Strange laptop boot issue...

dvicknair · 01-14-2009, 03:40 PM

I'm new to this forum and have been searching to find a solution to my problem, with no success. I'm trying to help a friend get his laptop back working as it should. It's a Dell Vostro with Windows Vista Basic. I have reinstalled vista and now when it boots it gets past the BIOS screen to the windows progress bar but before it gets half way across, the computer crashes and restarts on it's own. It will repeat this for as long as I let it or until the battery runs dead. I have reinstalled vista again and experience the same thing. Here's the strange part, if during this failing boot sequence I turn the computer off by holding down the power button, the computer will boot properly when I turn it back on. At this point, I have to repeat pressing the power button during the failing boot sequence, if I shut it down or restart it.

Sorry for the long post, but I have racked my brain on this thing and really need your help! Thanks in advance.

Deamos · 01-14-2009, 09:05 PM

Hmm, sounds like one of the following:
Hard drive
Memory
or maybe a problem with Vista and the driver it autodetected for ACPI.

Try to boot in to safe mode by rebooting and Press F8 before the windows vista boot screen comes up.

dvicknair · 01-14-2009, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deamos

Hmm, sounds like one of the following:
Hard drive
Memory
or maybe a problem with Vista and the driver it autodetected for ACPI.

Try to boot in to safe mode by rebooting and Press F8 before the windows vista boot screen comes up.

Thanks for the help.... I have already tried to boot into safe mode, I get the same result.

dvicknair · 01-15-2009, 12:21 AM

bump, for the afternoon crowd...

Deamos · 01-15-2009, 12:47 AM

Well, to narrow it down. Download yourself a copy of Memtest86 and burn it to a cd. http://www.memtest.org/

Once you have it burnt, boot the problem machine to the cd and let it run for a couple hours. If you even get a single error at the bottom, one of your RAM sticks are dead and need to be replaced. To narrow it down after you get an error, try to boot the CD with each of the sticks and perform the test again.

Hope this helps.

pies · 01-15-2009, 12:45 AM

I would check the memory and hard drive.

dznutz · 01-16-2009, 10:55 AM

most likely a ram error. like someone said use memtest to test the ram. if you rather not do this then use 1 ram at a time. also, i'd use direct power incase a blackout occurs.

is the cd you're using from the factory? if it was self burnt then perhaps ther's an error. try cloning it and if it can't then that's the problem.

dvicknair · 01-16-2009, 03:33 PM

Well, I ran Memtest86+ twice. The first time for 3 hours, no errors, the second time for 5 hours, no errors. I also ran chkdsk and that also found no errors. Does anyone have any other ideas, this is really starting to aggrevate me! Hope someone out there has the answer!

Deamos · 01-16-2009, 06:50 PM

I would guess maybe HDD though that is far fetched. Try to run an Ubuntu Linux live cd or try to install XP. See if maybe its limited only to Vista

maconners · 01-17-2009, 02:38 AM

Have you tried to check and see if the computer was capable for handling vista? like DEAMOS said try running linux live or install xp. If the problem persists try deleting the partition and starting a new one for vista, there could be several problems.

01-14-2009, 03:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
dvicknair New Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 5	Strange laptop boot issue... I'm new to this forum and have been searching to find a solution to my problem, with no success. I'm trying to help a friend get his laptop back working as it should. It's a Dell Vostro with Windows Vista Basic. I have reinstalled vista and now when it boots it gets past the BIOS screen to the windows progress bar but before it gets half way across, the computer crashes and restarts on it's own. It will repeat this for as long as I let it or until the battery runs dead. I have reinstalled vista again and experience the same thing. Here's the strange part, if during this failing boot sequence I turn the computer off by holding down the power button, the computer will boot properly when I turn it back on. At this point, I have to repeat pressing the power button during the failing boot sequence, if I shut it down or restart it. Sorry for the long post, but I have racked my brain on this thing and really need your help! Thanks in advance.

