Time for a new laptop?

Masomnia

I'm a bit of a thicko when it comes to these things and could do with some input.

My laptop is definitely starting to give up the ghost. Compaq Presario over 2 years old, won't start up properly, apparently down to a failing motherboard, and has started making strange 'purring' noises when running.

Is it worth paying to get it repaired? If it is the motherboard, I expect it will be fairly costly to get done.

My thinking is, by the time I've paid for parts and labour I may as well have bought a new one off eBuyer; there's one or two on there that I like the look of. I've had it over two years, not sure that's a long time, but monthly it works out about the same cost as my phone, so I can't complain too much about that. You get what you pay for, and in laptop terms it wasn't expensive.

I reckon something like this looks a good spec for the money. Any thoughts?

Figment

2 years may be a long time in terms of the advances in technology since you bought it, but isn't a long time in terms of ownership (I'm typing this on a 6 year old machine)

How do you know it's 'apparently down to a failing motherboard'

Are the 'strange 'purring' noises when running' constant or intermittent?

Any crashes / blue screens / other errors?

Any clicking noises?


What version of Windows is it running?

Masomnia

I googled the problems I was having with the starting up, machine starts but nothing happens on screen, doing a hard reset seemed to help, which on the website I saw suggested motherboard problems.

Once it's got going it's fine apart from the noise, which is constant. No clicking noises.

It's Windows 7. If it's something easy enough to fix I'd rather do that, but I don't see the point in spending money to get it repaired when I didn't spend all that much and would only be buying a cheap-ish one anyway.

closed

turn off hibernation/power saving

if that doesn't work, reinstall windows (after backing up)

If it really is a motherboard fault, use the sale of goods act

Figment

Do you usually shutdown (power off) or use hibernate / sleep?

How are you doing the hard reset?

do you use it mainly on your lap / floor / bed or on a table/desk?

Any smokers in the house? Any pets?

Which model Presario?

Masomnia

I use hibernate all the time now, as it 'wakes up' fine, it's only when it's shut down and restarted that I have problems. Previously I shut it down mostly, hibernate sometimes.

Hard reset by unplugging everything including the battery and holding down the power button for over 15 seconds. I do use it on the bed sometimes but mainly on the desk; no smokers, no pets.

Thanks for taking the time here btw

Figment

Click start. Type event in the search box, Click on Event Viewer in Programs category. Click Applications and Services Logs. Click Hardware events. wait for the log to load. How many events are listed (see top of screen)

Figment

If hibernate works OK, it is unlikely to be a hardware problem IMO

Does it start up OK in Safe Mode? From a power off state Power On > Press F8 key once per second until a menu appears > Select Safe Mode with Networking Loads of text will scroll up the screen and when (if) it loads the desktop will look strange (both are normal) If it gets this far, then click Start and select restart so it boots normally

Masomnia

Figment wrote: »

Click start. Type event in the search box, Click on Event Viewer in Programs category. Click Applications and Services Logs. Click Hardware events. wait for the log to load. How many events are listed (see top of screen)

Ah! None.

So a software problem?

LincolnshireYokel

Two years? Time to reinstall windows from scratch, if you can do a low level format on the HDD even better. Make sure you have all your drivers on a cd or memory stic, and make sure you got all your licence keys written down before you start.

Figment

The purring sound could be the fan or vent clogged up with fluff. Depending on access, cleaning may require removal of a small flap on the bottom of the unit, or possibly the bottom cover completely.