S@H Cruncher down! Need Assistance

[onelin]

I had a compaq laptop (AXP2000+ / 512MB RAM) running SETI for the TeAm until a night or two ago. My mom was using it and windows just froze. Now it makes a distinct NON-click (it's just the reboot sound of the laptop) while in it's windows bootup process, bluescreens and autoreboots regardless of what I do.
last known configuration, safe mode, nothing works. (XP home btw)

We'll probably be contacting support, but I figured it's relevant to the cause if anyone has any ideas to throw around. I'm not sure if overheating is an option. (for the record, it was just while it was in use, not 24/7 after the first week or two)

edit* made it a "!" , removed 'click', added:

Noise not from CDROM, although the CDROM is first in the boot order, but t WILL NOT boot from CD...more lost.

 

[conjur]

Harddrive failure?

 

[onelin]

I hope not. I've heard the click of death before, it's not that. It's more like a cdrom reset or just the sound it makes when it reboots.

 

[onelin]

I guess I should try a DOS boot disc (shameless neffin now)

 

[Freewolf]

Why don't you go into the bios and set it to boot from the hd. If it still does it you know it isn't the cdrom. I had bad ram cause the same thing.

 

[muttley]

take out the cd drive.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

agreed, take out the cd-rom drive, any pc cards, any external devices and the hard drive and attempt to boot to floppy, then add one at a time all your other stuffs until you run into your problem again.

 

[Robor]

Yep, when things aren't as they seem get back to basics and start from there. If it works add things back in until something doesn't work anymore and you've found your problem. Troubleshooting sucks...

 

[onelin]

that's usually my strategy, but you're aware this is a laptop? I've gotta say this is the first one I'd be taking anything out of. No floppy, I don't think the BIOS supports booting from USB devices so a USB floppy isn't an option. I will have to look into unhooking the CDROM since I know that's been done in my uncle's...hard drive sounds more...troublesome? guess I won't know till I take a look. I don't think warranty is an issue (it's past it)

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: onelin0
that's usually my strategy, but you're aware this is a laptop? I've gotta say this is the first one I'd be taking anything out of. No floppy, I don't think the BIOS supports booting from USB devices so a USB floppy isn't an option. I will have to look into unhooking the CDROM since I know that's been done in my uncle's...hard drive sounds more...troublesome? guess I won't know till I take a look. I don't think warranty is an issue (it's past it)

Sorry - I did not realize it's a laptop.

I skipped through the thread and after reading closer if you're getting a "click, click, click..." you've got a failing or dead HD. My office has about 30 mobile users so I've heard the "click of death" before (too many times). What is the warranty on the HD itself?

 

[onelin]

HD? good question, though I suspect the CDROM since I've replaced click-of-death drives before. One possibility is booting from the network, however I don't know how to set that up. Time for sleep, though. It's a shame I can't use this on a repair job tomorrow, it would make things SO much easier

 

[Robor]

One way to be sure... Yank the CDROM and see if you get the all too familiar click, click, click... Thanks Dell!

 

[onelin]

dang, you know, I'm not sure what's making it reboot. It's not really a click, it's the sound it makes when it turns off/on. I left the cdrom open (it can't retract itself) and it still did it, though that's hardly meaningful