topic Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!! in PCs & Accessories

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

xiangtaner — Sun, 02 May 2004 18:04:25 GMT

I bought this VAIO (PCG-FX300) on Nov. 19, 2001. Recently, I got a problem on
it. Please help me, thank you very much!

Description of the problem:

Each time, after running for about 3 hours, an intermittent 'click' sound will
come out from the left side and underneath the keyboard. Then, after a while
(around two or three minutes), the machine come to a freeze. You can't move
the mouse, and you can't even shut it down by pressing the power button. After
another one or two minute, it comes out a blue screen with some information.
Then, the machine shut down itself automatically. This blue screen stays only
in a very short time, and it indicated a problem of misusage of hardware or
software.

It is not the end. After shutting down itself, sometimes the machine will turn
on itself automatically, and sometimes you have to start it by pressing the
power button. In these cases, the machine can still operate properly again,
but the duration will be less than 3 hours this time.

After two or three this kind of cycle, the notebook can't be started any more.
It can't turn on itself, and there will be a message of 'Operating System not
Found' appearing on the screen if you press the power button.

I didn't add any new hardware and software during this period. This problem
just came out in a sudden.

By the way, I can feel that the fan is still working intermittently, but the
air coming out from the machine is very hot. Also, it seems that it is not the
problem of the AC adapter, for the problem still exists if using a new AC
adapter.

Please help me resolve this problem. Thank you!

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

kee-lo_ — Sun, 02 May 2004 18:14:27 GMT

Sounds like a bad hard disk, and a combination of other issues.
I would consider looking at local repair stores, or considering a new VAIO.

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

xiangtaner — Sun, 02 May 2004 18:31:23 GMT

But if the hard disk is gone, how can I still run it for around 3 hours each time?

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

kee-lo_ — Sun, 02 May 2004 18:38:52 GMT

Well you said there's a click, so I guess the drive's getting too hot and the head gets moved out of the reading error, hence the "Operating System Not Found" error.

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

xiangtaner — Sun, 02 May 2004 18:41:37 GMT

Thank you!

So you mean that the hard disk is gone in the sense that it can't bear hot temperature?

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

kee-lo_ — Sun, 02 May 2004 18:42:42 GMT

Yes, that can happen if it's working outside it's operating tempreture.

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

xiangtaner — Sun, 02 May 2004 18:46:04 GMT

Thank you again!

But why not you suspect that it resulted from an over-heat problem?

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

kee-lo_ — Sun, 02 May 2004 18:56:09 GMT

Well lets review the problem:

1) Notebook won't go on for > 3hrs. You said it was hot and that you hear a clicking sound / notebook shuts down with a BSOD

2) Notebook comes on automatically (!)

3) Try powering it up with a message "Operating System Not Found"

4) Notebook won't stay on > 3hrs after all this.

The heat + clicking sound suggest to me the hard disk is overheating, hence the BSOD.
Notebook coming on automatically ???? Now this IS strange.
The other points have to do with the overheating of the unit.

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

xiangtaner — Sun, 02 May 2004 19:11:25 GMT

You are really a expert on this! I will replce a new hard disk to see whether this problem can be resolved.

By the way, what is the meaning for 'BSOD'?

Thank you!

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

kee-lo_ — Sun, 02 May 2004 19:13:03 GMT

Thanks - though I am only guessing as I have not seen the unit
I do hope it works though
BSOD is blue screen of death.

Again

xiangtaner — Mon, 10 May 2004 20:16:39 GMT

Kee Lo:

According to your suggenstion, I replaced my original hard drive (20G, 4200RPM) with a new hard drive (Toshiba 40G, 5400RPM, 16M cache).

It seems works fine till now. The original problem seems solved.

But sometimes there is a continous noise (like 'dada dada') while the computer read the hard disk. And the indicating light twinkle in the meantime. Do you think it is a problem with the new hard disk? Or I should use another 20G hard disk instead of the 40G?

Thank you very much!

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

stevep-4 — Tue, 11 May 2004 05:49:54 GMT

It probably the computer writing stuff between the virtual memory and the hard drive

Please help on my Sony Vaio PCG-FX300!!

tellingd — Tue, 11 May 2004 07:12:52 GMT

I'd agree with that. My HDD sometimes becomes active for no apparent reason, and I've had this on other machines. Doesn't sound like a problem.

Re: Again

kee-lo_ — Tue, 11 May 2004 11:32:09 GMT

But sometimes there is a continous noise (like 'dada dada') while the computer read the hard disk. And the indicating light twinkle in the meantime. Do you think it is a problem with the new hard disk? Or I should use another 20G hard disk instead of the 40G?  

Thank you very much!

No, that's perfectly fine, Windows needs to write to the swap file as Steve said, it happens to all hard disks, you hear it more on notebooks.

Thanks!

xiangtaner — Tue, 11 May 2004 16:40:31 GMT

Many thanks to all of you!