Toshiba Satellite pro A200 keep cutting out and BSODing - Faulty HDD??

[ukee1593]

Hi Folks,

I have a Toshiba Satellite Pro A200 - PSAF7A- 003001 that keeps resetting (The power cuts out while in normal use and the it starts booting up again) or Blue Screen of Deathing at very random times. After scratching my head for a while I read something on the internet that said that a failing Hard Disk can sometimes cause these symptoms.

The Issue:-

- The computer cuts out no matter what OS it is running; I've tried Windows XP, Vista, and 7 as well as Ubuntu and OpenSuse. It doesn't happen as often on the Linuxes probably because they don't use the HDD as much!
- The computer is more likely to cut out when plugged into the wall socket or when booting up off standby.
- I have tried pulling the HDD out of the computer while it is running but it doesn't recreate the problem.
- The problem has started to occur in the last couple of months, and the computer is 3 years old (Out of warranty of course)
- The HDD is a Hitachi 5400rpm 160Gb notebook HDD model HTS541616J9SA00
- The computer has a history of running very hot at around about 70°C while Idling!

I have ran the HDD in another computer for about an hour but it didn't trigger the issue. Might have just been lucky though.

I have also run another HDD in the computer for an hour and I didn't come across any issues. Again I could have been lucky.

I have run the computer on a USB version of Linux for an entire day and It has worked fine!!

Do you think that this is a faulty HDD? Is it worth wasting a new HDD on this computer?


Thanks in advance.

Luke

P.S. Please move this if it is posted in the wrong spot.

 

[electrontau]

"- I have tried pulling the HDD out of the computer while it is running but it doesn't recreate the problem. "

NEVER EVER REMOVE COMPONENTS WHILE THE COMPUTER IS RUNNING!!!!

70 Celsius is really high! Make sure the vents are clean, free of dirt.

If you plugged the hdd in another computer and it works fine, then could be some other component. Check the memory with memtest.

 

[ukee1593]

Alright, I've run a Memtest x86 on it (From the OpenSUSE install Disk) and it reported that there were no errors. However I also ran the firmware test on OpenSUSE and it spammed all this junk about the "The supposedly higher CPU frequency on CPU 1(and CPU 0) is lower" and things about a memory hole between 15 and 17 mb.

I will also attempt to run seatools on windows and error check the HDD. I will post those results later!

Thanks for the reply electronau (and I will stop pulling out hardware components while the computer is switched on!)

Luke

EDIT: The vents and fans are clear. That was the first thing I checked AND It has run pretty hot from the day I got the computer.

 

[ukee1593]

I finished running Seatools on the laptop and it passed the short drive self test and the long and short generic tests BUT the HDD did fail the long drive self test. After a quick google search of what that result means, tells me that the HDD is about to fail with many others whinging about their computer randomly restarting aswell.

I figure that it means that I do need a new HDD?



Luke

 

[ukee1593]

Alright, I just turned the computer on this morning and no matter what I try it doesn't boot ANYTHING. I've even pulled out the HDD (while the machine was switched off) tried booting from a ubuntu CD but it just goes to a blank screen.

The HDD still works in my USB enclosure!


Any Ideas?

 

[ukee1593]

Best answer selected by ukee1593.

 

[Notsosure]

Although this has been marked as solved, the real solution to such problems is provided here (the solution works if the laptop has a failing NEC/TOKIN Proadlizer Capacitor):
http/www.tomshardware.com/forum/54070-35-toshiba-satellite-a200-random-shutdown