emachines w3107 question

[dedmunne]

My girlfriend has left this comp running 24/7and we've had the comp. for
about 2 years with no problems until yesterday when a storm knocked out
the electricity and ALL that appears on the screen now is this
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MediaShield ROM BIOS 6.33
Copyright (C) 2005 NVIDIA Corp.


Detecting array ...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

She rebooted several times and a couple of times " Windows
root\system32\hal.dll. is missing " appeared on the screen .

We first tried the "Recovery Disc" that came with the comp. and tried
both the "Destructive" repair and the "with Back-up" repair options to
no avail and now when you reboot the only thing on the screen besides
the eMachines logo is

BOOT Menu F10
BIOS Settings F2

in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

When I tried the Recovery Disc,it says "restore in progress" but it
gets about 50% through the "formating harddrive" or "file
back-up",according to which option you choose,and then stops,screen
goes blank and then a royal blue screen saying
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
" A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent
damage to your computer.

KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR

If this is the first time you've seen this error screen blah blah
blah.

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed
blah blah blah.

If problems continue,disable or remove new hardware or software blah
blah blah. "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
My comp was also plugged in but was turned off,since I wasnt using
it,and both have surge protectors but the DSL is hooked to hers and
mine is Wireless Router so a surge may have came through the Phone line
but who knows.

Does anyone have any suggestions other than taking it to a comp. tech
because it would probably be cheaper to just buy a new one that would
be better and about as cheap as a repair?


If a new one is the best option...is it better to turn Comps. off when
you're NOT using them or does it really matter because I see it as
leaving you car running 24/7 and not expecting premature failure?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.




--
dedmunne

 

[R. McCarty]

Re: emachines w3107 question

Not sure about repair or replacement, but Surge protection isn't enough
to protect your system. You need a Universal Power Supply (UPS). It
used to be an expensive item, but these days you can get one for ~$40.
It's not just surges that damage electronic equipment, but momentary
loss of power ( brown outs ) can also cause problems. Every summer I
have more than a few customer whose Wireless Routers fail due to
these Brown-Out power events.

On your machine, a Chkdsk might have resolved the issue - but after the
recovery steps you've taken that isn't likely to help now.

"dedmunne" <dedmunne.29ea598@pcbanter.net> wrote in message
news:dedmunne.29ea598@pcbanter.net...
>
> My girlfriend has left this comp running 24/7and we've had the comp. for
> about 2 years with no problems until yesterday when a storm knocked out
> the electricity and ALL that appears on the screen now is this
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> MediaShield ROM BIOS 6.33
> Copyright (C) 2005 NVIDIA Corp.
>
>
> Detecting array ...
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> She rebooted several times and a couple of times " Windows
> root\system32\hal.dll. is missing " appeared on the screen .
>
> We first tried the "Recovery Disc" that came with the comp. and tried
> both the "Destructive" repair and the "with Back-up" repair options to
> no avail and now when you reboot the only thing on the screen besides
> the eMachines logo is
>
> BOOT Menu F10
> BIOS Settings F2
>
> in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
>
> When I tried the Recovery Disc,it says "restore in progress" but it
> gets about 50% through the "formating harddrive" or "file
> back-up",according to which option you choose,and then stops,screen
> goes blank and then a royal blue screen saying
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> " A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent
> damage to your computer.
>
> KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR
>
> If this is the first time you've seen this error screen blah blah
> blah.
>
> Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed
> blah blah blah.
>
> If problems continue,disable or remove new hardware or software blah
> blah blah. "
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> My comp was also plugged in but was turned off,since I wasnt using
> it,and both have surge protectors but the DSL is hooked to hers and
> mine is Wireless Router so a surge may have came through the Phone line
> but who knows.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions other than taking it to a comp. tech
> because it would probably be cheaper to just buy a new one that would
> be better and about as cheap as a repair?
>
>
> If a new one is the best option...is it better to turn Comps. off when
> you're NOT using them or does it really matter because I see it as
> leaving you car running 24/7 and not expecting premature failure?
>
> Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
>
>
>
>
> --
> dedmunne

