Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

Try it on the power brick without the battery.
Maybe battery is shot and dragging down the brick when it tries to charge it.
.

no.

It just keeps repeating this message after starting,. like before:

Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082)
Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation

For Realtek RTL8139(X)/8130/810X PCI Fast Ethernet Controller v2.13 (020326)
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM.

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

But it gets pretty hot near the power button after 15 minutes or more of doing this.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

Intel UNDI, PXE-2.0 (build 082)
Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation

For Realtek RTL8139(X)/8130/810X PCI Fast Ethernet Controller v2.13 (020326)
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM.

.
At some point your BIOS got reset to defaults that don't work in your case.
.
It's trying to boot from a network that presumably you don't have.
.
Dig around in the BIOS settings and make the first boot device the hard drive.
.
Also check for a setting to disable PXE and disable it if you find one.
.

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

.
At some point your BIOS got reset to defaults that don't work in your case.
.
It's trying to boot from a network that presumably you don't have.
.
Dig around in the BIOS settings and make the first boot device the hard drive.
.
Also check for a setting to disable PXE and disable it if you find one.
.

I went to Computer Shop A today (the one that replaced my motherboard at first, and then later discovered hard-disk problem). I told him that the HP guy thought there is problem with both the hard drive AND motherboard. He absolutely denies it is the MoBo and wanted to talk to that guy.

I then asked him about the BIOS setting, translating the advice you gave me. He then suggested I go back to Shop B (the one who originally fixed hubport(?) problem but then later thought operating system needed replaced.)

He explained that he doesn't fix MoBos on the component level or deal with BIOS, but apparently Shop B does, (which might explain why he recommended me there before). Even so, he firmly denies the MoBo or BIOS is problem.

So I plan to go to Shop B Monday. (Now Shop B had never suspected the hard drive the two times they looked at my computer...before I go again, might anyone know why they had thought the operating system needed replaced?)

Then I asked him about testing for the hard-drive problem, but he doesn't know what a "puppy" or "damn small linux" CD is. Surely he can't be ignorant of this concept, which I tried to explain helps boot the system...I wonder if there is a Chinese word for this that I'm missing...

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

Linux Live CD

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

asked him about ubuntu and xubuntu too -- he doesn't know any of that stuff.

[Phaihn]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

I have an HP Pentium 3 laptop bought in early 2006 showing almost all the symptoms of the plague (cursor intermittently freezes or completely locks up, computer won't POST at all, POST keeps rebooting, etc.) Living in Taiwan, I can't find many computer "experts" who have heard of this plague phenomena (which started here) or can even help me identify caps at all on my laptop MoBo. I'm not a computer expert, but I'd like to direct the "experts" here in Taiwan to help me find a solution.

1. Is the plague applicable to laptops? I've Googled and it seems laptops have been affected by the plague as well.

2. What do laptop caps look like? I'm guessing caps on a laptop look entirely different from the PC cylindrical ones I often see online -- perhaps like a little black box?

3. One technician helped me look at the MoBo, but he didn't completely expose the board near the power supply. Will it be necessary to remove all the parts covering the board to identify (bad) caps?

if you got the laptop in 2006 if its new it cant be a Pentium 3 right do you mean pentium 4?

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

if you got the laptop in 2006 if its new it cant be a Pentium 3 right do you mean pentium 4?

I'm not sure why I thought this. Maybe a missing sticker on the computer, or thought I remember seeing it on computer-store receipt.
I have a HP Pavilion dv4000 (s/n 2CE54400NM) (p/n EL111PA#AB0) (dv4222TX)

I looked at wikipedia and found this interesting, though my type isn't included:

Overheating issue

Many notebook owners experience hardware failure in various Pavillion models due to overheating. The first symptom is usually a disappearing Wifi. Later failure of the graphics system and booting problems. HP does acknowledge this as a "hardware issue with certain HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000" notebooks, which is eligible for free repair. [7] Other users recommend a "resoldering" of the nVidia GPU on the motherboard.

I've had overheating problems too, which I previously thought was just another symptom of capacitor plague.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

I'm not sure why I thought this. Maybe a missing sticker on the computer, or thought I remember seeing it on computer-store receipt.
I have a HP Pavilion dv4000 (s/n 2CE54400NM) (p/n EL111PA#AB0) (dv4222TX)

I looked at wikipedia and found this interesting, though my type isn't included:

I've had overheating problems too, which I previously thought was just another symptom of capacitor plague.

Those use a Pentium M CPU which is actually a P3 Tualatin core but they don't call it a P3.

That model has a defective nVidia video chip.
It is integrated into the motherboard.
That's why those shops jump on a motherboard issue as the problem.

.

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

Hey, hey, hey, I just found this thread on HP dv4000 notebooks. This is exactly the problem I had! I had to place pressure on certain parts of the computer so it would stop freezing, and when it got really bad, had to tap on it. I never told anyone this, because it sounds so silly, like something on Green Acres...

There's some advice on this thread...but nothing I'm probably capable of...

