New...maybe, but I can read..and nowhere in your previous postings did you say it was "locked up".
Take a chill pill man and take the trouble to READ the previous posts in this thread also take time out to look through other posts...hey who knows actually TRYING one of the previous suggestions may float yer boat!
FWIW in my somewhat 'limited' experience of laptops, but having worked with computers for the past 15 years I would again, guess (oops you don't like guesses do ya?)this problem is memory related.
Do ya hear any sound (fans whirring etc) at all ?
Have you swapped the memory module to another bay?
If both bays contain memory take one out try it, swap bays,try it...no? change for the other stick and do likewise....You could alway ask (nicely) at your local computer store (or even a mate with the same comp)if you could try a new memory stick to rule out faulty memory...don't forget to take the machine with you tho'.
Have you checked all the cabling from the adapter to the laptop?(the plug sleeve that goes into the back has been known to perish and no current from the adapter can reach the computer)Some posters on these boards have said that by "jiggling" the wire between the plug and the cylendrical interferance suppressor makes a connection although a temporary one.
Of course all of the above are guesses as my crystal ball is still at the menders no one here has the luxury of actually SEEING your machine...so guesses are likely all that you'll get.Perhaps one such will work, but that depends on you providing us with enough information at the outset on what you have tried already for us to work with.
edit...Just one other thing... quote.."Laptops have a little button that tells when the screen is open and when it is closed. My computer knows when i open the lid, i don't have to he a key or move the mouse. I'm guessing YOU'RE WRONG. these doesn't have to be any other user intervention because i already let it know i was opening the lid by opening the lid" unquote.....
On my Inspiron the puter goes into standby on closing the lid...when I open it again I need to hit the power button to get it to resume. I've sat waiting for long enough for my puter to be as clever as yours but it flatly refuses to restart until I do hit the button...perhaps there's a standby config screen somewhere but I haven't found one yet............end edit
Message Edited by bluetracker on 11-07-2003 07:24 PM
edit#2.... Eureka!(I think) CONTROL PANEL>POWER OPTIONS>ADVANCED check what is showing under "When I close the lid on my portable computer" I'm guessing yours is set to 'Stand by' huh? Ok fine now click the 'Hibernate' tab...is the "enable hibernation" box checked? Guessing again... YES? In this config the computer actually HIBERNATES on lid closure (although the splash screen tells you it's preparing to stand by)and requires you to hit the power button to resume. Unchecking the box would mean it actually goes into standby not full hibernation and hitting a key or moving the mouse wakes it up. Afew more guesses but hopefully one of them will get you going again....end edit#2
Message Edited by bluetracker on 11-07-2003 07:46 PM
edit#3 and last I hope! Just tested it out and if you uncheck "enable hibernation" the comp wakes on opening the lid and presents the logon screen password et-al (as yours 'used to do) end edit #3
Message Edited by bluetracker on 11-07-2003 07:54 PM
LOL! own AI indeed....hah!
Don't suppose you've reinstalled the OS lately as this type of setting is the default one.
If not you sure no one is using a 'backdoor' to prat around when you ain't looking? You firewalled OK? Not the Windows inbuilt one...that's pants for keeping peeps out.
Or has someone else in the house hasn't been 'twiddling'?
ok, edit 3 didn't work, i will try probably edit one later.
Nope i haven't reinstaled the os. I have kerio personal firewall. To the best of my knowledge i am the onlyone that uses my computer. The reason i make it go into standby on lid closure is so that no one can use it.
would edit 1 or edit 2 be the best bet?
it's probably just xp with its built in I hate you program
ok responding to edit 3, why did it work before? (note, i haven't tried this yet)
I didn't change any setting between the time it locked up and the time it didn't. In fact it was working correctly then it stopped for a week or so, then it started working fine again and now the past two or three days it has stopped working right. I decided it as it's own AI and i pist it off. just my guess
so i send a message to dell. The auto reply and tell me to update the bios, so i do that not a big deal right. Well still doesn't work, and the pages they said might help were worthless. I will have to try the memory swapping, anything i need to know about this besides turn the computer off and pull one out?
@dude00 wrote:
so i send a message to dell. The auto reply and tell me to update the bios, so i do that not a big deal right. Well still doesn't work, and the pages they said might help were worthless. I will have to try the memory swapping, anything i need to know about this besides turn the computer off and pull one out?
No not really..it's quite straightforward.
A little tip I've picked up over the years..when a memory (stick or module) is getting on in years the contacts get a 'burnished' and dull look to them. Clean them up using a pencil eraser working from the center to the edges of the contact edges. Helps improve contact no end. Can also be used to brighten up the bay contacts but beware of little bits of rubber getting lodged preventing full seating of the module.
