CF-18 BSOD lost system/config

It was just sat there on the passenger seat with the Autoroute running, looked over and found a BSOD. dumping physical memory it said. I let it do it's thing but when it restarted it said "can't find system/config try using your install disk to repair" on the bottom of a black screen.

Ok this is weird. I tried restarting a few times when it happened and it kept saying the same thing. I just opened it up again now 24hr later to check exactly what the message was and it has started up normally.... So good news, toughbook fairy has been to work overnight, but i rely heavily on this machine and something is wrong somewhere. Bad sectors on HDD (it's getting to be an old drive now)? Registry problem? Can anyone suggest what i should do to minimize chances of a repeat?

 

Oh, it just done it again. I have a problem

Won't boot again says missing config/system. Can't be though as it started and ran for 20 minutes. CMOS battery? As it was ok after leaving it 24 hours battery picked up a bit? Seems possible from that point of view but anyone know if it's likely?

 

Hard disk making rhythmic noises like a skipping record, gave it a thumb and it nearly booted. I'm thinking dead HDD

 

Hard drive would be my first choice
Memory a very distant second choice

Alex

 

Thanks Alex, I could do with an upgraded drive anyway. Only trouble i have now is installing new system without a CD drive am i better to buy a IDE to USB cable and install the system from another laptops CD drive or should i get an external USB CD drive if i can even do it either way i'm not sure TBH

 

Go for a usb cd/dvd type drive
The genaric models are not too expensive
Do you have the restore disks for your mk-1 model

Alex

 

no, but i've got another xp pro disc and the drivers backed up somewhere. When i put the new HD in and turn it on will it recognise the xp disc in an external usb drive and install it ok from there? It's not the same as booting from USB is it which it won't do IIRC? I'm more used to regular laptops with CD drives in them.

I'll search the forum for info on which HD to get but from a quick look before it seemed not to matter too much as long as it was compatible type and size, manufacturer not important? I'll stick to 5400 rpm for heat issues but not sure if there is a maximum size i can use.

 

These laptops are made to boot from an external usb cd drive
I'm not sure on size either
If you get a 160GB and the bios reads it as less ,just partition so that the sizes are less that the 137GB limitation
Post #58 in this thread has the driver order
Here
The Samsung HM160HC is what I recomend
Very low heat/noise and very reliable and fast

Alex

 

I suppose they would have to be, the bios boot order is CD, Floppy, Hard Drive, Lan. I guess bound to be a USB CD drive.

Well i've found that HD and an external DVD drive both surprisingly cheap. I needed a bigger drive anyway so its not wasted money. Should be here in a couple of days.

Thanks a lot for your help

 

No problem

The hard drive upgrade will really speed up your cf-18


Alex

 

It recognised the 160GB drive without problem and this is a Mark 1......

I never actually realised the old drive was 4200rpm so i look forward to that faster computer now.

I'll begin the drivers from your link. Thanks again for your help it saved me a huge amount of time i'm sure.

 

Hi all,
I just picked up a cf-18 recently and have been combing through the forums for useful info, firstly just wanted to thank everyone here for having such a helpful forum. Now onto my post..

So i've got a similar issue happening with my CF-18, but it seems to have some personality behind the problem.

I got it off ebay got it home opened er up worked like a charm, browsed the forum and managed to get the swivel sensor and the front hotkeys working, but the entire time, When ever I take it out with me, either out for a drive or anywhere aside my house for a few hours, I'll start getting Blue Screens,
'IRQ Less Then Or Equal To' errors (I would jot down the error code but i don't happen to have it handy ATM and just got back from a long drive)

When this first started to occure I jotted down the 08x0 error and it seems it's related to a driver problem, I did a system restore (as I wasn't overly keen on doing a fresh re-install just yet) and all seemed good, got everything working nicely and then I head out and tried to load up mapping software and BAM Blue screen, not once not twice but every freakin time the computer boots, sometimes making it so far as to get to the login page, but usually not.

I arrive home decide I'll give it another shot before retiring for te evening/morning and well wouldn't ya know, boots first time no errors and here I am writing away on it.

I've ordered an additional HDD (gonna give a 320GB PATA drive a try, will let you all know how that pans out) and am also awaiting a 1GB stick of ram.

I just find it odd that this error only seems to occur away from home.

Maybe it's just me and I curse all my electronics or aybe it's just new to the area and feeling timid. Hopefully the upgrades and some tinkering will resolve.

Just thought I'd throw this out there and see if anyone else had encountered something as odd.

On a final note keep up the good work, excellent forum everyone.

 

That sounds remarkably similar to mine in it's randomness. I used to get a lot of chkdsks on boot up which took forever (which reminds me, don't ever force a power off during a chkdsk, it wouldn't reboot as it thought i'd erased all my system files. Fixed by putting HDD in external enclosure and running chkdsk on the drive from there, phew!) and the occasional glitch but then BSOD after another like you're getting. Since the new HDD it seems to be perfect i'm glad to say. Are you sure that drive you ordered will fit though? I thought there was a wide choice but reading around on here it's not so. Sure someone will be along to give you an experts opinion soon. Best of luck with it!

