Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

I've an old 2002 Acer laptop with Windows XP which is only used now to store photos.
It's been fine until today when I stupidly figured there's no use having Malwarebytes/AVG/Adaware/and BT's stuff as it's not used to go online. So, I uninstalled them.

AVG needed to restart to uninstall, which it did. It took forever to uninstall BT's stuff and then froze on the last one - BT Browser I think it was.

So I switched it all off and restarted. I entered the password and it went into restart, came on for me to enter password again, which I did, then went off again .... and it kept doing that, stuck in a loop.

I started it in F2 mode but didn't recognise the BIOS??? format page as I was thinking of going back to a previous time. I wasn't sure what to do looking at it so I shut it all down and left it.

Any techy person have any ideas what I should be doing to get out of this 'loop'. I appreciate my describing the F2 mode of getting in and the look of it is probably not the right way to say what I mean - but perhaps someone might know what I mean

The last time I suffered with a laptop going 'in a loop' (the main one I use now with Windows 8), I had to take it to JL to sort out. I won't be doing that with the Acer, but I'd be miffed if I couldn't get back in and lost all the photos.

Re: Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

Sorry I can't help Pesta have you tried Googling 'Acer laptop problems '.

Re: Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

The best keywords for a search on this problem might be: 'XP bootup boot-up boot up loop password'. There are 3 ways of writing the 'boot' part but search engines look out for keywords in a sentence and those search terms might cover all bases. Using those keywords brings up a good number of results.

I don't think it will be an Acer problem per se but more a general operating system type of fault. Are you familiar with 'Safe Mode'? This can be got into by repeatedly tapping the F8 key on the keyboard as the computer boots up.

Once in, there are Advanced Options. In these should be one to start the computer in the 'last known good configuration'. That's what I'd try first.

Edit: This link might be useful..

https://www.lifewire.com/advanced-bo...s-menu-2625801

Re: Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

Hi Pesta!

If your photos are very important, to you, I suggest that you check whether someone you know can do the (fairly simple) task of popping the hard drive out & copying the photos off onto something else.

Has some pal got a memory stick and the ability to plug your drive into his/her PC?

Once your important stuff is safely on something else, then it might be that a clean reinstall of Windows would be the quickest way to go.

Try to get your photos safe, first, though.

Once someone starts "pressing all the buttons", in an attempt to get the thing up and running, the chances of accidently corrupting/losing any data files goes up & up.

Re: Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

Can't agree there Ted. Those settings are Windows ones put there to be tried/used. The danger of corrupting the entire disk or losing files by doing so is about non-existent. If any corruption wiped out files, it would most likely have happened with what has already been done (unlikely to be the case).

The suggestion of rescuing photos from the disk by physically removing it is good but I'd say to do that after seeing if the OS can be started. It could save hassle. With that laptop, the disk comes out fairly easily via a hatch underneath. Once removed, a caddy would be needed to put the disk into so that the photo files could be retrieved. Not an expensive item or maybe a pal would have one but I think it might be easier to try a couple of things first with the disk remaining in the Acer.

In any event, yes get those photos off the laptop and onto another storage device. A few attempts to get the computer running enough to do that is worth a try before going further. Starting the computer in 'Safe Mode' is another option. The display is not good when running in Safe Mode but it's good enough to retrieve photos via a USB port (USB supported in Safe Mode).

A clean installation would be good if really wanting to keep XP running but there could be a problem with activating the OS once done. This can't be done by just clicking on the 'activate' button these days. Microsoft don't support that any more in XP. The OS would have to be activated by phoning Microsoft and going through a fairly involved automated procedure. There are other ways too but these seem just as involved.

There is also the option of taking the computer to a repair shop and letting them either repair the OS or retrieve the photos. This suggestion might be the best one of all.

Re: Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

My experience says focus on the priorities.

1) Get the data to a safe place. If someone starts tinkering, before that , an inadvertent re-format or re-install might easily erase the photos.
The advice is not to take risks.


2) As for reinstalling Windows, a quick search on line (not using the defective machine, obviously) shows that it is still acceptable & doable for most levels of Windows.

3) It might be more useful to get a later version of Windows, subject to the spec of the PC which we don't yet know.

4) As for taking it to the shop to get it fixed, would it be cost effective to pay for a fix on a PC as old as this one? I very much doubt it.

Re: Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

I suppose we might both have equal experience with XP but obviously different opinions on how to approach any troubles. It happens and such is life. I don't want to get into a contest of who knows best to a further degree. I can only offer suggestions as to what I think is.

Re: Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

Sorry I've been so long getting back Mark and Ted and thank you both for your input, not forgetting Meg too

Thank you Marty, you're a good lad. I've done as you suggested in your first post and I'm in.

Now, hope you can make sense of my ramblings here and questions ......

I was flummoxed when the page 'Press F2 for set up' kept appearing. When I did press it, it brought up a page I've never seen before and meant nothing to me. I was expecting to see the usual page where 'safe mode' etc is (ie if I'd pressed F8).

I then figured each OS and different make of computers each had their own 'F' number. I worried if I pressed F8 instead of F2 as it was telling me to, I'd make everything worse.
Googling and watching Youtube sites were not really helpful, basically because as you say, it's all in what you put into Google. I was getting info about 'changing your
password'. One site suggested press 'power and delete together'. It's all so confusing for a dork.

An old Vista laptop I use for games now, suffered with black screen (or maybe it was the blue screen) many years ago and I think I had to press F10 to get into 'safe 'mode'. The one I'm using now, Windows 8 went into black or blue screen and stuck in a loop (if I could get in) so as I say I had to get JL to sort that out. I know I need to press F8 for 'safe mode' on this one. (Clever devil aren't I? )

Anyway, I'm in the Acer now thankfully, but it will only let me in if I press F8 and go to 'last known good configuration'. Is it ok to do this regularly? How do I get it back to normal, or will that be too 'techy' for a computer dork?
I've retrieved the majority of the photos, onto two memory sticks, I've one more memory stick but not sure it will take them all. I'll get on with that another day.

Incidentally, I have the two discs for reinstalling but I'm not keen on getting involved with all that and I think I read things could go belly up.

Can I also ask (and please bear in mind I am a dork) is the F2 page in the 'BIOS'(??) ie the same area you get into by pressing F8?

Re: Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

I'm pleased you can get back into the OS, even if it can only be done by pressing F8 and choosing 'last known good configuration'. If F2 leads into BIOS settings, it's best to leave that area alone as it deals with the computer starting to boot up. It isn't the same area as F8 leads to.

It sounds as if the Acer only has only a tenuous hold on working at all, so get everything you can off the disk and store it elsewhere before going further. If necessary, hold off trying anything else until you get some more storage to put files on.

After everything you need is stored, get back into the computer again by using the 'last known good configuration' (if that's the only way it will boot up). Then try a System Restore. Choose a date before the one where the trouble started.

This could get XP up and running properly again but I can't be sure. See how it goes anyway. I think you have to be prepared to reinstall XP and research the activation procedure, or just call it a day on the Acer.

Re: Acer TravelMate 2350/4050 series laptop

Yes, I thought about doing just that but then I realised it was ok till I deleted the Malwarebytes, AVG, BT stuff etc etc, so the date it would go back to would be where the problem started. (I seem to be talking in circles with myself). I can never get across what I mean typing stuff instead of saying it

Yes, I'm going to transfer everything eventually. It's jam packed with my daughter's photo's too, but I think she's already downloaded those elsewhere and just left them on. Another thing it's good for is that it plays some personal DVDs that my sister did from old movies at home. Can't remember what you called those cameras that made reels of films. It's the only laptop that they play on for some reason.