Words misspelled in BIOS and DOS

[Ophir]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Troubleshooting starter

1. Overview of the problem
   Laptop won't boot into Windows (BSOD) except in Safe Mode (though not anymore)
   Words in BIOS and MS-DOS misspelled, words misspelled consistently
   ChkDsk hangs at step 5 of 5
   
   
2. Full description of the problem and symptoms
   This is my mom's laptop. She was downloading a program from the Getty (a museum) website and the screen went crazy and computer shut off. When she tried to reboot, many words were misspelled in the boot screens and it would blue screen and auto-restart. I was able to reproduce the problem. Booting Normally or last good config gives a blue screen during the windows logo screen. BSOD doesn't last long enough to read.
   
   When I got to it I thought maybe the RAM was bad so I booted up with both sticks and both sticks individually - same problems, same words misspelled, in fact. Checked the BIOS and many things are misspelled, legible and crisp, but misspelled.
   
   I was able to boot into safe mode, and safe mode w/ networking. In both cases the video, display was crisp and had no obvious problems. I ran a Windows Defender scan and a Avira Anti-Vir scan, nothing detected (though I couldn't start an AntiVir scan without first starting from preupd.exe). After this I tried running a chkdsk and it hung up at step 5 of 5 @ 71%. I ran the scan really late and went to bed before it finished, but I could swear I saw it at 85%. It was stuck on 71% when I woke up. After this it won't boot into safe mode, gets stuck while loading "agp4%0.sis."
   
   Booted into MS-DOS and words are misspelled there, too. Don't have a floppy or Windows XP CD. Only the OEM CD that formats and restores Windows to original config. I do have the system backed up with a restore point from right after new install with MyDocs files updated. This restore point is 8 months old.
   
   Everytime it tries to boot normally now it goes into the chkdsk, if I exit out before chkdsk starts, I get a blue screen and auto restart.
   
3. Did it work normally at one time, or has the problem always existed?
   It is about 5-6 years old, about 8 months ago installed a new hard-drive and 2X1GB sticks because old drive had bad sectors and it was in general really slow. No real problems since until now.
   
   
   
4. Is the problem consistent and repeatable, or entirely random, or semi-random?
   
   Problems are consistent, i.e. any errors that come up happen the same and at the same points when steps are repeated. Words are consistently misspelled.
   
   
   
5. I already tried these steps:
   See above:
   
   Tried each stick of RAM individually - Same problems with both
   Booted into safe mode - No noticeable image problems
   Ran Avira AntiVir and windows defender - Nothing detected
   Ran ChkDsk - Hangs at Step 5 of 5 @ 71%
   Booted into MS-DOS - Words misspelled there, too
   
   
6. My software:
   • WinXP Tablet SP3
   • Avira AntiVir and Windows Defender
   • Linksys Router hardware firewall
   • Problem originated while trying to download a ticket printing program from the Getty Museum.
   
   
   
7. My hardware
   • Toshiba Portege M205-S810 Tablet
   • Pentium-M 1.5GHz
   • 2X1GB Crucial 333 DDR CL2.5
     
   
   
   Don't have a floppy, CD-ROM connects by USB (can boot from it), no WinXP CD.
   

Thanks for any help. I'm trying to avoid formatting if at all possible.

 

[mpilchfamily]

Its a currupted HDD. If not a deing HDD. Use the restore disk. If the porblem presists then i'd say the HDD needs to be replaced.