BSOD

[taimatsu]

Argh, I have a computer problem!

I started up my rickety laptop this morning, and it got to the black Windows screen with the little progress bar, and then flashed a blue screen at me and restarted. It has done this repeatedly now. I have started in Safe Mode with Networking, and am hence actually online and functional, but this is plainly not ideal. I have had devce driver issues in the past, so I suspect that is the problem, but I am going to need advice on dealing with it. As a first step, I am looking up how to change the System Failure = Auto-Restart option as it is preventing me actually reading the blue-screen message.

Geeks: What do I do after that?

Comments

[diffrentcolours]

Install Debian ;)

Seriously though, I can give you an account on the desktop to use (now pointyhairedone is away) for today. It's got OpenOffice, Firefox, Kopete for MSN and other stuff.

[taimatsu]

Yes, a desktop account would be really helpful. I will save needed files via gmail. Can you set it up remotely?

[diffrentcolours]

Yep. Since the desktop isn't directly accessible via the internet, I'll set the password to "taimatsu" for now. I'd appreciate it if you changed it though - run a Konsole terminal window (like you'd do to log into chiark) and type "passwd" to change it.

I'll need you to go turn the desktop on first though ;)

[taimatsu]

Desktop now on. I am going to have bath, add some dates to diary, and make a detailed stuff-to-do list before I get to grips with technology any further. :)

Thank you! *kiss*

[diffrentcolours]

I've added the new account for you, so you should be able to just log in when you're back.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

My first instinct would be to try running an Ubuntu Live CD - if it hiccups lots and lots and lots and lots, it might be a hardware problem rather than a device driver problem.

I am not a geek, though.

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

This was my thought too.
Also: copy your important stuff off it to network or memory stick or whatever ASAP, if you haven't already done it. If you have an impending hardware doom situation, you want your data safe.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

I am not a geek, though.

Oh yes you are!

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Once you're able to read the BSOD message, searching the Web for that error will probably prove helpful -- I've found fixes that way on two such occasions. Depending on which version of Windows you're using, an install / rescue CD or boot floppy with chkdsk on it may prove helpful, in case it turns out to be a hard drive error of some sort.

OTOH you can get away with Safe Mode with Networking for quite a while if you don't need to do any printing etc ;-)

memtest

[diffrentcolours]

If you don't get anywhere with the BSOD error message...

Somewhere on the desk in the front room should be a CD-R labelled "System Rescue CD". You could try booting your laptop from this CD, and when you get to the boot prompt, type "memtest" (I think, you can press F2 to read the options) to run a memory checker. That's a good first step in diagnosing a BSOD.