random PC lockups please help

[Mike DeStefano]

Hello,

I posted a few messages early last week regarding random PC lockups using
Windows XP professional. The symptoms are that the laptop will just lockup
causing me to use the power button to shut it down and start it back up. I
could lock up in 5 minutes it could lockup several hours later. The
machine does not slow down before it locks up it just locks up no warning is
given.

I have already done a bunch of things to try and diagnose it but nothing has
worked yet. So far what I have done is:

I have run adaware and spybot as well as my virus software and the problem
has not been fixed.

I removed all popup blocker software and that has not solved the problem. I
have also done selective startup using msconfig and elimiminated process
system.ini, win ini, and startup items rebooted and several minutes later
the lockup occured. I booted in safemode with networking and the system
ran with no
problems for several hours until I finally shut it down and booted up
normally. I then thought it was some kind of driver issue.

I then removed the network card from the device manager and let it
rerecognize it it ran successfully until I shut it down. I then booted up
normally and ran an IBM utility to update all of the drivers for that
particular IBM laptop and the machine ran successfully all night long.

I have checked the device manager and there are no question marks or dreaded
exclaimation marks, in addition I have check the system event log and
everything appears to be ok. I reinstalled windows over the initial
implementation into the same directory and that has also not helped, in
addition I inserted a spare harddrive with an image of my existing one and
the problem continues to occur.

Any other suggestions are certainly welcome as I am pulling my hair out
trying to fix this. So far the best result has been running it in safemode
with networking, wouldnt that suggest some kind of driver issue?

Thanks for the help
Mike

 

[Malke]

Hello,

I posted a few messages early last week regarding random PC lockups
using
Windows XP professional. The symptoms are that the laptop will just
lockup
causing me to use the power button to shut it down and start it back
up. I
could lock up in 5 minutes it could lockup several hours later. The
machine does not slow down before it locks up it just locks up no
warning is given.

I have already done a bunch of things to try and diagnose it but
nothing has
worked yet. So far what I have done is:

I have run adaware and spybot as well as my virus software and the
problem has not been fixed.

I removed all popup blocker software and that has not solved the
problem. I have also done selective startup using msconfig and
elimiminated process system.ini, win ini, and startup items rebooted
and several minutes later
the lockup occured. I booted in safemode with networking and the
system ran with no
problems for several hours until I finally shut it down and booted up
normally. I then thought it was some kind of driver issue.

I then removed the network card from the device manager and let it
rerecognize it it ran successfully until I shut it down. I then
booted up normally and ran an IBM utility to update all of the drivers
for that particular IBM laptop and the machine ran successfully all
night long.

I have checked the device manager and there are no question marks or
dreaded exclaimation marks, in addition I have check the system event
log and
everything appears to be ok. I reinstalled windows over the initial
implementation into the same directory and that has also not helped,
in addition I inserted a spare harddrive with an image of my existing
one and the problem continues to occur.

Any other suggestions are certainly welcome as I am pulling my hair
out
trying to fix this. So far the best result has been running it in
safemode with networking, wouldnt that suggest some kind of driver
issue?

I would normally say that you should look to heat issues or other
hardware failures, but you report that you ran the update utility
successfully all night. Although I don't have an answer for your
question (sorry), I am going to suggest you contact IBM tech support.
Unlike other OEM tech support, my experience with IBM's has been
excellent. I had a few problems with my Thinkpad and was very pleased
with their support. Since you've tried everything else, it can't hurt
to call them.

Good luck, and if you do get a solution it would be great if you could
post it.

Malke

 

[Mike DeStefano]

Hello,

I have some information regarding the random PC lockups I was having. Late
last week I started uninstalling software hoping to find the solution,
during one of the uninstalls my machine locked up and I needed to use the
power button shut it down. It was late and I decided to just continue in
the morning. Upon trying to start it up the next day, I got nothing ..
the fan started but nothing on the screen and no hard drive activity. I
then took the machine to a local service center and found out that the
system board had died. Luckily the machine is still under warranty until
mid 2005 and the repair will be covered. The estimate was about $985.
Once I get the machine back hopefully the random lockups will no longer
occur. I am assuming that a dying system board can cause that type of
problem.

Thanks
Mike

 

[Malke]

Hello,

I have some information regarding the random PC lockups I was having.
Late last week I started uninstalling software hoping to find the
solution, during one of the uninstalls my machine locked up and I
needed to use the
power button shut it down. It was late and I decided to just
continue in
the morning. Upon trying to start it up the next day, I got nothing
..
the fan started but nothing on the screen and no hard drive activity.
I then took the machine to a local service center and found out that
the
system board had died. Luckily the machine is still under warranty
until
mid 2005 and the repair will be covered. The estimate was about
$985. Once I get the machine back hopefully the random lockups will no
longer
occur. I am assuming that a dying system board can cause that type
of problem.

Of course it can. That's one of the things I meant when I said you had
failing hardware. Even though the repair is a pain, it's great that it
is covered under warranty and you got it sorted out. Thanks for letting
me know.

Malke