T42 Boot Problems

Message

1885 · #1 Post by **1885** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 11:23 am

I had not been having startup problems until just recently.
About two weeks ago, I used the auto software install utility to download the latest updates (don't remember which they were). Shortly after that, I started getting major boot problems. From a cold boot, I get a blue screen with a Stop error (looks like it may be a memory address or something) and the machine reboots into the select start mode. I have to go from that screen back to IBM start screen and back to blue screen about 10 times before it finally boots. When I try restarting with the last known good start, it makes no difference. When I try to boot using safe mode, it automatically shows the startup sequence each time up to the AGP440.SYS (that's the last file it shows before stopping) and then stops and the boot sequence starts all over again. I can never get into safe mode. I'm using AVG7 Free and Tiny Firewall 2005 but am not sure if they are causing any problems. Anyone have a solution?

G-Man · #2 Post by **G-Man** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 11:46 am

Possible solution:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.as ... -us;324764

This site might be helpful too:

http://ianwij.com/weblog/archive/2004/0 ... 40sys.aspx

Regards,
G-Man

1885 · #3 Post by **1885** » Sun May 01, 2005 11:57 am

Thanks, G-Man, for the links. Looks like lots of folks are having the same problem. Seems like it's associated to the ATI drivers. Since I don't have an installation cd, how do I run chkdsk/r on the drive? I tried looking for the file cmdcons in the IBM Preload and can't locate it.

egibbs · #4 Post by **egibbs** » Sun May 01, 2005 2:08 pm

It sounds like a video driver install went bad.

If you can get into Windows (preferably in safe mode), open Control Panel and click Performance and Maintenance, then click System. Click on the Hardware tab in the System window and then click the Device Manager button.

Click the + sign next to Display Adapters to expand it, and then right click on the name of your display adapter and click Uninstall to remove the video driver.

Reboot normally and you should get into Windows but will be using the default VGA adapter driver so your display may look crappy. Now go to IBM.com and manually download and install the corrrect video driver for your system. Or you could try using the Thinkpad Installer utility again - but disable your Anti-Virus software first.

Kenn · #5 Post by **Kenn** » Sun May 01, 2005 2:41 pm

In a possibly unrelated note, I was helping a friend troubleshoot a Dell D600 the other day and the HD would thrash at the same AGP440.sys for about 8-10 minutes before finally loading into safe mode. Ugh, that was a nightmare.

1885 · #6 Post by **1885** » Mon May 02, 2005 9:11 pm

egibbs wrote:It sounds like a video driver install went bad.

Uninstall to remove the video driver.

Reboot normally and you should get into Windows but will be using the default VGA adapter driver so your display may look crappy. Now go to IBM.com and manually download and install the corrrect video driver for your system. Or you could try using the Thinkpad Installer utility again - but disable your Anti-Virus software first.

Great suggestion egibbs. I followed it and reinstalled the current ATI Driver from IBM.com. It seems to have completely solved the problem. Thanks much!!

egibbs · #7 Post by **egibbs** » Tue May 03, 2005 6:16 am

1885 · #8 Post by **1885** » Tue May 03, 2005 9:23 pm

Oops! I spoke too soon. I started the laptop after coming home this evening and it reverted to the same problem. What a pain!

I called IBM Tech Support and, after describing the problem, the rep said to remove and reinstall the hard drive. I did and the system booted perfectly. Go figure. BUT, I'm not counting on that to be the fix. So, I'll try it again tomorrow and see if it worked.

T42 Boot Problems

T42 Boot Problems

Re: T42 Boot Problems

Who is online