Please Help Me Out!!!

P

pfmar

New Member
Please help me out!!! I really need my computer and I don't have money to send it to a technician!!! :eek:

Medion M3 Composer 5200
Intel Pentium 4 Processor 540
Microsoft Windows XP
512MB RAM PC 32
1 MB L2 Cache
800 MHz front side bus
200 GB SATA 7200rpm hard drive
128 MB NVIDIA GeForce FX 5300 PCI Express graphics card

First, the computer started restarting itself at random times. It just restarted itself and then came back and it was all fine.

A couple of days afterwards, after it restarted, the computer came back up normally but not before a blue screen came up saying:
A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Technical information:
STOP:0X0000000A (0X00080056, 0X0000001C, 0X0000001, 0X804E1630)

Two days later, turned on the computer and the following came up:
We apologize for the incovenience, but windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this.
And it also gave me the following options:
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Last Known Good Configuration
Start Windows normally
I tried choosing the last one, and it just restarted and the same screen came up again. I tried using every single one of the options and it either just restarted and the same screen came up again or the following came up:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows\system32\Drivers\sr.sys (and all the subsequent lines where the same except the last part -sr.sys-)
and so I just had to unplug the computer.

Two days later, unable to do anything else, I used the "Application and Support Disc" provided by Medion.
First, I tried the first option (recovery of start-up files) and got the same screen I had been getting before.
Then, I tried the second option (recovery of system and driver files) and got:
ERROR 505: Specified path (\windows\system32\drivers) does not exist in PQI
So, I decided to try the last option (restoring the factory settings) and it seemed to work. The computer seemed to be working fine. I reinstalled the printer, the antivirus, and was back on the internet.

Six hours later, I turned the computer back on, went to check my e-mail and, all of a sudden, a black screen comes up and the keyboard and mouse are unresponsive. So I just unplugged the computer.
Turned it back on and the screen giving the options (safe mode, lkgc, start windows normally,...) came back on. I chose Safe Mode and it worked. I used the system restore and restored it after I installed the printer but before the windows media player updates were installed.
The computer restarted and it seems to be working fine, but I don't know how much this will last and I am uneasy because I cannot install anything or save any files without fear of having to start from scratch again.

About 8 months ago, the computer was working fine but I started getting a black screen and I could do absolutely nothing. So because it was under warranty, I sent it to the Geek Squad at Best Buy and they gave it back to me working fine telling me that it had been a problem with the memory, but that they had fixed it.
I don't know if the problems that I am getting now have anything to do with the problems I had before.
Because I formatted the computer, but the computer seems to still have problems, I'm guessing it is a hardware problem. But I don't know where to start. What should I do? Would it be still a memory problem? Or is it something else? Please help. Thanks in advance!!!
 
Well if it's acting up after a full system restore, it's most likely hardware related. I assume this is a format and reload? A lot of times a failing power supply could cause such a problem. It could also be failing RAM, perhaps even a failing hard drive... Lots of things :-/
 
ok clear your CMOS, read how to do that online, and that will reset your mobo settings back to normal, like when you first got it. I would do one more system restore and then just wait. You should be good and if you arent then it is most likely faulty RAM, which the Geek Squad probably did some cheapo way of fixing, and then you can replace your RAM for like 40 bucks, but thats the last resort.

and other one, he said it hasnt acted up yet since his system restore
 
joeswm8- Couldn't you have just told him to remove the battery. He doesnt need to consult the internet for that. I mean it's not like it's a lengthy explaination.
 
reseting the CMOS, i dunno i didnt want to explain the jumper and pin thing, too lazy. the battery idea just doesnt sound right, i never like taking the battery out of something to reset it, rather do it the way its meant to be done
 
Thank you, guys. I'll run a memory test and then, depending on the results, I'll try clearing the CMOS. I'll let you know how it goes.
 
So I run the windows memory diagnostic, and it came up with no errors. Then, apparently, the memory isn't the problem. Would it be the hard drive or the power supply? Is there a way to know that? (other than trying a new one)
 
This may help

I've got the same computer, and i've had the same problems. First, w/ the restart, that could likely be the power supply. Sometimes when the computer restarts itself randomly it means the power supply is going bad. 2nd, i've had the same start up problems lately, and going into windows, in the control panel, click the switch to old view on left. Go to administrative tools, then computer management, then event viewer. click on system, and a list will pop up. If you see an error mssg, w/ event #7, it means your hard disk is going bad. That's what's happening to mine. So now i'm shopping for a new HD. I may have to buy a whole new Windows program because pre-builds like this don't like new hardware added.

If all that is too much, what I would suggest, is open the yellow pages, and look for a small shop, they may give you a free diagnostic. I had a kid spend almost an hour on mine because I thought the MB was going bad. After an hour he jumped the bios, which I totally didn't think about, then didn't charge me. It was great. But if your out of warranty, which you probably are because of age of computer. F@$k Best Buy, their customer srvc is the worst in the history of cust. srvc., and they charge WAY TOO much. You can get a hardware diagnostic for like $30 buck worst case senario.

Hope you got it fixed by now though.
 
Did you try calling Geek Squad and telling them that after they said it was completely fixed it failed again? If not, it doesn't hurt to try. So are you completely 100% sure that it is not the RAM? I've had a problem similar to this with an old IBM laptop and the problem was the RAM. But if you ran the test maybe it isn't. Try Googleing the error messages, you are pretty sure to get some results.

~Jordan
 
i agree, it really sounds like the RAM problem... cause i get the same error messages when i used a bad RAM piece... get memtest86???
 
I used memtest86 when i had problems with my RAM, i tried it 3 times and on the 4rd attempt it finally pointed out that i had a RAM problem, dont know if you guys had the same problem :o
 
My best guest is either your memory (which the one geek squad change, prolly some cheap, used stuff) or a failing PSU or hard disk. What you can do is see if you can get your hands on a copy of a boot disk eg hiren's boot disk. I use the appropriate program for each of the mention parts. Run the test and see what you come up with. You can slo ask one of your friends for a PSU borrowed or if you have another system at home, try swapping and see what happens.
 
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