Macs are not the answer. All the OPer wants is a working machine, and the best machine anyone can have is the type they have been using for years. Only can we have a faster one? Linux won't solve a problem if it is mechanical in nature.
My Thinkpad has been dropped from 4 ft onto a wooden floor and survived with no apparent problems. And who knows what went on before I bought it as a 2 year-old. But I did choose one with SSD, for speed but robustness did cross my mind.
Rescue disk is a good idea, but does it have a CD writer? Can't imagine it would have a floppy drive these days and USB versions - you might a well use an external CD writer, assuming the USB ports are not causing any problem.
Going into the BIOS to look for any anomalies might help if the OPer has the confidence.
The question is - how is it performing now? Fully charged battery/on charge? If the symptoms persist then it may still be BIOS/boot sequence or mechanical problems.
Don't try and fix problems in one go - check battery life status first.