Need Some Computer Hardware Help!

[Vinny]

I am having a problem with my laptop, a Dell C610 about 6 to 8 years old and I think I know the answer but can sombody confirm it. The hard drive is about a year old.

My laptop was starting to have issues about 3 weeks ago, it gave my son an error (no clue what) and he had to shut it down.

I went to start it about 2 weeks ago and something was missing in the booting sequence so I repaired it with the XP disk and it worked fine for about a week. I started getting a blue screen and it would do a memory dump. At this point, I formatted the hard drive and reinstalled windows thinking it had a virus or something.

So I have a laptop with a formatted hard drive and Windows XP on it. I decided to add my networking card with software - a Linksys wireless G with it's software which worked well originally. I was able to connect to the internet and get a Windows update with it and then it started disconnecting and would connect again, eventually not connecting at all. I also tried to connect to some unsecured networks around my house and it had problems with that. I figured after fiddling with it and getting the Xbox configured and working in 5 minutes that it was the network card. So I purchased another network card, which I got and installed today.

As of tonight this is where I stand: My laptop seems to work OK except for networking. The Linksys software  shows that the network card is active, when I broadcast my SSID it sees it along with the other networks that are around my house. It knows that my network is secure as it asked me the codes to get in but it can't latch onto a signal, any signal. The card seems to be hot to the touch.

I'm thinking that something must have shorted ot the PCMICA slots - with kids who knows. Or do these slots go after a while. Any ideas?

If it's toast, I'll just have it for the school projects that the kids need to do and use a flash drive for them to transfer and print.

Thanks!

[NE-Phil]

Vinny,
Yeah, it could be a short somewhere on the mainboard or the slots but how about this?
When you reinstalled XP, did you also reinstall SP2? Many drivers don't work well without the service pack.
Just a thought,

Phil

[ndabunka]

First off, you need to set the wireless card aside for a bit and go back to using that old standby (the wired ethernet port).  Use it to dial back into the internet and complete the software and patch updates for your computer.  Since your not connected via wireless any longer, your shouldn't have the problems.  After all updates have been finished, go to the website of the wireless card vendor and download the drivers for your new wireless card directly onto your hard drive.  Then, when you stick the wireless card back in and it ask you "download drivers from the internet" respond with a NO and then direct it to your hard drive and load them from there.  That SHOULD take care of it.

If this doesn't work, it is quite possible that your hard drive an a few sectors that are going bad.  8 years is pretty long time even for a laptop HD.  You can usually get a replacement for it from eBay (pull it out, get the part numbers off of it and then put that into eBay and do a search).  You should be able to buy a replacement HD (used may be OK) for no more than $40.  Of course, after this you will still have to compeltely reload the new hard drive again so...

[Vinny]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I did install XP SP2 via CD before doing any other addition to the laptop.

My hard drive is only about a year old, I had to give the old hard drive back to the company so they could destroy it. When I reinstalled XP I had it reformat the drive, from what I remember from DOS days - format tells the OS to not put anything there. Is this still true?

Using the ethernet port never occured to me but this laptop was working with this software and SP2 update when I installed the original card. The new card did work for about 5 minutes yesterday then stopped. I bought the same card I had originally - Linksys Wireless G which I did get on ebay (New sealed box). I used the CD that came with the original card, maybe I'll try the new CD just in case something is different (updated drivers).

I may try the hardwired route but honestly this laptop worked without a problem for a long while so it not working has me believing it something more than drivers.

If you have any other ideas, please keep them coming.

Thanks!

[Vinny]

OK, I did some more troubleshooting ...

Based on ndabunka comment of put it on a wired connection - I did and it doesn't see the internet and windows is giving me the message that I have limited or no connectivity. There are times the warning goes away but for the most part it's there. I unplugged the connection and the red x came up on network and as soon as I plug it back I get that message.

I did install the card again before the wired attempt and it saw the connection with the same limited or no connectivity.

I am going to assume that the laptop is fried! I am guessing that whatever area of the motherboard controls the networking is not working. I am 99.9% sure it's not the wireless router as my son is online with his Xbox 360 wirelessly and I'm typing this on my desktop which is wired.

It was fun while it lasted!

[Mr._Bubbles]

You may want to open the network up completely and temporally disable all the security settings on your router and firewall.  Double check your computer settings (control panel, network connections) and make sure the network port is enabled.  If nothing helps, it probably is a hardware problem.

[Tman122]

I know exactly what your problem is and the easy fix....................the averge life span of a PC is 2-3 years!!!!

[Vinny]

I believe the router is not a secured router when the computer is hard wired. The security is eneabled for just the wireless portion so that neighbors and complete strangers can't get onto your network. Hardwired is the safest network and with DHCP it makes connecting to a network very easy... at least that has been my experience.

"I know exactly what your problem is and the easy fix....................the averge life span of a PC is 2-3 years!!!! "

As I was working on the computer, this is what I was thinking as well. Although I think the the physical life span is longer, the technological lifespan is about that. Thinking back on everything this laptop went through AFTER being a work computer - I got a lot of life from it. I have found it buried under blankets in the kids' rooms, battery totally drained and used on the bed with no air circulation by all of us.

I am calling the laptop officially gone. I am not replacing it at this point as my oldest is hopefully going to college next year and I will get him a laptop. The following year my youngest will be going into high school and then it'll be time to get another desktop unless this desktop doesn't last.

Thanks for all your help!

[Bonibelle]

Hey Vinny, Before you trash the lap top..there is a pretty good article in this month's PC World. (September) about breathing new life into your old lap top. It might be worth taking a look. The computer in the article is a Dell Inspiron 1505..don't know where your computer falls relative to that one but I am amazed at the upgrades that you can do on a lap top. Good luck

[gwstudios]

Ive had bad luck with the Linksys PCMCIA wireless G card too. It seems to have wrecked my ports on two different notebooks. I'd only use the USB versions from now on. I t connect whenever it wants to etc...

[Vinny]

My thinking is that all the new laptops have onboard wireless ... I won't be using another card!