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REALLY SERIOUS PCG-K215B SUDDEN RESTART PROBLEM!

Kei
Visitor

REALLY SERIOUS PCG-K215B SUDDEN RESTART PROBLEM!

Ok this is a really bad problem. I have a Vaio PCG-K215B, I bought it on the 14th July 2004.
Specs are as follows:
Intel Celeron 2.8ghz
HDD: 40GB
512MB DDR RAM
ATi Radeon IGP 345M

Everythin is updated, Windows all updated (SP1), Norton Internet Security 2004 updated, all drivers up to date. Ad-aware 6 SE installed.

Everything is clean, it's virus free, no worms. I've checked everything on the PC, I've scanned for spy-ware ad-ware, viruses, worms. I've used multiple methods: Norton, Ad-aware, Stinger, Symantec tools.

I randomly get sudden restarts on my PC. It does so without any notification, there's no Blue Screen of Death, even though I've unchecked the Automatically Restart option in the Startup/Recovery settings.
I operate the PC behind a router via wireless PCMCIA card. Drivers for the network card are certified by Microsoft.

I've put up 3 firewalls, 1 hardware from router, 1from Norton Internet, and 1 one from Windows built-in.
I get no error reports after the restart is done, no error dialogs, nothing.

I've carried a system reformat, on my C: drive, leaving the 😧 drive intact.

The problem is nothing to do with overclocking, I run even little programs at once (like Winamp and IE) and it still reboots suddenly. It's nothing do to with the power outlet, I've switched the VAIO plug to another socket and it still reboots.

At first, the problem happened like every 72 hrs or so, but now it's very unpredictable. However, it doesn't restart in loops, i.e. it doesn't restart after seconds or after minutes. It's quite random.

Could it be that some virus/worm is hidden in my 😧 partition in my system volume folders?

I have 2 others PCs, 1 desktop and 1 laptop, and they don't the problem, so I'm not sure whether it's anything to do with a worm, because it'll spread over the network.

Do you think it's all because that the VAIO is defective? Or is it a software issue?

Please anyone help me out here, this is seriously urgent.

55 REPLIES 55
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rich912
Contributor

APM (advanced power management) function will usually be found in Device Manager- System Devices; depends on your Windows operating system and hardware configuration.

If not available there then try the BOIS.

Go n-éirí an bóthar leat
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kee-lo_
Member

Normally under the system devices in DM.

Kei
Visitor

Oh great, I've no idea of what you're on about.
I'm a newbie. Where am I supposed to acquire an administrator key?

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kee-lo_
Member

You can't, only Sony repair people have it

Kei
Visitor

Hey are you talking Power Management?

I've changed the Power Management options to Never standby/hibernate on all circumstances.
Also I've also changed when Lid closed to Do Nothing, and Sleep-button to Do Nothing.

Well anyway... is this it: ALi 7101 Power Management Controller?
Because right now at the moment, the Device usage is set to Enabled.

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kee-lo_
Member

No, we were talking BIOS

Under system devices (device manager) you should see an APM device.

Kei
Visitor

Nope I don't see any APM in system devices.

All I have:
ACPI Fixed Feature Button
ACPI Lid
ACPI Sleep Button
ACPI Thermal Zone
ALi 7101 Power Management Controller (this one?)
ALi PCI to ISA Bridge
ATI RS200/RS200M Accelerated Graphics Port
Direct Memory Access controller
Generic Bus
ISAPNP Read Data Port
Microcode Update device
MS ACPI-Complaint Embedded Controller
MS ACPI-Complaint System
MS Composite Battery
MS System Management BIOS driver
Motherboard resources
Numeric data processor
PCI bus
PCI standard host CPU bridge
Plug & Play Software device enumerator
Programmable interrupt controller
System board
System CMOS/real time clock
System speaker
System timer

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rich912
Contributor

Try disabling the ALi 7101 Power Management Controller. If this causes problems then re-enable it in Safe Mode.

Go n-éirí an bóthar leat
Kei
Visitor

Jeez! There it goes again! Yesterday, I disabled the ALi 7101 Power Management and it still restarted suddenly on the Sunday 29th August 2004, 3:15PM.

This thing is crap.

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kee-lo_
Member

Sorry to hear that :slight_frown: