So...damn...angry!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Just when I think things are going good and I'm getting ahead, the gods just take a big shit right on my head.

My laptop just died on me. Just froze right the hell up. I couldn't even start task manager or get to the start menu to shut it down. I had to push and hold the power button to restart it.

When it restarted, the computer froze up shortly after bringing up the desktop. The after a while, the screen went black and an error message popped up reading "Logon process has failed to create the security options dialog."

After I was able to click on that to get rid of it, the desktop came back up, still frozen solid. A short time later, the computer blue-screened and restarted.

After it restarted, same thing: Froze after the desktop came up, black screen, error message, desktop still frozen.

I suppose I could take my laptop in to hopefully get it fixed someplace, but I don't think I'm going to. I'm just going to buy a new laptop. I'm probably due to replace it anyhow.

And that will be my entire tax refund right there. I was hoping to put most of it in savings and use a small chunk to take a couple days off and go bumming someplace, but that's not going to happen now.

In the meantime, my sister will be bringing over an older laptop she had at her place, that has a tendency to overheat, but she says it does better when it's on a cooling pad, so hopefully that will tide me over until the new laptop comes.

Still...I really didn't need this. Not. At. All.

[BlaqueKatt]

I'm just going to buy a new laptop. I'm probably due to replace it anyhow.

And that will be my entire tax refund right there.

can you get away with a netbook? Mine has a 120GB HD, 1GB Ram and an intel Atom processor-only cost $250, and they have better specs on the newer ones(mine's a year old)

[ApolloSZ]

try booting in safe mode (usually hold F8 when the bios screen loads)
Check for borked drivers.
Failing that, use safe mode to backup, then run a (im guessing Windows) repair or nuke 'n pave it

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

can you get away with a netbook? Mine has a 120GB HD, 1GB Ram and an intel Atom processor-only cost $250, and they have better specs on the newer ones(mine's a year old)

I kinda don't think so. I've got some larger programs on my laptop, most notably iTunes. I did think about it though.

try booting in safe mode (usually hold F8 when the bios screen loads)
Check for borked drivers.
Failing that, use safe mode to backup, then run a (im guessing Windows) repair or nuke 'n pave it

I know next to nothing about computer repair, so I'm afraid to even try it.

Anyhow, I found a decent Toshiba model at bestbuy.com. It's similar to the one my parents have, and I think it's a pretty good machine for the money.

ETA: I booted the laptop in safe mode and am running system restore. Will see if that works. I haven't completed the order for the new computer yet.


ETA: How long is system restore supposed to take? I just have a plain teal-ish screen, similar to the screen where you type in your password. I've had that for maybe ten minutes now.

'Nother Edit: I don't think it worked. Still frozen. I'm just going to buy the new one and get it over with.

[Broomjockey]

ETA: How long is system restore supposed to take? I just have a plain teal-ish screen, similar to the screen where you type in your password. I've had that for maybe ten minutes now.

Can take over an hour. Interrupting it is massively bad.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Aww gee, aren't I stupid. Guess I can try it again. I'm going to plug it in someplace else and get the old laptop up and running.

ETA: I don't think I interrupted system restore. The computer did restart and let me type in my password, so I would assume that means it's done. It didn't work. Computer is still frozen. That's it. I'm done messing around with it. I'm going ahead and placing the order on the new computer now. In the meantime I have my sister's old machine set up and it seems to be working fine.

[Sonoma]

Anyhow, I found a decent Toshiba model at bestbuy.com. It's similar to the one my parents have, and I think it's a pretty good machine for the money.

I bought a Toshiba A505-S6980 from Best Buy last month. I've been really happy with it. Sure works a lot better than the overloaded Dell I retired.

[Eric the Grey]

You might want to let it sit for an hour or so and let it cool down. If it's a heat issue, it will start up and run fine for a while again (until it heats up again).

If that's the problem, it should be an easy (and not too expensive) fix.

As to the netbooks, I would think that as long as it's running windows (and avoid the "starter edition" if you can) you should be able to run pretty much anything you do now.

Otherwise, you may want to have the system restored to factory specs, but that means having to re-install everything...



Eric the Grey

[AccountingDrone]

try removing the little battery on the board, and the regular battery to reset the bios ... that might help =)

[Broomjockey]

try removing the little battery on the board, and the regular battery to reset the bios ... that might help =)

On a laptop, that's more effort than it's worth, especially considering it passes POST. At this point, a reinstall is probably about the only thing that'd save it.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I ordered my new laptop last night. Assuming everything checks out with my credit card, I should have it by Wednesday or Thursday.

Next question: How do I go about getting rid of the old one? It has all my personal information on it, and it certainly won't be able to run a program to wipe it. The only other thing I could do with it is introduce it to Mr. Sledgehammer and let the two of them become good friends.

[ApolloSZ]

EDIT - While the OS is borked, the File Structure may be intact. If your interested in additional storage, buy an external Laptop HDD enclosure, and plug your laptop hard drive into it. Instant thumb drive. Then you can browse recover your files and personal stuff. Wipe it after that, you've got an external drive for storage.


As for destroying - well, in my books theres the - "ultimately destroyed" method, the "Fun" method" and the "Casual attempt" method.

This is pursuant mainly to the hard drive, but UD and F methods can be used on the whole shebang.

UD - One word. Thermite.

F - Either Sledge hammer, axe, and a good work out, or... find a blacksmith friend, a spare anvil, a second or higher floor balcony. And a shovel. (To fill in the hole that I garuntee will be made in the ground)

CA - rub high power magnets all over the hard drive, prefereably directly on the platters if your can. But a pro datarecovery team could probably still find stuff.

[Broomjockey]

Actually, if you get Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) you can run that no matter whether your computer will start up to Windows or not. You just need to be able to boot to the CD, and you should get the option of choosing what device to boot from while it does the very beginning of the start up, before windows even starts.

You can download that for free, and burn it to a CD, and then you're ready to go.

[AccountingDrone]

On a laptop, that's more effort than it's worth, especially considering it passes POST. At this point, a reinstall is probably about the only thing that'd save it.

I must be spoiled by HP then, you pop the general big battery out, then there is a little flap on the back you unscrew 2 screws to remove, and the battery for the bios is right there. Pop it all out/off, wait five and put everything back together =(

[blas]

If you can stash it for a few months in a closet, by the time the pool is open here in June, you're more than welcome to toss 'er in there!