Button of the computer not work properly

  • Thread starter Thread starter MapleE.
  • Start date Start date
M

MapleE.

Hi:
When turning on the computer by pushing 'button' at the bottom of
the computer, sometimes the computer does not start because of
a light of the computer of the button goes away and, thus the computer
not able to start. I need to push few more times to get the computer
started.

Wonder what's wrong with this?

Thanks for your help in advance.
 
MapleE. said:
Hi:
When turning on the computer by pushing 'button' at the bottom of
the computer, sometimes the computer does not start because of
a light of the computer of the button goes away and, thus the computer
not able to start. I need to push few more times to get the computer
started.

Wonder what's wrong with this?

Thanks for your help in advance.
Click to expand...

I do not understand "a light of the computer of the button goes away".
Please rephrase.
 
Hi:
Thanks for the response.

There is 'Blue light' comes when turning on the computer that indicate
the computer starting on. The computer is HP Pavilion a1310n that I
purchased about three to four years ago from Circuit City.

Blue light of the computer at the bottom part is 'switch.' Practically,
'Switch/blue light' seems starting malfunctioning? If it's the case, what
should I do, ... except bringing it to the computer store?

Thanks,
 
MapleE. said:
Hi:
Thanks for the response.

There is 'Blue light' comes when turning on the computer that indicate
the computer starting on. The computer is HP Pavilion a1310n that I
purchased about three to four years ago from Circuit City.

Blue light of the computer at the bottom part is 'switch.' Practically,
'Switch/blue light' seems starting malfunctioning? If it's the case, what
should I do, ... except bringing it to the computer store?
Click to expand...

If you have experience with hardware then you can try and
replace this switch. If not then it's down to the computer store.
 
Hi:
Thanks both for the candid responses as to needing a computer tech.

Before bringing it in the computer store, how to protect personal
information
that I accumulated over the years? Also, other useful caution before it
would be
truly appreciated.

Thanks,
 
Open the case, then remove the hard disk. In this way you are
fully protected against any mistake the technician might make.
He can still test your PC - either without a disk or with his own
disk.

A little voice in the back of my mind just whispered "Here is
yet another PC user who does not believe in backing up his
important files. He prefers to wait until he suffers a big hit,
then he will ask for advice on how to restore his lost files."
Should I tell this little voice to be quiet?
 
Pegasus said:
Open the case, then remove the hard disk. In this way you are
fully protected against any mistake the technician might make.
He can still test your PC - either without a disk or with his own
disk.

A little voice in the back of my mind just whispered "Here is
yet another PC user who does not believe in backing up his
important files. He prefers to wait until he suffers a big hit,
then he will ask for advice on how to restore his lost files."
Should I tell this little voice to be quiet?
Click to expand...

Another little voice says, there are some nice and tiny backup
drives, external ones, that connect via USB. This one has good
reviews, compared to some of the competition whose external
products suffer from drive failures. This one uses a 2.5"
drive, and the raw drive specs suggest it draws on the order
of 2.5 watts while running.

Western Digital Passport Portable WDXMS2500TN 250GB 5400 RPM USB 2.0 External $147
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16822136139

The important files can just be copied over, directly to the
drive. Just plug in the drive, it will likely already be
formatted, and then copy over your accumulated data files.

You can get fancier, with backup software, such as products
that will backup the whole disk and make a recovery CD for you
as well. But the important first priority is to get the
"accumulated over the years" protected first, and then worry
about how to backup the boot drive in a later step.

Paul
 
Paul said:
Another little voice says, there are some nice and tiny backup
drives, external ones, that connect via USB. This one has good
reviews, compared to some of the competition whose external
products suffer from drive failures. This one uses a 2.5"
drive, and the raw drive specs suggest it draws on the order
of 2.5 watts while running.

Western Digital Passport Portable WDXMS2500TN 250GB 5400 RPM USB 2.0
External $147
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16822136139

The important files can just be copied over, directly to the
drive. Just plug in the drive, it will likely already be
formatted, and then copy over your accumulated data files.

You can get fancier, with backup software, such as products
that will backup the whole disk and make a recovery CD for you
as well. But the important first priority is to get the
"accumulated over the years" protected first, and then worry
about how to backup the boot drive in a later step.

Paul
Click to expand...

AFAIK, all brand name disks (Seagate, IBM, Maxtor) are
manufactured to the same standard. I therefore buy ordinary
2.5" disks for my clients' backup requirements, then put them
inside an external $20.00 USB case. Low in cost, works
extremely well. Some extra points to Paul's excellent suggestion:

- A USB backup disk should be kept well away from the
main PC most of the time if it is to be really useful.
- A backup scheme that is not fully tested (by doing some
sample recoveries) is useless.
- Many people forget to back up their EMail store, or if
they back it up they never try to restore it until the big
crunch comes. Very short-sighted . . .
 
Assuming one does have a backup, I think??? the OP is interested in
protecting his "personal information" from prying eyes during the repair.
 
I'm not sure but after dealing with several PCs that came
back from repair shops with reformatted disks, I thought
that the other aspect (preventing the OP's files from going
south) showed solid reasoning on his side.
 
Hi:
When turning on the computer by pushing 'button' at the bottom of
the computer, sometimes the computer does not start because of
a light of the computer of the button goes away and, thus the computer
not able to start. I need to push few more times to get the computer
started.

Wonder what's wrong with this?

