Sony Vaio VPCZ227GG Freezes with no errors, event log entries or dumps

[steelpac]

Hi there,

I bought a Sony Vaio VPCZ227GG almost 2 months back and its been running perfectly until the last week. There have been no hardware updates, system installs etc. only the recommended Sony Vaio Care driver udpates.

I will be using the laptop for a while and then it will just crash. The laptop stays on the screen it was on before the crash but the mouse, keyboard, basically everything is dead. The only way to cycle it is to power down.

I have attached all the files as per the BSOD posting instructions and would really appreciate any help or guidance.

System Spec
Windows 7-64 bit Came preinstalled
Intel® Core™ i7-2640M Processor 2.80 GHz with Turbo Boost up
8GB Ram
256 SSD Drive
Intel Onboard Graphics
AMD Radeon External Graphics via Media Dock
Full Retail
Hardware and OS less than 2 months old.

Thanks

Adrian

 

[zigzag3143]

No DMP file in the upload, try this method.

We do need the DMP file as it contains the only record of the sequence of events leading up to the crash, what drivers were loaded, and what was responsible.

If you are overclocking STOP

You may be able to get the DMP files without crashing by booting into safe mode (F8) with networking.

To enable us to assist you with your computer's BSOD symptoms, upload the contents of your "\Windows\Minidump" folder.

The procedure:

* Copy the contents of \Windows\Minidump to another (temporary) location somewhere on your machine.
* Zip up the copy.
* Attach the ZIP archive to your post using the "paperclip" (file attachments) button.
*If the files are too large please upload them to a file sharing service like "Rapidshare" and put a link to them in your reply.

To ensure minidumps are enabled:

* Go to Start, in the Search Box type: sysdm.cpl, press Enter.
* Under the Advanced tab, click on the Startup and Recovery Settings... button.
* Ensure that Automatically restart is unchecked.
* Under the Write Debugging Information header select Small memory dump (256 kB) in the dropdown box (the 256kb varies).
* Ensure that the Small Dump Directory is listed as %systemroot%\Minidump.
* OK your way out.
* Reboot if changes have been made.

 

[steelpac]

thanks zigzag for the info. apologies for the delay, i have been away.

i have been trying a few things like using the laptop without the media dock, using an analog screen connection and not the HDMI etc. So far, im leaning towards an issue with the HDMI as it appear to be that whenever i run the hdmi output via the media dock i get issues.

i have enabled the above to create the minidumps and will post back as soon as it hangs. im also trying to run using an analog monitor via the media dock.

updates to follow and thanks again for your help and advice.

 

[steelpac]

hi guys, so it crashed this morning again. Even with the suggestions above it still does not create any dmp files. The pc just hangs, mouse, keyboard etc are offline and i need to power cycle. I checked the event logs and there are no errors let alone warnings to be seen.

Im going to try using the laptop without the media dock today and see if that makes a difference. I am also getting hold of sony as the PC is less than 3 months old.

If you have any further suggestions please let me know.

Thanks again.

 

[writhziden]

Let us know how the media dock test goes and what Sony says. I think those are both good troubleshooting steps. If you want us to provide other steps, let us know.

 

[steelpac]

hi guys, so its been running for a few days now without any issues. i have removed the media dock completely and have been running my HDMI screen via the built in port on the laptop and i bought a usb hub to run my peripheral devices. So far so good with no hangs.

No news from Sony but i did read some posts saying that the media dock uses light peak GPU for the external graphics card and there may be some compatibility issues with the device/drivers and the applications or services running on my pc. Looks plausible as without it, things seem to be running ok.

Im adding back in the applications and services i was running (during the crashing) one at a time to test if the crash rears its ugly head again. Will post back with more info as i figure it out.

Thanks again.

 

[writhziden]

No problem. Thanks for keeping us updated and providing a possible solution. It may benefit others in the end if they have similar problems.

 

[steelpac]

hi guys, last update on this thread. laptop has been running like a dream for the last week. No freezing / hanging issues at all. The problem appeared to be related to the media dock.

Still no word from Sony. If they ever do come back to me ill update the post with their details.

Thanks again for the help and suggestions.