(Solved) HP Compaq After the Storm

[Ramchu]

Just reset the BIOS to default settings and tried again to boot the Live CD and it ended in a kernel panic
so in my thinking that narrows it down to a problem with RAM 

[AS]

Just reset the BIOS to default settings and tried again to boot the Live CD and it ended in a kernel panic
so in my thinking that narrows it down to a problem with RAM 

+1

[Ramchu]

Just as a final check I am now posting from the Live CD on my Compaq CQ61 Laptop.
so that confirms that the Live CD is good - correct ?

[AS]

Just as a final check I am now posting from the Live CD on my Compaq CQ61 Laptop.
so that confirms that the Live CD is good - correct ?

Clearly yes    Anyway mediacheck is more pedantic than booting elsewhere.   

[Ramchu]

AS,
Thank You for your help,
 will get some new RAM tomorrow and try again.
I have got the computer in question doing a memory check from the live CD
that I am going allow to run the rest of the day and see if any errors pop up.

[AS]

AS,
Thank You for your help,
 will get some new RAM tomorrow and try again.
I have got the computer in question doing a memory check from the live CD
that I am going allow to run the rest of the day and see if any errors pop up.

 

[Ramchu]

Ran the memory test for 6 hours and it did not return any errors.
Booted into Win XP and looked at how much RAM it sees and it
shows 0.99MB of available memory.

0.99MB ?   - I don't see how Win XP even boots.
Clearly a problem here !

[AS]

Ran the memory test for 6 hours and it did not return any errors.
Booted into Win XP and looked at how much RAM it sees and it
shows 0.99MB of available memory.

0.99MB ?   - I don't see how Win XP even boots.
Clearly a problem here !

don't get fooled from win, it could be simply a display error ...

[ThirdOfSix]

I don't know when that model was made. But if it was made during the period when a lot of computers were built with defective capacitors, you may want to check the motherboard for any bulging electrolytic capacitors.

With the potential for  there having been a power surge as indicated by the given history, this could also apply even if it is a newer computer.

Yes, I know, you are going to say "it boots in Windows". It does not matter.

When the capacitors start to fail their value drops over time. They are usually used in a filter situation. The needed value of the capacitor to give an adequate filtering effect is among other things a function of the current being drawn by the circuitry.

That will vary depending on how hard the processor is working.

It has been my experience that Linux tends to work the processor at or near 100% capacity during booting. Windows does not...or at least that has been the case on my machines.

Therefore, when the motherboard is just starting to die, the symptoms can be quite different for different operation systems.

[Ramchu]

I don't know when that model was made. But if it was made during the period when a lot of computers were built with defective capacitors, you may want to check the motherboard for any bulging electrolytic capacitors.

With the potential for  there having been a power surge as indicated by the given history, this could also apply even if it is a newer computer.

Yes, I know, you are going to say "it boots in Windows". It does not matter.

When the capacitors start to fail their value drops over time. They are usually used in a filter situation. The needed value of the capacitor to give an adequate filtering effect is among other things a function of the current being drawn by the circuitry.

That will vary depending on how hard the processor is working.

It has been my experience that Linux tends to work the processor at or near 100% capacity during booting. Windows does not...or at least that has been the case on my machines.

Therefore, when the motherboard is just starting to die, the symptoms can be quite different for different operation systems.

Thank You for the advise, but as you stated with the given history, that was one of the 1st things that I looked for.

[Ramchu]

I purchased new RAM for this computer and things got a little better but it still wouldn't completely boot the Live CD.
I replaced the DVD/CD ROM with one out of one of my computers and that has solved all of the issues.
Had to do a complete reinstall because at first I was thinking that something was corrupted on the Hard Drive
and I had Reformated it.

Downloading all of the updates as I type this.

[AS]

I purchased new RAM for this computer and things got a little better but it still wouldn't completely boot the Live CD.
I replaced the DVD/CD ROM with one out of one of my computers and that has solved all of the issues.
Had to do a complete reinstall because at first I was thinking that something was corrupted on the Hard Drive
and I had Reformated it.

Downloading all of the updates as I type this.

Interestingly, despite hours of memtest without errors ... 

[horusfalcon]

I read this with some interest.  I note that the Intel video is integrated, which means it shares RAM with the motherboard, and so your total RAM load may not be 1GB at this point.  When you bought new RAM did you go a larger size, or stay with 512 MB sticks in each slot?  If you're still at 1 GB, look at your BIOS to see how much RAM you are sharing.  (A lot of the later Intel integrated systems are adjustable - and if someone changed system resolution in Windows, this may have dynamically affected the RAM share.)

Windows XP and PCLinuxOS will both run better with 2GB or 4GB of RAM, but upgrading quickly becomes a matter of cost-effectiveness on older hardware.  Naturally, you'll want to weigh your options before you spend your money.

Good luck, Ramchu.  I know how frustrating it can be to try to get stuff to run on older hardware - I've been doing it a lot lately.

Later On,
D

I see I was just an augenblick too late with my suggestions.  It appears you may have arrived at the same conclusions as I did, though.  Glad to see you got it working.

[Ramchu]

I read this with some interest.  I note that the Intel video is integrated, which means it shares RAM with the motherboard, and so your total RAM load may not be 1GB at this point.  When you bought new RAM did you go a larger size, or stay with 512 MB sticks in each slot?  If you're still at 1 GB, look at your BIOS to see how much RAM you are sharing.  (A lot of the later Intel integrated systems are adjustable - and if someone changed system resolution in Windows, this may have dynamically affected the RAM share.)

Windows XP and PCLinuxOS will both run better with 2GB or 4GB of RAM, but upgrading quickly becomes a matter of cost-effectiveness on older hardware.  Naturally, you'll want to weigh your options before you spend your money.

Good luck, Ramchu.  I know how frustrating it can be to try to get stuff to run on older hardware - I've been doing it a lot lately.

Later On,
D

I see I was just an augenblick too late with my suggestions.  It appears you may have arrived at the same conclusions as I did, though.  Glad to see you got it working.

When I purchased the new ram, I purchased a single stick of 1gig and then installed also 1 of the 512MB sticks that was original,
so now it has 1.49gig of ram.
Apparently the computer was hit by some kind of electrical spike (lightening) that affected the DVD/CD ROM, because after changing it all of the problems went away.
The InLaws are once again happy PCLinuxOS - KDE campers !