[p71p]

First of all i apologise for all my questions with various laptops but your help has been much appreciated.

I am currently cleaning up my mother in laws acer 5680 after her son filled it with lots of junk. The laptop is running on vista and had not had the service packs downloaded. The pc is now fully up to date with all updates.

My issue with the pc is that sometimes when you switch it on and are presented with the Acer screen, you get lines running down the screen. If on boot up the lines are present then it is unlikely it will load to desktop, instead you just get a black screen. When i say black you can still adjust contrast by pressing Fn and cursor. The laptop has been like this for quitesometime and the mother in law has just put up with it.

As i say this is not all the time but when it does happen you have no option but to hold the power button and then try to boot again.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Hi p71p

Please Run the PCPitstop.com OverDrive Full Tests

Here's how:

You must use your Internet Explorer for this procedure. (doesn't work so well in Firefox or others). If your machine is running Vista or Windows 7, you must Select IE to “Run as Administrator”. After completing PCPitstop OverDrive you can close your IE browser and re-open it Normally so that you are no longer running as administrator.

Go to: http://www.pcpitstop...pit/default.asp
Click on "Free Computer Check-up" listed below PC Pitstop OverDrive
In the User Login - Click on "Sign up FREE!"
You'll need to submit a valid email address and create your own password, then click - Create Account(button)

Now enter your email address and password to Log in, Select - Scan this system Now!(button)
You will then be asked to download an ActiveX component and allow it to install.
It is safe and does not compromise your privacy.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install the ActiveX and to allow the Full Tests to be run on your machine.

The Full Tests take about 2 1/2 - 3 minutes on most machines.
When complete, a Results - Summary - Recommended Fixes will be displayed.

Please post the URL internet address, from your Results, back here into this Topic Thread so that we can review the configuration and present performance levels of your machine.

Note: During the graphics 2D and graphics 3D testing, your screen will display some rapidly moving objects.
If you are sensitive to visual flashing, it may cause dizziness. Therefore, look away from the screen during that portion of the testing.

After reviewing the results we will be more informed and may be able to provide better recommendations for you to work towards improving your machine's performance.

While PCPitstop does offer a variety of Paid Products, the PCPitstop OverDrive testing is FREE. Please ignore the references to Paid Products. We prefer to provide manual solution instructions that you can apply directly to your machine.

Thanks to rshaffer61 for the PCPitstop instructions

[phillpower2]

Hi p71p

Please Run the PCPitstop.com OverDrive Full Tests

Here's how:

You must use your Internet Explorer for this procedure. (doesn't work so well in Firefox or others). If your machine is running Vista or Windows 7, you must Select IE to “Run as Administrator”. After completing PCPitstop OverDrive you can close your IE browser and re-open it Normally so that you are no longer running as administrator.

Go to: http://www.pcpitstop...pit/default.asp
Click on "Free Computer Check-up" listed below PC Pitstop OverDrive
In the User Login - Click on "Sign up FREE!"
You'll need to submit a valid email address and create your own password, then click - Create Account(button)

Now enter your email address and password to Log in, Select - Scan this system Now!(button)
You will then be asked to download an ActiveX component and allow it to install.
It is safe and does not compromise your privacy.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install the ActiveX and to allow the Full Tests to be run on your machine.

The Full Tests take about 2 1/2 - 3 minutes on most machines.
When complete, a Results - Summary - Recommended Fixes will be displayed.

Please post the URL internet address, from your Results, back here into this Topic Thread so that we can review the configuration and present performance levels of your machine.

Note: During the graphics 2D and graphics 3D testing, your screen will display some rapidly moving objects.
If you are sensitive to visual flashing, it may cause dizziness. Therefore, look away from the screen during that portion of the testing.

After reviewing the results we will be more informed and may be able to provide better recommendations for you to work towards improving your machine's performance.

While PCPitstop does offer a variety of Paid Products, the PCPitstop OverDrive testing is FREE. Please ignore the references to Paid Products. We prefer to provide manual solution instructions that you can apply directly to your machine.

Thanks to rshaffer61 for the PCPitstop instructions

[p71p]

I'm starting to think you are the only qualified person on here lol.

on a serious note i appreciate all your help on this matter and in the past.

