[Solved] NLS Data missing ... Acer Aspire 5742 374G32Mnkk ... Windows 7 Home Prem OA

[KenB]

284.99GB NTFS C: Healthy System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition. 94% free

This is more than enough.

 

Install Speccy please

http://www.piriform.com/speccy

(free version)

 

What does it say regarding the CPU ?

[Ray1000]

That's a handy program Ken,

 

I'm just going to put the same thing on the new laptop and see how they compare CPUwise.

 

Ray

[Ray1000]

Yes they are almost identical with only the "Stepping" and the "Revision" being different ... but they are different spec machines the one we are working on having 4GB of ram while the other has only 3GB.

 

I'll just check a few more comparisons.

 

When I tested the machines side by side the new one is faster starting and stopping even though it has more programs loaded.

 

The "faulty" one is now doing everything you would expect but in a slower fashion.

 

Ray

[Ray1000]

In Motherboard ... Chipset Revision 12 on new one ... 02 on "Faulty" one

 

The Graphics driver version is newer on the "Faulty" machine

 

Having compared all the detail on the two machines I think it might be as good as it gets ... unless the Chipset Revision is significant.

 

Ray

[KenB]

Let me know what the CPU details say please :)

On the problem machine.

[Ray1000]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/JRD81/CIMG9865.jpg

[KenB]

Intel Core i3 370M

Just wanted to confirm that this is a 64 bit processor.

 

Did you try the RAM one at a time ?

[Ray1000]

Thanks Ken,

 

I'll take the RAM out and check tommorow.

 

Ray

[KenB]

Let us know the results :)

[Ray1000]

Hi Ken,

 

I could never be accused of coming on here for something simple ....

 

I checked the RAM and everything seemed OK ... and it passes the initial Windows memory tests.

 

From running at 95% proper last night ... tonight it won't start.:(

 

At some point the HD light wouldn't come on ... ran the HD in the enclosure ... replaced it in the laptop and the blue light lit.

 

Message comes up "Your computer failed to start" then it goes through the Start Up Repair ... then says it can't repair it ... and strangely would you like to end S/U Repair and restart the machine ... when you say yes it goes round in a circle failing to start. Tried it 10 times.

 

Apart from looking at the RAM nothing has changed from last night.

 

Being used to XP I would expect when it's set to boot from CD and the W7 disc is in, it would offer to repair the problem using the W7 disc ... but it doesn't ... instead it uses the primary part of the hard drive containing the System Repair.:(

 

This had me wondering if the DVD was disconnected or faulty but it's not ... physically removed the DVD and started the machine ... it was exactly the same apart from no DVD option in F12 ... it is therefore seeing the DVD when it's fitted.

 

Just tried setting to boot from CD and put the Ubuntu disc in to see what happens ... message "windows failed to start. A recent hardware change may etc" ... changes to "Loading files" ... then goes onto "Your computer was unable to start Startup Repair is checking your system for problems ..." if I wait long enough it will say it could not repair and would you like to exit SUR and restart the computer ... err no I wouldn't

 

It's a mystery.

 

Ray

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Ray, in Kens absence, you can get this error if the RAM is duff, missing, or in this case possibly not seated correctly back in it's socket or sockets, check them please just to makes sure considering you have had them out.

 

Nev.

[Ray1000]

Thank you Nev,

 

I have just checked them again I'll give it another try.

 

Ray

[Ray1000]

Hi Nev,

 

A quick look on Google I can see what you mean ... it seems there is a need to "Clear the CMOS" when the RAM has been out?

 

The article mentioned disconnecting the PSU cable ... I'm wondering if removing the main battery, and the CMOS battery for a while will do it ...

 

Ray

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Ray, if you can get at the small CMOS battery, in laptops, quite often it means a complete strip down to get at the motherboard, but certainly worth a try.

 

Nev.