01-14-2009, 09:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
Deamos Bronze Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Daytona Beach, FL Posts: 50	Hmm, sounds like one of the following: Hard drive Memory or maybe a problem with Vista and the driver it autodetected for ACPI. Try to boot in to safe mode by rebooting and Press F8 before the windows vista boot screen comes up. __________________ CompTIA A+ 2006 Certified 22-602 Main Rig: CPU: AMD Athalon 64 X2 5600+ Mobo: ASUS MSN32-SLI Deluxe RAM: 4x1GB Corsair DDR2-800 Video: EVGA Geforce GTX 260 Core216 Superclocked Edition (896MB) HDD: 1.5TBs in Assorted WD SATA drives OS: Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 x64 Need Help? Let me fix your problem!

01-15-2009, 12:47 AM	#5 (permalink)
Deamos Bronze Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Daytona Beach, FL Posts: 50	Well, to narrow it down. Download yourself a copy of Memtest86 and burn it to a cd. http://www.memtest.org/ Once you have it burnt, boot the problem machine to the cd and let it run for a couple hours. If you even get a single error at the bottom, one of your RAM sticks are dead and need to be replaced. To narrow it down after you get an error, try to boot the CD with each of the sticks and perform the test again. Hope this helps. __________________ CompTIA A+ 2006 Certified 22-602 Main Rig: CPU: AMD Athalon 64 X2 5600+ Mobo: ASUS MSN32-SLI Deluxe RAM: 4x1GB Corsair DDR2-800 Video: EVGA Geforce GTX 260 Core216 Superclocked Edition (896MB) HDD: 1.5TBs in Assorted WD SATA drives OS: Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 x64 Need Help? Let me fix your problem!

01-15-2009, 12:45 AM	#6 (permalink)
pies Diamond Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Poland, OH Age: 21 Posts: 1,333	I would check the memory and hard drive. __________________ Laptop- Macbook 2ghz intel core 2, 2gb ddr3, 9400m gpu, 120gb sata hdd dual boot leopard/xp Desktop Finally perfect Case-Cooler master haf 932/Psu- BFG 1000watt Motherboard- Asus p6t Deluxe V2/Cpu- Core i7 920 Ram- OCZ 1600mhz DDR3 6gigs/Gpu- Gigabyte ATI 5870 /Hdd- 1.5tb 3x ssd raid 0/ DVD- SAMSUNG/- Costum liquid cooling Nauru our homeland, the land we dearly love

01-16-2009, 10:55 AM	#7 (permalink)
dznutz Platinum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: california Age: 29 Posts: 741	most likely a ram error. like someone said use memtest to test the ram. if you rather not do this then use 1 ram at a time. also, i'd use direct power incase a blackout occurs. is the cd you're using from the factory? if it was self burnt then perhaps ther's an error. try cloning it and if it can't then that's the problem. __________________ ANTEC 900 OCZ STEALTHXTREAM 500W GIGABYTE EP45 UD3R INTEL E5200 ASUS ATI HD3450 2gb OCZ SLI RAM SAMSUNG SH-203N SATA SEAGATE BARRACUDA 1Tb and 1.5 tb SATA AIRLINK 101 300n pci XP PRO 32 bit

01-15-2009, 12:21 AM	#4 (permalink)
dvicknair New Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 5	bump, for the afternoon crowd...

01-16-2009, 03:33 PM	#8 (permalink)
dvicknair New Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 5	Well, I ran Memtest86+ twice. The first time for 3 hours, no errors, the second time for 5 hours, no errors. I also ran chkdsk and that also found no errors. Does anyone have any other ideas, this is really starting to aggrevate me! Hope someone out there has the answer!

01-16-2009, 06:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
Deamos Bronze Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Daytona Beach, FL Posts: 50	I would guess maybe HDD though that is far fetched. Try to run an Ubuntu Linux live cd or try to install XP. See if maybe its limited only to Vista __________________ CompTIA A+ 2006 Certified 22-602 Main Rig: CPU: AMD Athalon 64 X2 5600+ Mobo: ASUS MSN32-SLI Deluxe RAM: 4x1GB Corsair DDR2-800 Video: EVGA Geforce GTX 260 Core216 Superclocked Edition (896MB) HDD: 1.5TBs in Assorted WD SATA drives OS: Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 x64 Need Help? Let me fix your problem!

01-17-2009, 02:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
maconners New Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 5	Have you tried to check and see if the computer was capable for handling vista? like DEAMOS said try running linux live or install xp. If the problem persists try deleting the partition and starting a new one for vista, there could be several problems.

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