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Problem with XPSM1530

  • 08-09-2009 01:42AM
    #1
    Dartz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,439 ✭✭✭


    This is another strange one.

    Basically, up until about 5 minutes ago, my laptop wouldn't boot. It wouldn't even get passed the BIOS splash screen. The DvD drive spun up, but the progress bar froze at less than a quarter full and didn't move.

    I powered off manually by holding the power button down.

    When I tried to start it again, it did the same thing.

    Third time, I removed the AC plug, the battery and held the power button down. Then replaced the battery. Now, it booted cleanly. I put it into setup, checked a few things then exited and restarted.

    Again it froze.... same procedure over and I managed to get it to boot to Linux.

    It has an ongoing problem with the webcam, where one of the cables to it has frayed inside it's sheath, so it mounts and unmounts itself pretty regularly if the lid is moved (especially a problem with windows, though not as much on Linux) There was also a slight keyboard problem where the spacebar would stick on from time to time.

    It's been a problem since May or so... I called Dell about replacing the camera, but I was informed it would cost 100 Euro to fix (I have 2 years left on the warranty, but it isn't covered apparently), so I just didn't bother.

    Could the two problems be related.

    If it's relevant, I run Windows7 64-bit, and Xubuntu Linux 64-bit.

    It's happened before back in July, but it's a very difficult glitch to reproduce deliberately.

    EDIT: I just rebooted quite happily from within Linux with no special mucking around. The problem seems to be POST related, but Google hasn't been helpful. The last time the problem happened it was after ****ting down Windows.... and the same before it happened this time too. What would Windows do on shutdown to trigger this, that Linux doesn't?


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