Laptop Shuts OFF during XP Install. Bad HD ??????

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
K

Katmandu

Member
Oct 13, 2007
46
0
0
While "trying" to install XP on a laptop, gets to around the (9) minutes to go point and just SHUTS OFF!

I've tried about 6-7 times to reinstall and everytime it shuts off at the SAME point.

Is this an indicator of a bad sector on the Harddrive ??

Does it mean this HD is shot ??
 
S

ShawnD1

Lifer
May 24, 2003
15,987
2
81
Originally posted by: Katmandu
While "trying" to install XP on a laptop, gets to around the (9) minutes to go point and just SHUTS OFF!

I've tried about 6-7 times to reinstall and everytime it shuts off at the SAME point.

Is this an indicator of a bad sector on the Harddrive ??

Does it mean this HD is shot ??
Click to expand...

Hey there can't-install-windows buddy. My friend gave me his old computer, and it has the same exact problem.
-I tried switching ram sticks. It's not the ram.
-I tried different hard drives. It's not the hard drive.
-I tried different video cards (blown video cards can sometimes cause boot problems). It's not the video card.

Persoally I think it's a motherboard issue. The friend who gave it to me even told me that the computer was probably screwed because his house has a sh|tty wiring system. What can be damaged with wildly fluctuating voltages? Wires in the power supply can be damaged, and capacitors on the motherboard can be blown (this happened to me a few times).

Easiest way to check if it's the hard drive is to put this hard drive in a computer you know works (disconnect its normal hard drive for the time being) and try to install. I can tell you right now that it probably will install. My money is on motherboard/PSU.
 
K

Katmandu

Member
Oct 13, 2007
46
0
0
Originally posted by: ShawnD1Easiest way to check if it's the hard drive is to put this hard drive in a computer you know works (disconnect its normal hard drive for the time being) and try to install. I can tell you right now that it probably will install. My money is on motherboard/PSU.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply can't-install-windows buddy#2!

It's odd to me that it happens precisely at the SAME POINT each and every time. That is why I'm wondering if the HD may have a bad sector.

It's like it reaches this point on the HD and immediately SHORTS out the laptop.

There are what's called "Thermal chips" on MBs as well. It could be getting to a certain threshold temperature and cutting out. It doesn't make sense cause one wouldn't think that temperatures are THAT EXACT to make the laptop cutoff at an EXACT point.

That said, a laptop repair buddy of mine suggested that ALOT of laptop HDs are very prone to OVERHEATING and DO cause this type of issue.

???????

 
L

lecsi

Junior Member
Nov 1, 2007
1
0
0
I wonder if it stops at 34%....
I have a dell 7000i here. When installing XP it occurs too... For me its not an HDD problem.
 
Bateluer

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
I encountered a similar problem on a friend's notebook I was working on a few months back. It completed an overnight scan of Memtest without any fails. The hard drive was scanned using the drive test software from the vendor (don't remember which), everything came back as fine.

XP would simply shut off, 2K would report errors copying files, though I knew the disk was good for both. I was able to install Linux without a problem though. Friend was kinda ticked at me doing that, but he did drop the machine off at 10pm on a thursday night and expected me to have it ready by 8am friday morning. I actually installed linux on it while driving to work with the notebook on the passenger seat.
 
K

Katmandu

Member
Oct 13, 2007
46
0
0
Originally posted by: lecsi
I wonder if it stops at 34%....
I have a dell 7000i here. When installing XP it occurs too... For me its not an HDD problem.
Click to expand...

Nope. Flys right on by 34%. I remember seeing a MS Tech report on your issue.

Mine is still crashing with 7-9 minutes remaining.

I've downloaded Ultimate Boot Disk and ran many, many diagnostic tests. All hardware checked out just fine.

I did CPU, RAM burn-in tests, several different HDD scans/tests and ALL check out.

I used different XP CDs as well. These CDs worked fine on other installs.

STILL SHUTS DOWN w/7-9 minutes to go!!

Now what ??????
 
K

Katmandu

Member
Oct 13, 2007
46
0
0
I've also tried to address any overheating issues using various, creative methods!

I've flipped open the keyboard (to expose the HDD CPU/Fan) and put a small vial of frozen liquid (in a small vial of course!)on TOP of the where the CPU/Fan sits.

I also raised up the back end of the laptop to expose the fan underneath as well. ALL to NO avail!!!!!

STILL shuts off with 7-9 minutes to go !!!!!!

I don't want to trash this laptop! Surely there is a solution!

Where do I go from here ????
 
0roo0roo

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
i don't think its the drive.
try formating it...full format. it should make it through 100% without shutdown.
rip drive out and buy a 2.5" to 3" or whatever adaptor and test the drive, or use a usb enclosure
the cheap 2.5" to regular ide adaptor is about 7bucks at frys.

i dunno, maybe the psu is flaky?
got another adaptor? i doub t its that though

make a second partition on the drive anc copy windows to it, install from there perhaps

dying drives generally make noise
or just get erally really slow....keeps trying to write or read and fails...and it just chokes not shutdown
 
K

Katmandu

Member
Oct 13, 2007
46
0
0
Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
i don't think its the drive
Click to expand...
I don't either.

BTW, I've tried (3) separate HDDs. None had any effect on the laptop shutting down with 7-9 minutes remaining.

Any other ideas here folks ????

 
K

Katmandu

Member
Oct 13, 2007
46
0
0
Check out this reply (below) I received from another board......

dude112 said:
I had kind of a similar problem on my old p3 800Mhz computer. For some reason it was set to 400Mhz and xp need more... 600mhz i believe. I set it back to 800mhz and installation went without a hitch.
Check in the bios if the cpu speed is up to par.
Click to expand...

Interesting. In one of the tests I did on the CPU, I saw where it was reporting 1/2 of the expected values.

It's a 2.4Ghz CPU running 400Mhz. It was reporting in as 1.2Ghz @ 200Mhz.

Now, is the Bus speed limited (restricted) to the RAM bus speed ? I believe this machine has a 256MB PC2700 (200Mhz) chip in it. I'd have to yank it to be sure.

Could this cause the CPU and system bus run at 200Mhz instead of 400Mhz ???
 
O

OdiN

Banned
Mar 1, 2000
16,430
3
0
What kind of system?

There were some Compaq's with heatsink issues that displayed this exact issue. The screws that held the heatsink on were soldered to the board and over time they came apart and caused overheating and thermal shutdown.
 
K

Katmandu

Member
Oct 13, 2007
46
0
0
Originally posted by: OdiN
What kind of system?
Click to expand...
It's a Notebook (brand) made by Clevo.

Originally posted by: OdiNThere were some Compaq's with heatsink issues that displayed this exact issue. The screws that held the heatsink on were soldered to the board and over time they came apart and caused overheating and thermal shutdown.
Click to expand...
When I get time here, I'm going to check out the BIOS settings and if necessary, I am going to check out the heatsink/CPU bond situation.

Thanks for the tips folks! I'll report back shortly.

 
Jeff7181

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
I haven't seen it mentioned yet so... do you have the laptop plugged in when you're installing Windows, or running on battery?
 
Captante

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,342
10,860
136
I also havn't seen anyone suggest checking the power-savings settings in the BIOS to make sure it isn't powering down or going into standby automatically ... try disabeling power management completely & running setup again.

You can also try disabeling ACPI by changing the computer-type to "standard PC" ... when you first boot off the CD, look for the prompt to press F6 to install additional drivers & instead press F5 then select standard PC from the list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom