# averatec laptop problems



## markwright (Jun 28, 2006)

my laptop has been giving me different problems the last few months. I got a virus and lost the sound and cd functions. I reinstalled windows and since then there has been a issue with the screen going black. It seemed that it might have onlly did this when cold. It hasn't gone black in a while. One night the computer just went blue and unresponsive. I restarted it and got a message that the hard drive was unpluged or not working. The next day it worked again, but certain programs won't open and the music sounds really bad when anything else is running. I ran virus and spyware scans and defraged, but it's still is working badly. It is way slower than ever. It's a Averatec 3250 with 1.6ghz amd athalon xp-m 2200+, 512mb ddr, 60gb hd, dvd-cdrw. It's only 1 1/2 years old and been in for a new lcd screen and volume control under warantee about 9 months ago. Anyone have any advice? someone told me the hard drive might be going out. I would like to try to fix it myself being that it's out of warantee now. I'm willing to learn how to fix it. I'm glad I found this site. I hope I can get help here. Thanks, Mark


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

If you have your XP CD, wipe it out. Delete the partition, create a new one, then format it and install Windows XP on it.


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## hwm54112 (Oct 10, 2005)

Download the drive manufacturer's utility and run the diagnostic. If the drive proves to be bad, it should be easy enough to replace it your self. Post back


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## markwright (Jun 28, 2006)

thanks, I need to know where to find the uttilities to check the hard drive. the manufacturer is standard disk drives, the # is 1C25N060ATMR04-0 Thanks, Mark


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## markwright (Jun 28, 2006)

I'm not that computer savy, but I'm trying and willing to learn. I've installed the recovery media before. There was a problem with the screen after i did the recovery. When you unpluged the ac cord, the screen went black. and sometimes it went black on it's own. The support line told me it might be a power management and back lite problem. I'll install the recovery media later tonignt. laboye, I don't know what a partition is, or how to do your procedure. Is it just what the recovery media does? Best regards and thanks for the help, Mark


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## Terrister (Apr 18, 2005)

The recovery disk should take care of all this for you.


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hopefully, your Recovery Disk will have completed successfully & all is well now.
____________

If things didn't go well with the Recovery Disk, and you would like to test your hardware, you can try a resource disk such as the "Ultimate Boot CD" - http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ --- it's free, and as it's name suggests, you can use it to boot your computer from - & run diagnostics directly from it. Many of the Averatec 3250s came with Hitachi TravelStar hard drives in them, and the Hitachi hard disk diagnostics are included among the Ultimate Boot CD's tools.

If it's just a Windows Power Management setting that is blanking your screen (in which case you should be able to "wake up" the screen by either pressing your spacebar key, or by moving your mouse/touchpad), right-click a blank area of your desktop to bring up the Display option box, select "Properties", then "Screen Saver", then "Power" ... and set your screen preferences from the settings available there.

An all-blue (more often, an all-white) display isn't a good thing: that's usually a problem with the video connector, with the lcd screen's inverter, or the screen itself (a backlight problem usually result in no display at all, or overly dim display). There's a little ribbon connector with a plug at one end that plugs into the motherboard. If you see the all-blue screen again (with no error message on it -- a blue screen with an error message is a Windows error message) you could look for the Service manual for your model, and check that the video ribbon's connector hasn't worked loose (you'd likely just plug it back in). --- Of course, there is one other scenario for an all blue screen = your windows desktop, missing it's toolbars and icons (that, of course, is a Windows problem).

Hope it's all fine already - and this is just info for the future.
. . . Gary


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

Ultimate Boot CD should look for problems, but I think this is deeper...

Re: Power Connector, I seriously doubt that. He only has problems when he unplugs the AC adapter. The power inverter may have a problem, but after a simple recovery? The backlight and PM may as well be it.

Partition: A hard drive can be divided into sections called partitions. This can be useful for installing 2 different OSs on one hard drive, or separating things for different reasons...

I don't think it is Windows either, but that's actually a possibility.

It's quite hard far me to tell without a first hand look...


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## markwright (Jun 28, 2006)

Thanks again to all that has reponded. I really apreciate the help. 
I didn't have success making a ulitimate cd. I guess I'm not that experienced at downloading and making cds.

I did successfully install the recovery media and the laptop now has a brite screen even when I unplug the ac cord. There were some puzzlements. The processor speed stated 1.2GHz and later changed back to 1.6GHz in "MY COMPUTER". ?? no biggy, I guess. Also a puzzlement, why did the computer go dark blue, and unresponsive, on the reboot won't start with hard drive messages, and the next day, works with no issues.

It would be nice if there was something, maybe the ultimate cd that explains it all. I'll keep trying and learning. The TSF site is awesome. 

