Software or Hardware Problem?

My computer has trouble starting up and usually needs to be rebooted a few times before it runs. It seems to crash when I connect USB items, like a multi-port or the wireless adapter etc. I had some heat problems last summer and don't know if the MB is now damaged. I sometimes get memory errors running MEMTEST386 etc. I don't know if the problem is in windowsXP or in my hardware. Here is the question: Would loading a different OS be a good idea to see if the machine will run normally, thus proving the problem is in windows XP? And, if it is a good idea, which OS is best? Thanks

Hi,
Sorry to hear of the problems with your machine,
There are so many potential causes for the problems that you are experiencing, that on a forum by long range communication, it could be very time consuming to perform the diagnostic procedures that would …ordinarily be dealt with swiftly if the laptop was brought into the workshop.

In order to establish quickly, if this is a hardware fault, I suggest you download a live distro of Linux Puppy (about 100MB) burn it as an image to a CD, set your machine's BIOS to boot from cd/dvd/optical as boot priotity one with harddrive as boot priority as two. Then boot from Puppy, don't install it, it will run in memory as a separated stand-alone operating system independent of Windows……..the logic is that if Puppy runs OK on your machine then the hardware is OK…..so then we need to focus on software and in particular Windows……

.Ok ..That's the strategy I propose, so if you are agreeable here's how:
Before starting or doing anything on your machine we need a fallback position……see 1 below:

1 Please take the opportunity now to bring your back up/archive/copy of all your important stuff 100% up to date, check that it's accurate, reproducible and held securely on removable media (not your hard drive)……
the idea here is to ensure that all your important data, files, spreadsheets, work, music, emails, log in details, user names, address book, drivers, letters, invoices, videos etc….in fact everything that is important to you (stuff that you would not like to permanently lose) is kept safe on external media.
Whilst you are doing this collect together all your application installation discs (or downloaded installation executables) serial numbers, product licence keys (including the one for Windows itself and the Microsoft Windows installation disc and or Manufacturer's Restore and Driver /utilities discs.
If you have made a disc image then keep this safe also on removable media and ensure you have made a bootable CD/DVD for use in the event that Windows will not start.
2 Download Linux Puppy from here:
http://puppylinux.org/main/index.php?file=…g%20Started.htm
3 Burn the iso as an "image"…it must be as an image, a copy will not work!……..Imgburn is good for this, available from here:
4 http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download
5 Set Bios to Boot from CD as first priority…on most Dells it's F2 to enter the Bios (set up) otherwise try Esc or Del.
6 Boot from the CD (remember don't install it) let it run in memory, You will soon get used to Puppy and you'll find that you will be able to use the Internet and do most things that you want to do.
7 If Puppy won't work then either you have done it incorrectly or there is a hardware problem…..
Post back and let us know how you get on.
Regards
paws

Sorry for being away so long. I downloaded Puppy Linux and it starts loading but never finishes. It gets past the splash screen but then locks up at different points in the process each time I try to load it. I have another program called MiniPE which is used to start the computer when it has problems. The last time I used it, it took many attempts to get it up and running. I gave Puppy 5 attempts. I suspect the problem with my machine has something to do with the USB ports. In the past; if I turned on my external hard drive (connected by USB) the internet would stop working within 3 or 4 minutes.(not right away) I had a multi adapter plugged into one of the rear USB ports which gave me 4 additional ports on my desk. I had the printer and scanner connected to it. I used it to connect pen drives so I wouldn't have to go under the desk to plug them into the computer directly. I had problems with crashing the computer when I used it. Now I have the printer and scanner connected directly to the computer (I got rid of the multi adapter). I wanted to print something on my external HD and turned it on. I actually printed some pages. Then the computer suddenly didn't recognize the printer. I tried to print from another program with no luck. I turned off the external HD and reset the printer and got it to print one document; then it was out again. Now turning on the printer results in a notice saying the USB device has malfunctioned and windows does not recognize it. The point is, turning on the HD used to knock out the USB wireless internet adapter, now with the change in the configuration of the USBs it knocks out the printer. Is this problem hardware or software (i.e. drivers / configuration)? I don't know. Oh, I have cleaned and worked on my computer various times in the past. I probably did not reconnect the printer, scanner, wireless adapter and external HD to their original (physical) USB ports. Could this cause a problem? Windows usually just re-recognizes the hardware. The USB mouse is connected to one of the two front panel USB ports. The computer has 6 in all. Maybe I should reload the software for the external HD. ???

