My computer. It is broken. I could cry. HELP! Will offer bribe!
Ellatrue:
Okay, I'm now at my wit's end with this computer problem, and have no idea what to do about it. It would help, of course, if I could figure out what this problem actually *IS.* Because the facts just don't add up. I've been having more or less the same problem since 2005, and have sent it to the company THREE TIMES, after which it returned, still broken. There are a number of possibilities here.
It's an Acer Aspire 1690 series laptop.
Details of this model: http://tinyurl.com/32nue3
Basically, I've been getting this error: Operating System Not Found.
The error occurs at random when I start the computer, or try to bring it back from hibernate. However, it has been happening more and more often.
The hard drive is located in the lower left corner of the laptop. IF I SQUEEZE that part of the laptop after hitting the "on" button, it seems to help. I don't think I should be able to do this, but there you are. I suspect it might make the problem worse, somehow, but I haven't found anything else that helps. It has gotten to the point where I have to squeeze it just about every time I start it now, and restart it 5-15 times before it works. This time I thought it wouldn't start at all, so I actually rapped it with my knuckles as a last resort- and voila. So, all this makes me assume it is the connection or whatever with the hard drive- only, if that is the case, then it must be disconnecting all the time, and IT MAKES NO SENSE. Otherwise, why would this problem (so far, anyway) ONLY happen when I *start* the computer?
What I Know:
The hard drive is fine. It is, in fact, a new hard drive, and a completely new install--which didn't help (so reformating, defragging, etc won't do any good--I've done that already). Fiddling with load order in BIOS did not solve the problem (although it did fix an unrelated problem, since now it looks at the hard drive first and doesn't search for the non-existent network drive). This is the exact same problem I had with the old hard drive, starting in 2005/2006-ish. Thus, it isn't a dead HD.
History:
I've sent the computer to the company three times, with mixed results. I had to ship it to Texas. The first time, the computer had stopped working entirely, and they replaced the connection with the hard drive. At any rate, that's what it said on the invoice thingy. The computer then worked MOST of the time, but not always, and behaved pretty much the way it does now, only much worse- I did ultimately have problems with freezing/crashing which were prevented, again, if I sort of squeezed the thing. I sent the computer in again (once or twice? whatever), and the last time, they completely replaced the hard drive. This did not fix the problem, and when I got it back, it errored every time, and wouldn't start at all.
My boss decided to take a look at it, since he thinks he knows about computers because he reads magazines. Anyway, we removed the hard drive, and then put it back. Eureka! It works! And that was three months ago, when it started up 90% of the time, the first time. My boss decided it is some sort of "flexion" problem with the computer, since we were able to fix it by, essentially, knocking it around (plus the squeezing thing). So I reinstalled everything and was overjoyed to have my laptop back, but of course it didn't last, and now it dies bout 90% of the time.
Here's the thing though- none of that yet explains why I am only having this problem when I START the computer, and not while I am using it. It also starts SOMETIMES, instead of NEVER. Very weird.
In conclusion, I just got new RAM in the mail, but no longer have a computer in which to install it. How sad is that? :'(
Should anyone here successfully solve this problem, I will probably offer some sort of gift/reward type thing. Because I would be THAT GRATEFUL.
J. M. Pescado:
Your symptoms sounds like the motherboard is shot: The connector to the HD no longer has good contact, and the only effective way of servicing this on a Lappy is to replace the motherboard. If you haven't tried that yet, do so. Also, don't use Lappies as gaming machines. They overheat too much. Get a real desktop computer.
Ellatrue:
I have a desktop, but it is older than the lappy, and kind of POS. Buying a real computer will have to wait until I have a real job, so for now I'm using a cooling pad with little fans in it. Is it even possible to replace the mobo?
jolrei:
Oh yes. Possible. I had the wife's laptop's mobo replaced recently. Gave her lappy a new lease on life.
I wish she'd just damn well use it and not bogart the desktop now. ;D
Sleepycat:
I'd say send it back to the company again and make them replace the motherboard or the laptop itself.
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