laptop won't shutdown/restart properly

I have a Toshiba Satellite M45-S355. Has all factory components, except for a newer Hitachi Travelstar hard drive (5400rpm, 100gb) that was replaced in October 2006.

My problem started roughly 6 weeks ago. Symptoms are somewhat inconsistent, but generally are:

- During the system shutdown, the screen seems to freeze on the "windows is preparing to shutdown" screen. Will remain frozen for hours, so I hold the power button to shutdown. If I try to reboot immediately, the computer appears to be booting, but the screen either stays black, or shows the opening "Toshiba" screen but it is offset down and to the left of where it normally is. The fan will run continuously, but I hear little noise from the HD. Only solution here is to again hold down the power button to shutdown. If I allow the laptop to "rest" for 10-30 minutes (it varies), it usually will boot up normally.

- Occasionally a new icon appears in the tasktray...a gray box with two smaller gray boxes below it. But all are enclosed in a red circular crossed out symbol. Does not respond to any clicking, but does go away when I uninstall the keyboard. Again, this is sporadic and does not always appear.

- Battery life has significantly reduced, but very suddenly and in accordance with appearance of above
symptoms. According to the meter, my battery on a full charge will last less than 1 hour where it used to last 2.5 or more. Taking the battery out and running on AC only does not limit the other problems from happening as described.

Solutions I have tried include:

- Updated spyware, adware and virus scans, even in safe mode
- Registry cleaning and fixing
- Updated BIOS
- Windows chkdsk /r on system startup
- Adjusting power schemes so that HD and monitor do not shut down during inactivity (unless on battery power) and disabling system hibernation

AND FINALLY:

- Full system restore using manufaturer DVD. I was hesitant to do this, but finally after about 4 weeks, I backed up all my files and gave it a try. Updated everything and tried many of my solutions again, but nothing worked...aforementioned symptoms persist.

This problem does not seem to influence the operation or functionality of the laptop once it's on. Just a nuisance for shutdown and restarting operations, and makes me nervous to trust the HD reliability. Any ideas?

 

I think you have a bunch of different hardware problems: dying hard drive, flakey RAM (or motherboard), possible bad IDE controller. I also think you may be suffering from dust build up causing things to get too hot. Get some canned air and blow it thru all vents and fans you have access to. Maybe take it to a shop for a 'professional' cleaning. Download and run a HD diagnostic (from the HD maker's web site) and a RAM diagnostic (check the Memory section here at MG). Laptop batteries tend to lose their life after about 18 months, and after 2-3 years, may only last one-quarter of what it did when new.... I know none of this is good news, but run the diags, and clean the PC out, and you may have a much better idea of what's going on. Also, ALWAYS run the laptop on a hard surface so it can breath. If it's been run for lengths of time on the carpet or on the bed, you may have some thermally damaged components..... good luck and let us know what happens with diags...

hd2k

 

Thanks for the cleaning tips. Is there anything I can do to check if the system is getting too hot to function properly? Is there any way to tell if it is a result of dust vs. some other malfunction? How in depth is a professional clean? If I feel comfortable taking things apart, is it something I could do myself?

 

There are several free utils that will report system temps. Sometimes they're accurate, other times not so much. It kind of depends on your PC. Try SpeedFan, Everest, PC Wizard, HMonitor..... they're free or have free trial periods. Sometimes they'll report the CPU as the HD temp, or vice versa, but you'll still have an idea as to how hot things are. A CPU should NEVER run over 65c or 70c, and should be in the mid 40s to mid 50s. You should run all the diagnostic tools I mentioned in my earlier post so you can see if you have a serious hardware problem first. You can usually check the CPU temp in the system BIOS; accessible by pressing either F1, F2, or Del upon powering up. Usually it'll say 'Press F2 for Setup' or something similar. Look for PC Health or Hardware Monitor..... laptops can be a major PITA to take apart and put back together, but some laptops have easy-access fans that only have 3 or 4 screws to remove. If your fans are full of crud, or dead, you'd be experiencing all sorts of wierdness, so that may be the situaution. Anyway (this has become far too long ), run the diagnostics, check your temps, and if those both pass, then your OS is probably REALLY screwed up.... good luck and keep us posted!

hd2k