HP Laptop can't get into Windows XP

[ChromWolf]

My dad's HP Pavillion ze5185 laptop can no longer boot into Windows, or safe mode; he gets a "page_fault_in_nonpaged_area" stop error BSOD after seeing the windows boot screen for a minute or so. When he tries to boot to safe mode, he gets to the welcome screen, he gets as far as the Welcome screen, and then it locks.

We tried pulling one memory stick, as I figured this would be a memory error (he's got two sticks of 256 MB PC2100 memory, both CL2.5, though I don't think similar make---certainly not similar production run). With the one, no go; same prob. Pulled the other, and got to Welcome Screen (not in safe mode), but again, locked. Rebooted, got BSOD once again. Mom has a similar HP laptop; tested her mem stick in Dad's, same problem; tested both sticks (seperately) in Mom's, computer boots fine.

No new hardware/software added except for digital cameras---but could that really make it so he couldn't even get to Windows?

....Is this a software problem of some kind, or memory controller/other motherboard component problem? What should we do next? (Should it come up, Dad's laptop is under warranty with Best Buy) ....My impression is to take it in, but I wanted a second opinion.

Thanks in advance!! Long live PCMech!

[macko72]

If is still uder warranty let them deal with that(of course you may lose data that you would like to keep),

No new hardware/software added except for digital cameras---but could that really make it so he couldn't even get to Windows?

any hardware or software can cause windows to stop functioning properly!!!

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...d_stp_ccgm.asp

[ChromWolf]

I suppose I should also note that Dad's had it in for repair before... We are NOT impressed with the Madison, WI Best Buy we went to (I forget if there's an East and a West, but I think he went to Bes Buy East), but the service was TERRIBLE. Still, that's what we've got to endure. In any case, the thing I was going to mention is that he's had his motherboard replaced, and it's entirely possible they used a refurb mobo... ....which could possibly have had bad RAM slots, or a bad memory controller. To me, this seems like a hardware problem, rather than software (while it's true any hardware or software could do what's happening, I don't suspect it's a software issue, since we can't even get into Safe Mode, which shouldn't be loading any camera drivers in the first place.

Again, if anyone has any other ideas on what to do before just taking it in, I would greatly appreciate it; otherwise, I was just looking for a second opinion before we did just that.