Thanks for your help in advance.
Click to expand...

Why ask HERE? This has absolutely NOTHING to do with the XP OS. Ask
in a hardware group
 
Pegasus said:
I'm not sure but after dealing with several PCs that came
back from repair shops with reformatted disks, I thought
that the other aspect (preventing the OP's files from going
south) showed solid reasoning on his side.
Click to expand...

Yes, the reported objectionable behavior at computer shops, is
reformatting customer boot disks, just for the hell of it.
Nobody asks the customer, and when the computer comes back,
there is a shiny new OS install, and no data files.

There are two ways to make a convenient backup device. Buy
an enclosure and a bare disk drive, and assemble it yourself.
But in the OPs case, I figured most consumers would want to
buy a drive already in a nice little enclosure, because not
everyone builds their own stuff.

What I've noticed for pre-built disks in external enclosures,
is an abnormally high failure rate. The 2.5" drive in question,
does not appear to suffer from this. But it would seem like
prebuilt 3.5" drives tend to "drop like flied". There was one
poster, not too long ago, who used an external 3.5", backed up
their data, and a few days later, expected to restore to a new
disk. The drive was dead. And there are repeat stories like that,
leaving me to conclude that perhaps a 2.5" is a better choice.

It seems a lot of externals now lack fans, and my own personal
preference in buying bare enclosures, is to find one with a fan.
It is getting hard to find a reasonably priced product, that
comes with a fan. On the last one I bought, I even had to drill
holes, to provide a place for inlet air. Some fan equipped
enclosures, have no other holes for intake! So all the fan can
do, is swirl the air around a bit.

Paul
 
MapleE. said:
Hi:
Thanks both for the candid responses as to needing a computer tech.

Before bringing it in the computer store, how to protect personal
information
that I accumulated over the years? Also, other useful caution before it
would be
truly appreciated.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

We know backup is priceless. But maybe MapleE., when saying "how to
protect personal
information that I accumulated over the years?", is wishing to protect
personal info. from prying eyes of the technician?! s
 
Paul said:
Yes, the reported objectionable behavior at computer shops, is
reformatting customer boot disks, just for the hell of it.
Nobody asks the customer, and when the computer comes back,
there is a shiny new OS install, and no data files.

There are two ways to make a convenient backup device. Buy
an enclosure and a bare disk drive, and assemble it yourself.
But in the OPs case, I figured most consumers would want to
buy a drive already in a nice little enclosure, because not
everyone builds their own stuff.

What I've noticed for pre-built disks in external enclosures,
is an abnormally high failure rate. The 2.5" drive in question,
does not appear to suffer from this. But it would seem like
prebuilt 3.5" drives tend to "drop like flied". There was one
poster, not too long ago, who used an external 3.5", backed up
their data, and a few days later, expected to restore to a new
disk. The drive was dead. And there are repeat stories like that,
leaving me to conclude that perhaps a 2.5" is a better choice.

It seems a lot of externals now lack fans, and my own personal
preference in buying bare enclosures, is to find one with a fan.
It is getting hard to find a reasonably priced product, that
comes with a fan. On the last one I bought, I even had to drill
holes, to provide a place for inlet air. Some fan equipped
enclosures, have no other holes for intake! So all the fan can
do, is swirl the air around a bit.

Paul
Click to expand...
I've just gotta ask: is there anything wrong with using a bare drive
with just the adapter-wiring for a backup disk? Have to protect it from
static electricity, of course. Just eliminate the enclosure and seems to me
it will run cooler than cooped up inside those 'air-proof boxes'. BTW: I
have probably 4-5 enclosures on hand and only one of the wire-only-adapters!
s
 
sdlomi2 said:
I've just gotta ask: is there anything wrong with using a bare drive
with just the adapter-wiring for a backup disk? Have to protect it from
static electricity, of course. Just eliminate the enclosure and seems to me
it will run cooler than cooped up inside those 'air-proof boxes'. BTW: I
have probably 4-5 enclosures on hand and only one of the wire-only-adapters!
s
Click to expand...

Exposure to the air, has got to be better than being cooped up in a
sealed plastic box.

The risks to the raw drive, are static discharge (ground yourself to the
computer case before touching). Also, the risk of a mechanical shock to
the drive - like dropping an object on it. An enclosure is elastic to
some extent, and reduces the shock level.

The power dissipation of the 2.5" and 3.5" drives is quite different.
When I looked up that WD drive, I was surprised to see that the peak power
was 5V at 0.5A (2.5W). Which is a lot less than a 3.5" drive that is using
12V @ 0.6A and 5V @ 1A. Although there are probably a few 72000RPM
drives now, in the 3.5" size, that have better numbers than the ones
I typically quote. I use my 12W worth of power numbers, to try to make
sure the power supply will be big enough.

Paul
 
sdlomi2 said:
We know backup is priceless. But maybe MapleE., when saying "how to
protect personal
information that I accumulated over the years?", is wishing to protect
personal info. from prying eyes of the technician?! s
Click to expand...

Indeed. Recall the story of Gary Glitter in the UK who found himself in
court simply because he took his PC into PCWorld* for repair. PCWorld
scanned the PC for material that shouldn't have been there even though to do
so was completely unconnected with the repair they were doing.

For our US readers: PCWorld is the largest chain of Computer superstores in
the UK, noted for their complete lack of knowledge on anything computer
related and complete absence of any form of after sales service.
 
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