Whilst cleaning don't get ye greasy mits all over the chipsets either hold the module by the edges!
ok so i haven't done anything to it since i updated my bios, but it now works again. I am not sure weather i am happy about that or weather it just made more more mad because i don't know what caused it. It started working right about three this morning, i left my computer on and went for a walk on campus for about and hour maybe more. When i came back it was sleeping nicely (lid not closed) so i woke it up with the power button. Then i figured if t works that way then maybe it will work when i close the lid. So i closed the lid and it worked right, the one green light pulsed like normal (the power light on the far left) so i opened it back up and bang the password screen came up.
not really sure what to make of it. Will it happen again is my only concern.
I think we're gonna have to put this one down to 'BGS' (Bill Gates Syndrome)But to be on the safe side and to make sure we can do everything 'humanly possible' to avoid a repetition....
1. Do a scandisk ...MY COMPUTER>right click the HDD >properties>TOOLS hit the top 'check now' button.. check BOTH boxes in the scandisk option screen, reboot and let it get on with it.
2. Same pack drill but this time hit the defrag option.
3.MY COMPUTER>right click HDD >PROPERTIES again and choose 'Disk Cleanup' do the 'normal' options AND the SYSTEM RESTORE cleanup option under...wait for it.....'More Options'
All your cookies/History/Temp files are removed (Windows style) now if you go online and Google for an app called "SPIDER 116" download and run it to get rid of the files that Bill Gates forgot and hopefully you've done all you can do to prevent further 'lock ups' in future.
In my limited experience of XP, System Restore can eat up a lot of disk space over time leading to considerable fall off in functionality; always worth cleaning this directory up on a weekly basis just so it don't get 'too big for it's boots'...after all if you've not downloaded anything or changed anything radical for a week and your system is VIRUS FREE then the chances are you are only gonna need the last restore point if things do go 'mammaries up'so get rid of all the excess baggage. By default it's set to use up 12% of yer HDD space which in my view is Waaaay to much, I have mine set to use no more than 5% and that keeps it in check...upto you if you wanna change the values on yours in line with what you feel is appropriate for your setup.
bluetracker
2 Intern
•
369 Posts
0
November 7th, 2003 10:00
Take a chill pill man and take the trouble to READ the previous posts in this thread also take time out to look through other posts...hey who knows actually TRYING one of the previous suggestions may float yer boat!
FWIW in my somewhat 'limited' experience of laptops, but having worked with computers for the past 15 years I would again, guess (oops you don't like guesses do ya?)this problem is memory related.
Do ya hear any sound (fans whirring etc) at all ?
Have you swapped the memory module to another bay?
If both bays contain memory take one out try it, swap bays,try it...no? change for the other stick and do likewise....You could alway ask (nicely) at your local computer store (or even a mate with the same comp)if you could try a new memory stick to rule out faulty memory...don't forget to take the machine with you tho'.
Have you checked all the cabling from the adapter to the laptop?(the plug sleeve that goes into the back has been known to perish and no current from the adapter can reach the computer)Some posters on these boards have said that by "jiggling" the wire between the plug and the cylendrical interferance suppressor makes a connection although a temporary one.
Of course all of the above are guesses as my crystal ball is still at the menders no one here has the luxury of actually SEEING your machine...so guesses are likely all that you'll get.Perhaps one such will work, but that depends on you providing us with enough information at the outset on what you have tried already for us to work with.
edit...Just one other thing... quote.."Laptops have a little button that tells when the screen is open and when it is closed. My computer knows when i open the lid, i don't have to he a key or move the mouse. I'm guessing YOU'RE WRONG. these doesn't have to be any other user intervention because i already let it know i was opening the lid by opening the lid" unquote.....
On my Inspiron the puter goes into standby on closing the lid...when I open it again I need to hit the power button to get it to resume. I've sat waiting for long enough for my puter to be as clever as yours but it flatly refuses to restart until I do hit the button...perhaps there's a standby config screen somewhere but I haven't found one yet............end edit
Message Edited by bluetracker on 11-07-2003 07:24 PM
edit#2....
Eureka!(I think)
CONTROL PANEL>POWER OPTIONS>ADVANCED check what is showing under "When I close the lid on my portable computer" I'm guessing yours is set to 'Stand by' huh? Ok fine now click the 'Hibernate' tab...is the "enable hibernation" box checked?
Guessing again... YES?
