Packard Bell Easynote F5280 HR Laptop will not boot up

[Technowarrior]

Hi all

I would be greatfull for any help or advice.

This laptop is running windows XP Home Edition

I press the power button the fans start as expected.  Power light lit.  BIOS screen comes up most of the time!  I can access BIOS. Sometimes the Loading windows screen comes up and it tries to load windows.  Then there is a small clunk?  and the windows load stops and screen goes blank or freezes.  Mostly freezes.

I am unable to load LKGC.  Safe mode starts loads a few basic drivers then, clunk and the screen goes blank. Safe mode with networking and cmd prompt unavailable

I am unable to use the recovery program on the laptop.  I did press F11 to invoke Recovery but now screen tells me that NTDetect is checking hardware.........  Clunk and screen goes blank!

Any ideas?
Many Thanks

Technowarrior (The handle is because I have to fight my way through all this technology!)

[patio]

Not sure about your description of "clunk"...is this a sound or just a description of the issue ? ?

[Technowarrior]

Hi patio

Thanks for your interest.

The clunk is a sound that the laptop makes when it either goes blank or freezes.

Technowarrior

[patio]

Pull the removable CD-Rom drive out...that's probably the culprit and it has bitten the dust...
Unfortunately they are expensive to replace.

[Technowarrior]

Hi

I removed the CD ROM.  Same problem.  However, I moved on a bit and removed the case.  Reseated the HDD and switched on.  The recovery screen and mouse pointer appeared.  I elected not to do a recovery at that point just in case reseating the HDD did the trick.  Unfortunately during the windows loading the clunk occurred again and the screen froze.

I have established that the clunk is the HDD. 

Thinking about the whole issue.  I seem to get more response when the system is cold.  My thoughts turn to the processor.  Could it be overheating?  What do you think Patio?

Thanks

Technowarrior

[patio]

That HDD is going South...
best option at this point would be to recover whatever you need off of it...

                           


One of these will allow you to hook up that laptop drive to a desktop machine to do this...
About 8 Bucks at any PC store.

Then replace the HDD...

BTW they are called 2.5" HDD to IDE connectors.

[Technowarrior]

Thanks Patio

I will give that a try

Technowarrior

[patio]

Best of Luck and keep us posted...

[Technowarrior]

Update

Hello all.

Sorry for the delay in my update.  It appears that the prcessor was frie.  Obtained a second hand replacement and all was well.

Thanks for your help

Cheers

Technowarrior

[patio]

Good News and thanx for the update...