Based on this, is there anything I can tell technicians to fix it?

http://www.notebookforums.com/thread178802.html

there is an issue with these boards that can be repaired. just need to run a trace due to cold solder

I have discovered that for me, if I leave off the memory/wireless cover on the underside of the laptop I do not experience the locks ups that I was experiencing. As soon as I put the cover back on and try it, Lock Up City. I would think this is a overheating problem, except for the fact that even when the laptop hasn't been on for hours, with the cover on, it will lock up almost immediently.

YMMV

I am still determined to figure out why this is.

I had the same problem with the touchpad and keyboard. I think I solved the problem by removing both memory modules and cleaning the gold contacts of the mem modules by wiping with a soft cloth to "polish". I then reseated them about 5 times. The unit has not failed in the last 24 hours.

I know this sounds nuts, but it was too much trouble to disassemble and hunt for the next day or so for the culprit. What I did to "repair" was to open the memory door. I cut a 1 inch length of fuel ine hose. I then split it and placed over the top of the 2 memory modules, closed the door and tightened the screws. What appears to be happening is the modules are losing their tight connection. The rubber hose puts slight pressure yet is flexible and is not conductive. It certainly not what I would normally do but my customer is thrilled. I showed them what I had done and explained the strange and unconventional repair. I hope this helps.

My problem started when the USB mouse I was using would occasionally freeze. Later, my notebook would freeze while I was typing in Word Docs. Still later, it would freeze upon start-up. I was sure I had a virus, but reformatting did no good. Using another hard drive also did no good. That is when I found this forum. The strange thing is that sometimes the computer would work just fine. At one point, in the middle of all of this, I went a week without a problem.

On the telephone, HP techs had me try to reseat the memory modules. After that they had me do a hard drive test through the Bios menu. After speaking with 3 different techs, they decided that I had jumped through enough hoops, and had me send the computer in for repair.

According to HP, they replaced the system board and the palm rest unit. I have used the computer for 3 days and it seems to be running fine now.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

Find a laptop without an nVidia video chip.

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

Wouldn't HP Center know about this? Why didn't they inform me of this after taking it there several times and telling them I was going through trouble of taking it to other shops...

And shouldn't the motherboard replacement fix the problem...or is it possible it was replaced with another faulty video chip, since they probably tried to match the same model?

Is it safe to say the hard disk is not the problem, but is actually this chip?

I don't know if I should go back to HP first about this, or go on to Shop B, who can fix motherboards. Am I wasting my time on this or is this possibly easy to fix once I tell the right people what the problem is?

[Per Hansson]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

The resoldering of the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or Video Card in laymens terms is not something that you will find any shops that do for you easily

It involves heating the component so that the solder underneath reflows, this takes allot of experience and fancy equipment (or allot of luck and a normal oven :O)

The issue affects many many boards, just like the capacitor plague
nVidia has had to pay hundreds of millions dollars in settlement costs to repair these laptops
But due to how our world is built up some of these systems are simply ignored, I guess because nVidia does not have the funds to fix them, but still I don't understand how the OEM's (Dell, HP et all) play along with this

I myself replaced the GPU in my Dell M1710 laptop, Dell does not acknowledge any issue with this model, but search Google and eBay and you will find hundreds of similar reports... (I replaced it with an ATI GPU, not the original which was a nVidia GPU...)

This does probably not help you though, because your GPU is probably soldered to the mainboard, so it is not possible to replace, only fix is to reflow, but this does not actually fix the underlying issue, which is poor underfill used in the packaging material between the die itself (the ASIC) and the packages own little PCB, that is then itself soldered to the mainboard...

So then the only way to get a proper fix is if the manufacturer released an updated mainboard with the fixed GPU's, there is a thread somewhere here on our forums that I'm sure you will find with a quick search detailing what chips where actually updated
This of course, does not guarantee that the OEM itself actually released an updated GPU for said systems, it simply means they had the option to do so
But if they want to put it all under the carpet so to say then of course they will not release an updated mainboard, since that would kind of proove that the already sold systems indeed are faulty

Corporate greed, gotta love it!

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

....So then the only way to get a proper fix is if the mafufacturer released an updated mainboard with the fixed GPU's, there is a thread somewhere here on our forums that I'm sure you will find with a quick search detailing what chips where actually updated
This of course, does not guarantee that the OEM itself actually released an updated GPU for said systems, it simply means they had the option to do so
But if they want to put it all under the carpet so to say then of course they will not release an updated mainboard, since that would kind of proove that the already sold systems indeed are faulty

Corporate greed, gotta love it!

HP had told me before they can't order or find a motherboard because they stopped making those parts. They simply told me it was too old and to buy a new one. Which always irked me, because I just don't think five years is too old to fix anything, especially in this day and age.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

HP had told me before they can't order or find a motherboard because they stopped making those parts. They simply told me it was too old and to buy a new one. Which always irked me, because I just don't think five years is too old to fix anything, especially in this day and age.

They used up all the spares on RMA's.

Mother boards usually go out of production shortly after the next chipset comes out. That usually works out to a year or maybe two max.

The chipsets also go out of production.
That means there are no parts available for them to make replacement motherboards with.

