Freezing/Crashing Problems with Compaq Laptop

I have had an older Compaq laptop for a while and a rarely used it. I recently took it out to start using it and it needed some updating from Microsoft. When I tried to install service pack 2 it told me that the license key used to install windows (came with the computer) was invalid. Therefore I reformatted the hard drive and installed a fresh copy of windows XP sp2. This installation was on for a few days when it automatically downloaded some updates. This is when the problems started. After these updates installed I was having issues with not being able to shut down. Whenever I clicked shutdown the computer just froze. It never has any response to ctrl+alt+del. I also got one blue screen of death about a system file but I began a new installation of windows. Now I am at the point where windows wont install, the comp just keeps freezing. Since there is no response to ctrl+alt+del and the power button wont turn it off, the only thing I can do is unplug it all the time. I think this may he having adverse affects on the computer. How can I get windows to install. What should I do about the shutdowns? Where should I go from here?

 

Ok now i am at a point where i am starting over again. The main problem i am having now is the laptop hanging at inoppertune times and the system not being able to reboot itself. I boot into windows setup and if i am lucky enough that it makes it to a screen withouth freezing, when i exit and it is going to reboot itself, it ALWYAS hangs. Is thare anything i can try to prevent this sytem from always hanging or anyhting to make it be able to reboot on its own? As i mentioned above the only thing it responds to when it hangs is unplugging it. No response from keyboard or power switch or power button.

 

First, a computer/laptop will always shut down when you keep the power button pressed for like 5 seconds. next time you start up it boot up with last valid bios settings.

Think you have an hard drive error, have you run chkdsk before formatted the drive before you installed windows?

To run chkdsk, boot from winXP cd and select rapair windows installation.

command prompt will appear and there you give the command: CHKDSK/R

 

I thought so! This one will not though. It has two different power buttons, one is a slider switch and one is a button. When it hangs up, neith will respond to being held in the on position for any amount of time.

 

thats strange indeed, have you tried both of them the same time?

 

yes i tried both of them at the same time. Anyone else have some ideas? I dont know whats wrong with this laptop.

 

I am running W98se, in an old Compaq desktop, and in a compaq notebook... The last three formats and reloads I did didn't have any shutdown and freeze-up problems until I installed a flash player... I uninstalled the flash players from both.. and All those freeze-up glitches went with it... Flash player must be too powerful a software for the old W98 systems...