Issues With My Computer, Help!

[AtlanteanTroll]

Every time I boot up Norton and tell it to run a scan, it just shuts down saying there was an "Error During Scan" and then I'm told I have "Error 3048, 3". And then it doesn't know what to do. I may need a new security program. Yes, Norton is spyware, blah, blah, blah. I have the version you pay for, it's been fine for years.

Also, as of about Friday, my computer (which is one of those stupid little ASUS EEE PC things) been making a weird clicking noise that sounds like it's coming from under the "L" key, were the keyboard on the back of the laptop. Every time it makes this noise, it freezes up and shuts down. But when it shuts down I go to this weird black screen with a flashing white underscore in the top left corner.

Help me. :smallfrown:

EDIT: Now I'm really confused. Because I was running a tune up fine, and when it ended, this popped up.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/743/f8ce86943fc14bb3a3e1e63.png

[Lentrax]

So, what you're saying is it completed the last scan, but it says it didn't at the same time?

It's probably a hardware issue somewhere. Not entirely sure where. Memory, would be my guess.

[nedz]

My search engine points me at this (https://www-secure.symantec.com/norton-support/jsp/help-solutions.jsp?docid=v63747322_EndUserProfile_en_us&product=home&pvid=f-home&version=1&lg=en&ct=us) ?

[tyckspoon]

Also, as of about Friday, my computer (which is one of those stupid little ASUS EEE PC things) been making a weird clicking noise that sounds like it's coming from under the "L" key, were the keyboard on the back of the laptop. Every time it makes this noise, it freezes up and shuts down. But when it shuts down I go to this weird black screen with a flashing white underscore in the top left corner.


This sounds an awful lot like a hard drive experiencing a terminal mechanical failure. Don't know if the Norton errors are related to that, but I wouldn't be surprised. You'll need to get that replaced, or possibly just start looking into getting a new notebook.

[AtlanteanTroll]

My search engine points me at this (https://www-secure.symantec.com/norton-support/jsp/help-solutions.jsp?docid=v63747322_EndUserProfile_en_us&product=home&pvid=f-home&version=1&lg=en&ct=us) ?
I had done this already, I don't think it made much of a difference, but thanks anyway!


So, what you're saying is it completed the last scan, but it says it didn't at the same time?

It's probably a hardware issue somewhere. Not entirely sure where. Memory, would be my guess.


This sounds an awful lot like a hard drive experiencing a terminal mechanical failure. Don't know if the Norton errors are related to that, but I wouldn't be surprised. You'll need to get that replaced, or possibly just start looking into getting a new notebook.

A hard drive experiencing a terminal mechanical failure and memory could be related, right? (I'm really computer illiterate when it comes to the actual computer and stuff.) Because memory issues are sort of looking like it could be part of it.

Since the time I posted, my computer's done a freak out shut down again. This time it brought up the same black screen, but the message was different. It went:

Reboot and Select Popper Boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key

[Brother Oni]

A hard drive experiencing a terminal mechanical failure and memory could be related, right? (I'm really computer illiterate when it comes to the actual computer and stuff.) Because memory issues are sort of looking like it could be part of it.

Since the time I posted, my computer's done a freak out shut down again. This time it brought up the same black screen, but the message was different. It went:

Reboot and Select Popper Boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key

From the error message, definitely something wrong with your primary hard drive (the drive with your OS on it). It could be mechanical or a cabling fault, but as tyckspoon said, you'll want to look into getting it replaced.

One suggestion would be to copy everything you want to keep off the affect hard drive before it dies entirely.

An issue with memory modules wouldn't throw up an error message like that (the system just tends to lockup up or crap out instead).

[AtlanteanTroll]

I see. I'll definitely be getting it looked at soon then. I really don't want to get a new laptop though. Would the newest error message indicate me having to get a new one? Because prior it had just been crapping out.

[nedz]

You could try looking at the event viewer to see if there are any clues there ?

[IdleMuse]

These are the dying cries of a laptop, really. You need to send it to a repair shop, or backup all of your important material now. You either have a hard drive fault (or an associated cabling/motherboard fault) or your windows installation is in some way corrupted, neither of which you can really solve yourself. Unfortunately, it's just a matter of time until one of these problems becomes critical, and you will need a new laptop at that point.

Depending on what is exactly wrong (very hard to diagnose yourself), it may be cheaper in the end to buy a new one anyway.

[The Succubus]

The EEE PCs are several years old now and it does sound like a corrupted sector on the hard drive.

If you still wanted to get some useful life out of the laptop (lit: web browsing, office stuff only) you could try put Linux on a thumb drive and running your computer off that. You would be very limited in what you could do (if you're not particularly computer savvy) but it might eke out a couple more months of life.

Assuming the BIOS is still ok.

[tyckspoon]

I see. I'll definitely be getting it looked at soon then. I really don't want to get a new laptop though. Would the newest error message indicate me having to get a new one? Because prior it had just been crapping out.

You probably just need to replace the hard drive- that's far and away the most likely piece to be failing. That in itself is a relatively inexpensive and easy fix. The sticking point is that fix only solves the immediate mechanical problem; when you change out the system hard drive, you also remove all the software. The OS, your favored web browser, your media collection, all your games- whatever you had on that computer will be gone unless you were able to get it properly backed up before the drive gave up completely. Depending on what you have access to, getting all of that back can involve enough time and money that starting over with a new system is preferable (especially when talking about the netbook class like the EEEs.)

[AtlanteanTroll]

These are the dying cries of a laptop, really. You need to send it to a repair shop, or backup all of your important material now. You either have a hard drive fault (or an associated cabling/motherboard fault) or your windows installation is in some way corrupted, neither of which you can really solve yourself. Unfortunately, it's just a matter of time until one of these problems becomes critical, and you will need a new laptop at that point.

Depending on what is exactly wrong (very hard to diagnose yourself), it may be cheaper in the end to buy a new one anyway.


The EEE PCs are several years old now and it does sound like a corrupted sector on the hard drive.

If you still wanted to get some useful life out of the laptop (lit: web browsing, office stuff only) you could try put Linux on a thumb drive and running your computer off that. You would be very limited in what you could do (if you're not particularly computer savvy) but it might eke out a couple more months of life.

Assuming the BIOS is still ok.

There's a very good chance the BIOS is messed up upon further inspection. I'll probably take it in to a shop by Wednesday or so. Everything of the utmost import I have on a flash drive/my dad's external hard drive so that's OK. In all honesty this thing's already come back from the dead once, and it's been two years with one foot in the grave. I'm going to need to need a new laptop for college anyway, so hopefully this'll turn into a good opportunity to get that a little early...