Dell N5010 Hard drive problem and image recovery crash

Question

Okay I have more than one problem here. First I have an image of my system saved on an external hard drive and because my laptop crashed I decided to restore it to the image on my external hard drive. I do this the normal way by going to start up repair and  system image recovery, I follow all the steps and I think the process comes to the final step when there is a window that looks like  this:    the progress bar will go to about 45% - 55% and the computer will just shut down or crash. When I try to restart the computer it will immediately turn off, (this happens more than once) or it will again go to startup repair and scan for errors. This has happened too many times.   I have successfully restored it to the factory image more than once and attempted to restore the original image more than once, but the progress bar still goes to about 45% - 55% and then crashes. I really need all my programs and files. Is the image corrupt? Are the files on the hard drive corrupt? I don't know, but the same things keep happening over and over again. If you know anything about this problem please help. I have a Dell N5010, windows 7 64 bit, ATI hd550v, 4 GB ram. Crashes similar to this have happened before but startup repair and some other things have returned it to normal. This is not the first time I have had this happen, this usually happens when I play a game, Starcraft 2 demo, dungeon siege 3 demo, and most recently League of legends (LoL) but I have played LoL for more than a month without crashing.  Is this a software or hardware problem?  Thank you and please help

Freelanecer · Answer

I have run the test, the first time when it ran it got to Hard Drive DST short test and it just said: "running" and continued to the other tests and it just shut down immediately and it looked like it didn't finish the tests. The second time it shut down just as the tests started.

I am beginning to suspect this is a hardware error, as this would not be the first time I have had bad experiences with the hardware.

Is there anyway to safely restore my old system image from the factory reset state without windows start up repair?

ejn63 · Answer

Start by running an extended diagnostic on the hard drive.  F12 at powerup - boot to the Dell diagnostics.  When the system hangs up, is it clearly overheating?

ejn63 · Answer

If the system shuts down during the diagnostics, it's a hardware problem - either the system is overheating or the mainboard is faulty.

Start by making sure the heatsink assembly is free of dust accumulation - even a thin layer of dust will prevent the heatsink from doing its job.

ejn63 · Answer

If the system shuts down outside of windows - while running the diagnostic - it's not software.  If it's not overheating, then it's a  mainboard problem.

Freelanecer · Answer

what should I do about a mainboard problem? Call Dell and ask for someone to fix it, it still hasn't been a year since I purchased it, hardly even 6 months. I have had a problem where the wireless card wasn't connected properly and had to have a technician come in open it up and replace it with a refurbished one.

thanks again

Freelanecer · Answer

So I should open up my laptop and remove the dust? The computer heats up but its not unbearable

heat and I dont think its overheating because I have had older model laptops that have heated

to temperatures higher than this Dell laptop and still kept functioning.

I have enough skills to open up the laptop but are there any other things

I can do to make sure that it is indeed a hardware error and not a software error?

Thanks

I will get back you soon

Freelanecer · Answer

no the CPU wasnt removed, just the wireless card. It was just basic dis-assembly like in this video: but the hard drive or any other parts besides the wireless card were removed.

Also if I should send it back and it get it repaired under warranty how long should it take?

I haven't tampered with anything inside it and I think it was just faulty to start with.

ejn63 · Answer

If it's shutting down by itself, yes - they must repair it under warranty.

Depending on how much disassembly was required to replace the wireless card, it's also possible the system wasn't properly reassembled thereafter. Was the CPU removed?

ejn63 · Answer

If you have/had onsite service, repair should be done at your location.

Freelanecer · Answer

So what should I do now?

ejn63 · Answer

Call support.

Freelanecer · Answer

Also the image that I have on my external hard drive, is there any reason why that's not re-imaging and restoing all my files programs and saved documents?

Locked Topics – Laptops General

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