My laptop works with Windows Vista but freezes with Windows XP
I have DELL XPS m1330 laptop with Windows Vista home edition installed as factory setting. Its working fine. But I wanted to install windows XP and same time I wanted to preserve my Windows vista copy too. So I bought a new internal HDD and just replaced the original internal harddisk with new one and installed Windows XP Professional on this new HDD. But now problem is after working for few mins my laptop just freeze. I have macafee installed and it doesn’t show any viruses or adware or any malicious stuff. So I guess it’s some software issues with my WINDOWS XP copy or touch pad problem. I tried to work in safe mode and touch pad and keyboard works fine in safe mode but not in normal mode. Attaching a mouse doesn’t work either. I even reinstalled the WINDOWS XP quite a few times, but same problem persists it works for a bit then doesn’t work again.
I guess as my system works fine with Windows Vista and even with windows XP in safe mode, its not hardware problem.
I get problem when I work in Windows XP normal mode, so i guess should I try with different copy of Windows XP? What should I do?
Not sure if different copy of Windows XP will fix the problem.
Here’s what you can try. Check the BIOS version running on your laptop. I just checked the Dell website and it looks like the latest BIOS version for your laptop was released on September 19, 2007. The latest BIOS has an update for nVidia video BIOS.
If you have a previous BIOS version installed, try upgrading to the latest one. It’s possible that the video update will fix your problem with Windows XP.
November 20th, 2007 at 7:33 am
did you load the notebook system software and motherboard drivers when you installed xp?
they are available on the dell support site.
search by service tag or model
November 21st, 2007 at 7:50 pm
I’ve the same problem, my dell m1330 cannot be installed with xp, it keep asking master windows though i’ve inserted one. so i install vista again
November 26th, 2007 at 10:44 am
i have no issues at all installing XP. i have successfully installed XP and all the notebook system software and motherboard drivers when you installed xp.
only issue is system just freezes after working a while.
so i need to figure out whats wrong.. is it something with my copy of Widows Xp or Bios version running on my system.
i will keep posting any updates
thanks every1 for contributing here.
Vishal
November 27th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Vishal,
Is this laptop designed only for Vista or it came with XP?
I doubt that there is something wrong with your XP copy and I don’t think this problem is related to the BIOS version unless the BIOS is compatible only with Windows Vista.
I would run diagnostic tests for the hard drive and memory. It’s possible that one of these components is faulty and because of that the laptop freezes.
You can test the hard drive with Hitachi DFT test and memory with Memtest86+. Check useful links on the right side.
Also, it’s possible but not very likely that laptop overheats. Check the heatsink and clean it up if it’s dirty. I said not likely because with a clogged heatsink the laptop would freeze or shut down while you are installing the operating system. Check it just in case.
January 4th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Hi all! I have similar problem. On vista works, on XP NOT! Freezes sometimes after 1 hour, then even after 5 mins! Ubuntu – works ok, vista ok, xp not (tried few different versions, even 2000 and 2003 server)!!!! I think this is shitty microsoft job! My laptop: asus u3s, 1.5 ram, hdd 160, 1,5gb ram, core 2 duo 7500, geforce 8400g. I tried everyting, with disabled devices, basic windows – and result is the same. If anyone have solution – please help!
January 25th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I have encountered a problem using xcopy to copy large numbers of large files. After a while it freezes XP but works fine on Vista. I’ve noticed freezes when updating using Microsoft update.
I think there’s a file i/o problem that shows up quickly when xcopying large numbers of large files.
This is on a QX9650 desktop.
January 25th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Where is the heatsink located so I can clean it? I cannot install my operating system as it freezes up half way through.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:50 am
Hi,
My notebook freezes while working,tried all possible steps..any more suggestion.. AMD turion 2.0 Ghz, 1 GB ram, 80 GB HDD,
Thank You
Regards
April 21st, 2008 at 11:54 am
Cini,
Did you run diagnostic test on the memory?
Did you run diagnostic test on the hard drive?
Did you try reinstalling Windows?
August 26th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Hi,
Unsure where to put this query but i figured this was the place, so here goes.
