Compaq CQ40-107AU Hardware Fail

[eizus]

Compaq Presario CQ40-107AU 

Windows Vista Home Premium SP2 

160GB HD; 3GB Ram 

For the past few weeks, I've been getting a serious error when I try to use my notebook. It suddenly crashed like a blue screen of death but 4/5 of the screen was covered in black and 1/5 is blue. It looks like this. When I try to reboot it, it works perfectly fine until one day it happened again. When I check again my notebook for possible errors I found out that my Card Reader and 2 USB Slot on the right side of the notebook (beside the CD/DVD Writer Drive) aren't working anymore. The other USB Slot in the left still works.

At first, I thought that my hardware drivers failed but when I try to reinstall the driver nothing happens. (Thinking, why 2 of my USB slot don't work while the other one is working) I tried to reformat and reinstall Windows Vista if this could solve the problem but still no avail. I also tried installing other operating system, ubuntu 8.10 and still no good.

[shovenose]

I'm guessing part of your motherboard circuited, but if that happened your computer probably wouldnt work at all. does it give you the black&blue screen of death when you try to use those nonfunctional ports, or does it happen randomly?

[erico]

Hi,

I recommend that you contact HP with this issue. Is your notebook still within its warranty period? 

regards,

erico 

[eizus]

Well, whenever I try to access those ports nothing happens. When I try to insert an external hard disk it'll give me a faint red light and the notebook wouldn't recognize it all. The black&blue screen of death happens randomly though. 

[eizus]

I just did. I'm still waiting for an answer through email because there aren't anyone available to talk with me through phone.. and yes my notebook's still on warranty but i'm still hesitant to bring it to the service center because I have certain projects that have deadlines and as well as I fear when I will be getting my unit back.

[shovenose]

if you have important data on the computer, i recommend you take the hd out, buy either the appropriate usb adapter for the hd interface, or buy an external hd case, there are ones for 10 dollards on my favorite computer site, newegg.com, and once you have the hd hooked up to another pc, copy all the important docs/data to the other pc or an external hd

[erico]

Hi,

---

eizus wrote:

I just did. I'm still waiting for an answer through email because there aren't anyone available to talk with me through phone.. and yes my notebook's still on warranty but i'm still hesitant to bring it to the service center because I have certain projects that have deadlines and as well as I fear when I will be getting my unit back.

---

It is a good plan to remove the hard drive and use it in an external USB housing. That way you still have all of your data and get no surprises (like hard drive er imaged) when it is returned to you.

regards,

erico 

[eizus]

Thank you. I really appreciate your concern for trying to help me and my files. I already have an external hard disk wherein I use to have a back-up of my files. Well, I'm concerned more about the hardware failure because I only got one notebook and if that one remaining usb slot/port will die on me, some of my programs wouldn't work (I use to install some of my programs on a external hard disk for support and to use as scratch disk). Though I really want it to be fixed that bad, I also want to know why/how did it happen so as to prevent future hardware failures.

[erico]

Hi,

---

eizus wrote:

Thank you. I really appreciate your concern for trying to help me and my files. I already have an external hard disk wherein I use to have a back-up of my files. Well, I'm concerned more about the hardware failure because I only got one notebook and if that one remaining usb slot/port will die on me, some of my programs wouldn't work (I use to install some of my programs on a external hard disk for support and to use as scratch disk). Though I really want it to be fixed that bad, I also want to know why/how did it happen so as to prevent future hardware failures.

---

There really is no way to prevent it from happening. You just got unlucky and got a motherboard with issues. It can happen to anyone. 

regards, erico 

[eizus]

ah so you mean it's already hp's fault for a faulty motherboard? Hmm, your right. It may happen anytime and to anyone. Thanks.