Okay, i hope this is what you want?
http://www.pcpitstop...?conid=24927334

[phillpower2]

I'm starting to think you are the only qualified person on here lol.

Please return to the PCPitstop results and address the items that have a red X against them, if you hover the cursor over the item you will be given a description of the issue and if you click on it you will be instructed how to correct the problem, post back when you have done this.

For the out of date drivers http://www.innovativ....com/drivermax/ you are only allowed to download two drivers a day for free which in this case is ok but I mention this to make others who may read the topic aware of the fact.
I am only suggesting the free driver downloads and in no way suggesting that you use any other product or service at the link.

[p71p]

I had been working on this for quite sometime yesterday and i thought i had cracked it. This morning i powered up the laptop but was presented with the lines down the screen, the the microsoft loading bar, then a black screen. After 3 attempts the laptop loaded to desktop. I went back to pcpitstop to carry out another scan. Part way through the test i got a blue screen shut down, this happened twice.

The lines on the screen puzzle me because it is so random, sometimes they are there and it stops the laptop from booting, then they are not and it runs fine.

[phillpower2]

I had been working on this for quite sometime yesterday and i thought i had cracked it.

Can you tell us what you did as it will save us suggesting things that have been tried already.
Did you update the video drivers?
Is there data on the HDD that needs to be backed up in case of HDD failure.
Has the inside of the notebook ever been cleaned out of heat trapping dust, a guide to doing this @ http://www.varesano....series 5685wlmi
Another possible culprit could be the MB to screen video cable as they can become loose or damaged by nothing more than opening and closing the lid over time.

[p71p]

I had been working on this for quite sometime yesterday and i thought i had cracked it.

Can you tell us what you did as it will save us suggesting things that have been tried already.
Did you update the video drivers?
Is there data on the HDD that needs to be backed up in case of HDD failure.
Has the inside of the notebook ever been cleaned out of heat trapping dust, a guide to doing this @ http://www.varesano....series 5685wlmi
Another possible culprit could be the MB to screen video cable as they can become loose or damaged by nothing more than opening and closing the lid over time.

I updated the video drivers. I cleaned out the dust from the fan and made sure everything was seated correctly.

I don't think there is anything on the HDD that cant be replaced.

I am going to check the cable to make sure it is connected correctly. Again this morning the lines appeared then a black screen after the microsoft loading bar. It must be loading the desktop as it remains powered up and although the screen is black it still plays the tune you get when you get to the desktop. Again this morning i got bluescreen and briefly caught that it said something like error in non paged area but i could be wrong, it was 3.30 in the morning.

[p71p]

I had been working on this for quite sometime yesterday and i thought i had cracked it.

Can you tell us what you did as it will save us suggesting things that have been tried already.
Did you update the video drivers?
Is there data on the HDD that needs to be backed up in case of HDD failure.
Has the inside of the notebook ever been cleaned out of heat trapping dust, a guide to doing this @ http://www.varesano....series 5685wlmi
Another possible culprit could be the MB to screen video cable as they can become loose or damaged by nothing more than opening and closing the lid over time.

I updated the video drivers. I cleaned out the dust from the fan and made sure everything was seated correctly.

I don't think there is anything on the HDD that cant be replaced.

I am going to check the cable to make sure it is connected correctly. Again this morning the lines appeared then a black screen after the microsoft loading bar. It must be loading the desktop as it remains powered up and although the screen is black it still plays the tune you get when you get to the desktop. Again this morning i got bluescreen and briefly caught that it said something like error in non paged area but i could be wrong, it was 3.30 in the morning.

Just to add, i was looking through the device manager as i lost audio this morning. Itwas highlighted as not working so i updated the driver and got audio back. When i tested it by playing a music track, it sounded like a stuck record then went on to blue screen again showing 'page fault in non paged area'

Edited by p71p, 28 May 2012 - 11:13 PM.

[phillpower2]

Bad Ram or HDD can both produce the on screen message 'page fault in non paged area' predominantly bad Ram.

How many sticks of Ram are fitted 1 or 2?
If 2 try removing the stick in slot 2 and booting up, if no change power down and move the same stick into slot 2 and again boot up, if still no change power down, remove the Ram and put it to one side then repeat the procedure with the second stick of Ram, let us know how you get on.