Best Regards and Happy Holiday! markwright


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi again

Don't worry about the Ultimate Boot CD - it is a little tricky to make: generally, if you have an .iso type of file and want it to be bootable, you have to make sure the program you use to create the CD is creating an "image" and not just a file. There are probably "help me" files on doing just that at the website I linked you to for downloading the CD. 

That the screen behaves fine now, after you have run your Recovery procedure, means that your trouble could have been caused by settings that were off a bit (especially power-management settings), or driver files weren't quite right - or perhaps were damaged by a virus/malware infection (even if the malware was detected and destroyed, the files may still have been corrupted - or missing). Viruses and malware can cause all sorts of unpredictable behavior - - - another reason to remember to keep your system's defenses always running & up-to-date [in fact, after running a Recovery, always make sure that your firewall is running OK before re-connecting to the Internet. And - you usually need to update your antivirus and antispyware programs after a Recovery. Very important, too, is to visit Windows Update for all the Security Patches needed (since a Recovery is a bit like a time-travel for all the data on your drive). 

If you need recommendations for antimalware tools = I find a nice combo for Windows XP era computers is avast! antivirus/ AdAware & SpyBot antispyware/ and either ZoneAlarm or Kero personal firewalls (only run one firewall or antivirus: running more would cause conflicts). All the programs mentioned have free-for-personal-use versions.

Hope you're enjoying this nice long Holiday weekend.
. . . Gary


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## markwright (Jun 28, 2006)

Thanks Old Grey Gary, It was a concern to me on what protection I should use. I did some research at the TSF site and got a lot of info. 

I did have webroot spy-sweeper that took care of some infection that ad-aware couldn't in the past, but they are closed until Wed. so I installed ad-aware for now. 
I installed free avg anti-virus because I found it easier to use that avast! AVG came with Ewido, so I installed that also. I don't know if there is a big difference in performance with AVG, and Avast!. I removed Norton/symantec that was preloaded in the media recovery. Nobody likes it and mostly says it slows down your pc. 
I installed zone-alarm. It seemed more recommended than Kerio. 
I'm thinking of installing spybot s&d. 

I hope all this doesn't slow down my pc too much and helps out. I'm concerned that it might be much to maintain with upgrades and scans. Too bad you can't just have this built into the computer without having to hassle with all the decisions. I guess it's the nature of the beast.

This all takes a lot of time, researching and downloading, especially for me. It seems sometimes I do the same things 2 or more times to get it right.

Thanks again for your help, Hope you have a great 4th, Mark


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## markwright (Jun 28, 2006)

My laptop is still having problems. I was hoping that the recovery media would erase the problems, but it didn't. I had problems loading software for the printer. I had to have the printer drivers installed manually because the CD-ROM wasn't reading or installing automatically. Maybe it needs a CD-DVD drive. Also my screen is going dark. It comes back on when I Put the computer to sleep with the Zz button and then waking it up, but then sometimes it just goes dark again. Somethings wrong. Anyone have any Ideas? I haven't abused the lap top ever. It looks like new, but it acts like it's all worn out- broken- weak. Is it a goner?


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## Terrister (Apr 18, 2005)

Still sounds like your hard drive has problems. Here is a link to the utilities.
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

Go under flourescent light or shine a flashlight onto the screen when it is 'dark'. If you see a faint image, your backlight or inverter board is going. You may need to just reseat it, or you may need to replace it. When you insert a CD and open My Computer, what does the CD Drive icon say?


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi again

I'm a little late replying, been busy.

If you can run any diagnostics, they are always helpful (set the CD/DVD to be the first in the boot order in the Bios first). If you know anyone who has an external floppy drive, you can use that, too. The download links that Terrister posted have diagnostics for either optical drives or floppy drives [nice link, Terrister]. 

If the screen shows a dim outline of your desktop's contents when you try the procedure laboye provided, check the replacement parts warranty. --- I realize that the laptop itself is out-of-warranty, but when avertec replaced the LCD screen, that replacement screen should have carried a hardware-replacement warranty of it's own. You mention that it was replaced 9 months ago -- many screens have one-year warranties. If you can't find the warranty document, call avertec to ask about their replacement part warranties. Should the part prove defective, you may qualify for a no-charge replacement. [Usually the vendors replace the entire display, lcd and inverter, when they replace the screen -so you might get brand-new parts for both].

If the screen is simply blanking itself to completely black (no dim outlines of your desktop, no display whatsoever) - this still sounds like normal power-saving behavior for a laptop. It could be that power management is stll not set up correctly for your notebook. Go into your Control Panel, and check your Power settings - also check your screen-saver settings in the Control Panel's "Display" applet. Try setting screen-savers to "None", and choose a lengthier setting for the power management "turn off monitor" settings. Check the settings for each power-type, too --- both for "battery" and for "ac power". You shouldn't need power management much at all when on ac-power (when running from the AC adapter).

