Laptop re-format -> Advice needed

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Hi,

My GF recently bought a 2nd hand Sony X505 laptop from an auction site. It worked fine for about two weeks, but since Thursday it has started dying. Possibly as a result of being dropped and / or being sat next to a Hi-Fi speaker.

Symptoms are-

  • Everything is very slow in windows. Opening an explorer window takes 5-10 seconds for example

  • On startup, a Genric host Processes for Win32 Services error

  • Certain apps won't even launch (eg MSPaint, Forefox). Instead you get an error message saying "the application failed to initialize properly"

  • Sometimes when you load control panel, loads of the icons are missing

Basically, it is completely fubared :(


I've tried creating a new XP admin account and deleting the old admin account, Running AV scans, disabling all non-essential programs in ms config etc, but nothing seems to make any difference.

I'm starting to come to the conclusion that it needs a format c and fresh install of windows.

Now, the thing I am worried about is that because it is 2nd hand, it came with no driver disks (eg for the wireless card, external DVD etc).

So if I do do a fresh install of windows, I'll have to hunt around to try and find the various drivers needed.

So my question is -

a) Am I doing the right thing here going for a re-install?

b) If so, how can I get a list of the drivers that I will need to install once I have re-formatted and re-installed XP?


Any help would be much appreciated,

Fred
 
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Typical OS reinstall goes like this:

Install OS + RAID drivers if needed

Install Modem drivers

Run Windows Update

Install chipset drivers

Install sound drivers

Install third party graphics drivers if needed

Install Opera/Firefox + previously saved bookmarks file

Change OS settings as required

Defrag

Done
 
Could be in a bit of trouble here.

I've booted from the XP CD, deleted the two partitions from the old install and am currently formatting C.

It has been running for about 30 minutes and is stuck at 2% :( (this is only a 20GB HDD as well)

What should I do?
 
fred you say the laptop migh have been dropped, I'm just wondering if the hdd has been damaged, I've got a viao and damaged my hdd after a drop.

hdd of the size a laptop use (2 1/2") are relitively chaep these days, you could do with a bigger drive anyway if you've only got 20gb, try getting a bigger replacement, iv'e picked up a few on that auction site cheaply, even if you still have trouble you could use the new drive with a enclosure to make a usb mass storeage drive.

just a suggestion sorry I cant come up with anything definate.


doggo
 
As above that sounds like a broken HD for sure, had similar issues on one at work, often if you know the make of the drive the manufacturer will have a boot floppy that will test it.

Be warned thou these can completely kill them so ensure all is backed up :) happen to me once.

EDiT: Should read its already been formatted
 
I was going for a full NTFS format. Should I try for FAT and / or quick instead to see if that works?

RE getting a replacement HDD, how hard would it be to open up the laptop and replace the HDD? (it is a very non-standard shape compared to most laptops - basically it is very thin. Some pics of it here: http://tinyurl.com/2n8lxe )
 
Try quick, as that does not check for errors so you'll more than likely still be able to use the drive till you can replace it.
 
Quick worked.

Just got a couple of errors about 75% of the way through XP installation. Hopefully nothing too serious :(

Will start to have a scout around on Google and see what the situation is with replacement HDDs...
 
Which company's Laptop do you have?

These are the tips to reformat Toshiba and HP laptops-

Toshiba -- Toshiba ships a restore DVD with the original factory configuration on it. Booting with this DVD will trigger a Ghost-like restore process that will revert everything to the factory settings. AFAIK there is no way to get a regular OEM Windows CD from Toshiba, so you're probably out of luck if you want to do a repair install.

HP/Compaq -- The last time I checked, both of these manufacturers shipped both the original factory image on a four-CD set and an XP OEM reinstall CD. However, I have found the restore CDs to be buggy, and in my experience they often don't work (they often freeze at the same point each time).
 
I have a Sony Vaio VGN-X505VP.

I'd like to run a diagnostic on the HDD to make sure that that is definitely where the problem is.

What software do I need to download to do this?
 
My XP install has stalled 17 minutes from the end :(

Is there anything that boots from a floppy or CD that I could use to check the HDD?

In other news I've managed to find a replacement HDD for £50, so hopefully if the HDD is knackered then I can just buy that (it's 50% bigger than the old one as well, which will be nice)
 
Ok I partitioned the HDD and tried again, this time I made it all the way through the XP install (phew).

I will run the HDD diagnostics now and then install all of the Vaio stuff.

Fingers crossed...
 
Ok I've run the windows checks. Is there a log file or something I should look at now?

/EDIT - Just realised that I checked "fix errors automatically". Anyway, the laptop seems to be working again. Strangely the 4GB partition I had to make to get the XP install to work is now showing as 0GB. I'm Scared to even go near that partition, so will probably just leave it for now.

Cheers for the help guys, looks like it's almost working again now anyway :)
 
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Ok, for some reason, some of the drivers (eg ethernet, wirelesslan) do not have an executable in their folder:

screenie.JPG


So how am I meant to install these drivers? :confused:

(btw - should I start a separate thread for this in the windows software section?)
 
Find the device in Device manager and then update/install the driver. Point the dialog box that open to the folder of your choice.
 
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