HP Pavilion A6740NL goes complete runaway? - Hardware & Software

[B]Please notice: This is not my computer[/B] So, I took a HP Pavilion A6740NL computer home, it had a chipset overheating issue (I have that solved by jamming a laptop cooler's fan in front of the heatsink), but there is something really weird with it, sometimes it does work fine, but after random periods of time, it gets a BSOD (IRQL or less equal, something like that.) Or it does not even boot at all, it doesn't go past the POST, OR it does not detect the hard drive. What could be wrong with this thing? Specifications: 500GB Seagate Barracuda HDD 3 GB of DDR2 RAM AMD Phenom X3 CPU (x64 based CPU) Windows Vista x64 (yes we all know how horrible Windows Vista is, but I want to avoid formatting as much as possible.) If anyone needs more information, I will provide it as soon as I can. [editline]28th April 2013[/editline] Right now it doesn't even BOOT Vista, this thing is really weird. [B]Update[/B] The hard drive is empty now and looks like a victim of too many hard shutdowns.

[url]www.memtest86.com[/url] This is usually a memory fault (either faulty RAM or faulty sockets on the board). Grab memtest and see what it reports.

[QUOTE=SeveredSkull;40467348][url]www.memtest86.com[/url] This is usually a memory fault (either faulty RAM or faulty sockets on the board). Grab memtest and see what it reports.[/QUOTE] I have been running the built-in HP diagnostics (powered by PC-Doctor), who knows if these results have been complete rubbish. Also, after a while of fiddling around with it, I wasn't paying attention due to a Steam message, suddenly the POST warned that hard drive failure is immiment. Could that nail down something? I don't know any diagnostic software for hard drives, you have any idea? I doubt if the hard drive is at failure here. This thing took so many hard shutdowns that it is not healthy. [editline]30th April 2013[/editline] I downloaded Memtest86, nothing shows up after 35 seconds operation time. [editline]30th April 2013[/editline] Completed the test, no errors, this is very strange.

The computer will get stuck on POST if it struggles to read the hard drive, a hard drive issue maybe?

[QUOTE=djjkxbox360;40476308]The computer will get stuck on POST if it struggles to read the hard drive, a hard drive issue maybe?[/QUOTE] Well, I said it wrong, sometimes it doesn't even show POST, it acts like the CPU has been removed. Which is looking like it is in order. You know any useful hard disk diagnostic tool?

[QUOTE=ballads;40476737]spinrite[/QUOTE] That is a data recovery application, and there's nothing left to recover on the drive, I simply formatted it and the data of the owners have been backed up on my external HDD.

Run Seatools and see if it detects anything bad about the drive.

[QUOTE=B!N4RY;40486664]Run Seatools and see if it detects anything bad about the drive.[/QUOTE] Oh yeah, I forgot this thing is a Seagate drive. :S I'll try to find a bootable image, hopefully DOS will help me out doing this. [editline]1st May 2013[/editline] Little HP is running Seatools now. I hope my worries about the HDD are right. [editline]1st May 2013[/editline] Ok barely 2 minutes finished and it says I need to RMA the drive. The log showed the hard drive was not responding, no matter which testing method I select. Only problem is, the computer is quite a few years old, so I think the warranty is already void overtime. [editline]1st May 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=djjkxbox360;40476308]The computer will get stuck on POST if it struggles to read the hard drive, a hard drive issue maybe?[/QUOTE] You are totally right, after the POST it detects storage devices, but it struggles to detect the Seagate.

[QUOTE=Merijnwitje;40486891] Ok barely 2 minutes finished and it says I need to RMA the drive. The log showed the hard drive was not responding, no matter which testing method I select. Only problem is, the computer is quite a few years old, so I think the warranty is already void overtime. [/QUOTE] Then just replace the drive then, even if it is still in warranty Seagate still won't repair it for you because it's an OEM drive

[QUOTE=B!N4RY;40490691]Then just replace the drive then, even if it is still in warranty Seagate still won't repair it for you because it's an OEM drive[/QUOTE] Buying a new drive isn't my problem, I'm the one who diagnosed it, not the owner. I try if I can contact the owner tomorrow, I have seen a Seagate hard drive (500GB) for 48 bucks. But I think the problem is solved. For now. Thanks for the help!

And we're back again, need some help to recover a drive. I got a Hitachi Deskstar out of another HP computer which the original owner gave me, but it says it's about to fail. (tried a laptop hard drive which is piss slow but the A6740NL accepts it without whining about it) Since the owner wants to save up money if possible I give this drive a shot, running Very Complex Format on Piriform Ccleaner, if this doesn't fix the drive (if I can do it), what can I use otherwise?

Back where we started. The Hitachi drive I'm using for this thing is completely fine. Something stupid with the HP is going on, thats just obvious. When plugging it in for the first time it said hard drive failure is imminent. Now I have installed Windows 7 on it, but it is REALLY slow. Also, at random times it tells me BOOTMNGR is corrupt, which is absolute bullshit. Rebooting it makes it boot Windows fine. Could the SATA controller be ruined by the high chipset temperatures or something?