).

Also very unlikely. System overheats usually cause random crashes, not slowdowns and the described halt. While persistent crashes will eventually cause the MFT to corrupt you can get as a result the current halt in safe mode as a result, if your system slows first you should be looking at the hard drive and what you have loaded first.

Sil, what might be an idea is to see if you can get a 2.5" drive converter so the drive can plug into a regular PC ribbon cable, then using another system to check the drive becomes easy.

[Morgan Evanar]

Get a USB drive adapter, less mucking about with the insides, and they're usually easier to find.

[Jaime Tomahawk]

Get a USB drive adapter, less mucking about with the insides, and they're usually easier to find.

0_0

They exist? Damn, I need to get one stat

[Morgan Evanar]

I got one sitting on the floor with a 40GB PATA laptop drive right next to me. USB powered and all.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Aight, all flattened and reinstalled. I got rid of vongo, and there are a few other things I'm looking to purge from this machine, I just want to get your guys' opinion on what's worth keeping.

1) SpySweeper (personally I think this is unneeded, as I've already installed spybot)
2) Norton anit-virus
3) Norton Internet Security

Those are it for now. It's running incredibly slow atm, so I'm going to run spybot.

[Park Kraken]

Norton Internet Security is awesome, so long as you keep it updated. Not too fond of the anti-virus though.

[Khendon Sevon]

I hate all Norton products; but, that's just me.

Yay Avast! 64-bit :)

If they're not going to maintain a license (I believe you have to renew it and pay $$ and junk, I may be mistaken) then, meh, it's not worth it. Also, if you have AVG running then, meh. You only need one anti-virus.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

I hate all Norton products; but, that's just me.

Yay Avast! 64-bit :)

If they're not going to maintain a license (I believe you have to renew it and pay $$ and junk, I may be mistaken) then, meh, it's not worth it. Also, if you have AVG running then, meh. You only need one anti-virus.

Exactly my thought. I put AVG on it a month or so ago, so AVG it is :)

[Jaime Tomahawk]

Norton Internet Security is awesome, so long as you keep it updated. Not too fond of the anti-virus though.

NIS is an utter rancid heap of garbage that I immediately uninstall on any computer. Unless it's a corporate level product, Symantec is utterly awful and just doesn't work.

Spysweeper I find doesnt really work

Frankly, just about all software firewalls on Windows are terrible. You are best off with the standard one and have a hardware based firewall, usually most ADSL modems have one inbuilt these days. Use Firefox and modify your browsing habits to stop downloading rubbish too. You just dont need anything else apart from AVG.

I might also just emphasis browsing habits again because any security system can be beaten be clueless users. Stay away from suspect sites - you can tell what is suspect because they are the ones with loads of ads in Flash that say "FREE RINGTONES!!!! FREEE THIS!!! FREE PENIS IN A BOTTLE!!!! FREE WALLPAPER!!!!! YOUR PC IS INFECTED!!!!!!!" Do not click.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Fantastic >_< I uninstall NIS and got the blue screen again. That's it. I'm using a different OS disk.

Remember kids - Don't let Circuit City set up your computer for you, and don't use the copied/burned recovery discs they give you <img src=http://s93860457.onlinehome.us/misc/emot-bang.gif>

[Morgan Evanar]

NIS is the most worthless heap of system consuming crap released as a legitmate pay product ever produced. I'm not really exagerating, either. Norton/Symantec Antivirus is equally worthless. Even in a corporate environment, they've been eclipsed by NOD32.

Spysweeper is ok, but Microsoft Anti-spyware is actually good!