emachines M6805 laptop, shutting down

[xit]

customer brought this in two months ago with an intermittent shut down problem. Reinstalled XP Home, updated, updated drivers, removed and cleaned fan and heatsink. Ran fine for two months then problem returned, would shut down in Windows, safe mode, AC, or DC power,ran sometimes seconds, sometimes hours before shutting down.

Here is what i find strange, If I boot up from an XP disk and say navigate to repair and let the machine run idle, it never shuts down.

Not sure where to post as it covers much territory

Any input appreciated

xit

 

[jdemmi]

I think it's a driver or hardware issue. More than likely driver if it stays on at the restore window.

Have you checked event viewer for log entries pre and post the shutdown?

Can you remove peripherals 1 by 1 and see when and if the problem stops?

Can you run some DOS level hardware diagnostics on it?


-- Jason
"It's Just Ones and Zeros

 

[wahnula]

Ran fine for two months then problem returned

I find this to be the key statement. If it worked fine for a few months after you removed and cleaned the heatsink, barring spyware/driver corruption, overheating is probably the culprit again. The fact that it sat in Recovery Console fine just means that it didn't overheat while the CPU was not under load. Same would be true for letting it sit in BIOS. It won't overheat because it's not under any real load.

Look at system temps using an app like SpeedFan, you could also have faulty temp sensors.

Run some benchmarks like Sandra and watch the temps.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[BadBigBen]

To find out if it is overheating, then run a BURN IN TEST, such as PRIME95 or similar...

Prime95 (32bit) - 25.6

http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=103

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[linney]

To eliminate a hardware problem or more likely confirm the cause as hardware related see if you can run something like BartPE on it without it shutting down.

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

 

[xit]

First, I thank you all for your input.

Here is the latest, computer has been up and running over 12 hours with no problems. I do have a program which displays cpu temps, cpu loads etc. I can run mutiple programs and no heat problems.

After searching further I find that this certain model has an inherent problem which has never been adequately diagnosed or repaired.

This is a 5 year old laptop & hard to solve a problem which may occur twice a week. If it were mine I would love to put another system on it just to see the results.

Again thanks
xit

 

[BadBigBen]

If it were mine I would love to put another system on it just to see the results.

What Linney mentioned are cd bootable OS (also called LIVE CD's), that do not install anything on the laptop, but run from the cd/dvd...

BartPE and WinPE both are based on Windows...

there are also live cd's with Linux, e.g. Knoppix or SuSE LiveCD...

trying anyone of these, instead of the installed OS, can indicate if you really have a hardware problem or if it is OS related...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[BadBigBen]

This is a 5 year old laptop

tell your customer that it probably be cheaper to get a NEW laptop than to futz around with it (which could be more expensive than buying that new laptop in the first place)...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."