Laptop issue, might need a new one

[W2R]

Or then, there's my less challenging and more consumer oriented solution...

Dell, or Asus, or Acer, or other brands and models. These three models are some of what is offered on Amazon in the $400-$599 range. There are probably better online deals to be had at newegg or elsewhere.

 

[omni550]

Great. Now you can boot with the Live CD you just created. Browse around for a few hours or so to see if you encounter any problems like the laptop stopping as before. If not, then the issue points to something probably system (software) related and not hardware related.

Trial #1 of LiveCD ended in a frozen state in 36 minutes.

Trial # 2 just started....

omni

 

[easysurfer]

Trial #1 of LiveCD ended in a frozen state in 36 minutes.

Trial # 2 just started....

omni

Just as a sanity check...you are sure that laptop is booting from the CD (by setting to boot order in the Bios?)

 

[omni550]

Just as a sanity check...you are sure that laptop is booting from the CD (by setting to boot order in the Bios?)

Yes, I changed the order in BIOS...and heard the CD spinning along with a small green indicator light on the CD cartridge.

Trial #2 ended in a freeze at 36 minutes.

 

[ejman]

Yes, I changed the order in BIOS...and heard the CD spinning along with a small green indicator light on the CD cartridge.

Trial #2 ended in a freeze at 36 minutes.

Just to make sure, the live CD boots directly either into Firefox or Google Chrome (depending on which one you choose at boot up) as your only choices. And then after using Firefox/Chrome for 35 minutes it freezes?.

 

[easysurfer]

Yes, I changed the order in BIOS...and heard the CD spinning along with a small green indicator light on the CD cartridge.

Trial #2 ended in a freeze at 36 minutes.

Okay. Thanks.

Good thing that you timed when the freeze happened and curious that happened both times at 36 minutes. Well, if that is a pattern, at least the freeze isn't totally random. Happening at same time, my gut would say "heat issue" but the temps don't seem too hot from the monitoring you've shown before.

Now, I'm puzzled as the LiveCD was to hopefully point to trouble as not hardware, but since it froze, that still could be hardware. Yet, from previous tests and scans, looks like you've ruled some out (like bad hard drive, temperature).

Short of unless you have extra parts (hard drive, RAM) to swap in out and try to eliminate possible cause that way, I'm kinda stumped.

 

[Jerry1]

Get a ram memory checking program. It seems like the same problem I had when I had a bad bank of ram. Swapped out the ram with two new sticks and was all set. That may be a little more difficult in a laptop. The memory software booted to DOS so no OS issues.

www.memtest86.com

 

[easysurfer]

Get a ram memory checking program. It seems like the same problem I had when I had a bad bank of ram. Swapped out the ram with two new sticks and was all set. That may be a little more difficult in a laptop. The memory software booted to DOS so no OS issues.

www.memtest86.com

Agree about testing the RAM.

Could also set RAM test from Win 10.

 

[target2019]

Yes, I changed the order in BIOS...and heard the CD spinning along with a small green indicator light on the CD cartridge.

Trial #2 ended in a freeze at 36 minutes.

Omni,
here is a page that shows how to perform a memory test:
https://www.howtogeek.com/260813/how-to-test-your-computers-ram-for-problems/

 

[NW-Bound]

I had a RAM failure in a desktop, that Memtest86 took several passes and a couple of hours to find. Yet, in normal usage the computer crashed in less time than that. Murphy's Law rules supreme.

 

[Totoro]

Time indeed to break out some stress tests, you probably have hardware issues either at GPU or CPU level. Might even be the motherboard.

Or faulty drivers.

What I'd do:

• Try and update all drivers, especially GPU: uninstall and reinstall
• If that doesn't fix it: stress test memory, CPU and GPU (different tools for that, memtest for memory)

If that still doesn't fix it .. I'd blame the motherboard, which in turn for me would mean buy a new laptop.

Edit: don't stress test your hard drive if it's an SSD, you might break it.

 

[omni550]

Agree about testing the RAM.

Could also set RAM test from Win 10.

Thx. Just ran the Windows RAM test as per the video. Zero issues identified.

Will run the Memtest86 next.

omni

 

[NW-Bound]

In the most recent RAM failure, Win 10 RAM test did not find any problem with one of my desktops. Not convinced, I put Memtest86 on a bootable CD, and it found a problem after several passes, after 2 or 3 hours.

Proof positive: problem went away after the bad RAM stick was replaced. Instead of replacing both sticks, I isolated the bad one by substitution and repeating the test.

