Computer Problem again
 

My PC was lagging on me, so I decided to shut it down. I had several programs running (word documents, different internet sites and a power point). It took several minutes for the PC to shut down and it wouldn't turn off by itself. I had to finally cut power to it.

I waited several minutes and turned the PC back on. When it came up, Windows would not restart. I can't even restart it in Safe Mode.

I have two writing assignments due tomorrow and I had just saved one of them to the PC. Any ideas on how to get it running again would be sincerely appreciated.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

I assume you are on another PC at the moment?

Can you get in by booting to the Windows, or some other disk?

Oh, and is it telling you anything?

Re: Computer Problem again
 

Yes, I would recommend booting from a startup disk.
Standard question - Have you removed all peripherals..? My PC won't boot or shutdown if I leave my iPod in it - I sometimes forget it's there.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

It could be tons of things. Hardware wise it sounds like a drive failure or some such, but it could be virul and software related. Best bet, find someone IRL who has tech know-how, as asking over the internet is usually just people stabbing in the dark.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

I suspect a failing harddrive. The "lags" probably resulted from I/O operations timing out. Since you apparently were able to select the "Boot into Safe Mode" option, the BIOS must have been successfully loaded, which makes CPU or mainboard problems unlikely.
Graphic card problems would have presented themselves as artifacts on the screen before the reboot, and RAM issues would have resulted in BSOD.

I would remove the harddrive, connect it to whatever computer you are currently using, and backup as much data as you can. Don't write anything to it, and stop trying to boot from it.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

The PC has a brand new HD in it. It did completely crash back in December on me and I had to start from scratch. If this HD is bad, I will expect the computer shop to replace it.

The good news is that I bought a 500gb external HD after the last crash and I did a complete backup Tuesday night in case I got the Conficker worm. I was hoping I wouldn't lose the writing assignment and especially the power point assigment, but both of those can be replaced fairly quickly

Thanks for the advice.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

Do you feel confident in opening it up, to make sure everything is fully plugged in? I used to work as a QC tech for DEC and this was pretty common. Just make sure you've grounded yourself.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

Heh, malware could account for both the slowdown, and the boot failure. But if your hard drive already crashed on you once, then there is a good chance that it contains defunct sectors.
So, mount the drive on another machine, back up what you haven't already, and then scan both drive and backups for malware. If the drive is broken, the malware scan will almost certainly crash.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

You need to remove the HDD from this PC and install it as a slave in another PC with known good and updated AV, Anti-Malware, and Anti-Spyware programs,,,,,then run said programs on the slaved HDD.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

Sluggish operation under load, one known HDD failure, failure to start. Sounds like power supply coupled with over heating issues.

Unplug said HDD and try in another PC, follow other's advice from there.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

I'm gonna take it back to the shop that fixed it on Monday. They installed a brand new HD in December, along with updated anti-virus software. If the power supply was a potential problem, I would have expected the guy to mention it in December.

Fortunately, I do have a current backup this time. So I shouldn't lose much. I'll just have to bust ass tomorrow to get my assignments done.

In the meantime, I'm using the laptop I bought after the last crash.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

You can verify whether your power supply is an issue by estimating your power requirements. There are several calculators on-line that will ask for your hardware and then tell you the power requirements... so for 2 hard drives, 2 CD/DVD drives, this much memory, etc....

Compare that to your actual PSU and see where you stand. The PSU can't be too big... it just won't use the excess. It can be too small, however... were I building a machine, I wouldn't put in less than a 500watt PSU. But that's me... ;)

Backups... good... :D

Re: Computer Problem again
 

I doubt its your wattage, either ways, PSU's are more about the rails nowadays. The problem could be that the PSU is dying, but I don't think it is that it cannot handle your system. Again, this could be a HD issue too, or even a virus/malware issue like someone mentioned. You're doing the right thing by bringing it to someone IRL, like I said, all we can provide are educated guesses over the web.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

My main reason for bringing it here was the hope that it might be a simple solution - like restart in Safe Mode, do "x" and try to restart in Normal Mode.

When the PC comes up, the only thing that shows up is the screen giving me the option to start in Safe Mode, Normal, or Start with Last Good Settings.

I've tried all of those and the PC just comes back to that screen again. So I'm taking it back to the guy who worked on it 3 months ago.

Thanks for the input, though. I sincerely appreciate all the thoughts and advice.

Re: Computer Problem again
 

Do you fell confident opening it up? It might be worth checking to see if all the plugs are fully seated.

If you do, leave it plugged, if you can't ground yourself and touch the power supply, right after you open. That will take and excess stored electricity, out of your body.
Have a look for anything obvious, then all the plugs a push to see if they click, or go in further.

..if you're confident.