 

[w_tom]

Re: emachines w3107 question

On Jun 18, 6:29 am, dedmunne <dedmunne.29ea...@pcbanter.net> wrote:
> My girlfriend has left this comp running 24/7and we've had the comp. for
> about 2 years with no problems until yesterday when a storm knocked out
> the electricity and ALL that appears on the screen now is this
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> MediaShield ROM BIOS 6.33
> Copyright (C) 2005 NVIDIA Corp.
> Detecting array ...
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> She rebooted several times and a couple of times " Windows
> root\system32\hal.dll. is missing " appeared on the screen .
> We first tried the "Recovery Disc" that came with the comp. and tried
> both the "Destructive" repair and the "with Back-up" repair options to
> no avail and now when you reboot the only thing on the screen besides
> the  eMachines logo is
> BOOT Menu F10
> BIOS Settings F2

Better computer manufacturers provide comprehensive hardware
diagnostics for free just for this problem. Currently, you are trying
to fix everything at once rather than break the problem into parts;
address hardware separately without Windows.

For example, a missing .DLL file might be a Windows problem. Kernel
Inpage error message implies hardware. System now booting only BIOS
and not Windows - either. Executing hardware diagnostic verifies
hardware without the complication of Windows - simplifies a solution
by analyzing hardware without Windows complications.

So download diagnostics from third parties. For example, a memory
checker (MemTst86) can be downloaded and booted. But what can you
boot that system from now that Windows does not boot. Memtst86
normally would boot from a floppy. A responsible manufacturer would
provide complete diagnostics to boot from a CD. Could you load and
boot Memtst86 from a memory stick? You must do this to first
establish where the defect lies.

Repeat same for hard disk. Download and boot that diagnostic from
the hard drive manufacturer.

Another approach is to verify various subsystems. For example, all
those strange problems could be due to a power supply 'system'
problem. Yes, every one of those previous error messages can be
traceable to voltages that exist and are too low. Thirty second with
a multimeter would provide the complete answer. Measure VDC on any
one of orange, red, purple, and yellow wires when system should be
booting. If numbers exceed 3.23, 4.97, or 11.7, then that subsystem
is perfectly good - move on to other suspects.

Each suggestion has a common theme. Break the problem into parts.
Establish which parts do or do not work - definitively. This occurs
so much faster if the manufacturer provided comprehensive hardware
diagnostics. Once hardware integrity is known, only then move on to
address potential Windows problems. However, based upon your various
error messages, this is probably a hardware failure; each message
pointing at completely different hardware which is why a power supply
'system' is also suspect.

Why did failure occur? A useful answer is only after the defect is
identified.

 

[dedmunne]

