Inspiron 2650 Freezes on Startup and Shutdown

Question

I have an Inspiron 2650 laptop that's running Windows XP Home. Lately, the OS freezes after it boots up, i.e., the cursor doesn't move and I can't even shut down the laptop unless I remove the battery. If I'm somehow able to get beyond the initial freeze, the OS freezes when I try to shut it down. Again, the cursor doesn't move and pressing the on/off button doesn't do a thing. I called Dell and they told me to remove the battery and re-insert it. This solution worked a couple of times, but now it's to the point where I have to remove the battery each time to get the laptop to work or to shut it down. Has anyone else run into this problem and do you have any suggestions to rectify the problem? Thanks in advance for any comments/recommendations.

naqoyqatsi · Answer

on shut down, if the computer freezes, try to press the power button for 7 seconds and that will allow it to shut down.

try to run msconfig and click selective startup. uncheck process win.ini process system.ini and load startup items. hit ok and then restart.

daruma · Answer

Thanks for your suggestions. Holding down the on/off button for 6-7 seconds worked. Thanks! I set up the MSCONFIG per your instructions and I still had problems with the cursor freezing. After that, I set up the laptop to the 'last known good configuration' using the Windows menu. So far so good. I'm thinking that part of the problem may be in my ISP (att.net) software, as the laptop generally freezes up during the dialing process.

4good · Answer

Hi everybody,

Who knows where to buy motherborad for DELL Inspiron 2650? My old one stoped working after one year and two weeks (that means 2 weeks after warranty). I can't even start the machine. Simply no signs of life, besides fan coolers and power lights and that's it. Repair (read: replacing) this motherborad will cost near 1000$ at DELL (message from Dell service and support). As you can see I'm looking now for new/used motherborad for my Dell from different source.

Good lack for your Dells in new year

4----

Message Edited by 4good on 12-31-2003 09:19 PM

Message Edited by 4good on 12-31-2003 09:22 PM

sbrooks1 · Answer

I'm having the same problem with a 2650 except that the machine freezes after a few minutes of use. I suspect it may be a conflict caused by the Virus checker but I can not get to disable it.  Does anybody know how to fix this please?

daruma · Answer

If you want to disable your anti-virus program, click on 'start,' then 'programs,' and then 'add/remove programs.' After you remove your anti-virus program, you can re-start your computer to see if the problem still persists. If the problem goes away, then your anti-virus program was the likely culprit. If your problem doesn't go away, you'll have to re-load your anti-virus program and look for another source of your problem.

naqoyqatsi · Answer

you can also try to disable the antivirus utility by going to start and then run. type msconfig. go to the startup tab, usually its nearest the end and then just uncheck the antivirus utility in the list.

sbrooks1 · Answer

Thanks for the feedback. Now resolved. Happy New Year to all!

Locked Topics – Laptops General

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