[Ray1000]

The cmos as accessible on this one Nev,

 

Removed the main battery and the cmos a couple of times but it makes no difference :(

 

Ray

[KenB]

Hi Ray

 

I wonder if a new hard drive is called for?

 

Put the problem hard drive back into the enclosure and connect it to the USB port of the working machine.

 

Look in Computer and make a note of the drive letter allocated to the main partition ( the biggest ) on the problem drive.

 

Then goto Start and type in ....cmd ...... then right click on cmd.exe that appears top left of screen > Run as Administrator

At the command prompt type ....... chkdsk X: /r /f .......assuming X: is the drive letter of your external hard drive.

There is a gap between each element.

 

Let us know if any errors are found.

 

I know you have done this once before.

You also have a Seatools Disk.

Try running this from the working machine and run a check on the problem drive.

Any errors - replace the hard drive.

[Ray1000]

Thank you Ken,

 

I'll check that.

 

You don't think it has anything to do with checking the RAM? ... the Windows memory test still comes out with no faults found.

 

I may open up the other laptop (Sony Vaio PCG 7144M on Vista ) they brought round at the same time ... if it is a Sata HD I might benefit from swapping them round. Having said that, looking back, the Seatools for DOS scan said it had a faulty HD. The two laptops belong to two sisters ... it'll be good if it turns out they have both managed to do the hard drives in!

 

Ray

[Ray1000]

Tried several times ... It says "Cannot open the volume for direct access" it says this on both partitions G: and H:

 

As a check, I tried typing it wrong ... leaving a space out ... and it said did not recognise the command ... so I presumably have the correct command.

 

Is there another command I could try to see if it does anything. Tried /r without the /f but that came up with the same message

 

Ray

[Plastic Nev]

From a fresh start without the checkdisk running or trying to run, can you access any part of the drive now?

Also try the Seatools disk again.

Nev.

[Ray1000]

In the enclosure and connected to the desktop in the way a storage HD would be ... it does nothing ... a message comes up, "Windows Delayed write failed etc" ... the drive can be seen in My Computer (XP) but when clicking onto it with the intention of trying to copy something to it it says ... H: is not accessible I/O device error.

 

I'll search out a new HD ... Any suggestions of where to get one from would be helpful.

 

I'll move onto the Sony in the meantime ... that probably needs a new HD as well.

 

Thanks again,

 

Ray

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Ray, for replacement drive, just type in Hard drives into Google, and look around for prices, Amazon may be OK but there are so many other online dealers, it pays to look around as prices can vary, might even get one cheap enough just calling into your local high street computer shop. I picked up a 500GB desktop one for under £50 recently from a reputable shop in town three weeks ago. Saved all the messing about ordering online, then waiting for the parcel to arrive.

 

Nev.

[Ray1000]

I'm sure you're right Nev, I'll ring round the local Computer shops on Monday.

 

Ray

[Plastic Nev]

Do check on line before then for price comparisons Ray, might be something available cheaper locally, but until you look you won't know.

 

Looking just on Amazon there are 200GB drives for around £30, or £50 for 500GB on average for 2.5 inch laptop drives here=

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_kk_2?rh=i%3Acomputers%2Ck%3Ainternal+hard+drives+2+5&keywords=internal+hard+drives+2+5&ie=UTF8&qid=1364077167

 

The Toshiba or Samsung are pretty reliable drives as well as the more well known Western Digital and Seagate.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

I agree Ray - sounds like a new hard drive is needed. ( I think I said this some time back :) )

[Ray1000]

I agree Ray - sounds like a new hard drive is needed. ( I think I said this some time back :) )

 

You did Ken, :)

 

If there's anything redeeming about the long winded approach, I've learned a lot from you and Nev during the process.

 

While the HD spec says ... "320GB WD3200BEVT 22A23T0" ... is the 22A23T0 part important ... Is it the case that any +100GB SATA 2.5" HD would do? Or do drives intended for Windows 7 need to be of a particular type?

 

Ray