 

P4-based system should have no problem addressing the entire 320GB drive; this was a limitation on much older P2/early P3 chipsets.

mnem
P-1 Are you out there?

 

It looks like you have the stock gps option in your cf-18

If it happens when you are away from home or outside there is a few changes that happen

Now you have to isolate each change to resolve the problem

First inside try on battery only

Second outside disable GPS in the bios

Alex

 

sadly i don't have the stock GPS in mine, I've been searching for OEM ones online, and have as of late started to consider the (ohlips?) EM408 mod (correct me if I got that wrong but i think everyone knows what I mean )

I installed the mapping software pior to having a GPS just in case I needed a map of the area. It's a nice thought if the damn thing would work outside of my home.

The sticker on the bottom has faded over time so I don;t have the model # handy but i did recall checking in the bios and it's one of the mk2(?) auzzie models.

I can run it fine on battery for apx 4hrs at home no issues. I recently discouvered that when the blue screens keep occuring I CAN boot into safemode, just not safemode with networking. wondering now if it's something with the wireless.

I'm not to worried about if the HDD works or not, I checked the size and it should be good to go, will know better when it gets here. Eaither way it was pretty cheap, under a $100,
should be here in the next day or two, same with the ram and all the other goodies from my ebay spree.

as far as the chkdsk thing goes, I only encountered that once, and everytime it would try to run chkdsk it would end up BSOD'ing then on reboot chkdsk, then bsod, lather rinse ect. As soon as i bypassed the chkdsk (hit enter to skip) then it would go into the startup.
It never thought that I;d del system files though that's a new one on me.

I was reading something interesting about IRQL info last night I'll go look for the post now and link it. It was more directed towards desktop computers but I'm sure the same should apply to laptops.

 

OK no GPS issues
Its the wireless drivers for sure (fairly sure)
Uninstall them including the proset application and from the Intel downloads area download and install the latest driver only for your (fairly sure) 2200BG card

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=17751&lang=eng

Alex

 

just opened up the hardware tab and it is a 2200BG wireless, I'll download the updates and then uninstall the old and reinstall the new ones, just before i do that tho I just went into programs listing and it seems this is probably the problem. as i'm still getting used to the ins and outs of this computer maybe someone could shed some light, i seem to have

BCM Wireless Network adaptor
AND
Sierra Wireless MP555 GPS modem

naturally im assume that the proset app that tomcat mentions is the BCM wireless adaptor, and the sierra mp555 gps modem is a program that was installed for a gps reciever.

just to be on the safe side gonna post for a reccomendation before i start uninstalling. but i'll be downloading the driver updates right now
thanks for the link tomcat.

 

No the Intel proset is called Intel proset
It looks like the cf-18 was hooked up at one time to an external mp555 gps modem
If you are no longer using you can delete those programs

Alex

 

Right, So I've uninstalled everything, found the BCM was for a pcmcia card and uninstalled the sierra wireless.

Guess I'm being far more cautious with this since it's still new to me.

Installed the updated drivers as per the download from the link, I'll take er out for a spin this afternoon/evening and see if any more IRQL errors pop up, (and I'll keep a notepad handy for that 08x code if that'll be of any help)
hopefully i won't have to bother as it will be better now *fingers crossed*

 

I had exactly the same problem with my wifi drivers - worked 100% when connected to wifi router at home . . . then as soon as you take the PC out of range of the wifi signal it would blue screen - updated intel drivers fixed the problem . . . happened on several CF18's my friend had bought (Mk2 Aussie one's)

 

Well.. I'll be honest, I picked up Call of Duty 4 Modern Warefare 2 and I have been hibernating from the world (and saving it) for a few days...

But I have had the TB aup and going, mostly around home which never had problems, I took it out a few times and.....

...drum roll..

No more problems, looks like once again this forum has helped solve another problem. Thanks muchly everyone!

Bluescreen IRQL error - caused by wireless driver conflict
fix = updated intel drivers
Issue fixed - ticket resolved

 

I’m happy its resolved
There is no substitute for first hand knowledge
Almost all problem issues have been experienced by one of the forum members here in the past

Alex

 

Man... Kismet... My little 11 yo Niece came up and was enthralled with her websites using the CF-18 and the touchscreen. My Father-in-law called yesterday to ask how much... Well... No CF-18 for X-Mas.... To many duckets...

My wife used t for a day after that and then started getting errors. I thought maybe it was because of my Niece.... It turns out that it was an Intel wifi issue that could NOT be gotten around. Well... perhaps it could.... But I've been meaning to install and Engenius 600mW wifi card in there anyway... So I just reformatted it.

Of course this solved the issue and my wife loves the faster speed and no dropped signals. But now she wants "something different" so I'm thinking a T7 or W7.... Anyone want to trade? I'll even install custom GPS in it if need be... It has the old CDMA Verizon modem in there now.

Now... What is the next group disaster?