GF having issues with her laptop

So my GF has a laptop that seems to be having issues when booting. The screen is pretty much dead and when the boot sequence is completed it restarts. Honestly I would just go out and buy one for her, but this laptop has over 500 of pictures on it.

Any suggestions or tips. I just want to get this thing up and running so I can transfer her pics off of it and just buy her a new laptop.

If all you want to do is transfer the pictures off: use a laptop HDD adaptor



Just take out the HDD, plug it into this, and put it on your board.

That was the absolute cheapest solution. I use something similar to this which allows you to connect via usb to your computer that will be the host for the drive.

This is all assuming that you just want to transfer files off. If you want to save the computer, Eh... I don't know why it would restart after boot sequence. Bad startup file? You can try running a repair from the OS cd I guess. If the laptop is really old, it could be an overheating problem. I had a laptop where you really couldn't get much farther than the OS boot before it would restart because it overheated. If that is the case... good luck.

Ok intial situtaiton was based off what my gf was telling me. After a closer inspection I am not even sure it is going through the entire boot sequence, although it is hard to tell because the laptop usually runs pretty quiet.

Thanks for the tip Vision. Yeah all I really need is to get those files off. Gf is pretty angry because the machine had this problem earlier and supposedly got it repaired via Geek Squad.

S7 Zalacious wrote:Ok intial situtaiton was based off what my gf was telling me. After a closer inspection I am not even sure it is going through the entire boot sequence, although it is hard to tell because the laptop usually runs pretty quiet.

Boot it yourself. If it 'boots' with a black screen, and idles, you might have a cut video ribbon to the lcd, or (conjecture as it happened to me once) one of your mem sticks went faulty.

Gf is pretty angry because the machine had this problem earlier and supposedly got it repaired via Geek Squad.

I withdrew my app to GeekSquad because the in-store support center sells customers crooked packages. The frontmen themselves aren't crooked, or maybe just naive, since GeekSquad sells "Optimization" packages that install malware and do nothing, and keep your data hostage under fine print unless you pay a restoration fee, refusing to replace parts unless you make a real ruckus with the word 'suit' involved.

Now I might just be pragmatic, as I'm always walking the line of unemployment with S E A R-S (don't want to get looked up by a search engine with that term) since I don't shove meaningless insurance packages down people's necks (I work in electronics). I ask since it's part of my job, but I don't sit there and refuse to ring them up unless they purchase a warranty, that's just douchey.

EDIT: AND If you feel like finding out what is wrong with the computer, you can use a rescue disc (which is what geeksquad would have done to her computer anyway) which boots before the OS to help you diagnose and repair your computer if there is something that is keeping it from booting up by way of infection. Link: http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/03/removing-viruses-from-a-pc-that-wont-boot/

I try to stay away from geek squad when ever possible, in fact I have never personnaly used them for anything.

With my GF laptop they replaced the monitor because it was supposedly faulty, She gets it back and there is a persistant red line running down the monitor. They probably used some referbished piece of crap to replace it with. She went back to raise hell and lo and hehold her warranty had just expired.

I do not know much about laptops and I have never really messed with one before. I noticed the removable plates underneath the laptop. Any idea which one typically covers the HDD? I noticed seperate icons on each plate, but I am not entirely sure what each represents.

typically, the HDD on a laptop is in a side compartment, on either the left or right side. You can expect it to be a pullout drawer about 3 1/4 inches wide secured by a small screw. However some most brands (a quick google search tells me that Toshiba is one of them) has the HDD compartment UNDER the laptop:


(I know that Gateway and Dell models can have it on the side).
From a Dell:


I only know of Apple laptops that do this, but it is also possible that the HDD is located UNDER the keyboard, and the keyboard can either be secured with several smalls screws toward the corners:


Wherever the compartment may be located, you can expect it to say HDD on it.

what does GF stand for Guy Friend?

Yup I have a toshiba and Vision is correct Toshiba's HDD are underneath, Dell's are always on the side from my knowledge and I can't help you with Apple since I never actually owned one lol. Look around you'll find it or get a online manual just google it.

S7 R0LLING THUND3R wrote:what does GF stand for Guy Friend?

Figures you wouldn't know what it means

S7 Zalacious wrote:

S7 R0LLING THUND3R wrote:what does GF stand for Guy Friend?

Figures you wouldn't know what it means

Oh dear.

S7 Vision67 wrote:

S7 Zalacious wrote:

S7 R0LLING THUND3R wrote:what does GF stand for Guy Friend?

Figures you wouldn't know what it means

Oh dear.

Oh it is all in good fun.

Thanks for the the help everyone. Going to try and take a stab at getting at those files when I get a chance. Going to be a busy week though. Will let you know if I am succesful.


Found this site for the exact model the gf has!
http://www.insidemylaptop.com/disassemble-compaq-presario-v6000-laptop/

S7 Zalacious wrote:

S7 R0LLING THUND3R wrote:what does GF stand for Guy Friend?

Figures you wouldn't know what it means

Z,I know it means girl friend I was just having a little fun with vision...next I was going to say does it mean Gay Friend...but I had to set you STRAIGHT. lol I'm no dummy...you need to stop jumping out of airplanes that thin air up there has slowed you down Z...JK

S7 R0LLING THUND3R wrote:

S7 Zalacious wrote:

S7 R0LLING THUND3R wrote:what does GF stand for Guy Friend?

Figures you wouldn't know what it means

Z,I know it means girl friend I was just having a little fun with vision...next I was going to say does it mean Gay Friend...but I had to set you STRAIGHT. lol I'm no dummy...you need to stop jumping out of airplanes that thin air up there has slowed you down Z...JK

I know you knew what it meant I was just giving you a hard time. Haven't jumped out of a plane in a long time actually. Was getting a tad expensive and my last jump was a bit.....interesting. After that I think I lost my nerve. A semi-uncontrolled spin in formation with two other people can rattle you a bit.

Wow, well I'm just kidding with you, it's all good. lol. Yeah I'd get rattled too if that happened to me.