Laptop unexpectedly shuts down, restarts

Desertrucker · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 11

Greetings all. I have a new Persario M2000. I installed Norton Firewall and anti-virus software, a V620PC card, a Delorme Earthmate GPS, Gaim instant messaging software, MS Flight Simulator, Google Earth, Halo, QV Link Casio Camera software and one or two other things. After a day of loading and settings and tweakings, I am getting things just right. Unfortunately, it powers down, restarts from scratch at various times running various programs. I get the following message after reconnecting and sending the obligitory report: Error Message: STOP 0x000000EA THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER (Q293078) Can anyone suggest a fix please? Thanks, Dave

Chuck · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 149

1. Restore the computer with the restore disks...

2. Install the V620PC (if you have a faster connection, skip this and do it after step 4)

3. Install all of XP updates.

4. Play with the computer for a few minutes.

Now install your software one at a time (The crappy Norton stuff last).

Use the computer after each.

Now by "tweakings", I hope you're not messing with the registry.

Sending the report does nothing. If you can live without Norton do so and get Pandasoft (The best out there) or Grisoft AVG (The best free one) antivirus and Zone Alarm Firewall. Norton is known to conflict with many programs. Also get hitmanpro going on your system.

www.hitmanpro.com (site is not engligh, just click download, the software is. It uses 6 spyware engines and can scan for virus)

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/catalog/products/sku_list_za.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en&lid=dbtopnav_zass

http://www.pandasecurity.com/magazine/

http://www.grisoft.com/doc/289/lng/us/tpl/tpl01

Desertrucker · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 11

OK. Thanks for the advice. Gotta go trucking tonight but will follow the steps tomorrow. I did change how often the clocks synch as a way to defeat dormant, but it was dying b4 I did that. Is that not a good idea? I read that the Dormant Killer is now inop.

Chuck · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 149

Yeah, the clock mod shouldn't cause you any problems at all.

I personally want to say that Norton is causing an issue, I have seen so many people have their problems solved once they got rid of it, but it could be anything and you haven't really installed anything strange.

BTW: When do you see the error? Is it when windows starts up or after trying to get on the Internet?

Desertrucker · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 11

I guess the only pattern I see is it happens when I am transfering large amounts of data. Like Google Earth or 3 or 4 things at once. If I start the stats window and sit and watch the time synch every 10 secs, it will not fail. But, if I do Google news and Google Earth and IM, etc., it goes for a bit, slows way down, flashes a quick blue screen with a bunch of text that can't be read (because it displays for no more than a heartbeat) then shuts down, immediately restarts, and a send report window comes up. I reconnect, send the report and the error message is displayed in a browser window from MS. BTW, I am just about to enter the dead area where there is no service from Eugene, OR to Redding, CA. Which is another question: How do I find out if/when data will come to Southern Oregon/Northern Cal? I truck up and down I-5 and a 300 mile long dead zone is a #@$@!*&*!!!!

Chuck · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 149

You could possibly have bad memory. Or even a bad HDD (don't think so, but it sounds like an issue I had).

Try:

http://www.memtest86.com/
or
http://www.memtest.org/

and

http://www.duxcw.com/faq/hd/diag.htm

I used this one when my computer got really slow, gave me the bluescreen of death in XP and would reboot. It told me my drive was going dead and I was able to get all the data off before it did:

http://www.hdtune.com/

I run this once a week now, it will also scan for errors. Check out the Health tab, thats how I found my issue.

Good luck

Chuck · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 149

Just an FYI, HDTUNE just released a new version (2.5) and it may be falsely reporting an error. If you get an error on the Seek Rate (07) you may be able to ignore this is your current and worst score is higher than the threshold.

I reported this problem to the author minute ago.

Zorog · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 135

DeserTrucker:

I noticed you only have the problem when transferring data. Are you moving or stationary when this happens? I have seen a number of applications that can hang a computer if a data session is interrupted mid-stream. (Which, of course, is a problem in a wireless world...)

Either way - you may not have to re-install everything. Just run one application at a time to see which one is unhappy. Most of the time I have seen this involves GPS, and I noticed you are using Google Earth and Delorme. I'd try those first.

