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Mike EghtebasFlag for United States of America

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My laptop wouldn't start unless I chill it in a refrigerator first...

I have a sony laptop and last summer its fan area was getting very warm and shutting down.  I had let it cool for a couple of hours to start it again.

I opened and removed blockages from cooling fan area.  Now, it doesn't shut down (summer is not here though).  The problem I am having is when I turn off and turn it on again it doesn't start (hard disk doesn't kick in).

As a remedy, I put it in a refrigerator to chill before it starts again (on button will be on but noise wooosh when the hard disk start is missing because hard disk doesn't start at all when it is not perfectly cooled or it hasn't been use for a day or two).

- Is it possible I haven't properly reinstall some wires after I cleaned up the cooling fan area?

- Is it possible my hard disk is dying?

- Would this chill process harm my laptop (some part inside might sweet and the moisture could damage some sensitive parts)?

- Is it possible some connection doen't allow current flow unless it is cooled to make the connection possible?

Thank.
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nobus
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1-Is it possible I haven't properly reinstall some wires after I cleaned up the cooling fan area? --->unlikely, but possible

2- Is it possible my hard disk is dying?   ---> there is undoubtedly something wrong with your disc

3- Would this chill process harm my laptop (some part inside might sweet and the moisture could damage some sensitive parts)?    ---> Not to my knowledge, if you put it in a sealed plastic bag.

4- Is it possible some connection doen't allow current flow unless it is cooled to make the connection possible   --->> this is called a bad contact

answers, remedies :
1- checkand recheck all cables and plugs
2-to test, hook it up to another laptop, or PC (with a2.5" to 3.5" cable adaptor)
3-as said
4-same as 1-
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Diane258

Um, i hate to break it to you, but you might want to replace your HDD soon. "sticking a hdd in a freezer" is one of the methods of getting a non-working hdd working again for a short time.
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mysticaldan
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Thank you all for your responses.

Re:> Is it possible my hard disk is dying?  

I whishfully think this is not the case.  When it is on (computer is booted) works fine and there hasn't been much us or abuse of the hard disk drive.  Also, this is not a very old computer.

(Have no warranty and want to look at all possibilities before sending it to soney).  Cleaning fan area took me about 15 minutes where it would have cost me a couple of hundred dollars if I had serviced it by Soney).

Now-a-days, instead of turning it off or pressing on hybernate key, it leave it alone until it hybernates automatically.  Then, by click of any button it comes up just fine.  

When I start the computer (after chilling it and getting it ready to be served. LOL), power light comes up, a beep is heard, 2 woosh sounds are heard (thes sounds belong to fan and the second one to the hard disk drive).  The second woosh sound start as HHD light lights.  After the second woosh sound, Soney logo apears on the screen and the rest is fine.

But, if it is turned off (after say 5 minutes of work), the power light will come on, beep and the first sound will be heard but no HHD light, HHD woosh sound will happen.  The screen will remain black from that point on.

It seems to me, five minutes or some of the laptop work is producing heat and causing expansion (or extension) of some connection and making it a bad connection until it is totally cooled off and it has shrunk to its original size.

Obviously, such a connection is used on the start-up of the computer (similar to car's switch-key operation).  

I deally, it will be good to eliminate this possibilty first.  Could this be true in my laptop case?

Regards,

Mike
Having said all this, I realize HHD failure is like a hearth attack.  I will not let one know when it is going to fail.  It just fail.
If you can ever get a pulse again, I highly recommend you BACKUP everything important on the drive somewhere else!

-Mark
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Hi Dan,

Re:> Use the hard disk tools below depending on ur manufacturer and check for drive integrity.

My HDD is HITACHI_DK23EA-40; I wonder if you have could privide a link or advice me how to search for it?

I am not very good in hardware matters and don't have tools to properly remove the HDD withouth damading something else (cleaning fan was something I took the chance but very hesitantly).  

So, I will remove and reinstall the HDD (as you have suggested it before) after making sure the problem isn't elsewhere.  I want to do "Drive Diagnostics" first and possiblly later remove and reinstall the HDD if necessary.

Regards,

Mike
you can look in device manager, under hardddisks, or use Everest to identify it :

http://www.lavalys.com/products/overview.php?pid=1&lang=en&pageid=1
Hi nobus,

Re:> you can look in device manager, under hardddisks, or use Everest to identify it :

I have done this and as I posted before it is:  HITACHI_DK23EA-40

mike
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