Help me fix my laptop! - 5$ REWARD

[Zimmerman]

Was working absolutely fine until last night, when pages started not loading and the laptop just crashed. Turn it back on and I got a 'problem with computer, it will now restart' kind of message. Now when I turn it on, it just goes to a blue screen and/or occasionally black.

Dell i3 Laptop, about 2-3 years old.

Tried hard reset, nothing.
Tried safe mode, just blue screens.
tried diagnostics, seemed everything is fine except 'hardware'

I'm really stuck. Don't want to be without a laptop for few months >_<

 

[IRL Seller]

Press f11 or f10 or f4 depending on your model (google it, I'm on my phone)

Go to factory restoration and do that and try to see what happens.(you'll loose all data)


That or pop in another 2.5" drive and try to boot off of that.


Also describe any noises it makes on start up.... Crunching, whirling, clicking/ticking

 

[Swan]

Needs more info. Can't solve a problem if no-one knows what it is. Post the exact errors you're getting and associated information for a start. Might have seemed like you said enough by saying "I got an error and it restarts/bluescreens" but with computers that can mean anything.

At a glance it could be your windows installation or your HDD is corrupted in some form.

Install this on to a USB pen drive and see if your computer boots: http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

If it boots, then it may not be a typical hardware error, which is good. Check to see if you can access your hard disk (you may or may not have to mount it. Google "mount linux harddrive" for an idea of how to do this). If you can access your HDD and the files are in general not corrupted, that's a good sign and means you can copy across important files and then reinstall Windows.

 

[Zimmerman]

I apologise for not posting all the details needed, I'm just terribly non-techy. i'll give factory restore a go.

 

[MineMarkPT]

I'd say 75% chance the HDD is gone, that message usually pops up when that happens. Try re-installing windows on the same HDD, run it from the CD. Format the drive and install a clean version of windows. If you can't even find your drive in the drive install select then its the HDD. Try putting in a new one just to see if it works.

 

[70i]

Was said before, but your hard drive is probably bad. I'd try re-installing windows on it. If the windows instillation doesn't work it's almost certainly your hard drive.

Find a SATA 2.5 inch laptop hard drive on eBay they're pretty inexpensive. You'd probably be fine with a 80GB-120GB hard drive unless you have an extensive media collection. Installing a hard drive is very easy. Unscrew the panel on the back of your laptop and then you can pop in the new one. After that you will need to reinstall windows.

Perhaps you have the windows CD that came with your computer? See if you do have that CD it will be useful. You can install windows with it.
Look for the CD see if it allows you to reinstall windows. If it doesn't buy a hard drive and install windows.

 

[Smaug]

Thats the blue screen of death man you need a new laptop or a new HD might as well buy a new one that one is toasted.

 

[misty]

Ugh the blue screen of death. You'll most likely have to reformat = all data lost. Depends on how important it is, but you have the option to remove the harddrive and load it up externally on another PC and transfer anything across, and then just wipe the thing fresh. And if you can't even wipe it from the boot menu (think it's in the bios?), a magnet would work..

 

[SprinterMoon]

It might be blue screen of death. I PMed you a link on how I fixed mine when I had it.

 

[Zimmerman]

I think it's the case. I had to get this exact laptop fixed about 2 years ago because it did the same, sent it to dell and they replaced it. my warrenty is up now though. i'll have a look at your link sprinter when I get home.

 

[IRL Seller]

Well this is a useful tech related post...