Re: emachines w3107 question


w_tom;3140369 Wrote:
> On Jun 18, 6:29*am, dedmunne dedmunne.29ea...@pcbanter.net wrote:-
> My girlfriend has left this comp running 24/7and we've had the comp.
> for
> about 2 years with no problems until yesterday when a storm knocked
> out
> the electricity and ALL that appears on the screen now is this
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> MediaShield ROM BIOS 6.33
> Copyright (C) 2005 NVIDIA Corp.
> Detecting array ...
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> She rebooted several times and a couple of times " Windows
> root\system32\hal.dll. is missing " appeared on the screen .
> We first tried the "Recovery Disc" that came with the comp. and tried
> both the "Destructive" repair and the "with Back-up" repair options
> to
> no avail and now when you reboot the only thing on the screen besides
> the *eMachines logo is
> BOOT Menu F10
> BIOS Settings F2-
>
> Better computer manufacturers provide comprehensive hardware
> diagnostics for free just for this problem. Currently, you are trying
> to fix everything at once rather than break the problem into parts;
> address hardware separately without Windows.
>
> For example, a missing .DLL file might be a Windows problem. Kernel
> Inpage error message implies hardware. System now booting only BIOS
> and not Windows - either. Executing hardware diagnostic verifies
> hardware without the complication of Windows - simplifies a solution
> by analyzing hardware without Windows complications.
>
> So download diagnostics from third parties. For example, a memory
> checker (MemTst86) can be downloaded and booted. But what can you
> boot that system from now that Windows does not boot. Memtst86
> normally would boot from a floppy. A responsible manufacturer would
> provide complete diagnostics to boot from a CD. Could you load and
> boot Memtst86 from a memory stick? You must do this to first
> establish where the defect lies.
>
> Repeat same for hard disk. Download and boot that diagnostic from
> the hard drive manufacturer.
>
> Another approach is to verify various subsystems. For example, all
> those strange problems could be due to a power supply 'system'
> problem. Yes, every one of those previous error messages can be
> traceable to voltages that exist and are too low. Thirty second with
> a multimeter would provide the complete answer. Measure VDC on any
> one of orange, red, purple, and yellow wires when system should be
> booting. If numbers exceed 3.23, 4.97, or 11.7, then that subsystem
> is perfectly good - move on to other suspects.
>
> Each suggestion has a common theme. Break the problem into parts.
> Establish which parts do or do not work - definitively. This occurs
> so much faster if the manufacturer provided comprehensive hardware
> diagnostics. Once hardware integrity is known, only then move on to
> address potential Windows problems. However, based upon your various
> error messages, this is probably a hardware failure; each message
> pointing at completely different hardware which is why a power supply
> 'system' is also suspect.
>
> Why did failure occur? A useful answer is only after the defect is
> identified.

Thank you all for your replies but since I know nothing about the inner
workings of a comp. then I suppose we will have to buy another one
because I doubt the bill to fix it would be that much less than buying
a new one that is better than the one we have now.

One last question though...is it better to turn your comp. off when not
in use or does it really decrease the lifespan of a comp. to just leave
it running all the time?

Thanks again so much for your replies.




--
dedmunne

 

[R. McCarty]

Re: emachines w3107 question

That's one of the questions that will never get a "Meeting of the
Minds". Most new computers have "Low Power" modes where
the PC for all intents is off. The better question is how often do
you use the PC and does boot time matter to you. I turn mine on
in the morning and off at night. Some people leave their PCs on
24-7 and allow them to go to Standby or Hibernate. On average
a computer "Fully Awake & Running" consumes power similar to
a 100-watt light bulb.

From a technical standpoint heat ages electrical components. So
leaving it on consumes power that is partly dissipated as heat. But
if you allow it to go to sleep then the power draw is nearly zero.

A computer in Hibernate or Standby can be resumed quicker than
if it's doing a cold boot.

Maybe this is a question for "The Mythbusters" (?) I'd just use it
the way you like and not worry about shortening it's life. Besides
most PC's become obsolete before they physically fail.

