Worth Replacing Laptop Hard Drive?

aczlan · Feb 18, 2017

ultrarunner said:
Still working in Safe Mode...

I always had auto update on until this month when the problem started.

This computer has been spot on reliable except for the first month when I bought it and Acer had to change out the hard drive under warranty.

I've loaded all the malware and cleaners suggested... nothing pops up from the scans... I then revert back to an earlier version... the earliest was December 24th... now the earliest is February 15th.

Maybe simply running in Safe Mode is the future?

I did look at some new computers...

The Chrome Books would take care of 90% of what I need... I'm guessing my HP Printer would work for scans and printing.

Also guessing Chrome Books would not work for Microsoft Office which I do need Excel on occasion.

Auto update sometimes gets messed up and stops working. I have seen several computers that have had auto updates on, but it missed Windows updates for months.
Chromebooks can do Excel files with Google Sheets (and, I think Microsoft might have a Word and Excel app for Chrome). It's not quite the same as Excel, but if you aren't doing super complicated spreadsheets with lots of formulas referencing data back and forth they should work.

I wish you were closer, l would go over and take a look at it.

Aaron Z

ultrarunner · Feb 18, 2017

One thing I noticed which might not mean anything???

My operating system is 64 bit...

When my computer boots up in safe mode everything is 32 bit as in line after line.

Seems odd that a 64 bit machine would have a 32 bit program... no idea if this is why the 64 bit Service Pack gets to 99% and then fails???

ultrarunner · Feb 18, 2017

aczlan said:
Auto update sometimes gets messed up and stops working. I have seen several computers that have had auto updates on, but it missed Windows updates for months.
Chromebooks can do Excel files with Google Sheets (and, I think Microsoft might have a Word and Excel app for Chrome). It's not quite the same as Excel, but if you aren't doing super complicated spreadsheets with lots of formulas referencing data back and forth they should work.

I wish you were closer, l would go over and take a look at it.

Aaron Z

TBN members are the best...

Only met a few in person and everyone is the kind you would want for a neighbor.

We have several local Fry's Electronics that offer data recovery and other services.

Mentioned to the IT guy that comes in on the weekends for the Hospital that I soon might not be able to check in from home as my home computer is on the Fritz... he said things like battery and fan and lint... all check out good.

ultrarunner · Feb 18, 2017

Does this mean anything? It corresponds to the last lock up

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: MpTelemetry
Problem Signature 01: 8007043c
Problem Signature 02: UpdateServiceManager->get_Services
Problem Signature 03: FallbackCheck
Problem Signature 04: 6.1.7600.16385
Problem Signature 05: MpSigDwn.dll
Problem Signature 06: 6.1.7600.16385
Problem Signature 07: Windows Defender
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033

ultrarunner · Apr 12, 2017

Update of sorts...

It's been 2 months since this lab-top became unstable and I have tried many fixes... sometimes I could get 15 or 20 minutes and other times seconds.

I noticed it often was having a hard time on my DSL modem and a few days ago it really didn't function at all.

I'm not a wireless person but the computer showed wireless available so I gave it a try...

The last week on wireless and not a single screen lock up...

I have no idea what it means except it is working.

The problem started after I came back from a business trip and used only wireless... when I was back at home and not wireless is when the problem started.

Always like to post followups...

MossRoad · Apr 12, 2017

ultrarunner said:
Update of sorts...

It's been 2 months since this lab-top became unstable and I have tried many fixes... sometimes I could get 15 or 20 minutes and other times seconds.

I noticed it often was having a hard time on my DSL modem and a few days ago it really didn't function at all.

I'm not a wireless person but the computer showed wireless available so I gave it a try...

The last week on wireless and not a single screen lock up...

I have no idea what it means except it is working.

The problem started after I came back from a business trip and used only wireless... when I was back at home and not wireless is when the problem started.

Always like to post followups...

So you have wireless at your home that you've never used until now?
And were you using a wired connection before this?

Did you ever try using a different port on your DSL modem?
Did you ever try rebooting your DSL modem?
Did you ever try a different network cable?

Perhaps your wired network port on your laptop has a bent pin or is just going bad?

Anyhow, glad you are working again.

ultrarunner · Apr 12, 2017

One of the offices was tossing out a Net Gear Wireless for a more powerful version...

When the kids visit I plug it in so they have access... never used it for my laptop since it stays on my desk unless I travel.

The Net Gear is 6 inches from the laptop now.

I have had to replace the DSL Modem once and every 6 months or so I need to power down and restart... only one single port of my ATT DSL

Strange that it works on Wifi... unless it is an anomaly.

Conventional Wisdom said dump the computer but it just goes against the grain because I like to figure things out...

Went shopping and read reviews and it seemed there were always negative ones... most of the Docs and my family love Apple... kind of pricey.

MossRoad · Apr 12, 2017

So you normally have the laptop plugged into the one port on the DSL, and when the kids visit, you unplug the laptop from the DSL and plug the NetGear box into the port on the DSL where the laptop was, correct?

If you use the same cable for either the laptop or the NetGear box, then that eliminates problems with the cable and the port on the DSL box.

The problem is narrowing down to the network port on the laptop itself. You could have a flaky network card or bad connection.

One thing you could try is adjusting the speed of the network card in the laptop to a lower speed. That frequently resolves network issues in older hardware.

If you want to do it, take it off wireless and plug it back into the DSL directly.

Then:
Go to your control panel.
Network and Internet
Network connections.
You should see your local area connection.
Right click on it and select properties.
Go to the advanced tab and find Speed & Duplex
It's probably set to Auto Negotiate.
Set it to 10mbs Half dulex and OK and save everything.

See how that works.

OR....

You could just stay on wireless and be done with it! :laughing:

MossRoad · Apr 12, 2017

ultrarunner said:
.....
Strange that it works on Wifi... unless it is an anomaly.

....

There's probably TWO network cards in the laptop. One is for the wired connection, the other for wireless. So the wired one is probably having issues, while the wireless one is not.

Another thing you can try (we may have done this already), is to shut down the laptop, remove the battery, remove the AC power cord, and try powering on the laptop several times with no power available to it.

Many times there are capacitors that hold network cards in the state they are in. Even when you turn off the laptop, it is never really all the way off. If the network card gets in a snit, the capacitors hold it in that snit.

Even if you remove the power cord and battery, the capacitors hold it in that state for a good, long time.

By pressing the power button with the AC cord AND battery removed, it'll drain those capacitors.

Then put the battery back in, and the AC cord and power it up and see what happens.