Laptop Display and Hard disk space

[lotus_flamingo]

Hi,

I have a problem with my system - HP Compaq Laptop, Windows Vista OS, AMD Turion Dual Core Processor, ATI Radeon Graphics, 2 GB RAM.

There seems to be something wrong with my system. I always leave my system for overnight downloads and shut down in the mornings. For the past few months I found my system either shut down or in a hibernated state in the mornings. For few days I thought that it's due to power failures in the night. Recently I experienced that when I am working on the system, it turns off all of a sudden with no prior message or alert. The screen goes black, the system restarts and again shuts down. That's it. I had to turn it on again.

I tried to restore the system to a previous date, still it was of no use. For max 2 days it will work fine and starts all over again.

I had a hunch if it is something to do with the adapter. I thought that needs to be changed; by then I came across this ATI Warning today:

"The Catalyst Control Center is not supported by the driver version of your enabled graphics adapter. Please update your ATI graphics driver, or enable your ATI adapter using the Displays Manager"

Also, if I put on my battery, the display goes off if it has to be charged. If the battery is 100% charged and fine; there would be no problem with the display.

Please, could anyone let me know if this is the Adapter problem or the display problem. What can be done to resolve this problem?

I have another problem too. My hard disk is 250 GB. 10 GB of Hard disk has the OS back up. 10 GB has been alloted for C: for all the softwares and ......... The hard disk where I store files covers around 125 GB. I don't know where is the remaining space hidden in my hard disk. My Computer shows only 20 GB free space.

I clear Temp, Prefetch, Web folders in the Windows every now and then. Still I don't know where what has to be cleared. Could anyone let me know about this too.

Thank you very much,
Gayathri

[LizardMan]

As the ATI warns you, please do an update of your's graphic card driver. It might have conflict with the battery.

As for the HDD (hard disk drive) open Computer Manager by right clicking on My Computer icon and then go to Disk Management. There you will find all information about HDD partitions and where the hidden space is.

[Pilgrim]

I have an ATI Radeon Graphics Card on my PC.

The latest update for Vista is HERE, it includes both drivers and Catalyst Control Centre, if you have the 64 bit version look lower down the page.
I recommend the custom install or you might get a few bits you don't want.
As a point of interest this updates every month, usually around the 20th but sometimes later.

If you install it and you still have problems open the CCC and check the settings.

For the hard disk problem my advice is the same as LizardMan, in the unlikely event it does not show up try installing a good partition program and see if it shows up in that.

[lotus_flamingo]

Hi Pilgrim and LizardMan,

Thanks a lot for the replies.

I had a hectic time with my system. The problem had reached its extremes; The system was not keeping itself awake until I download this 54 MB of data [hardly 10 minutes] from the site Pilgrim-online suggested me. I managed to restore the system to past date [even this was not happening for some reason at one point of time] and downloaded the driver.

I just doubleclicked the driver and installed [I don't know if this is the right way to install] and restarted the system. Then the system was fine - after 3 hours it was back to the same procedure. I checked the CCC [right click -> my computer -> properties ->device driver]. There I had an option to update the driver - updated it and restarted the system.

Now as long as I am using the system it's fine; If I give the download command, lock the system and leave it in the night; Mornings I find them resuming and from the content downloaded I can say that it was awake for only 25 to 30 mins.

I will not wonder if you tell me my installation procedure was wrong.

Could you please help me get out of this.

Thank you very much,
Gayathri

[Pilgrim]

Gayathri,

There I had an option to update the driver - updated it and restarted the system.

I am puzzled, if you downloaded the file from the link I gave you it would have included the latest driver so there would have been no further update.

I have never use Vista but I doubt what I am going to suggest is much different.

1. Check the Power Options settings to make sure they are correct.

2. Check that the graphics driver is activated in Device Manager.

3. If you have or can borrow the correct Vista CD run SFC.

4. If you do not already have one get hold of an imaging program which also has a Boot CD, make an image of your system drive.

Just had a thought, find the ATI installation folder, on my PC it is on the C drive, if there is more than one of them delete all except the latest, reboot and see if there is any difference.

Let us know what happens.

[lotus_flamingo]

Hi Pilgrim-online,

Thanks a lot for your reply. It has been a long time I visited this site.

Now My system is doing fine. I did not do anything. One of my cousin told me he'll check and I left my system in his place for a long time.

I showed him this thread and your replies. He told me he will try; he don't know himself what he did, he tried many things and something somewhere worked out.

But I cannot say the problem is solved completely, even now when I am watching a movie or watching TV, the display goes off suddenly. As long as I do not lock my systems in the night, it is awake and working in the morning.

Is it happening since I am watching TV in my system?

For time being it is fine.

Thanks again Pilgrim-online,
Gayathri

[Pilgrim]

Hi Gayathri,

I am glad that things have improved, as far as your continuing problem goes the only two things that I can think of are power settings or a lose connection.
Download THIS and run it when you are watching a movie or TV, if the problem goes away check your power settings, if the problem is still there it could be a lose connection or soldering joint that gets too hot with continuous use.

Let us know if it works.

EDIT: Do you by any chance have Ad-Aware installed?