My laptop has recently had bootup problems.

Its like this....

I turn the laptop on, nothing. screen doesnt come on. then it might do that a second time.

I turn it on again and now windows is kind of running okay, bit unstable and the integrated keyboard and mouse wont work. I have to use an alternative mouse to shut it down. It might do that like two times as well.

Then finally after numerous bootups it works absolutely fine!!!

there are 2 possible causes that i can think of. The first is a possibiliy of the mains adapter i used in california. Im from UK you see. A different voltage over here. that might have messed it up, then again that might be completely ridiculous i dont know.

the second possibility is a recent update to windows that i intalled seemed to conveniently coincide with the start of this problem.

any help on this would be awesome as the noew school years starts in september and i dont wanna have to buy a new laptop just yet

thanks in advance.

Have you tried to boot Windows in safe mode? Just to see if that works.

When it comes up fine have you checked for Viruses, etc...? Also, run the built in error-checking utility for your HDD.

You could also try to do a repair of Windows if you the XP CD with you.

Other than that you'll probably have to Wipe your HDD and start from scratch.

Yeahh i checked 4 viruses with a few different scanners it looks fine.
ill try checking the hard drive for errors then.

btw im on vista and dont have the CD

Ive had a few machines die on me the same way. Always a slow death with the same symptoms.
Im really curious and determined to find the cause of this.

Just for info sake, your adapter is from the UK and runs at 230V and you used some kind of interface in California to use that same adapter to convert 110V mains supply to 230 V mains for your adapter?

Or you just bought a 110V adapter?

no its an adapter than can be configured to fit almost any kind of plug socket and plug any kind of plug into it.
Its is from the UK so i think the voltage should be fine.
I dunno about the volts n stuff though ill go check....

Input: 100-240VAC

max power: 550w at 220v

275w at 110v

Spoon Head, what's the model and make of your laptop? Acer?(it's just suggestion). it will be better if you tell me the laptop model.

It was custom built from PC specialist. the case doesnt have any branding or what not.

so, you mean, that you don't know the model of your laptop, i.e. this is barebone pc?

Yeah pretty much, doesn't help ehh?

I just realized today that it could be the updates to vista. on the odd occasion it will boot up perfectly fine. On these occasions windows will intall updates, and configure them when i shut down. then the problem then carries on.

i just realized that today after it booted up fine. ill let u know how i get on.