"dedmunne" <dedmunne.29f4047@pcbanter.net> wrote in message
news:dedmunne.29f4047@pcbanter.net...
>
> w_tom;3140369 Wrote:
>> On Jun 18, 6:29*am, dedmunne dedmunne.29ea...@pcbanter.net wrote:-
>> My girlfriend has left this comp running 24/7and we've had the comp.
>> for
>> about 2 years with no problems until yesterday when a storm knocked
>> out
>> the electricity and ALL that appears on the screen now is this
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> MediaShield ROM BIOS 6.33
>> Copyright (C) 2005 NVIDIA Corp.
>> Detecting array ...
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> She rebooted several times and a couple of times " Windows
>> root\system32\hal.dll. is missing " appeared on the screen .
>> We first tried the "Recovery Disc" that came with the comp. and tried
>> both the "Destructive" repair and the "with Back-up" repair options
>> to
>> no avail and now when you reboot the only thing on the screen besides
>> the *eMachines logo is
>> BOOT Menu F10
>> BIOS Settings F2-
>>
>> Better computer manufacturers provide comprehensive hardware
>> diagnostics for free just for this problem. Currently, you are trying
>> to fix everything at once rather than break the problem into parts;
>> address hardware separately without Windows.
>>
>> For example, a missing .DLL file might be a Windows problem. Kernel
>> Inpage error message implies hardware. System now booting only BIOS
>> and not Windows - either. Executing hardware diagnostic verifies
>> hardware without the complication of Windows - simplifies a solution
>> by analyzing hardware without Windows complications.
>>
>> So download diagnostics from third parties. For example, a memory
>> checker (MemTst86) can be downloaded and booted. But what can you
>> boot that system from now that Windows does not boot. Memtst86
>> normally would boot from a floppy. A responsible manufacturer would
>> provide complete diagnostics to boot from a CD. Could you load and
>> boot Memtst86 from a memory stick? You must do this to first
>> establish where the defect lies.
>>
>> Repeat same for hard disk. Download and boot that diagnostic from
>> the hard drive manufacturer.
>>
>> Another approach is to verify various subsystems. For example, all
>> those strange problems could be due to a power supply 'system'
>> problem. Yes, every one of those previous error messages can be
>> traceable to voltages that exist and are too low. Thirty second with
>> a multimeter would provide the complete answer. Measure VDC on any
>> one of orange, red, purple, and yellow wires when system should be
>> booting. If numbers exceed 3.23, 4.97, or 11.7, then that subsystem
>> is perfectly good - move on to other suspects.
>>
>> Each suggestion has a common theme. Break the problem into parts.
>> Establish which parts do or do not work - definitively. This occurs
>> so much faster if the manufacturer provided comprehensive hardware
>> diagnostics. Once hardware integrity is known, only then move on to
>> address potential Windows problems. However, based upon your various
>> error messages, this is probably a hardware failure; each message
>> pointing at completely different hardware which is why a power supply
>> 'system' is also suspect.
>>
>> Why did failure occur? A useful answer is only after the defect is
>> identified.
>
> Thank you all for your replies but since I know nothing about the inner
> workings of a comp. then I suppose we will have to buy another one
> because I doubt the bill to fix it would be that much less than buying
> a new one that is better than the one we have now.
>
> One last question though...is it better to turn your comp. off when not
> in use or does it really decrease the lifespan of a comp. to just leave
> it running all the time?
>
> Thanks again so much for your replies.
>
>
>
>
> --
> dedmunne

 

[w_tom]

Re: emachines w3107 question

On Jun 18, 6:18 pm, dedmunne <dedmunne.29f4...@pcbanter.net> wrote:
> One last question though...is it better to turn your comp. off when not
> in use or does it really decrease the lifespan of a comp. to just leave
> it running all the time?

That question is easily answered BUT requires one to have technical
kjnowledge. Demonstrated will be the answer AND why so many others
disagree.

1) Power cycling can cause computer failure. A conclusion without
numbers - a half fact statement. Apply the numbers. For example, a
power switch has a life expectancy of about 100,000 cycles. That is
power cycling a computer seven times every day of the year for .... 39
years. Power cycling does cause failure. At 39 years, nobody should
be concerned?

Appreciate the difference between those who use using subjective
reasoning verses those who know using numbers.

When finished with the computer, power it off or hibernate it. If
leaving the computer on is so advantageous, then we always leave every
radio, TV, and automobile powered 24/7 for same reasons.

What is power cycling? Constant power off and power on. What does
a switching transistor do? Switch off and on millions of times a
second. If power cycling was so destructive, then most destructive is
leaving a computer running. If thermal cycling is so destructive,
then the tens of degrees temperature is zero compared to many hundreds
of degrees temperature cycling when electronics are manufactured.
Again, damage from temperature cycling is another popular myth once we
apply the perspective of numbers.

Turn it off when done. Ignore the urban myths.

Meanwhile, powering off does almost nothing for transient
protection. Will that microgap in a switch stop what three miles of
sky could not? Of course not. Meanwhile most all appliances are
still on when powered off. Powering off to protect electronics is
another popular myth. Powered on or off, protection already inside
all appliances does same.

Turn it off or hibernate it when done.

2) If looking for a new computer, well, which ones include those
comprehensive hardware diagnostics. You saw what happened when a
machine did not have something available in every company and provided
free by the more responsible. Hardware diagnostics mean the better
informed out here might have identified the problem. No diagnostics;
no useful facts; no helpful replies.