Laptop will boot only after sitting for months, then freezes

[Misfit]

Initially got a CMOS error and clock and date was off. Then no boot. No fan. Some lights worked, but no hard drive activity.

Got it to boot a couple weeks later. Ran check disk, fixed a couple errors. Ran Norton, found only 1 peice of spyware related to my atomic clock (sees connection between CMOS error and atomic clock). No viruses.

Give up. Wait another month. Boots up. Runs for 2 hours while I back up my files. Shut it off. Won't boot.

Wait 3 months. Boots up. Removes atomic clock. Restart. Freeze. Shut off. No boot.

Time to replace it, or can it be fixed? If it can't be fixed, please recommend a laptop with a 15" screen for under $2,000.

The demon in question is an Emachine M5305 running Windows XP Home/Mobile AMD Athlon XP-M 2200+ processor w/QuantiSpeed/512 MB DDR (PC 2100), 40 GB HDD, DVD/CD-RW combo, ATI Radeon IGP 320M. I don't know what kind of motherboard I have and it won't boot up so I can find out.

Muchos gracias. :wave:

 

[Misfit]

I took it apart. The inside was covered with dust. Probably got too hot and fried whatever.

Ordered a Twinhead N15RB.

I'm not sure why no one replied. What did I do wrong?

 

[RealBlackStuff]

You didn't do anything wrong. Guess nobody had an answer for your problems, that's all.
Did you get it going after you got rid of the dust?

 

[Phantasm66]

You didn't do anything wrong, don't worry.

 

[Misfit]

No, it didn't boot after I put it back together. I took it to the local fix it shop and they bought it minus the hard drive (I kept it because of financial info on it) for $100. They specialize in refurbed laptops and thought there might be a few good remaining parts they could use.

I'm done with off the shelf computers. I think I'll be happy with the Twinhead.

One question tho - it comes with Windows XP Home, w/o SP 1 and 2. Do I install Norton AV before I do the updates or do I install the updates first?

Thanks for responding.

 

[Molson316]

I would put the 2 SP's and all other updates for windows on your comp first. Then I would install Norton, and ensure it has the latest virus defs

 

[Misfit]

Thanks, Molson316.

I'll do a review on the Twinhead. I think I'm going to like it.

 

[patio]

If you have SP2 there is no need to install SP1...It is all inclusive.

patio.

 

[Molson316]

Yes lol patio is right. Mistake on my part. Thats what happens when you don't have your morning coffee.

 

[Misfit]

If you have SP2 there is no need to install SP1...It is all inclusive.

patio.

Thank you for pointing that out. I wasn't aware it works that way. I have SP2 on a disk.

Muchos gracias.

 

[patio]

No problem, and Welcome Aboard...
What part of OHIO ? ? i have some family up there.

patio

 

[Misfit]

No problem, and Welcome Aboard...
What part of OHIO ? ? i have some family up there.

patio

Thanks. I'm in Toledo.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

And if you have any sense, do NOT buy or install Norton, you're going to regret it!
free.grisoft.com for the free verseion of AVG antivirus
www.agnitum.com for the free version of Outpost firewall

 

[IronDuke]

I was about to say SP2 and updates then AVG - but, RBS has beaten me to it.

 

[Misfit]

And if you have any sense, do NOT buy or install Norton, you're going to regret it!
free.grisoft.com for the free verseion of AVG antivirus
www.agnitum.com for the free version of Outpost firewall

I've used Norton forever, like since 1994. I've never had a problem with it. Specifically, what are the problems?

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Take a look around the Windows OS and the Misc. Software forums, check out the Norton or Symantec names in the titles (or do a search there).
They are enormous resource-hogging bloatware crap programs, that impede or even block other programs. The majority there agrees about the crap-aspect, especially of the 2005 series.