Bought a dell inspiron 1720 last week, and it worked fine, out on a copy of office 2007 and it carried on working fine, however now when i power it up it beeps and then goes into a boot manager screen prompting me to choose which operating system i want to boot from, the laptop only has vista on it… bit baffled and as it is a new laptop i am wondering if it is a fault or if it is because i put on a copy of office? any suggestions on how to prevent it from going to a boot manager screen?
cheers in advance.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Leanne79,
OK, it’s asking which OS to boot from. One is Vista and what is your second choice?
August 27th, 2008 at 1:36 am
Hi, there is no second choice, only vista!
September 11th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Okay, first, I’m not very tech-savvy. So I generally let my husband check my system when something is wrong with it. Neither of us can make sense of the problem I am currently having with my Acer notebook (I don’t have it on me, or I’d give you the exact model…).
Windows XP was the factory setting on my laptop. It worked just fine for over a year, then it froze at random and wouldn’t not reboot (kept freezing at the Windows start-up screen). We couldn’t get into safe mode, all we could do was F2 into setup. I couldn’t recover my system with my backup disks because it would freeze then, too. My husband ran some diagnostics, and a tech guy I work with ran some, too. Neither could find the source of the problem. We have tried (with various copies of Windows XP, to reinstall and again, it freezes. I thought maybe I’d jacked up my hardware or my hard drive. My husband put another hard drive in it, and it still froze. But the really mystifying thing is this: my husband borrowed a copy of Windows Vista, and Vista will install and run just fine! I’ve had XP on my notebook since we bought it, but now we can’t install the XP OS.
We’re going to continue to work on it, but does anyone know what might be the problem?
Thanks!
September 11th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Leanne79,
Sorry for a late response. Probably you already fixed the problem but…
I had a similar problem about 1 week ago. It was asking the same question witch OS to boot from with only one choice.
I didn’t have time to troubleshoot the problem so I reimaged the hard drive back to factory defaults using the recovery disc. It fixed the problem.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Candace,
Really strange problem!
This description sounds like a possible problem with the hard drive or memory. Did you run diagnostics test for both the hard drive and memory? Here’s my wild guess. Maybe Vista has more advanced memory management algorithm and can ignore some minor memory problems. Again, that’s just a guess.
Run memory test, I use Memtest86+.
If you have two memory modules, try removing them one by one and installing XP with only one memory module installed. It’s possible one of the modules is bad.
September 12th, 2008 at 8:36 am
LF:
I’m not sure what kind of diagnostics were run. The last time diagnostics were run on it while I was around, we were having a very hard time achieving even that. It was constantly freezing on us. But eventually we did get some results. Now that we actually have an OS on it, we will try some more diagnostics.
Thanks for the advice.
Candace
September 12th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Candace,
First of all, run the memory test. Here’s how you can create the memory diagnostics CD.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
HP DV4000 that locks up when you touch the keyboard. I am unable to install XP since it locks when you have to type your name during the install on a fresh hard drive. Could the keyboard being shorting out? It is essentially pristine, noting dropped or spilled on it. Thanks for any ideas, I’m running out of them on this end!
November 13th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Ok, got it running. Had to restart XP setup 3 times and it finally took. I surmise that the BIOS is shakey. There is a BIOS update for locked keyboards and touchpads from HP. We load that up and hopefully, no more problems. Now, where did the last two days go?
June 18th, 2009 at 8:14 am
I have a similar problem but its in Vista… the display freezes, a lot of blue lines come out on start-up. I did some diagnostics and it says to upgrade my driver, I did but problem persisted. Im desperate… please help. Thank you
July 20th, 2009 at 4:30 am
I am .net progrmmer. I had compaqlaptop with PresarioC700.I have installed in my laptop windows xp. I have also installed sharepoint server 2007(vpc). in vpc scroll lock is coming. insted of i,j,o,it will com 5,1,6 coming.means letters are coming numbers. how to disable scroll lock key
February 26th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Hello
I have the LG F1 laptop. It can’t start normaly in Win XP, and can’t install the new system. I found by tests, that it’s ACPI table has a bad content. Other parts works fine.
I can install system without ACPI support, but it is very bad choice for mobile computer. What can I do with this laptop for fix this problem?
Thank a lot in advance.