I got a call from a friend asking if I would help him install a program he bought since he didn't know much about computers. He dropped off his laptop with me and I put the program on it. The laptop was working fine and dandy. I called him and told him that it was ready for him to pick up. So he came and got it and talked to me later on msn messenger and told me thanks that it was running nice and he appreciated my efforts.
For the record he just bought this lap top and it seems to me as if it's either refrusbished or used. I can tell because I know a heep of a lot about pcs.
Anyways he e-mailed me today with a message that read: "My laptop crashed, and now it won't boot up. It keeps restarting on it's own, and it won't even go into Windows XP." He was on it when I gave it back to him and said it was fine so I dunno what's up. Maybe he went on the net without virus protection because he was talking to me on a messenger late at night and who knows where else he was roaming online. Great well now I have a feeling I should take the time out and fix it for him. What could this be and how can I diagnose his lap top when I get it?
I noticed 3 things that struck me odd when I took it in just to put the program on it. The first thing was that he had the windows vista theme on winxp pro service pack 2. I know from experience that you shouldn't use that because the windows vista theme could screw up your pc. The second thing I noticed is I didn't see any anti virus (although I am not sure since I was not looking for it), but usually it would be out in the open on the systray or desktop. He just got dial up on his lap top.
Well I need some pointers as to how and what to do if I do help fix this dum lap top. I would only be doing it because I put the program on his pc (that I have installed a million times on my computer and other peoples pcs). He bought the exact same program I've been installing for years. Well my guess is I would first check to see if I can safe boot. Problem is I dunno how to safe boot on a lap top. Second off I would check to see if there is an antivirus program on his pc. And if not than I would install one and scan his pc. Another thing I was thinking is worst come sceanario I would have to reinstall windows xp for him and he would lose everything. He has nothing on his pc anyways because he just bought it. But I dunno if I reinstall windows if it will screw his lap top up because I notice that lap tops have different things in the systray for internet and battery watch, etc.
What am I to do? How can I diagnose his pc? Especially if it isn't booting up?
(he has a Tosiba lap top... I will figure out the model when I call him)