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cjlutz

Forum Newbie
Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Active: Feb. 2 2005 10:22
Posts: 1
Wed, Feb. 2 2005 10:30

Hello, I'm new here, and I'm having issues with the cold boot time of my Gateway laptop. Here is some general information about it:

WinXP Home
2.6 GHZ Pentium 4
512 MB RAM
Service Pack 2

Due to an abundance of spyware, viruses, etc, and a lack of anything better to do, I have formatted my computer's hard drive several times since I bought it a little over 2 years ago. Since I have done this, I have noticed that it takes much more time to boot. Is there something I could have done differently when I formatted? Is this problem correctable?

I have also noticed an issue with my CD-RW drive. It often cannot read discs (it makes a clicking noise and the disc simply spins), and burning a disc is hit or miss. It used to be very reliable. Any suggestions?

Thank you to those who reply.

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SexyTechy

Forum Newbie
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Group: Forum Members
Active: Aug. 8 2005 20:06
Posts: 4
Mon, Aug. 8 2005 20:24
Alright, these are some random suggestions being thrown out there that JUST might work. In regards to formatting: did you just reformat C drive, or did you reformat your entire hard drive? There should have been no problem, as formatting your hard drive (C drive as well) as it cleans up your hard drive. What you should try doing, is while you've got your hard drive clean, Ghost it. I recommend Norton Ghost, as it's what I use. If you only format C, try formatting your entire drive. Remember to save anything you need to disk or CD. Which brings us to the next topic. Your CD-RW. It could be simple. It could be toast. Try borrowing a CD-RW and installing it. Try burning something onto it, or reading something off a burnt disc. If it works, it's your CD-RW and you need a new one. That's all I can come up with on that one. With the abundance of Spyware and Viruses, there are reliable free programs out there. Try AVG Free (http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10342876.html) for Viruses (It is what I use) and Spybot Search and Destroy for Spyware (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html). I use that as well. You can also try looking towards the Geek Squad for help (no, seriously, there's a Geek Squad and they have 24/7 helpline/patrol, I've seen their cars!) You can reach them at www.geeksquad.com Good luck!
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