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#1
Trouble loading the BIOS
Since a few weeks my wife's one laptop (an HP from 2007) shows a strange behavior. There are 2 different problems:
1. When I start the laptop, it remains on a black screen for a while and then it shuts off and automatically restarts only to show the same black screen. After a few power-on attempts with the same behavior it sometimes starts the BIOS and loads Windows normally - but sometimes it does not and we try again after a few hours when it may or may not work.
2. The other problem is when the laptop operates normally - e.g. looking at mail. Out of the blue the screen picture disappears and the screen shows only pixels. The screen picture never comes back and we have to shut the laptop down to go into the routine as described in point #1. When Windows comes on, the screen works normally and it may work so for hours.
In view of the age of the laptop (over 6 years old) I was first suspecting the Cmos battery since those wear out in about that timeframe. But the second problem made me suspicious because it is hard to explain it with a weak battery.
Before I take the laptop apart, I was wondering whether anybody would have experience with similar problems and can give me some tips of where the problem might be.