Hi, Ok I understand, 1 Please try the Puppy CD in a different machine that works well…… this will test that the Puppy disc burned correctly 2 Assuming that the other machine boots into Puppy OK from the disc, then try the Puppy disc again, but make sure that you have nothing connected to the machine other than the VDU, a mouse, keyboard and the main power supply…everything else disconnected, and all optical drives, floppy drives, mem card slots empty( apart from the Puppy CD)….don't forget to disconnect the modem/router from the computer (pull out the connection) disconnect all your usb flash drives ext drives, printers scanners etc. Let us know if you can boot into Puppy with the lean set up described above.. 3 next try and boot into your Windows Operating System CD/DVD……if you can just creep away, dont do anything ( apart from let me know) 4 Please don't try installing or uninstalling anything until we get a clear lead on what is going on (or not going on ) in your machine regards paws

I loaded the Puppy to a Dell laptop I have and it worked fine. I disconnected all the USB devices and ran Puppy on the desktop 1st time it got as far as updating network drivers and then rebooted itself 2nd time got to loading drivers, rebooted itself 3rd time loading to ram, (only the 3rd step in the process) and locked up 4th time it loaded!!! It ran for a short while but when I tried to see if I could access all my files and tried to use a file manager I got a gray screen except for the bar at the bottom. Return to desktop didn't work and I tried other options from the start menu which led to the machine locking up. Now all the USB connections do not work except the one front panel connection that the mouse is plugged into. The machine says the printer has developed a fault (it works on the laptop). The wireless adapter light doesn't come on and the computer doesn't even see it as plugged in. I just checked the control panel and the USB controllers do not have any problems. There are 11 things listed there but there are only 6 USB plugs. there are 4 each USB host controlers 5 each USB root hubs and one USB2 enhanced host Controller one USB mass storage deviceAny Ideas?

Hi the fact that Puppy was problematic on your machine (when the disc was proved Ok) and the failure during memtest, indicates that its most likely a hardware problem If you have more than one memory module installed try removing one and see if anything changes…..try the other one on its own as well, but remember which one went where! Don't forget to remove all wires including the mains voltage power cable before you open the machine (and don't rely on a switch… pull the plugs!) and take all the usual ESD (anti static) precautions…Ram modules and other parts are easily damaged by static. Subject to this it looks like a trip to your friendly neighbourhood competent computer technoician for an estimate……its far easier to diagnose things from a distance than by remote correspondence! Regards paws

Hi, I changed the memory when the problem started. I had two 500mb modules and found that putting one of them in the 3rd slot worked best (least number of faults and problems). I thought I had a bad module. I took the opportunity to increase the memory and bought two 1gb modules. Same story, can only install one of them in the third slot. BTW, USB is working again for the wireless lan adapter. I am sure if I connect the scanner, printer or external HD it will crash. Also, booting up has worked twice in a row!!! I thought (and still think) the problem is in the mother board. But I was hoping it might be a software problem. I know this is the windows forum but… Do you think it is worth it to pull all the cables off their connectors and re-seat them? Any other ideas to isolate the problem? Thanks, Dan

BiggDan, you can't have ANY memory errors. ANY at all, is a problem. There is no "least number of faults" is OK possibility. NONE is the only acceptable number in this situation.

An alcohol swab or contact cleaner will help you to clean dirty memory slots and memory chips.

You need to look at your motherboard for leaking capacitors, that sounds like what your problem is.

Thanks for your help. I suppose we have determined that it is not a software/windows problem so we should close this topic. Thanks again, Dan

Thanks for your help. I suppose we have determined that it is not a software/windows problem so we should close this topic. Thanks again, Dan BTW, I opened it up, cleaned everything and reseated everything and it booted up OK. Here's hoping!

fingers crossed it will remain Ok