Author Topic: Problems with my computer's hardware?  (Read 26376 times)

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Offline avastuser1243

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Problems with my computer's hardware?
« on: March 22, 2014, 09:59:48 PM »
I'm pretty sure there is something wrong with the hardware in my computer but have no knowledge of computer hardware so I thought someone here might be able to help me work out what might be wrong with it. Before I explain what has happened/is happening, I just want to say that the computer has been scanned thoroughly with Avast (boot time and full scan) and Malwarebytes Pro weekly and Windows has been clean installed several times after deleting partitions so I find it highly unlikely that the system is infected.

I bought this laptop just over two years ago and a few months later problems started to develop. First of all, the hard drive light would flash constantly and I could hear the hard drive sort of 'overworking' intermittently when the system was idle. I thought there might be a problem but it wasn't causing any major disruption so I scanned the system, found no infections and just ignored this minor problem. This has continued since then and is happening as I am typing this message.
A few months later (about a year ago) flash stopped loading in web browsers (mainly Firefox) and the system 'froze' occasionally usually when it had to load a significant amount of data. There were also problems with the Avast sandbox. After searching the internet for help, nothing I found or could think of would solve these problems. I then upgraded the system from Windows 7 to Windows 8, thinking (foolishly) that it might solve these problems. Well, the problems with flash and Avast sandbox disappeared but all the other problems remained. Shortly after upgrading, maybe a month or so after, every time I switched the laptop on it would make a very loud beeping noise and other weird noises before Windows started to load and occasionally Windows did not load at all and I had to switch off the laptop by holding down the power button. After a few days, this seemed to sort itself out and hasn't happened again since.
The more minor problems, the occasional freezing requiring the system to be switched off manually via the power button and the hard drive light flashing constantly have persisted and a couple of weeks ago I did a boot time scan and found two CRC data errors which I sorted out with the help of this forum. Then today, the system froze and a very loud noise came from inside the computer and didn't stop until it was switched off.

I think there is something seriously wrong with this computer and I don't why most of the time it operates as if there is absolutely nothing wrong with it other than the hard drive light flashing constantly. Any help from anyone here to work out what is wrong would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and help.

   

Offline Pondus

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2014, 10:36:13 PM »
scroll down to OTL instructions..... attach (not copy and paste) OTL diagnostic log     http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0

see Attachments and other options below the box you write in here......


Offline bob3160

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2014, 10:56:10 PM »
scroll down to OTL instructions..... attach (not copy and paste) OTL diagnostic log     http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0

see Attachments and other options below the box you write in here......


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Offline avastuser1243

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2014, 11:17:35 PM »
Thank you Pondus and bob3160 for your replies. I have attached the logs to this post. I didn't try running the scan from aswMBR.exe as it says on the other thread that it's not compatible with Windows 8.

Can i just confirm that it's safe to post the information from the logs online?


« Last Edit: March 23, 2014, 12:48:16 AM by avastuser1243 »

Offline essexboy

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2014, 11:22:03 PM »
Hi I believe we may be looking at a hard drive problem here

Could you initially run a chkdsk as detailed here http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6221-chkdsk-check-drive-errors-windows-8-a.html  and let me know the result

Offline avastuser1243

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2014, 11:34:38 PM »
Hi I believe we may be looking at a hard drive problem here

Could you initially run a chkdsk as detailed here http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6221-chkdsk-check-drive-errors-windows-8-a.html  and let me know the result

Thank you for your reply. I ran chkdsk from 'Properties' in 'This PC', it said no errors were found.


Can anyone else use the information from those logs I posted maliciously?


 
« Last Edit: March 22, 2014, 11:36:11 PM by avastuser1243 »

Offline essexboy

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2014, 11:38:06 PM »
When you swith the computer on and get the beep is it a long or a short one ?   What make is the laptop

Offline avastuser1243

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2014, 11:40:17 PM »
When you swith the computer on and get the beep is it a long or a short one ?   What make is the laptop

It's an Acer. The beeping noise just continued until I swictched off the computer.

Offline essexboy

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2014, 11:47:01 PM »
Hmm that could be the keyboard or a connector, I will have to research this a bit

Offline avastuser1243

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2014, 11:51:07 PM »
Hmm that could be the keyboard or a connector, I will have to research this a bit

OK, thanks. Can someone please answer: is it safe to have posted those logs from OTL publicly on this forum? I mean could someone use the information maliciously to hack into my computer or something?

Offline schmidthouse

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2014, 11:57:30 PM »
Hmm that could be the keyboard or a connector, I will have to research this a bit

OK, thanks. Can someone please answer: is it safe to have posted those logs from OTL publicly on this forum? I mean could someone use the information maliciously to hack into my computer or something?

I don't see how, you're in good hands with essexboy  ;)

Offline avastuser1243

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2014, 12:05:38 AM »
Hmm that could be the keyboard or a connector, I will have to research this a bit

OK, thanks. Can someone please answer: is it safe to have posted those logs from OTL publicly on this forum? I mean could someone use the information maliciously to hack into my computer or something?

I don't see how, you're in good hands with essexboy  ;)

OK, thanks. I meant like a random person could see it though.

Offline bob3160

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2014, 12:36:56 AM »
Hmm that could be the keyboard or a connector, I will have to research this a bit

OK, thanks. Can someone please answer: is it safe to have posted those logs from OTL publicly on this forum? I mean could someone use the information maliciously to hack into my computer or something?

I don't see how, you're in good hands with essexboy  ;)

OK, thanks. I meant like a random person could see it though.
Anyone with access to this forum can download and look at the logs.
I've never had a problem from attaching logs. :)

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Offline essexboy

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2014, 12:37:10 PM »
Before we start looking at connections inside the computer lets test the memory first

Could you follow the steps here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows7/diagnosing-memory-problems-on-your-computer starting at :

To run the Memory Diagnostics Tool manually

Then let me know the result

Also any data in the OTL log is basically useless to any one who wishes to hack/track you :)

Offline avastuser1243

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Re: Problems with my computer's hardware?
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2014, 01:05:54 PM »
Before we start looking at connections inside the computer lets test the memory first

Could you follow the steps here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows7/diagnosing-memory-problems-on-your-computer starting at :

To run the Memory Diagnostics Tool manually

Then let me know the result

Also any data in the OTL log is basically useless to any one who wishes to hack/track you :)

Hi, thanks for your time. The memory test didn't detect any issues.


Also, thanks to you and bob3160 for reassuring me about the logs.  :)