laptop shuts down

[bygeek]

I'm working on an HP Pavilion N5210, running Windows ME. The o/s was corrupt, so I formatted the drive and reinstalled from scratch. Then downloaded and installed all Windows updates. It will run for about an hour, then shuts itself down. No errors, just goes to a black screen, but the power light stays on. I've set all power settings to Never. I've run diagnostics on the HDD and memory - all negative.

Could this be a failing mobo? Any other ideas?

 

[fenix]

Hi just a few words before the experts help you.

Before suspecting the motherboard, since you checked the HDD and memory, I would first suspect an
over temp condition of the cpu, and then suspect an intermittent power supply, both things much cheaper to check than replacing a mobo.

You say the power light stays on, so confirm if all the fans stay running, and if you think that the hard drive is still spinning. In other words, does it seem like the OS is still running ? Does keyboard input or mouse input make the hard drive seek or run etc. ?

If your cpu has a fan, check that it's turning.
Check that the heat sink assembly hasn't become loose (from the cpu).

It also may be an overtemp from the power supply fan not turning and it takes an hour to overheat. Check the cpu temperature if your hardware and software has this capability. You can find the normal operating range from the HP website.

Do you have any idea why the original OS became corrupted ?
It may be good to look along those lines too as to what is happening now.

 

[fenix]

oops, I just realized that you are talking about a laptop. Maybe some of this applies anyway.

 

[KevinADC]

after it goes to a black screen what do you have to do to get it to run again? Reboot? Press a certain key?

I would at least install W98 if you can, ME just plain sucks the big one (ifyaknowwhatimean).

 

[mainegeek]

bygeek,
Did you use the System Recovery CD's that came with the laptop or did you just format and clean install WinME?

Sounds like a power management issue to me.

 

[bygeek]

Mainegeek,

I formatted and did a clean install. All power options are set to "never".

KevinADC,

I have to power off and power on. I hate ME too, but it's the only thing the user has a licence for.

Fenix,

So far it has run all night. When it did shut down, I think the fans were still running but it did not appear as though the OS was still running.

 

[Sympology]

Go to the HP website and see if there are any service packs for the pc.
Windows update, updates Windows drivers, not HP specific drivers.
I'd suggest to ANYONE building a pc fom standard disks (non system recovery) to always vist the manufacturers website for updated drivers. Often windows drivers are there just to get the things working, not working at their best.

Stu..

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[bygeek]

I opened it up, blew out the fan, reseated heatsink and re-applied thermal compound. So far, so good. Thanks for the replies.