The computer is a HP TC1100, 1.1 ghz pentium m processor, 1.25 gb RAM, 40 gb HD, running Windows XP Tablet edition.
The symptoms are pretty strange. It started on Friday (I am 13 hours ahead of CST so the timing might seem strange). I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary when a blue screen flashed up and my computer went dead. It wasn’t the BSOD, but it was only up for a half second so I was unable to see what it said. After that happened I wasn’t able to start the computer at all. If I took out the battery and unplugged the computer, then plugged it back in I was able to power it on. But all that happened would be the HD and such would spool up for 3 seconds, then the computer would go dead like someone unplugged it. After that hitting the power button would do nothing. I would have to unplug it and take out the battery to do the start up for 3 seconds and go dead dance. I left the computer unplugged with no battery on Friday night.
Saturday afternoon I plugged it in and the computer started up with no problem. Everything starts up ok and the “Windows has recovered from a serious error” message comes up. I click “don’t send” and boom, blue screen comes back and the computer goes dead. Exhibits the same start up/go dead behavior as on friday. I leave the computer unplugged with no battery again Saturday to Sunday.
Sunday comes and the computer boots ok, but this time I shut down the computer ASAP, before it is fully booted. The computer shuts down successfully and I leave it for a few minutes before trying to start it up. I don’t remember exactly what happened next, but it either started exhibiting the same symptoms again, or I was able to boot up again and got the blue screen. I leave it unplugged with no battery again on Sunday night.
Monday morning I get to work and the computer isn’t working, exhibiting the same symptoms. I mess around with it for an hour or so, unplugging and trying to start up. For some reason it works. I am writing this post on it now afraid to restart or hit anything on the “Windows has recovered from a serious error” message. Everything appears to be working fine. I have 1.6 gb free on my HD, and all of my RAM is recognized.
No new software was installed in the 3-5 days before this started happening, and no new hardware has been added.
Quick WAG: memory error? They do tend to cause the kind of intermittent problem you’ve been describing. If you’ve got a memory check in the BIOS Setup, turn it on. It might be turned on by selected “Full POST” or “Disable Quick Boot” or some such option. It might not catch the error, of course, but if it does, you’ll have an idea where the problem is.
I believe we have a winner. It crashed again after I wrote the OP and I spied “Physical Memory Error” on the blue screen. I took out my 1 GB stick and it started up right away. On the plus side it’s running, but on hte down side it’s running with 256k of RAM.
Many motherboards don’t really “like” running with non-identical memory cards (e.g., the 256 + 1G you had installed) – these combos usually but not always work! – so that might be it. Or maybe the 1G card just went bad. Or maybe it was just inserted poorly in its slot and can work if re-inserted properly…
Try to get somebody who does this kind of stuff for a living to take a peek (if it’s a work computer, call the SysAdmin). Also, I’d recommend trying to remove the 256 memory card and try just the 1G. If it doesn’t work, you have a working config. you can go back to (just the 256), so what’s to lose…? (It’s also a good way to troubleshoot what the trouble source is – the 1G card itself, or the 256/1G combination)
It worked without a problem for almost a year, and my CPU just died out of the blue so I don’t think it was the installation or a combination problem. I’ll try reseating it when I get home, but I don’t have high hopes.
The 256 stick is not user servicible as far as I know. Thanks for the suggestions though.
That sounds an awful lot like what happened to me, twice. The first time was after I had used it for six months. I had bought it locally at a dealer so I took it back. He sent it back to the manufacturer (Toshiba) who replaced the mother board. Six months later (barely under warranty), it happened again. Back to the dealer and to the manufacturer to replace the mother board again. (Who knows what they actually replaced?) This time, though, it came back with the query, did I actually use it on my laptop? I do, or rather did. I was told that laptop computers are not actually made to be used on laptops as that covers the air intake vent. Who knew? Silly me, thinking that laptops were made to be used on laps. Now I have a tray under it. It has been about five months. We’ll see. Previous models didn’t suffer from this; perhaps their ventilation was different. But why aren’t there temperature sensors to shut the machine down before it is destroyed?