Laptop freezes EVERYTIME it is turned on

[Thell]

As the subject states, it freezes EVERY time it is turned
on. It may freeze at boot up, or if I am extremely
fortunate it may wait up to an hour (extremely rare,
usually not more than a few minutes) while I am in the
middle of something. I have tried Win98SE, WinMe,
Win2000, WinXP (Home and Pro), and Win2003 Server. I
have tried reformatting the hard drive and installing
from factory disks as well as the QuickRestore disks that
came with it. (It is a Compaq Presario 731US, 1.2 Gig
Athlon, 512 MB RAM.)

At the time that it was purchased for me I was confined
to bed for 4 months and could not afford to be without due
to classes so I installed Linux and it ran just fine,
never once freezing. Classes changed and it was too late
to send it back to Compaq. So I started installing
various other Windows OS's all to no avail. The Windows
problem persisted. Have tried several versions of Linux
and even FreeBSD, and the problem disappears, never once
freezing up.

(So much for the little sticker that reads, "Designed for
Microsoft Windows XP".)

I really need it to work with Windows for school, so I
can install Visual Studio .NET.

PS. I have even tried installing WinXP in a virtual
machine on Linux using VMware, and the problem
disappeared. The problem with that solution is that it
was a trial version of VMware and I can't afford to buy
the full product.

 

[Rob Schneider]

As the subject states, it freezes EVERY time it is turned
on. It may freeze at boot up, or if I am extremely
fortunate it may wait up to an hour (extremely rare,
usually not more than a few minutes) while I am in the
middle of something. I have tried Win98SE, WinMe,
Win2000, WinXP (Home and Pro), and Win2003 Server. I
have tried reformatting the hard drive and installing
from factory disks as well as the QuickRestore disks that
came with it. (It is a Compaq Presario 731US, 1.2 Gig
Athlon, 512 MB RAM.)

At the time that it was purchased for me I was confined
to bed for 4 months and could not afford to be without due
to classes so I installed Linux and it ran just fine,
never once freezing. Classes changed and it was too late
to send it back to Compaq. So I started installing
various other Windows OS's all to no avail. The Windows
problem persisted. Have tried several versions of Linux
and even FreeBSD, and the problem disappears, never once
freezing up.

(So much for the little sticker that reads, "Designed for
Microsoft Windows XP".)

I really need it to work with Windows for school, so I
can install Visual Studio .NET.

PS. I have even tried installing WinXP in a virtual
machine on Linux using VMware, and the problem
disappeared. The problem with that solution is that it
was a trial version of VMware and I can't afford to buy
the full product.

My hunch: There is a hardware flaw, or a flaw in a hardware device, or
possibly a flawed memory. The reason it works in Linux is probably
because that OS provided a hardware device driver that wasn't flawed, or
ignored the device.

When the machine is working, look at the device lists (My Computer,
Properties) and see if any device is not functioning.

To protect your investment, contact Compaq and seek guidance.

If Linux works for you, use it. Set it up in dual-boot mode so that you
can use it while at the same time continue your crusade to make XP work.
You *might* be able to run Visual Studio .NET inside of Win4Lin which is
much less expensive than VMWare.

 

[Thell]

-----Original Message-----


My hunch: There is a hardware flaw, or a flaw in a hardware device, or
possibly a flawed memory. The reason it works in Linux is probably
because that OS provided a hardware device driver that wasn't flawed, or
ignored the device.

When the machine is working, look at the device lists (My Computer,
Properties) and see if any device is not functioning.

To protect your investment, contact Compaq and seek guidance.

If Linux works for you, use it. Set it up in dual-boot mode so that you
can use it while at the same time continue your crusade to make XP work.
You *might* be able to run Visual Studio .NET inside of Win4Lin which is
much less expensive than VMWare.

.

Thank you sir, I had forgotten about Win4Lin, since the
last time I used it it wouldn't run anything over WinMe.
And to work with my classes I am going to need to use the
extra features in VS.NET that are gained by running it on
WinXP Pro.

I shall certainly check out Win4Lin's lastest products!
(Unfortunately, I have already been into Device Manager
and Event Viewer numerous times and found no problems
evident.)

Thank you for the alternative insight, sometimes I fail
to see the forest for the trees.

Thank You!!!

 

[Rob Schneider]

hardware device, or


is probably


wasn't flawed, or


(My Computer,


mode so that you


to make XP work.


Win4Lin which is



Thank you sir, I had forgotten about Win4Lin, since the
last time I used it it wouldn't run anything over WinMe.
And to work with my classes I am going to need to use the
extra features in VS.NET that are gained by running it on
WinXP Pro.

I shall certainly check out Win4Lin's lastest products!
(Unfortunately, I have already been into Device Manager
and Event Viewer numerous times and found no problems
evident.)

Thank you for the alternative insight, sometimes I fail
to see the forest for the trees.

Thank You!!!

.... Please ensure you contact Compaq.

 

[Thell]

-----Original Message-----


.... Please ensure you contact Compaq.

.

It would seem that I have too... Win4Lin has plans to
support Win2k and WinXP, but not yet.