Help with trouble with new T61p (resolved - Symantec)

[tjm001]

I have a new T61p that has been nothing but trouble. It is a 6459-CTO s/n L3Bxxxx with BIOS 7LET56WW (1.26) running XP-Pro and 2GB memory. I’ve never had a machine as unstable as this thing is acting. I keep getting blue screens & program not responding errors.

My suspicions at this point are conflicting drivers from the software that came with the Lenovo USB Webcam or a conflict between Zone Alarm Pro and the Norton Anti Virus that was loaded on the machine when I got it. Other than the Windows & Norton updates, the only things I loaded onto the machine is the Webcam software, Zone Alarm Pro and Skype.

Since I really don’t have anything else on the machine I was thinking of just using the rescue and recovery 4 software option “Restore my hard drive to the original factory state”, and then starting over while paying close attention. Does this sound like a good plan? Any special things to watch out for or do/dont?

Thanks.

[alacrityathome]

good idea....run your rescue and recovery and don't add additional software for a while to test the original configuration.

how have you been using the Pc? Any intensive 3D gaming by chance?

when does the PC go into BSOD?

[tjm001]

Thanks. I've only had the machine up and running about a week after it took a full month to get here (APO address in Germany) because they tried to ship FEDX after being told not to.

I bought the machine for digital photography purposes. I still have not figured out any pattern to the BSOD's.

[alacrityathome]

I have heard of zone alarm conflicts in the past......so try your original configuration for a while to test the PC without any additional software. in fact, you can google "zone alarm problem" and get many inputs on this.

find out if your added software caused the problem......or you have a hardware/software problem with your new PC.

also, run the complete set of PC Doctor tests with your original configuration.

let us know your results.

good luck.

[mixz1]

I see you have 2 gig of memory. Are they 2 sticks or one? If they're 2 sticks, try removing one. I've had problems like this on my A30/p and A31/p. Sometimes you get bad "sync" (for lack of a better word) between the modules. See how it runs in 1 gig, which will be fine for XP Pro. If it works, call Lenovo and have them do an exchange on both modules, explaining what you found.

I'm typing this on a 6459-CTO machine running XP Pro, NAV Corporate and Comodo Pro. I do intensive photo and video work and have never had a BSOD. I've had problems with ZA7 causing BSODs on other machines and if you go to their support forums you'll see quite a few posts on the subject. As for Norton's consumer products, IMHO they've become bloatware and resource hogs.

YMMV, but I hope one of these suggestions works for you. Outside of the audio problems, discussed in this forum elswhere, it's a great machine.

[ejr]

I would pull all the symantec stuff right away. It is nothing but trouble. I have the same system as you, albeit running vista, and don't have those problems.

[alacrityathome]

On mixz1's comment, run PC Doctor v5 video test and you will see a PC crash if that is the issue. The one versus two stick RAM issue is related in some way to a Motherboard problem......which Lenovo will replace if that is the issue.

[tjm001]

Thanks. I ran all of the PC Doctor stuff and everthing checked out OK. I'm going to get rid of all of the symantec stuff this has been a big problem in the past on my other machines. We'll see what happens. I'm sure it's a good machine. I just have to find what's causing the problem.

I've got it back to the factory settings now and just did all of the Windows updates.

[alacrityathome]

tjm,

I should have mentioned that only the most recent PC Doctor v5 or v5.1 picks up any video issues (according to some recent threads in the forum)

But, sounds like you are making progress.

[tjm001]

Just to let everybody know that it was the the symantec stuff that was causing all the problems. All is well since I got rid of it.

Thanks

[eyecon82]

do you have turbo memory?

[tjm001]

I don't think so. I just ordered 2 MG of what I thought was regular old memory. I apologise for my ignorance on this matter.

[hippy chick]

I have just set up my T61p, and as i have a long standing dislike of Nortons av and firewall products.... i uninstalled them before doing anything else...I then installed Zone alarm security suite ( very latest version), and all worked great. I went for the all in one option as zonealarm is reported to be probably the best firewall and the anti virus it uses is Kaspersky....which is also probably the best......and best of all.... i got a three licences for about $50 on their site...a real bargain!

I too had numerous problems setting up out of the box....the on board software which is one of Lenovo's big selling points was a nightmare...the updates errored and took ages to download. It would be a great idea to download the updates to a file so that you do not have to keep downloading them when they error on install. It even created 22gig of something "i still do not know what" on my c drive. Technical support for software issues does not exist ( is that legal?), and so in the end i gave up and F11'd it back to factory state...reinstalled without Nortons stuff and then installed all the updates ONE at a time...pain in the A***...but it works, and less painful than being sent from pillar to post by tech support!

I still cannot get rescue and recovery to see my 2nd drive .....but tomorrow is a new day...and this forum looks a lot more knowledgeable than Lenovo tech support.

Fingers crosed

[hippy chick]

I ordered this but could not find it on the machine...Spoke to sales ( eventually ) and they said that the software that comes with the turbo memory is not installed on xp systems and is only on Vista systems...I asked why they sold it as an option on xp systems and was told " I do not know sir"...well at least he was very polite!

I did a bit of research thereafter, and the general consensus is that it makes little or no difference on vista systems and even slightly less on XP. I must say my machine really is quick and i am not really bothered about making it faster ......yet! ....That is not to say that Lenovo were right in selling it, or not supplying the software or ar*ing me around for literally hours trying to get some information.