Need advice on this laptop...

[Ratt]

This old Dell E5500 laptop I was refurbishing for my employer has an issue. The issue is that when it boots up, it starts loading windows, but before it gets to the log in screen, it stops, turns off, and leaves the numlock light blinking while the capslock and scrolllock lights are solid. In Dell machines this usually indicates a bad CPU/mainboard. Occasionally it will boot up fine, but acts really slow and if it does run, it doesn't run for long. Most times it will not. I have run other diagnostics (namely memory and CPU checks), and it comes back with no errors. I have also run the fixes from bootrec.exe, and that doesn't help. It seems to generate a lot of heat for being on such a short amount of time, so my diagnosis on this laptop is that there are three distinct possibilities:

1. The CPU needs new thermal paste between it and the heat sink (it’s dry and crusty, I checked).
2. The CPU is actually going bad
3. The CPU socket is coming loose from the motherboard.

I guess it could be the hard drive, but it's newer than the laptop itself, and it works in other machines and passed tests when I connected it to my machine via sata-to-usb adapter.

[Tx Redneck]

That is a conundrum considering that in order to run the diags, it's gonna use the cpu but doesn't fail then.

Does it boot in safe mode?

Saved and Texan by the Grace of God, Redneck by choice.

[Ratt]

That is a conundrum considering that in order to run the diags, it's gonna use the cpu but doesn't fail then.

Does it boot in safe mode?

Saved and Texan by the Grace of God, Redneck by choice.

It seems to. I'm especially stumped now, seeing as while safe mode seems it would be less CPU intensive, it would still heat up to operating temp. Gah! I don't know why they are making me do this, we have several new ones that nobody is using...lol.

[Nash B.]

Corrupted driver(s)?

[Ratt]

Corrupted driver(s)?

Could be. I could wipe it and try again, which I may likely do since there's really no other option at this point, it's time for me to go home so I will try it in the morning and report what happens.

Edit: Also, and this may not be important or it may be really important, the fan never seems to spin. Ever. May be pointing me more towards an overheating issue...

[Ratt]

FYI, VirtualCloneDrive was the culprit. disabled it at startup, and the laptop booted right up. The driver for it was corrupt apparently. What do you guys use as a virtual drive ISO mounting software? Do people still use Daemon Tools?

[Tx Redneck]

I don't know of any freebie nor have I a use for such a program, but Alcohol120% is one I know lots use.

Saved and Texan by the Grace of God, Redneck by choice.

[Ratt]

I don't know of any freebie nor have I a use for such a program, but Alcohol120% is one I know lots use.

Saved and Texan by the Grace of God, Redneck by choice.

That'll rip an ISO or image, but will it mount it like a cd so I can run said image/ISO?

[Tx Redneck]

That'll rip an ISO or image, but will it mount it like a cd so I can run said image/ISO?

From their website.

Alcohol 120%, is a powerful Windows CD and DVD burning software that makes it easy to create backups of DVDs* and CDs. *Additionaly, the program lets you store your most used CDs as images on your computer, and you can mount them on 1 of the 31 virtual drives with a click of a button.*

Saved and Texan by the Grace of God, Redneck by choice.

[Ratt]

From their website.

Alcohol 120%, is a powerful Windows CD and DVD burning software that makes it easy to create backups of DVDs* and CDs. *Additionaly, the program lets you store your most used CDs as images on your computer, and you can mount them on 1 of the 31 virtual drives with a click of a button.*

Saved and Texan by the Grace of God, Redneck by choice.

Cool, thanks.

[abecx]

thermal paste is market shit.

[Ratt]

thermal paste is market shit.

If it keeps this laptop from coming back to my workbench/desk, then so be it.