My laptop is dying!

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Kazuni wrote on 2011-05-28 17:44

It's about two years old, likes to overheat & crash, and can't run vindictus properly >:c

Sometimes when I'm not doing anything particularly demanding of the computer (eg. reading threads, facebook, youtube, etc), the monitor goes blank and it just shuts down a second later.

It doesn't show an error screen, or even the "windows did not shut down properly" when I boot it back up. Chrome does need to be restored, though.

I haven't re-installed windows yet (I really don't want to ._.), but I've backed up all my files so I technically could.

Some problems I've had with it are.. ugh, well..
-taskbar being glitchy. (empty spots, icons disappearing after crashes [put those back through options])
-crashes when hibernating --> I hibernate the computer all the time, unless I'm purposely restarting, which I do every couple of days. A few weeks ago it'd show "windows did not shut down properly" when I get home from school and... un-hibernate it?
-replaced hard drive a few months ago because it wouldn't boot (possibly overheating)
-gets super hot to the touch after anywhere between 30~1hour of uptime, especially around the touch-pad and under the monitor.
-programs needing DirectX have problems running, solved by a restart.

Also, I probably can't get a new computer anytime soon, so that's not an option. (although if you can find something that can run games like vindi on high graphics w/out lag under $800 total [monitor, keyboard, the works] that would be wonderful. ah, pipe dreams)

Sooo... anything besides reinstalling windows?
Ampersand wrote on 2011-05-28 18:21

$800 gaming set up is totally easy to do.

$500 tower
$150 screen
$100 peripherals kb, mouse, headset
you might have to bootleg a copy of windows 7 though xD I'm sure there are few ppl who wouldn't mind helping out.

Back on point, are you using a cooling pad? If not, get one. Always use the laptop over a hard surface, and raise the back edge with a book or something so convection will help carry hot air out out the back. Get a fan blowing on it.
You can check temperatures with [url=http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html]HWMonitor[/ur] or other software. At idle your CPU should not be over 65 Celsius. For comparison, well-constructed desktops should idle with CPU at under 40C.
Yoorah wrote on 2011-05-28 23:19

When the laptop gets "super hot" to the touch, you know you have a serious problem regardless of it crashing or not. Electronics components' lifespans plummet sharply in higher temperatures. For capacitors, I think the rate was a reduction of half the component's lifetime for every 10C the temp goes up?

I doubt that reinstalling Windows would help you in this case... unless you got yourself some sort of buggy or malicious software that tries to use up y our CPU 100% all the time. But that's pretty easy to check, just using the Task Manager.

It's more likely that the laptop's cooling system is failing. The fan and/or the heat sink air pathways could have gotten clogged with dust, crippling the cooling efficiency. As Ampersand said, laptops must be used on hard surfaces, in order to not block air intake vents. If you used it in your bed, on your carpet, etc.. then not only can it not get much cool air, but it also works as a vacuum cleaner, sucking in more dust. x( The result looks like this:

[Image: http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1512/img0517s.jpg]

...and it can accumulate over time to look like that even if you are careful with not using your laptop on a carpet or whatever. Some people say that you can clear that stuff just by blowing with a can of compressed air, but I somehow doubt it would work. :P A partial disassembly would be required to clean that stuff. The annoying part here is that it's hard to tell if this even applies in your case; the problem could be something else...

One thing I'd check is if the manufacturer has made a BIOS update available on the downloads page for your laptop model. A new BIOS might have better tweaked cooling settings. Updating the BIOS on an unstable system is kinda risky, however. I'd only do it if I knew for sure that it wouldn't crash within the next 5 mins.

Another thing I'd try is to get SpeedFan and set the fans to run faster that way. Or are they already spinning at max when it overheats, anyway?

One last thing off the top of my head is to lower the max % of performance your processor will run at. Default being 100% max, you can lower that to 90% or something and see if that helps you any. I don't know which Windows you use, but it can be done in Windows 7 through Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Power Options\Edit Plan Settings\Advanced power settings\processor power management. Be sure you didn't set the system cooling policy to passive. (I've seen someone give advice involving setting it to passive elsewhere, major orz.)
Kazuni wrote on 2011-05-28 23:42

That's a lot of options @_@

My computer doesn't crash too often, so it's not too big of a problem. The only thing that was confusing was the fact that it crashed at completely random times ._.

Also I just use it on my desk & bedside table so it probably isn't a huge problem...

I don't really know much about fans + BIOS etc, and I don't really know anyone who could take apart my laptop (because I certainly can't).

Hnng.
My CPU isn't full very often either (unless I'm running something heavy).

Uhhh, my computer is a Dell inspiron 1525... hnnggg I hate technology right now.
Yoorah wrote on 2011-05-29 00:00

Out of curiosity, have you reinstalled windows before, or messed with the power management settings? In that case, it may be a good idea to re-apply Dell's recommended settings, which you can download from here (for Vista).

I kind of doubt it would help much (unless someone really screwed up the settings), but it shouldn't hurt either.

There's also Dell's diagnostic utility, which should test the components of your laptop to look for failures. Never used it, so I don't know how useful it is etc. You need a spare CD-R to burn it to.
Osayidan wrote on 2011-05-29 00:57

One trick I found for laptops is to pass the vaccuum cleaner with as tight a seal as possible on the exhaust port, usually on the left or right side, can't miss it.
I did it on my laptop a long time ago and it dropped in temperature right away. Now I do it every time I vacuum my room.
It's not a perfect cleanup like opening it up but it helps.

So even if it doesn't solve your crashing and stuff, it'll probably help with the heat.
Kazuni wrote on 2011-05-29 01:02

Quote from Yoorah;458513:
Out of curiosity, have you reinstalled windows before, or messed with the power management settings? In that case, it may be a good idea to re-apply Dell's recommended settings, which you can download from here (for Vista).

I kind of doubt it would help much (unless someone really screwed up the settings), but it shouldn't hurt either.

There's also Dell's diagnostic utility, which should test the components of your laptop to look for failures. Never used it, so I don't know how useful it is etc. You need a spare CD-R to burn it to.

Yep, I reinstalled windows twice, I think. Once a while ago, and once when I changed the hard drive.

Also I already have hard copies of most utilities on the site. It came with the computer.

I didn't change many settings that would really affect my computer, I think. I don't really delve into anything deeper than convenience and appearance.

I used the diagnostic utility when my hard drive died, and it took hours to finish, with no clear result :\

Quote from Osayidan;458565:
One trick I found for laptops is to pass the vaccuum cleaner with as tight a seal as possible on the exhaust port, usually on the left or right side, can't miss it.
I did it on my laptop a long time ago and it dropped in temperature right away. Now I do it every time I vacuum my room.
It's not a perfect cleanup like opening it up but it helps.

So even if it doesn't solve your crashing and stuff, it'll probably help with the heat.

That's pretty cool. I might try that. Hnng I might have to lug my vacuum out from storage upstairs though, since we started using the little automatic robot vacuum.