Basically - because of the lag-time between sales and knowing there is a major problem by way of number of complaints - by the time they know there is a problem the board is already out of production.

.

[Phaihn]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

the gpu issue sounds somthing like my dads laptop he has.

a HP Pavilion zd8000

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

The resoldering of the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or Video Card in laymens terms is not something that you will find any shops that do for you easily

It involves heating the component so that the solder underneath reflows, this takes allot of experience and fancy equipment (or allot of luck and a normal oven :O)

The issue affects many many boards, just like the capacitor plague
nVidia has had to pay hundreds of millions dollars in settlement costs to repair these laptops
But due to how our world is built up some of these systems are simply ignored, I guess because nVidia does not have the funds to fix them, but still I don't understand how the OEM's (Dell, HP et all) play along with this

I myself replaced the GPU in my Dell M1710 laptop, Dell does not acknowledge any issue with this model, but search Google and eBay and you will find hundreds of similar reports... (I replaced it with an ATI GPU, not the original which was a nVidia GPU...)

This does probably not help you though, because your GPU is probably soldered to the mainboard, so it is not possible to replace, only fix is to reflow, but this does not actually fix the underlying issue, which is poor underfill used in the packaging material between the die itself (the ASIC) and the packages own little PCB, that is then itself soldered to the mainboard...

So then the only way to get a proper fix is if the mafufacturer released an updated mainboard with the fixed GPU's, there is a thread somewhere here on our forums that I'm sure you will find with a quick search detailing what chips where actually updated
This of course, does not guarantee that the OEM itself actually released an updated GPU for said systems, it simply means they had the option to do so
But if they want to put it all under the carpet so to say then of course they will not release an updated mainboard, since that would kind of proove that the already sold systems indeed are faulty

Corporate greed, gotta love it!

I took it to shop B today (who originally thought OS system is bad) and tried to explain the nVidia chip problem, along with other suggestions on this board (he also didn't know ubuntu or xubuntu, but knew linux and USB stick). He seemed unaware of this nVidia problem being prevalent, but told me they had nVidia chips to replace with.

Reading your post again, you said it isn't possible to replace? So they would have to solder...but even then, you thought that couldn't quite solve the problem, right? I'm a little confused on this point: is it the chip itself that is bad, or just the design, how they placed the chip?

On a side note, a few weeks back, when I turned on the computer, it showed up the blue BIOS screen, which I had never seen it do this before. When I took it to the shop yesterday, it was a different screen I had never seen before. Anyhow, I hope I gave them enough guidance to lead them in the right direction this time and they can figure out the rest.
Thankx everyone

[Per Hansson]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

jotham; Your laptop might have a removable graphics card
But on 90% of laptops the mainboard and graphics card are integrated, so on those; mainboard swap = graphic card swap...

The issue is inside the nVidia graphic chip itself, it's not even a long term solution to replace the graphics chip (which is a ball grid array chip soldered directly to the PCB)
Because the problem is not in this connection, is is in the connection between the actual graphic chips die and the small ball grid array PCB which the die is soldered to...

Take this more as information, your issue of course could be in something else, like the ball grid array solder, in which case resoldering the graphics chip will fix the issue

[Orpheous]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

no.

It just keeps repeating this message after starting,. like before:

Hope I'm not reviving a dead thread here, but I've seen that PXE error before on an older Compaq laptop. It was indeed caused by the BIOS attempting to boot from a LAN, but, only because it had already gone through the boot priority order and couldn't find anything to boot.

I would say that replacing the hard drive will fix that error, as it did in the Compaq's case, however, by the sounds of it, you may have other issues ready to rear their ugly heads in it's place...

If you want to test this, as a previous poster suggested (sorry, forgot your name!) download a copy of a linux live cd. I'd suggest either Puppy Linux from http://puppylinux.org/main/index.php...%20Release.htm @ 130Mb or Damn Small Linux from http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/download.html @ 50Mb
Download the .iso image and burn it to a bootable disc, there are heaps of free programs to do this with, I prefer ImgBurn as you can just right click the .iso file and burn with ImgBurn: http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/G/B...s+with+ImgBurn like that...

I'm sure that internet cafe's would have cd/dvd burners available, and if you hunt around for one with an english speaking asistant, you'll probably find one that has iso burning software...

Then, just insert the bootable cd into the drive and boot it up, select live cd when asked...

[jotham]

Re: Are laptops affected by plague? How to identify?

Thanks for that, I'll have to try that, since none of the four of five shops have.

After 3 or 4 weeks, I got it back last night from Shop B, who said it was a hard-disk problem. They knew this because the Invetec screen comes on when the harddisk is in. But when taking the harddisk out, that message kept reappearing again, which I guess is more normal.

What I don't get is that I was getting that message previously when the diskdrive was in. Does that mean it was okay then? At one time, I thought I could figure everything out myself by asking pointed questions and listening to everyone, but I get so much conflicting data from these shops.

They were quite sure it wasn't the NVidia chip. They knew this because when they put a new harddisk in, it worked okay. I'm skeptical. At any rate, it only costs maybe $50 to install a new harddisk, so why not? But I'll try that test you mentioned first.