# Solved: New Laptop Crashed Twice



## Kolias (Apr 9, 2006)

My new Asus K750JN laptop with windows 8.1x64 crashed twice since I bought it 5 days ago. The strange part is that during the days when I was working on it everything was normal; at night I shut it off and in the morning when I power ON it went thru the steps to recover the OS and produced a log file which indicated all the programs it removed(my programs and settings).

Before the 1st crash, I installed a lot of programs and after each installation I always rebooted to see if there is anything wrong with each program and that it was working good. I thought if a program is no good for the system will reject it or you will know right away that the program is not working. 

Before the 2nd crash I only installed Mozilla Firefox, Adobe Reader, a Seagate driver for my USB HDD, 8Gadgetpack (a desktop sidebar utility), ClassicShell (a start menu utility) and AISBackup. All these programs worked good after reboot and all was normal.

Perhaps the system did not like that I use Firefox instead of the IE? I also deleted the included McAfee and the Asus Web Store because of the annoying pop-ups, and did some adjustments on the screen fonts (from small to medium) and added a wallpaper on my desktop (picture of my dog)

I just wonder if anyone has a hint as to what is going on


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

do a system restore - you should be able to get back to the first restore point

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/3443387/how-use-system-restore-in-windows-8/
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/3443387/how-use-system-restore-in-windows-8/

OR 
you may need to do a system recovery and take it back to factory and see if it does it in factory condition

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/faq/id-1857531/reset-windows-factory-settings.html






OR 
just take it back and ask for a replacement


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## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

After only 5 days I would definitely return it - no fixing either! Get a new one!


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## Kolias (Apr 9, 2006)

I love the laptop and dont want to return it unless I cant find a way to fix it. I also have done 64 MS updates and perhaps one or more create the problem

When she cashed, the system automatically returned to the factory state

Anyway I can find out which MS update may create problem?


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

> When she cashed, the system automatically returned to the factory state


 so if its in the factory state and still crashes - return it


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

My strong advice is as I said on your other topic re the USB external drive and backup - where you say you have used Macrium to backup the recovery partition

STOP installing what I refer to as third party gimmicks
http://8gadgetpack.net/

The site itself says there are problems with that software on Windows 8.1

It is only my opinion but as I said on the other topic there is ample evidence that Windows 8 - 8.1 does not take kindly to many third party programs that effect the way the basic presentation and operation of 8.1 works

The other topic is of course this one 
http://forums.techguy.org/windows-8/1133571-usb-hdd-volume-shrink.html

Also although it is of course your choice why would you need AISBackup - there are far more better known and proved methods - Windows 8.1 itself offers an extremely effective one.

Please accept that it is only my opinion but I have had 8 on the special offer of £24.99 and then the update to 8.1 on this computer - my build - triple boot - without ONE problem - that said I do NOT use any third party system management tools of any desription


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I cannot edit my last post it just goes to a blank screen
I OWE you an apology


I have been working on another topic where the poster has installed a number of third party programs and I mixed up your topic with his.


I did NOT of course make that comment regarding third party programs that effect in some manner the way Windows 8.1 presents itself, ON YOUR TOPIC - it was on the other topic.


HOWEVER IMHO the situation is the same. 


For a new laptop to crash and then Windows 8.1 decides the only way out is to install from the recovery partition either indicates as my colleague said a serious fault that requires referral back to the supplier OR I think more likely YOUR various changes have caused this.


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## SpywareDr (Mar 31, 2014)

I wholeheartedly agree. There is no need for you, or us to get even more wrinkles and less hair trying to help you figure out and solve the problem. That's what the warranty you paid for is for. When you buy something new and it doesn't work, return it.


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## davehc (Oct 4, 2006)

And after returning it, follow macboatmaster's advice regarding what you are re installing! Significantly,8gadgetpack, whatever that is. I would also recommend Macrium, rather than AIS, as your backup utility - much easier to use.Then, as soon as possible, make a Macrium backup of the basic installation before starting to load you favorite programs.

Fwiw. It is no unknown, but a little unusual, for a factory restore to activate, without input from the user. Are you sure it did, in fact?


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## Kolias (Apr 9, 2006)

I agree that the 8gadgetpack sidebar program may have been the problem but we all know after you install a program which may bother windows it will not take a full days work on the laptop to find out that this program creates the crash. Don't you agree?

The factory restore does need user input: before the crash the laptop goes thru a cycle of two reboots and after the second reboot it says "it appears that there is a problem loading windows" and gives you a choice to either install the factory image and keep your files or the same option but erasing your files


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

have it replaced


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I agree with etaf, but your surmise that a program such as the 8gadget pack will cause a crash immediately is not correct

It may not occur, until a windows update which in itself is all in order, then causes an incorrect and unacceptable action with the program or indeed until any particular gadget is opened

You may have noticed that a recent release of the gadget bar was indeed to correct a bug that caused a crash on start-up with Windows 8/ 8.1
I doubt very much if the software writer for that program is really able to cover all the reasons why the crash many occur

HAVE A LOOK at the gadgets included with the program
http://8gadgetpack.net/ - right hand side of screen on link

installing such is nothing short of playing with fire.

