Solved Windows 7 64bit freezing randomly

[spinksy]

Lately my laptop has been freezing randomly. The only solution is to hold the power button to restart, i.e crtl alt del doesnt work.

It 'seemed' to start when i was watching tv on my laptop using pinnacle tv centre pro, but it has been happening on other occasions.
the last time it happened i was running VLC player, Google Chrome and Bittorrent, if this helps but i thinks its just random.

.also i have checked for viruses etc. with trend micro and malwarebytes nothing is found.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Hello,

Please run: http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

While you wait for a reply, run some hardware diagnostics.

Run Memtest86: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html

Run Prime95, all three different tests: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/100352-cpu-stress-test-prime95.html

Remember to keep an eye on Speedfan while doing so; post the temps here.

Run SeaTools for the hard drive.

 

[spinksy]

I have run the BSOD tutorial and scan.

 

[Jonathan_King]

I don't see anything of interest in the jcgriff2 report. While just because I can't find anything doesn't mean software is not a possible cause, I would suspect this is a hardware issue as a result.

Carry on with the hardware diagnostics I recommended above. Be sure to run SeaTools on all the hard drives.

 

[spinksy]

I ran the seatools tests; short generic, smart and short drive test on both hard drives, they all passed.

I started the CPU stress test but stopped it (and no errors found) when the temps got up to high 90s, should i let the test go longer when the temps are at this level?

Also, from memory, the freezing has only been occuring while watch videos, movies etc on VLC player, and TV on Pinnacle TV centre Pro and Windows media centre.

 

[Jonathan_King]

No, those temps are far too hot and should be dealt with; there is a good chance that is the problem in fact. Take a can of compressed air, and blow out the air vents. If you feel comfortable disassembling the laptop, you might blow out all internal fans and heat sinks.

 

[spinksy]

Ok, I've cleaned the fans, there was a fair bit of dust there, and did the stress test again and temps were around 75, thank you.
i ran the memtest for 2 passes and no errors found,
so hopefully it was the heat thing.
I will update if i am freeze free.
Thank you very much.

 

[DeanP]

2 passes for Memtest is not enough - suggest running 7 passes. Generally, most errors are usually occur around 5 or 6.

 

[spinksy]

OK, im first gonna check if the freezing has stopped from cleaning if not i will run more tests, i stopped it at 2 because i wanted to use my computer.

 

[DeanP]

My best suggest is to do the Memtest overnight.
A sleep for a person takes 8-9 hours and 7 passes for Memtest is around 7/8 hours.

 

[spinksy]

Thank you very much for the replies, the freezing has stopped now.
Many many thanks!!!

 

[Jonathan_King]

Glad to hear that; it was the heat causing the problem, right?

 

[spinksy]

Not sure now, it froze again and i felt it and it didn't seem too hot, i ran the memtest for 9 passes and no errors were found. When it happened i was running a lot of applications at once which may have been the cause, plus the heat issue. But really my computer should be able to handle anything i throw at it. Would increasing my RAM help?

 

[Jonathan_King]

It shouldn't be the amount of RAM so much as the health of the RAM. Try running Prime95 again (all three tests), and keeping an eye on Speedfan.

 

[riee]

Hello,

That freezing problem happen only when you connected with broadband? I had a problem when connecting with broadband, it freeze!!!. If using wifi or LAN cable it ok, no issue. Some people said that because of AVG AV, uninstalled, then you willsolve the problem. However my AV is McAfee not AVG.

 

[spinksy]

No, i am only using wifi. it doesnt freeze anymore so im quite sure it was overheating, i clean out the vents etc regularly now and have no more problems.