If you suspect a software glitch at all, go to the Control Panel, look in Administrative Tools, and check for trouble in the Event Viewer logs. This isn't particularly likely, but then you did have a few infections, so it's a slight possibility.

If CDs don't autorun, it's possible that you've disabled that for either that file type, or for all file types for that drive. The ElderGeek has a short blurb that shows the Registry value that controls whole-drive behavior http://www.theeldergeek.com/cd_autorun.htm

You'd asked why your processor displays at different speeds in "My Computer/Properties" --- this is normal, and due to the power/heat management common on modern mobile processors. For Intel processors, this is called "SpeedStep", and for Amd processors, "Cool n'Quiet". The processors automatically slow down to save power and reduce heat when they aren't busy. --- There is a slight possibility, though, that settings in your computer's Bios Setup screens are off a bit. Look for the manual for your model over on avertec's website, & double-check the settings for your model.

If the laptop is overheating on a regular basis, this could cause sluggishness and lock-ups, too. Have you noticed it running hotter than usual lately? Run your malware scans as thorough as possible again, too - because you could have been re-infected.

Hope it's a low-cost, or no-cost, repair!
. . . Gary


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

Why would PM no allow the screen to turn back on? I don't understand how a display timeout would blank the screen and not let it turn back on unless there were serious problems.

Autorun disabling is also a feature of many programs to prevent interference. Right click your CD Drive in my computer and click the autorun tab. See if they are set to "Do Nothing". It they are not, a registry fix is in order.


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## markwright (Jun 28, 2006)

Thanks again for the great replies. There is a dim image when the screen goes dark. I haven't really used the computer much since installing the media recovery, which should have set it to the original settings. I didn't intentionally reset any power management settings or auto read cd-rom settings. I wouldn't know how to do that. I will keep trying to learn how to fix the laptop, and I appreciate the help from you guys. When I've payed someone to fix it, they go very fast, I don't know what they're doing, and there explanation is hard for me to understand. Right now I'm finishing a job, my work. Next week I'll work on my laptop and try the utilities. I did get the ultimate CD the last time I paid someone to help me. Maybe that might tell something that's needing repair or replacement. I too think since the blue screen told of a hard drive problem, there might be one, and the hard drive is under $100. which seems better than buying a new laptop. When I bought the Averatec laptop I couldn't find any bad reviews about it. It had good specs, and a good price. Now I find a lot of bad reviews. It makes me wonder if it's worth it to fix it. It is worth it just to learn what I am learning. Hopefully I'll get it figured out with the tech support forum. Regards to all, Mark


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

markwright - Hope it goes well. Since you are seeing a dim screen, that seems to point more to a hardware problem than a software one. [But just in case, I've included a few links to others with wake event trouble with XP & their laptops, at the bottom of this post. If your Recovery Disk reverted your system to a pre-Service Pack 2 version, make sure to visit Windows Update & get up-to-date.]

laboye - if the PM events are set to a malfunctioning (or just plain balky) USB device for wakeup in the laptops Bios (or in the XP PM), such behavior is possible. Driver troubles can lead to devices becoming uncooperative with wake-from-standby issues, as can poorly set "allow this device to bring the computer out of Standby" options, the list goes on. [Some infamous bugs in CD/DVD writing software caused such headaches in the first few years of XP/s availablility - notably Roxio -- these were usually helped simply by patching the CD/DVD software with a patch from their website].

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...5d4bc8c19e7/fc17c1c001c1d9c7#fc17c1c001c1d9c7

http://www.smartcomputing.com/edito...6/s1707/32s07/32s07.asp&articleid=31505&guid=

hmm...just to make sure, you've already tried waking the screen from sleep/standby by pressing the power button briefly, right? (rather than trying to wake from touchpad, mouse, or keyboard device)

. . . Gary


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## markwright (Jun 28, 2006)

Hi again, I did check the cd drive to see if it was set to do nothing. It seemed ok. It does open music and software automatically. It is set to prompt, to pick a program to play or burn ... the cd. 

When the computer sleeps, sometimes I can touch any key and the screen will open up, and sometimes I have to touch the power button to wake it up. When the screen goes out when I'm doing something, that's the problem. It is unresponsive to anything except re-starting or putting it to sleep and waking it, even then sometimes the screen lightens up them goes right back out. I'm going to look for my repair order to see if it was less than a year ago when the screen was replaced. 

I'm going to try terrister's link and the ultimate cd to test the hardware, (hard drive and cd drive). I'll post my results.

Thanks again, Mark


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## markwright (Jun 28, 2006)

One additional thing, the laptop slows and gets stuck sometimes, I open task manager and the cpu usage goes to 100% a lot. I don't think thats right, right? Again, Mark


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi again -

The interesting thing is that the screen seems just fine when the wake-from-sleep works. That doesn't sound like the backlight failing so much (though it doesn't rule it out entirely). 