That all said, as I mentioned before the acid test is to see if the problem occurs without any third party programs that have control on the way windows itself is configured to work on 8.1 and that includes 3rd party anti-virus programs, defraggers, CCleaner and all others that fall into this category


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## Kolias (Apr 9, 2006)

Second day and the laptop works flawless despite all the work I did and the programs I loaded. To my opinion the crashes occurred from the two utilities I installed (8gadgetspack + ClassicShell)

But I don&#8217;t really need either of them because getting to know windows 8.1 more I discovered that the start screen is so customizable and this will fit with what I want to do

But there is way to install any XP/Vista program including the above mentioned utilities which will run nicely with windows 8.1. All you got to do is right click on the setup file and choose &#8220;Troubleshoot compatibility&#8221;, choose the second option on the window which will pop up and then choose &#8220;Windows XP (service pack 3). Then click on the &#8220;Test Program&#8221; button and the setup file will run. When it finishes go back to this window and click &#8220;Save settings&#8221;. The program will run like on any XP machine

Thanks all for the help


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

With respect I thought that was what I said



> To my opinion the crashes occurred from the two utilities I installed (8gadgetspack + ClassicShell)


Windows 8 does not take kindly to interference from 3rd party programs that change the way it presents itself - together with all the info I posted you on 8gadgetpack

As to your so called fix - if you do not need them why - do you need the fix.

That said it is your computer and you must make the decisions as to what you run.


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## Kolias (Apr 9, 2006)

I agreed with what you said, just wanted to confirm

As for my so called fix, it is for other members if they ever want to install old programs in a new OS

Your help is appreciated


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

*Kolias *

Good luck with

*For anyone reading the topic*
Installing 8gadgetpack on Windows 8/8.1 is not a course of action I would recommend for the reasons I have explained in this topic

The suggestion


> including the above mentioned utilities which will run nicely with windows 8.1


that using compatibility mode for 8gadgetpack is IMHO inadvisable, but then I am of the opinion that ANY third party tool that changes the way Windows 8 presents itself is generally inadvisable


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## SpywareDr (Mar 31, 2014)

Windows 7/8, 32/64-bit, with all updates applied, is running perfectly fine on an untold number of computers around the globe.


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## dvk01 (Dec 14, 2002)

SpywareDr said:


> Windows 7/8, 32/64-bit, with all updates applied, is running perfectly fine on an untold number of computers around the globe.


If you don't have anything useful and constructive to say, then don't say anything

It doesn't matter how many computers around the globe are running fine
What matters is that this user and several other users are having a problem. They come here seeking help & advice. They do not want to be told that others aren't having a problem,

After *Every* Update Tuesday we see loads of complaints and messages that some updates have problems on some computers. With the amount of different software installed on different computers, that isn't surprising. Microsoft or any other company can never test for every possible combination of OS & programs


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## SpywareDr (Mar 31, 2014)

dvk01 said:


> Microsoft or any other company can never test for every possible combination of OS & programs


Exactly.


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## Kolias (Apr 9, 2006)

For other members facing similar problem I solved finally this issue

On the device mgr I had two drivers, the Intel HD Graphics and the Nvidia 840M 2G. Reading on the web I found that the Nvidia driver is only required when I do intensive graphic applications and this driver kicks in automatically when is required. So I deleted the Nvidia driver and it's about 4 days now that I never had a booting twice issue or crashing

I know what intensive graphics means but I do a lot of Autocad work and have never noticed so far any slowdown in my work. Perhaps the Nvidia is only required when you play games which I don't


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I can understand that
However if you check device manager for the Nvidia you will I think find that the system has installed a Windows driver for it.
The error was caused by the Nvidia driver you had installed NOT the fact that there was a Nvidia driver


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## Kolias (Apr 9, 2006)

The laptop came with the Nvidia driver I removed and it was: Driver date 2014-02-11, V9.18.13.3264. There is a newer driver at the Asus site, same version but the date is 2014-04-30. Both drivers are the same size, about 340MB.

I have bad experience with Nvidia drivers because with my 7 years old Dell Inspiron laptop I had a new Nvidia driver to install which was included with the MS updates and after that installation my system crashed and had to re install Vista. That was easy then because I had the Vista DVD but now I only have a back of my windows 8.1 which I made with Macrium and I will never know if this backup is a good one until the date that I have to use it, lol


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

My advise would be to stop driver updates with windows updates
Control Panel devices and printers
right click computer icon
click device installation settings
you will see what I mean


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## Kolias (Apr 9, 2006)

Very useful tip, thank you. I did not know about it and I will use it from now on


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Cheers
It has caused me, not on my computer, but on ones I have been asked to look at, problems on four occasions all with the wireless adapter
I have read of it causing problems with other hardware


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