Desertrucker · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 11

Thanks all for the advice. I actually inserted the restore disk and let it reinstall the drivers. I know this is not exactly what was suggested, but anyway I also uninstalled Norton and downloaded Panda Titanium. I have done Windows update and have all the current Panda updates. I also run Spybot search and destroy twice a day. None of the scans have turned up any viruses. A few Spyware trackers, but nothing major. I also uninstalled the V620 and reinstalled. It still shuts down and restarts, but not as often. It happens moving or sitting. It happens usually while doing something video. Like trying to display a traffic cam or Google Earth. It happens while the GPS is plugged in and running or not. Playing Halo or not. Playing Flight Simulator or not. Funny, it did not happen while downloading the Panda software form the net in National mode getting 160 kbps or so while trucking down the road at 65 mph. It took a good 30 minutes, and even went through a few brief no signal areas. (SHRUG) I will try the memory tests next because one of the things I didn't mention is that when I bought the laptop, it had 256 RAM. As part of the deal, the owner of the small computer shop agreed to add 256 to it. He installed it. He also mentioned that since the video card was only 32, some of the RAM could be diverted from RAM to Video. Now, the system info says RAM 384 and video 128 so I'm guessing he made the changes when he installed the additional RAM. Could be the memory he installed is bad? Or installed wrong? Or the allocation to video improperly done? Anyway, I'll go to the websites you mention to test. Thanks again.

Desertrucker · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 11

One more clue...I was in the San Francisco Bay area today and it is a strong Broadband area. I could connect to the broadband, start the traffic cam (I really like the "80 at Truckee Scales" cam on the Cal Trans cam page http://video.dot.ca.gov/ that shows the truck scales on Donner Pass) which looks good using the broadband, but not so great using National, and it displayed OK for a while, then hung, then I noticed it had switched to National. I disconnected and immediately it showed that Broadband was available. SO, I connected again to the Broadband, it held a while and then switched again to National. This is all happening in a very strong Broadband signal area. SO, not only is the computer malfunctioning, but the connection hangs, slows, switches and is very unpredictable. I recently switched from using a Sprint wirelees phone as a modem with the unlimited data plan for 80 bucks a month because there was a limit of 300 megs of data transfer a month. Go figure... but the service was very reliable and pretty darn fast. Just the limits on the unlimited plan make it useless to me. I wish I could get this Verizon card to give me the kind of reliabe connection I had with the Sprint service. Anyway, thanks again to all for the help. I will keep struggling with this because I love having the laptop connected to the net while I am out here trucking. Weather maps, email, info on whatever local area I find myself in, etc.

Desertrucker · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 11

Oh, rats, I just went to the websites you suggested and if I understand correctly the process of checking memory and hard drive, one needs to create a disk, which I can't do. I have no diskette drive nor can I burn a CD. I back up using an external drive. Oh well, I guess I can remove the additional RAM to see if the problem goes away. Then I would know the RAM was bad, no? Or, take it back to the guy I bought it from and see if he can test it. Oh fun.

Desertrucker · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 11

Here's an update for those who care, or those with a similar problem: I have been in contact with a number of different sources and the consensus is that the problem is not with the memory, but with the V620's drivers conflicting with the laptop's card reader. (I'm not a tech, so I only kind of understand.) I guess there are a number of us who have been having the same trouble and the common thread is an IBM or similar laptop (I have a Compaq) and the V620 card. Instead of trying to find compatable drivers, I decided to try a different connection card. So, I am on the way to the store now to get the PC 5740 card. By the way, I was told the V620 is an item they are no longer going to carry and I just happened to get one of the older ones. I bought it at a little mom and pop store in Portland and it was the only kind they had. Actually, it was the only one they had. The manager of the Authorized Verizon Store across the river in Vancouver told me they are just selling the PC 5740 cards now. Anyway, this should cure the problem. (I hope...) I will let you all know and thanks so much for the help. Dave

dewild1 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 13 Aug 2005 Posts: 10

Yep, same problem here. Can connect for a min or two or 5 seconds, then BAM, Blue Screen of death!

Been doing this stuff for 20 years, www.911pcfix.com , fresh XP SP2, new PC etc.

It is the PC-card adapter.
I am using a desktop and a PCI-PC card adapter recommended from here.

I am going to try some others.
You are SOL, you will have to get another laptop cuz yours is built in. Crying or Very sad

My second "NEC PCI to USB Open Host Controller" in device manager disables it's self after it locks up.

I came here to try and find newer drivers. Confused

I will post if I find something.

dewild1 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 13 Aug 2005 Posts: 10

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q293078 hmmm

dewild1 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 13 Aug 2005 Posts: 10