Did you check the temps yet? 

Try running your Recovery Disk again. Make sure that you aren't connected to any networks while you run it - physically disconnect your Ethernet cable, if wired. If wireless, either move out of range, or temporarily power off your wireless router. [In fact, disconnect any scanners, cameras, webcams, printers, card readers, etc. until the Recovery is done (basically, just have the mouse, keyboard, and monitor plugged in)]. Also, before running the Recovery Disk, enter the Bios Setup screens and check for any items such as "Bios AntiVirus" "VirusShield", etc. and disable any Bios Antivirus until after the Recovery has run -- then re-enable it after the Recovery is finished. If you are uncertain about your Bios setup options, you can try using the setting option "Set to Defaults & Exit". You'll want to have your antivirus, antispyware, and firewall installed and running before reconnecting to any networks. Then you'll visit Windows Update for Security Patches, and your antivirus site for the latest definitions.

The reason I'm suggesting the Recovery run again is that I still suspect that you are getting reinfected, and that malware may be causing much of the 100% cpu usage.

Of course, make backups of important data first! . . . And scan your backups [preferably from another fully protected computer with up-to-date antivirus protection] before restoring them to your freshly recovered system.

*Note - if your system has several partitions on it, use the most complete Recovery options available to you. Otherwise malware on a logical partition unaffected by the Recovery could continue to cause trouble - it won't be overwritten by a "Partial Recovery".

Best of luck
. . . Gary


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## Ralck (Dec 10, 2004)

One other thing to add...

I had a problem with my laptop a while back where when it would come out of Hibernation or Suspend, the screen would stay black for a long time and the CPU/fan would be on full blast that whole time (and sometimes while in Suspend or Hibernation). It turned out, that leaving a Firefox window open when XP went into a sleep state caused it to do this. Microsoft lists that they are working on a solution for this, but that none has been made yet. My solution: don't leave any Firefox windows open .

Just a thought since I thought I read somewhere above that this mainly happens when you take the laptop out of Standby???


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## dapankratz (Jul 17, 2006)

*Averatec 3270 Screen LCD maybe Video goes Black*

I have a simmilar problem with my crappy averatec 3270, I suspect it is the same.

After 4 months of usage (post 90 day warranty of course), the LCD screen on my Averatec goes black. Sometimes 5 seconds after boot with the Windows XP splash screen still on, sometimes after 5/10 mintues, sometimes never, after using it for hours and hours.

The OS is NOT crashing, I can for example start up winamp and have it play music while clicking around like a blind man. Sometimes rebooting alone will "fix" it so that the video works. I can get it to reboot while it is black screening.

Re-installing drivers, from VIA and Averatec, seems to fix the problem for a few days. But then the driver gets corrupted (I am guessing) and the screen reverts to its previous behavior. I also briefly though it had to do with the power cord, as once it was on battery power and was fine. But i think it has to do with a fresh video driver install.

I have yet to try re-installing the OS. Before I do that, any other ideas? Is there a way to see if the driver, AGP or Video, does it fact get changed or corrupted?

Or perhaps it is something else?

Thanks


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## dapankratz (Jul 17, 2006)

*re: above*

It is not going into standby or hibernate, i have those disabled, and I do not think it has to do with power saving as it happens after 10 seconds at times.


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

Based on my limited viewpoint, this is a hardware issue. If you have a distro of bootable Linux such as Knoppix or Ubuntu Live, you can boot it up and see. So long as Linux has the generic chipset driver, you can see if it works fine under Linux. This step would verify a hardware or software problem. Once booted, go into Preferences->Sound (Ubuntu) or the KDE control Center-> sound. Just try to make sounds. If it works past your mark, it is indeed a driver problem, if it exhibits the same faults, it is a hardware issue. I, however could be of little help in the sound components field as it involves chipwork.

-Eddie


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## dapankratz (Jul 17, 2006)

*Video drivers*

It looks like the non-avatec video drivers fixed the issue (to above, the problem was with the video going black not the sound)... it has been stable for days withno issue... I will update if it happens again!


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

Heh, I was thinking of another thread. Sorry! :grin: Glad the problem was solved. This thread can be closed.


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## Thais_Brasil (Aug 20, 2008)

Hello people, Im new here and I hope I can fix my problem!!!I have an Averatec 3250 laptop but I need all drivers downloads, but when I go to averatec.com the site goes auttomaticaly to trigem.com and when I click in driver donwload they dont show the 3250 model anymore! Why? Somebody there can help me PLEASE????I apreciate it if somebody can give to me the drivers!!!!!!!!!! Thanks a lot!


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