BleepingComputer.com: Friends laptop stopped working

My friends laptop stopped working and I have to ask all the questions because she can't get online. What happened was she was using it and she opened I.E. then the screen froze, I.E. closed and the screen started to slowly get darker. Then The windows boot up screen popped up and then it shut off. Is this a hardware problem or is there a way you can do a system restore from safemode, would you need to reload the OS? I dunno.

I would appreciate any help

Thank you so much for your time.

Sharpie,

It sounds like a hardware issue but I need a few more details.

When she opens anything else besides IE, does it same problem?

Cheers

swifthawk-
thank you for the reply, but itopens to a black screen. Thats why I was wondering if there was a way we could go in through safemode. I will call my friend and ask her if that is even possible.

Thank you so much for the help.

Sharpie,

So as soon as your start anything, it shows the same problem of shutting down? If so, this is probley hardware..

if it is harware is there a way we could fix it or do you have to open it up...

With the information I have, where the screen is "going dark". It could be a number of issues, including but limited to

- CPU overheating
- Power Issues
- Laptop's chipset is overheating

The issue really doesn't seem fixable software. You can always attempt to reinstall Windows as a last shot.

Cheers,

So you think that re-installing win. xp would be my best bet? Shes not going to be happy with all the lost pictures, but I just dont know what else to do. I could take it to a computer shop, but they might charge me hundreds of dollars just to say they looked at it and had to install the operating sysytem anyway.

Have you tried restarting the machine? What happens?

You mentioned safe mode, are you able to access safe mode?

The screen getting darker does suggest a hardware issue. But, IMO, the issue may be with the display power inverter. Do you have access to a desktop monitor? It can be plugged into the laptop to assist in determining just where the problem is originating.

Can we assume the screen getting darker (rather than dark) is different from the same incremental darkening of the screen when you choose shutdown from the menu? Can we rule out a script sending a standard shutdown? IE closing is the same thing that a standard shutdown would do.

An inverter will usually go completely dark and may come back on as capacitors recharge when it is first going bad. To test for an inverter failure (or a couple of other ugly things that can happen to the back light of an lcd), hold a strong flashlight close to the screen and see if you can still see the desktop. I replace a lot of inverters and sometimes they even fix the problem...

Also. You have not lost any files yet. There are dozens of ways to backup files before doing a reinstall. We ain't there yet so don't panic.

Sharpie,

Form what I can read, Reinstall the OS is a long shot in the dark and I don't think that it'll really help. :-( You COULD try going into safe mode, and using BlueScreen Viewer ( http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html ). If there is an entry for the last couple of days. Please post the minidump on here. I could take a look and see if it's something salavagable.

If the way to go is to reinstall the OS, you could have enough room to simply install Windows XP as C:\Win.Backup so you can get it and back up. After backing up, Format the drive. OR! as a second choice, a Live DVD of Linux with buring software and/or usb capailaties.

@Thunderz

I was thinking the same thing, but from what I understand from the posts. The PC simply will not start after crashing from what seems like a power failure. I never heard of screen that slowly went darker but I'm assuming that it was overheating or the AC/Battery just quit. Normally a Laptop would just shut off so I would figure the safty that's normally built in to simply shut the PC down is ether disabled or not there.

Cheers,

What brand and model of laptop is it. I do hardware and this does not seem like it without more info.

When user says "black screen" I often figure out too late that they are talking about the safe mode, last known boot etc screen.

If it is a black screen with a mouse cursor, you need to say so.
If it is a black background with white text again say so or not.
If it is a black screen with nothing but a flashlight held close to the screen shows your windows desktop or the login screen then let us know.

If the screen never shows anything on boot but the lights flash like normal then again tell us.

These are very simple tests and should be possible to do over the phone.

Blind guesses don't help any of us but without more info that is all any of us can do.


So far all we really know is that it is xp and we are inferring that from the topic header.

but, is there a way to do a system restore from safemode?

yes.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/h...ew_03may19.mspx

But if you answer the questions above we might be able to help you with whatever the actual problem or issue is.

I hope you will read the above and note the difference between "system restore" as microsoft uses the term and "system recovery" as most OEM's use the term.

Ok, heres the thing. she said that after trying over and over again (of turning it on and off) she finally got it to come back on and she said that it works fine now.

so, thank you for all the help...