 

[easysurfer]

Thx. Just ran the Windows RAM test as per the video. Zero issues identified.

Will run the Memtest86 next.

omni

Sounds like a good plan. Hope Memtest86 pinpoints the culprit .

 

[omni550]

Ok..burned a Memtest86 iso CD..and it cofirmed all was OK.

Booted up system with CD...felt/heard CD spinning for a few seconds and saw green light on CD carrier tray flicker.

Now, the display is uniformly dark blue, the power button on laptop is lit, and I can't tell if anything is going on.

Display never showed usual startup screen, sign in screen, etc.

Q: how do I know Memtest86 test is underway or did something go amiss on bootup?

 

[NW-Bound]

Memtest86 displays the test stages and its progress as it runs, and also the number of iterations as you let it repeat the test ad infinitum.

Something is wrong here. Does not sound like it is running at all.

 

[omni550]

Thanks...that was my concern. Will turn off power and attempt a restart/ reboot of CD.

 

[W2R]

Something is wrong here.

I nominate this for Understatement Of The Year! Something is definitely wrong here.

Omni550, I am rooting for you but wow, what a mess to try to diagnose and fix.

If that still doesn't fix it .. I'd blame the motherboard, which in turn for me would mean buy a new laptop.

A few years ago I somehow fried the motherboard on a very expensive i7 Dell laptop that I had. In that particular case, it was so thoroughly fried that you could smell it across the room. Whew, what a stink. I bought a new laptop. I go through laptops pretty fast but in my case, I don't care because I get a big kick out of setting up a new laptop and exploring what it can do. So, I have a pretty low threshold before tossing a laptop and buying a new one. I think Omni550 has a higher threshold for that, and wants to do all the troubleshooting she can before she gets to that point.

Looking on the bright side, she has saved a full backup.

 

[easysurfer]

Ok..burned a Memtest86 iso CD..and it cofirmed all was OK.

Booted up system with CD...felt/heard CD spinning for a few seconds and saw green light on CD carrier tray flicker.

Now, the display is uniformly dark blue, the power button on laptop is lit, and I can't tell if anything is going on.

Display never showed usual startup screen, sign in screen, etc.

Q: how do I know Memtest86 test is underway or did something go amiss on bootup?

Would not show Windows startup screen since you are booting from the memtest86 CD.

 

[aja8888]

If we start a poll here (what choices does Omni550 have?), my vote would be "new laptop"

In retrospect, whatever the outcome, she has learned some new tricks!

 

[omni550]

Retried..same outcome.

Went back to Memtest86. Tried making a USB version. Changed BIOS to boot from USB. Started with USB booot...Toshiba logo on display, switched to blue screen asking for keyboard type, etc...but merely circles thru three iirc different screens..never launches the memtest software.

Operator error no doubt. I downloaded software, extracted iso zip file, burned to CD or moved? (unclear on mechanism to create bootable USB) to USB.

 

[NW-Bound]

I root for Omni550.

Don't forget that she was an engineer. And although a ME and not an EE, she successfully revived a large LCD TV that someone discarded.

Omni550 is my heroine.

If engineers threw in the towel so easily, we would not have the technologies we do now.

PS. I never did have this problem launching Memtest86. By the way, it can be run from Windoz, if I remember correctly.

 

[target2019]

Every boot ISO is not capable of booting every model computer. There may be additional parameters you need to specify. Much time can be invested.
If the computer has 2 memory modules, research how to remove 1 at a time, and see if you dodge the freeze after running for a while.

 

[aja8888]

I root for Omni550.

Don't forget that she was an engineer. And although a ME and not an EE, she successfully revived a large LCD TV that someone discarded.

Omni550 is my heroine.

If engineers threw in the towel so easily, we would not have the technologies we do now.

PS. I never did have this problem launching Memtest86. By the way, it can be run from Windoz, if I remember correctly.

NW, many of us were (operative word) engineers before FIRE. We now have only time left and we should use it wisely. Now Omni550 is doing a spectacular job in troubleshooting the laptop freeze problem, but time is marching on and it's not resolved (yet). Engineer or not, there comes a time when you just want to throw the fool thing out and move on.

I really hope she resolves it, and doesn't have to replace it and go through the lengthy configuration and setting up of a new machine.

 

[NW-Bound]

Sure, many posters here have a technical background. But some of us still retain the tenacity and the curiosity from our younger days.

And sometimes, there's nothing better to do, due to inclement weather, or some free time to spend.

PS. Eh, I am not sure I would attempt the rebuild of an old Onan RV genset, like I know some "old man" recently did.