Windows 7: hp laptop causes shutdowns,driver+corruption issues on new win7

Summary: Either my overheating HP pavilion dv 9000 laptop or MS security essentials (or something else) is causing my sound card driver (and partially the touch pad too) to fail, and to arbitrarily corrupt updates of software.

The long story:

I have an hp laptop that my friend just gave to me (pavilion dv9000 w/amd turion 64 x2 mobile tl-60, 3gigs of ddr2 ram@160 mhz, 128mb on an nvidia nforce 630m card, and 157gig hdd) which has a significant overheating problem (or perhaps i'm doing something wrong...?), and (possibly the cause of) a host of other issues. For example, if I leave the laptop on my computer desk for an hour (while it's downloading a large file) it will overheat; the cpu will get to a toasty 150 degrees (fahrenheit, of course), the graphics card to about 140-150, and the hdd to 120-125. I've tried everything from installing Granola (visit grano.la; it's a program that uses the DVFS API to reduce processor speed; it slowed down the overall heating process, but it still heated up to the same temp after 2 hours) to holding up a large fan to the bottom of the laptop, which gets the temp down (until I turn the fan off, or put the laptop down so I can actually use it), to disabling all aero effects (which helped nothing).

However, the problems go on. After installing windows 7 (this laptop came with vista, which worked fine, but had my friends financial data, personal data, etc. and i didn't have a vista cd) I've also had a number of software issues. After reinstalling the drivers (through windows update) I have found that my dvd drive does not work. It didn't work before (when the laptop had vista) but the driver from the HP site refused to install ("cannot detect MEDIA drive" or something). Everything else worked until, randomly, my sound died (i.e. failed to function) along with the scrollbar on the synaptics touch pad. A restart produced a complete failure to start the sound card driver, and I have no sound (neither from the speakers, nor through the headphone jack). Performing a system restore got the sound card working again, until I installed the definitions for MS Security Essentials (probably a coincidence?). At almost the exact moment when the install began, my sound card died once more (along with the scroll bar). Also, on the next boot, attempting to update two particular pieces of software (adobe reader, and minefield a.k.a. firefox 3.7 pre-alpha/nightly build) resulted in errors for both. Running S.M.A.R.T. tests on the drive shows nothing worrying.

Moreover, the dvd drive has never worked, and neither has booting from a cd (even when I moved the option to the top in the BIOS; however USB boot works).

Running Ubuntu 10.04 (on a live cd, while using wubi.exe on the live cd to modify the MBR so I could boot from the external dvd drive) has NOT caused this overheating problem (using the open source graphics drivers, and, therefore, all desktop effects disabled); I left it on all night, and the temps were all in a safe range (and it hadn't shut off. Hooray!)

My question: Is this software, hardware, or both? Is this something I can fix without purchasing a heat sink and a new hard drive (or worse, a new laptop)? Most importantly, what is happening?

I have an HP dv9000. My wireless adapter on my computer died a few months ago, and I'm pretty sure it was the overheating. Easiest and cheap solution, buy a computer fan. A bit pricey, but its cheaper than buy a new driver or replacing hardware that just cant take the heat. Thankfully I was still on warranty do Bestbuy fixed it. But I highly recommend getting a computer fan.

First thing to do is get a couple of cans of dust remover (compressed air in a can) and blow out all the ports and the fan intake/exhaust ports, making sure nothing is in there stopping the fans. Next is to get a laptop chill pad, a must have with laptops.

Then go to HP's web site and download all the drivers for that make/model of laptop. See link below.

HP Support & Drivers | United States

As you can see the exact make and model #'s really help, then choose OS and bit flavor then start downloading your drivers.

@luolimao:

It may not be directly be related but have you done full virus and malware scans lately ?

If not you need to ....

I would run a FULL system scan using up to date security suites...

and go to Malwarebytes.ORG and download the FREE stand alone scanner.

Also I would run MRT Microsoft Malicious Software removal tool "MRT"

Go to the run box enter MRT and click OK....then set up the scanner to run a full system scan.

It never hurts to do thorough scans for any malicious code because sometimes these things can affect other systems in the PC...like the CPU engine management for example, the reason I say this is because you mention that using Ubuntu there were no heat issues..but in Win there was, makes me suspect malicious coding.

luolimao,

Let's go at this one step at a time.

First, get a compressed air can and blow air into each and every vent you find.

2nd, until problem is fixed, keep a fan blowing directly at the laptop.


For steps 3 and 4:
WIN + X keycombo
WIN is the key with the wavy Microsoft flag.
3rd, turn the display brightness down to the lowest level that you can live with. Click on the icon so that setting keeps.

4th, change the Power Plan to "Power Saver"

5th, run the System File Checker.
SFC /SCANNOW Command - System File Checker
How to Repair Windows 7 System Files with System File Checker

6th (I should have put this first)
Remove all of those wonder programs that you've installed to "fix" your problems. This is extremely important.

7th. Uninstall your present anti-virus software. Install and use Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) Link in my sig.
A couple of popular av programs are very resource-intensive.

8th, Run MalwareBytes. Link in my sig.

9th. Let me hear from you that you have performed each and every one of these steps.

@Renzw, bassfisher6522, legacy7955

hopefully the OP will benefit from your useful advice, however, the OP posted 3 months ago.

mjf...I didn't even check the date. Wow..I missed that one.