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| | Author | Messages | |
stinkerbell2
Posts:0
 | | 11/06/2007 7:09 PM |
 Alert | I have a Gateway laptop (purchased in June 07) anyhoo just recently it has started to shut down all by its lonesome. And when I try to re start it it can take up to 5 tries before I have any luck getting on line. I have called the CS and Tech support and now they are saying I need to do a total system restore. So my questions are:
Before the system restore what should I do to save photos I have on there?
What will this do for my computer?
What else could be causing this shut down???
Also it just recently started saying something about my McAfee thingymabob...
Can you tell I am a computer illiterate???? Its like the car I put the key and gas in and go...
Thanks for any advice you might have | | | |
| | Rabbit
Posts:250
| | 11/06/2007 8:28 PM |
Alert | Before the system restore what should I do to save photos I have on there?
id suggest copying a few folders to another PC, or CDs/DVDs
depending on your OS...copy these
vista:
c:\users\yourusername\ youre probably going to want everything in here
it depends tho...if you only have stuff saved in pictures, and are only worried about that, grab just that folder and dump it to another PC or a few CDs.
XP:
c:\documents and settings\yourusername\
get the desktop folder, the favorites folder, and the my documents folder.
these are what i would suggest, without knowing too much about your system, and what you have saved where. your mileage may vary.
What will this do for my computer?
kinda depends on what they do, but if they do it like they should, it will erase your hard drive, and reinstall everything...like when you first got it.
Also it just recently started saying something about my McAfee thingymabob...
McAfee sucks. they install a version on your PC when its new that requires a subscription fee. once the default "trial" period wears off, you get annoying pop ups. I would suggest uninstalling it after they do the reformat and get something like AVG. Its free, effective, and doesnt spam you with annoying crap like McAfee. http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-virus/us/frt/0
What else could be causing this shut down???
it could be a few things. right off the top of my head, is your battery up to snuff? they have limited life cycles. also, check your power settings...right click the desktop, select properties, then the screen saver tab, and there should be a power management button in there somewhere. that doesnt really explain the problem starting back up, but once in a while an OS will have some problems returning back from hibernate mode. might want to disable all the power management stuff if you dont leave the laptop up and running 24/7.
Can you tell I am a computer illiterate???? Its like the car I put the key and gas in and go...
i have seen far worse questions than yours. | |
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door." | |
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| | Jason
Posts:3378
| | 11/06/2007 8:45 PM |
Alert | | When you say it shuts down, do you mean that it just turns off? If so, are you on battery or wall power? Are there any lights on the laptop when it shuts down? When you try to turn it on again, do any lights blink? Does this happen while you're using it? | |
Joined: Jul 2005 | |
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| | stinkerbell2
Posts:0
| | 11/07/2007 9:04 AM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Jason on 11/06/2007 8:45 PM
When you say it shuts down, do you mean that it just turns off? If so, are you on battery or wall power?</div>
Wall power.
[quote/]Are there any lights on the laptop when it shuts down?[quote/]
it shuts completely down and then restarts back to my log in screen where I type in my password. OR the screen goes BLUE with fragmented white snowy lines.
[quote/]When you try to turn it on again, do any lights blink?[quote/]
I don't think so ????
[quote/] Does this happen while you're using it?</div>
Yes yesterday was the first time I was actually typing on it and it just went to the blue screen I described above. I am now operating in safe mode! Before that it shut down on its own while I was not on but was still connected to the internet.
Ok so with this info what do you think it is??? LOL I am going to copy my stuff and then call Gateway back. Let me know what you think.
Thanks | | | |
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| | Jason
Posts:3378
| | 11/07/2007 12:02 PM |
Alert | it shuts completely down and then restarts back to my log in screen where I type in my password. OR the screen goes BLUE with fragmented white snowy lines.
So you can't read the text on the screen, right? It looks like whatever it was trying to display has been corrupted? Then this is a hardware problem. | |
Joined: Jul 2005 | |
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| | stinkerbell2
Posts:0
| | 11/07/2007 12:30 PM |
Alert | AND.... so what does THAT mean??? I have to get a new laptop | | | |
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|  | Rabbit
Posts:250
| | 11/07/2007 12:32 PM |
Alert | BLUE with fragmented white snowy lines.
sounds like blue screen of death, which could be hardware or software...
it should have an error number on there stinkebell...something like stop0x000003f. probably 3 numbers...what are those numbers? | |
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door." | |
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| | stinkerbell2
Posts:0
| | 11/07/2007 12:37 PM |
Alert | there is nothing to read it is jimberish...Blue screen of death...thats cant be good!!!!
Where would I find these numbers you speak of?????
It has been working good so far...I went off safe mode and have been on line since 11 am and so far so good I also went and deleted a whole bunch of files in my DOCUMENT section. I am getting ready to copy the stuff I want to save so I threw out the trash (so to speak) so NOW how do I save all this stuff to a disk... UGH I should have paid more attention in class!!!!<img src='http://www.85239.com/desktopmodules/ntforums/images/emoticons/biggrin.gif' height='20' width='20' border='0' title='Big Grin' align='absmiddle'> | | | |
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| | Sinbad
Posts:3033
| | 11/07/2007 12:52 PM |
Alert | Burn everything to a Disc... that way you can load it all up again. You can put up to 250 pictures on a Disk. you can also do that for important DATA.
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Just doing it one day at a time. Change is good and it should be looked upon as an improvment! not a problem.
