cannot restart computer and will only shut down

[rsmyth]

I see several replies here(Thanks everyone : ) )and I am not sure which to try first so I will start with what I think is the simplest. I am checking the power options in the control panel.
Under the UPS tab I have:
'The UPS service is currently stopped.'
I dont know if this is relevant but I have a Radio Shack Computer Equipment Surge protector.
Under 'Status' in the UPS tab everything is greyed out and all the entries are blank.
Under 'Details' the manufacturer is 'none'.
When I click on the 'Select' button for 'Details' I have two other choices American Power Conversion or Generic.

Is there anything there that would cause this?

[westom]

Is there anything there that would cause this?

You problem is within the power supply controller (probably). There are a number of reasons for this. About half require a multimeter to see what actually exists.

The front panel switch could be wired incorrectly so that is works sometimes - not others.

Voltage levels on signals from and to the power supply controller must be measured for sufficient margins. In fact, that 30 seconds of labor would have been the very first numbers I would have collected.

Also if a wrong HAL is installed by Windows for your hardware, that also can cause problems. This is what others also described as incorrect ACPI software. A multimeter may also identify symptoms traceable to that problem.

The ability to restart a machine is in a power controller - hardware on the motherboard that interfaces with the ACPI. That hardware is unique for each chipset manufacturer which is why Windows must load the correct software. Unfortunately, then is no manual selection and reload process (except if the motherboard manufacturer has one).

[BGlied]

very good point,, but what can I do to get laptop working again? I can not reset or roll back the bios,, pull battery out, it still show lastest version. restore to the factory setting by recovery DVD,, shutdown itself in the half way.. ,, little bit tired with HP models...

[westom]

very good point,, but what can I do to get laptop working again?

Well, it involves hardware. Your computer is one of the few that actually provide comprehensive hardware diagnostics - often called PC Doctor. Executing it without Windows is essential to breaking a problem down into parts - then first learning the condition of each part separate from all others. I doubt the hardware diagnostics will discover a problem because the problem - that involves hardware - is probably not limited to hardware. But to have useful replies from those who actually know computers, that diagnostic report must be provided.

Start with the basics. Swap and change nothing. Just collect facts that mean nothing to you - which mean so much to only a few others here. Your replies have only been as useful as the facts you provide - especially when those facts mean nothing to you.

Same applies to Device Manager and system (event) logs. What do they report? If necessary, find them through Windows Help.

I have long ago stopped remembering these setting names. How your machine responds to the various power cycling settings (shutdown, hibernate. sleep, restart) is defined in the registry. Find what your settings are for those registry controls. Then report what you (or malware, or Windows, or ...) have set in your registry.

Notice the difference in how difficult problems are solved. No 'it might be this or try to change that'. First get facts. 'Try this or change that' comes much later - after facts are collected.

Unfortunately, I know of no way to obtain which HAL software is loaded. One suspect is Windows detecting and then loading the wrong software for your chipset. Never had to diagnosis your type failure (since post Win 98 days). Therefore have long forgotten the actual names to search for; to find where to find the software and version that Windows would install for your machine.

And finally, I am assuming your machine was built to support that OS? The HP web page for your particular machine must state that. If not, the software necessary to make your machine work properly with that OS would not exist among maybe 100+ configurations that are provided in Windows.

Also another example of getting facts long before changing anything.