In this config the computer actually HIBERNATES on lid closure (although the splash screen tells you it's preparing to stand by)and requires you to hit the power button to resume.
Unchecking the box would mean it actually goes into standby not full hibernation and hitting a key or moving the mouse wakes it up.
Afew more guesses but hopefully one of them will get you going again....end edit#2
Message Edited by bluetracker on 11-07-2003 07:46 PM
edit#3 and last I hope!
Just tested it out and if you uncheck "enable hibernation" the comp wakes on opening the lid and presents the logon screen password et-al (as yours 'used to do)
end edit #3
Message Edited by bluetracker on 11-07-2003 07:54 PM
bluetracker
2 Intern
•
369 Posts
0
November 7th, 2003 18:00
Don't suppose you've reinstalled the OS lately as this type of setting is the default one.
If not you sure no one is using a 'backdoor' to prat around when you ain't looking? You firewalled OK? Not the Windows inbuilt one...that's pants for keeping peeps out.
Or has someone else in the house hasn't been 'twiddling'?
dude00
19 Posts
0
November 7th, 2003 18:00
ok, edit 3 didn't work, i will try probably edit one later.
Nope i haven't reinstaled the os. I have kerio personal firewall. To the best of my knowledge i am the onlyone that uses my computer. The reason i make it go into standby on lid closure is so that no one can use it.
would edit 1 or edit 2 be the best bet?
it's probably just xp with its built in I hate you program
Message Edited by dude00 on 11-07-2003 02:39 PM
bluetracker
2 Intern
•
369 Posts
0
November 7th, 2003 18:00
dude00
19 Posts
0
November 7th, 2003 18:00
ok responding to edit 3, why did it work before? (note, i haven't tried this yet)
I didn't change any setting between the time it locked up and the time it didn't. In fact it was working correctly then it stopped for a week or so, then it started working fine again and now the past two or three days it has stopped working right. I decided it as it's own AI and i pist it off. just my guess
dude00
19 Posts
0
November 7th, 2003 19:00
bluetracker
2 Intern
•
369 Posts
0
November 7th, 2003 20:00
No not really..it's quite straightforward.
A little tip I've picked up over the years..when a memory (stick or module) is getting on in years the contacts get a 'burnished' and dull look to them. Clean them up using a pencil eraser working from the center to the edges of the contact edges. Helps improve contact no end. Can also be used to brighten up the bay contacts but beware of little bits of rubber getting lodged preventing full seating of the module.
Whilst cleaning don't get ye greasy mits all over the chipsets either hold the module by the edges!
dude00
19 Posts
0
November 9th, 2003 15:00
ok so i haven't done anything to it since i updated my bios, but it now works again. I am not sure weather i am happy about that or weather it just made more more mad because i don't know what caused it. It started working right about three this morning, i left my computer on and went for a walk on campus for about and hour maybe more. When i came back it was sleeping nicely (lid not closed) so i woke it up with the power button. Then i figured if t works that way then maybe it will work when i close the lid. So i closed the lid and it worked right, the one green light pulsed like normal (the power light on the far left) so i opened it back up and bang the password screen came up.
not really sure what to make of it. Will it happen again is my only concern.
bluetracker
2 Intern
•
369 Posts
0
November 10th, 2003 08:00
1. Do a scandisk ...MY COMPUTER>right click the HDD >properties>TOOLS hit the top 'check now' button.. check BOTH boxes in the scandisk option screen, reboot and let it get on with it.
2. Same pack drill but this time hit the defrag option.
3.MY COMPUTER>right click HDD >PROPERTIES again and choose 'Disk Cleanup' do the 'normal' options AND the SYSTEM RESTORE cleanup option under...wait for it.....'More Options'
All your cookies/History/Temp files are removed (Windows style) now if you go online and Google for an app called "SPIDER 116" download and run it to get rid of the files that Bill Gates forgot and hopefully you've done all you can do to prevent further 'lock ups' in future.
In my limited experience of XP, System Restore can eat up a lot of disk space over time leading to considerable fall off in functionality; always worth cleaning this directory up on a weekly basis just so it don't get 'too big for it's boots'...after all if you've not downloaded anything or changed anything radical for a week and your system is VIRUS FREE then the chances are you are only gonna need the last restore point if things do go 'mammaries up'so get rid of all the excess baggage. By default it's set to use up 12% of yer HDD space which in my view is Waaaay to much, I have mine set to use no more than 5% and that keeps it in check...upto you if you wanna change the values on yours in line with what you feel is appropriate for your setup.
cheers
bluetracker
:-)