______________________________________
***************************************
San Diego Super Chargers! GO!!!
Joined old forum March 2006
Post count: 3068 + these | |
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| | stinkerbell2
Posts:0
| | 11/07/2007 1:13 PM |
Alert | any specif type of disk? I want to do photos, itunes
thanks! you guys are great
(I dont care what they say LOL) j/k | | | |
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| | Jason
Posts:3378
| | 11/07/2007 1:17 PM |
Alert | Posted By Rabbit on 11/07/2007 12:32 PM BLUE with fragmented white snowy lines. sounds like blue screen of death, which could be hardware or software... it should have an error number on there stinkebell...something like stop0x000003f. probably 3 numbers...what are those numbers?
True, but the blue screen is garbled according to her description, which means a hardware problem. That may even be what is causing the blue screens.
Stinkerbell, you said you bought it earlier this year? It should be under warranty, so call up Gateway and tell them that the screen randomly becomes garbled. Hopefully that will get them to service it. | |
Joined: Jul 2005 | |
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| | Rabbit
Posts:250
| | 11/07/2007 1:40 PM |
Alert | Where would I find these numbers you speak of?
they would be right in the middle of the screen, but if you cant read it, its no good lookin for em.
Stinkerbell, you said you bought it earlier this year? It should be under warranty, so call up Gateway and tell them that the screen randomly becomes garbled. Hopefully that will get them to service it.
they already offered to service it, if i read her right. was just trying to help so maybe they didnt have to. according to them, its a simple reinstall....but who knows. without seeing the actual blue screen...eh...id let them reinstall and then if that didnt work complain enough so that they replaced the laptop.
stinker...do you have another PC in your house you can copy files too? thats most likely going to be the best way to do it, depending on how much data you have. CDs just dont hold enough anymore. | |
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door." | |
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| | Jason
Posts:3378
| | 11/07/2007 5:49 PM |
Alert | they already offered to service it, if i read her right. was just trying to help so maybe they didnt have to. according to them, its a simple reinstall....but who knows.
Well, if the blue screen is garbled, then it is a hardware problem and no amount of reinstalling will fix the garbling. Possibly a loose cable or the video part of the motherboard going bad. | |
Joined: Jul 2005 | |
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| | stinkerbell2
Posts:0
| | 11/07/2007 6:49 PM |
Alert | That Mother... OK so I un-installed McAfee and did the one Rabbit suggested...I also deleted a bunch O crap and so far so good It has not shut down once! The TRUE test will be tonight...If it shuts down while I a asleep- or havent been on it for a extended period of time.
Thanks again guys I really do appreciate it!!
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| | Rabbit
Posts:250
| | 11/08/2007 8:11 AM |
Alert | Well, if the blue screen is garbled, then it is a hardware problem and no amount of reinstalling will fix the garbling
not to nit pick, but that just aint so.
its likely a hardware problem, but ive seen video card drivers do this, software problems causing the computer not to "wake up" correctly from hibernation, and so not starting fans, so overheating causes a blue screen with garbled text...etc. could still be software.
sounds like shes stopped having problems tho, so who knows. | |
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door." | |
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| | Jason
Posts:3378
| | 11/08/2007 2:16 PM |
Alert | not to nit pick, but that just aint so. its likely a hardware problem, but ive seen video card drivers do this, software problems causing the computer not to "wake up" correctly from hibernation, and so not starting fans, so overheating causes a blue screen with garbled text...etc. could still be software.
No problem, but I still disagree. When you get to the point of a bluescreen, video card drivers aren't even involved anymore. The kernel is using the same basic video output that you'd see for a boot menu. Now, if the firmware or drivers aren't allowing the fans to come on, the computer overheats and you end up with a bluescreen that is garbled, then they should still replace the hardware, since repeated overheating will have damaged components.
I still think there is a hardware problem that isn't fully resolved. I bet there is some overheating invovled too. | |
Joined: Jul 2005 | |
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| | Rabbit
Posts:250
| | 11/08/2007 3:57 PM |
Alert | I still think there is a hardware problem that isn't fully resolved. I bet there is some overheating invovled too.
oh, i agree, i think its most likely a hardware problem as well...just saying that I have seen software issues cause the same problems. | |
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door." | |
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| | stinkerbell2
Posts:0
| | 11/08/2007 7:54 PM |
Alert | I am a bit HOT but I thought that was normal!! (lol i couldnt resist!) Gateway asked me if it was hot too. BUT as you have seen from my AT&T post I have been a bit busy!
so far no shutting down and it has been running ok! So we will see... | | | |
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| | Rabbit
Posts:250
| | 11/09/2007 7:30 AM |
Alert | am a bit HOT
we know youre hot! we can tell from your avatar! | |
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door." | |
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| | rwallick
Posts:44
| | 11/11/2007 10:09 AM |
Alert | You may want to think about backing up online. It will take longer, but you can access it anywhere you have internet and it should be safer than to a disc. You should be backing up regularly
As to doing a total system restore, that's what they always say not matter what. Oft times it works; this is due to the fact that Microsoft software is crap. I would suggest verifying the drivers and updating the drivers -- especially the video driver due to your symptoms and the problematical nature of the drivers (they are difficult to write as the hardware can be a pain in the ass.)
Then I would check the thermal characteristics as in the components overheating. I had a similar problem on one of my portables -- dust was clogging the air outlets. Try vacuuming your computer. | |
"The real trouble with war...is that it gives no one a chance to kill the right people."
- Ezra Pound | |
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