HELP--Computer keeps shutting down

[Pappion]

Black screen, no power. For 4 days, it'll come up for a while then
everything goes "black." Left it for 24 hrs and on tonight, but holding my
breath. New HP Invent business desktop. XP Pro, all Windows updates
auto.installed. Nothing new on Add/Remove Programs, AdAware, Spy Blaster,
AVG all negative. Just backed up one folder on My Documents effectively. My
Epson 4180 is still disconnected--I had disconnected all peripherals early
yestday, and plugged computer into separate wall plug from others on
suppressor.

Have no idea how you'll reach me if I'm down. Duh! I can look up Elephant
Boy's toll free number maybe, if I can before I crash again. Sheesh. HP had
put all new parts in CPU 2 months ago because things were never right with
this new computer--I've owned computers since the Atari--1970s, never saw
anything like this. SpyBlaster had only removed 3 items and that was back on
10/21--something about multiple mouse pointers, and MS warning that my AV
wasn't on (I switched to AVG), and something else insignificant, esp. in re.
to date. This began on 11/21 PM by shutting down w/o any apparent reason or
losses, twice in one evening.

I thought it may be our electricity--so checked house clocks! :-(( Next AM
it came up in safe mode, but w/o screen reader I could not select an option,
but did reboot, and had time to go in put System Restore back on--MS tech in
India had told me to check it so it wouldn't be on, about 6 months ago. So,
its on now, but I could not "see" any choice to take computer back to
specific time/date, etc.

Thank you.

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[DL]

Its new? contact HP

 

[Pappion]

OK!

Its new? contact HP

 

[Malke]

OK!

(snip)

To go on record, Elephant Boy Computers (me) does *not* have a toll-free
number. Occasionally I get a call from outside my service area because
someone has seen my posts and/or website and the person thinks I would
enjoy doing more free tech support.

I do computer repair/tech support for a living, not for practice. The MS
newsgroups are my pro bono tech support work. As far as Elephant Boy
Computers is concerned, if someone is not in the Fresno, California
(USA) area and they need tech support, they should call someone local.
If the person is in a very interesting area of the world and would like
to send me airline tickets and put me up a decent hotel, etc. that's
another story. ;-)

Oh, and I totally agree with DL: new machine acting up like that, it's
probably defective. Call HP or take it back to wherever you bought it
immediately for replacement.

Malke

 

[CWatters]

Black screen, no power. For 4 days, it'll come up for a while then
everything goes "black." Left it for 24 hrs and on tonight, but holding my
breath. New HP Invent business desktop.

New => take it back for refund?

 

[***** charles]

(snip)

To go on record, Elephant Boy Computers (me) does *not* have a toll-free
number.

<snip> <snip>

If owner reflashes the bios/cmos and lowlevels the hard drives and
reinstalls
the software from scratch from the cd's that came with it or were built AND
it still acts up - TAKE IT BACK. That way you are eliminating the
possibility of a low level virus and you can tell HP that it is a hardware
problem. At least give them the chance to do the right thing.

later,
charles......

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Would "reflashes the bios/cmos" invalidate the warranty?

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Pappion]

Malke, I understand, I'm a writer and do nothing probono, except for
healthcare entities without any funds.

Second, I don't know how to " If owner reflashes the bios/cmos and lowlevels
the hard drives..."

Just an FYI when we first uninstalled and re-installed all the CDs (Windows,
MS Office and my adaptive programs), we also discovered that MS's CD
packages (2) had a different serial number than was on their CDs. So, we had
to get permission from MS to re-install them. Lovely.

Agree with all of you--I have a 3-yr in-house warranty, and a copy of it
sits in the tray of myReader.com. HP surely does NOT make it easy to contact
them, so I phoned the gentleman who's name and phone # were on the warranty.

I've gone through problems with this HP Business Desk Top when it was new
(Nov 2005) but HP couldn't "find" it in their records--same thing last
night. Turned out three months ago when I gave up and contacted the Chairman
of HP we discovered that the serial and model #s on the CPU case are
different from in My Computer/Properties--I make a screen print and included
it in a letter to the latter. I, legally blind, discovered that.

It made the difference between a "notebook" and business desk top
computer--warrantied for in-home service for 3 years. They sent someone out
and he replaced some parts in the CPU and said "Its a mess..." Ya, no
kidding.

But, since I've turned System Restore back on, and ran all utilities, at
least yesterday, I was able to be up and running to the wee hours to catch
up...but HP still denied knowing this unit exists. LOL So, back I went to
the chairman.

There's no indication of power in Windows Task Manager unless I hit
"Refresh" several times, then it jacks into action.

Thank you all--

 

[Pappion]

Believe me, I would if I could...I have ~$50K of equipment in my office,
incl. a pneumatic desk top which holds the CPU suspended and it can be
pulled outward, and rotated--to accommodate my wheelchair. HP sold it to the
State, on their contract, so they'll be shoveling out the cave on Monday. I
think we're tired of this.

Thank you, again.

 

[Pappion]

Oh hec, that's a point. Good thing I don't know how to do it using dictation
and a screen reader. ;-))