Computer Guru advise needed.

[dennishoddy]

My Dell laptop took a dive last night.
First it locked up, so I did a hard reboot.
Came up, logged in, and it went to a checkdisk routine.
When it finished, the desktop came up, and immediatly went away to a black screen, and locked up.
Did a hard reboot again, and brought it up in safe mode.
let me log in, went to the desk top, and then to a black screen.

Did my hard drive crater?

 

[Lithiumokc]

there could be any number of things causing the issue. I dont do notebooks anymore but you can run some diags on it to see if its hardware. pull up the manual from their download page and it will tell you how to access the diags.

 

[Hobbes]

If it ran chkdsk the drive might be failing.

You need to run the diagnostics. Know how to do that?

 

[dennishoddy]

I can't get on it. I'm on work computer now. (Don't tell the boss!)

 

[dennishoddy]

If it ran chkdsk the drive might be failing.

You need to run the diagnostics. Know how to do that?

I'm going to say no.
But willing to learn.

 

[Hobbes]

When you get home, press the F12 key during POST and it will give you a boot option menu.
Select the option that boots to the diagnostics.

 

[dennishoddy]

When you get home, press the F12 key during POST and it will give you a boot option menu.
Select the option that boots to the diagnostics.

Then just follow the directions?

 

[Twmaster]

One simple thing to check...

Make sure the memory is fully seated. If possible take the memory module out and reinsert it.

 

[dennishoddy]

One simple thing to check...

Make sure the memory is fully seated. If possible take the memory module out and reinsert it.

Duly noted. TKS!

 

[VitruvianDoc]

Yep, F12 then at the bottom select Diagnostics, then follow prompts and allow it to run. It make give you funky error codes, write them down and post them here.

I am leaning towards a failing graphics card. See these same symptoms all the time because the graphics card heats up as soon as the machine boots past post as windows is loading and then quickly overheats and locks the system.