Laptop start up issues - help needed

[david3103]

So, I switch the laptop on, it whirs away and a couple of little lights come on on the keypad but nothing else happens

This happened last week and eventually after much TIOATIOA it started normally.

Today, that isn't working, yet.


Any ideas or suggestions?

[hector62]

Try starting it without the power lead in.

[david3103]

Try starting it without the power lead in.

Thanks, I have tried that, and with it in, also tried taking out the battery for a while before restarting it.

[titaniumbean]

when you do finally get it working is it very slow or anything out of the ordinary?

when you next get it on ok, try restarting it in safe mode (Press F8 as you turn on your computer and it will give you a list of options including 'boot in safe mode').

This strips it of all the faff and just loads the bare bones, if you still have a problem, then you have a large problem. if it works absolutely fine then something installed is causing the issue.

if you cant get it to turn on at all with any regularity then depending on what it is used for/how old etc then gg. you may well want to try and get the contents of the hard drive either  by backing up when it finally works, or by taking the drive out and plugging it in elsewhere or by going to a not cheap specialist to have it recovered for you.

GL

[doubleup]

I had this with a very old laptop - sometimes started sometimes didn't - and eventually it became an ex-laptop.....

So as titbeam said if you can get it going save anything you want to keep.

[redarmi]

I had a similar problem just before Xmas where mine wouldnt start periodically and then quickly just wouldnt start at all.  Recovering the hard drive if neccesary seems to be just about your best option.

[kinboshi]

Did this start happening after you received Ironside's RSQ entry?

[david3103]

Did this start happening after you received Ironside's RSQ entry?

Has he infected me?

Thanks for all the suggestions and words of doom and advice.

I managed to get it running by a constant repetition of TIOATIOA and then left it for a while, obviously that meant it hibernated and wouldn't wake up so I now have RSI from a further bout of TIOATIOA  but it is on and the power save settings are all set so that it won't sleep or hibernate or power off until I tell it to (or it overheats...)

Meantime I'm looking for places to store what little stuff on it that is worth saving before attempting to work out what needs to be done to fix it properly.