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#1
Recurring BSOD and computer failure over the last few months.
I have had recurring blue screens for about 3 months now. They used to be rare and would only appear once every week or so. I was lazy and didn't pay much attention.
In the last month they have occurred all the time.
They can appear due to:
a) Playing a video game - the computer usually shuts down within 5 minutes of playing.
b) normal usage of the laptop - They can happen every 4 hours, or every 30 minutes.
Things i have to done to try and fix the problem:
a) re applied thermal paste
b) cleaned fans
c) reinstalled drivers
d) factory reset
e) ran memtest86, CHKDSK, and CPU diagnostic tools, with no errors.
f) scanned my computer for malware or viruses.
After factory resetting the computer, the blue screens have become constant, and as a side issue my computer can not shut down/sleep and becomes unresponsive after 20 minutes ( I am unsure if this is due to the factory reset or to the ongoing problem). When it is unresponsive, CPU usage is near 0.
My laptop is an Alienware m17x r4.
I admit, I was pretty stupid to let the blue screens go on for this long :)
Any help would be hugely appreciated.