very frequent BSODs with various BCC codes. Please Help.

[gvstemp]

no it was not a blind purchase.
I determined RAM after consulting model number from HP.
This 2x2GB has been running fine for last 1.5 years.

 

[writhziden]

Could be your RAM slowly failed due to ESD damage. The system that does not show errors may not be testing the RAM in the same places that the damage occurred and may be missing it. Further reading: Avoid Static Damage to Your PC | PCWorld

 

[gvstemp]

I would think that ESD damage could have been when installing new RAM... that was 1.5 years ago. Since then mylaptop has been used 'very' extensively for graphics, programming, video ..etc.
I dont know if ESD can damage 'slowly'.
i wish i had spare RAM to test my laptop with that, anyway, I amthinking I will buy new RAM sticks 2x2GB to test my system.

 

[writhziden]

Yeah, spare RAM would come in handy, but very few people have it lying around. If you have friends with a similar system, that would be another route.

If it is not the RAM, I suspect something is going wrong with the motherboard...

 

[gvstemp]

Yeah, I think thats my last 2 options:
1. I buy new RAM and check with the system.
2. If something is wrong with the motherboard, cost of repairing that would be more than buying a new laptop, so new laptop it is ! ( I wish I could buy a samsung series 7 slate .. here in Netherlands ! )

Thanks all for help.

 

[writhziden]

You're welcome. Let us know when you get the new RAM and how the system responds.

 

[gvstemp]

Ok I think I figured out the problem (well I think ! )
It is the overheating of the laptop that is causing all these BSODs.

1. Exchanged RAMs ( I bought 2 new kingston ones), still BSODs.
however I noticed that after being shut off for a while, TX2Z boots up nice and after about 10 minutes its starts the BSODs.

2. while buying RAMs in the store I happen to see a cheap 20 euros cooling pad. (I actually bought it for the setting up viewing angle for long working hours). It has a 2 little fans that run by power from USB port of the laptop.

With a single 2GB kingston stick, win 7 64 bit, on the cooling pad, I ran 5 quicktime videos simultaneously AND started to work normally on the laptop, surfing, word documents.. etc. NO BDSODs for 8 hours straight !

(BTW I learnt that win7 64bit on 2GB works flawlessly ! Well you cant start 5 videos at same time though)

3. Well at this point, it could either have been the new RAM stick that was good ( and my old crucial stick was somehow bad.) or it was genuinely the heating based issue.

Next test, I turned on my laptop, with cooling pad off. Laptop booted up and worked for about 5 minutes, I moved the settings from powersaving to high performance, another 2 minutes and BSOD !

As a positive control, I connected the cooling pad, at high performance, same kingston RAM, no BSOD from last 1 hour !
and on touch, the laptop is MUCHH cooler.

4. I think, all along it was the heating issue which might have aggravated due to my recent India visit (40 degC !).
Tx2Z is infamous for its heating related issues (see here Time to throw in the towel? You judge please.. )

So as long as i work on cooling pad no BSODs and as soon as i turn the fans off the cooling pad off, in about 15-30 min BSODs start.

Question: Is there any permanent option of attaching a cooling pad permanently to my laptop ? not sure if such a thing exists, or else a new laptop


Thanks a lot to everyone who gave suggestions.

cheers

 

[writhziden]

I do not believe there are permanent cooling pads. What you bought is the extent of my knowledge for extra cooling for laptops. Laptops are meant to be portable, so a permanent thermal solution would limit that portability. I believe that is why there are less cooling options for them.

 

[James7679]

Glad to see you got this resolved. Thanks writhziden!