I think my laptop is borked.

I have Ubuntu and Windows installed on different partitions and i tried to boot up to either one and Ubuntu and it came up as a jumbled mess I have no idea what any of it meant and I could not get a screen shot. Then it said failed to load. I tried to go to windows but pressing the down key caused Ubuntu to try to load up and I can't go to my windows partition either. Also when my scroll pad goes to something on the desk top or menu it keeps scrolling around rapidly even though I am not moving it and its just still on something. What could be the problem here. My laptop is 3 or so years old. I tried cleaning the keys and degunking them but that did nothing.

 

Well I tried fixing it and nothing.; Should I get a netbook or a new laptop? I'm going to be using it mainly for playing older PC games such as Command and Conquer Red Alert and Ultimate Doom and for going on the web.

 

First determine if it is hardware or not. I would suggest a live cd of *nix or bartPE or something. If your keypad still is funky, or other anomolies, then you can spend the dough. If a live cd OS works, perhaps you are still in luck and reinstall or maybe new hdd might be the answer. Of course, you may have done this already

Sul.

 

When you checked with a live CD whether DISK is still functioning then it might be hardware failure.

NO DISK FAILURE

When you factory warrenty period is passed, open the laptop.

Remove top cover, losen keyboard and mousepad.

Clean everything and check whether the springs of the keyboard are stil okay (press at the corners, when they do not come back quickly, remove the that specific keycap and clean).

Now take a hairdryer and use it at 20 centimeter distance to dry keyboard and keypad

reassemble laptop


DISK FAILURE
Make sure you can borrow an extra (external) disk

Remove harddisk, wrap a dry woolly cloth around it. Put a plastic lunch bag or thin small bin bag around it. Put it in the freezer for six hours

Install disk (only data and power cable) outside laptop, try booting with a linux recovery cd and check whether you can mount the disk.

When it mounts, save your valuable data to the borrowed hard disk


Regards Kees