keeps freezing up....

[archspiritadvent]

ok

i didnt know where to put this so i just posted it here..

My problem is that starting last staurday on the 22nd my computer keeps freezing up. It happens only when i run specific websites or programs though. Two that im really having trouble with are www.youtube.com and rakion one of my favorite games. I dont think there is anything wrong with rakion as ive been playing it for over 6 months and nothings happened to it until now. As for youtube it was running fine on friday just on saturday my computer freezes after a few minutes on the site. sometimes it freezes a few seconds in sometimes it freezes a few hours in most of the time its around 5 minutes before it freezes. i ran a norton antivirus scan and it came up empty. right after my laptop freezes what i think is the fan starts coming on really loud and the laptop gets really hot the only way i can shut it down is by holding the power button.

some info about my laptop:

Specifications
TOSHIBA
System Model: TECRA M4
BIOS Version: TOSHIBA Version 1.60


Operating System
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version: 5.1.2600
Service Pack: 2.0
Location: C:\WINDOWS
PID: 76487-OEM-0011903-00305
Hot Fix: KB918439


Memory (RAM)
Capacity: 512 MB


Processor
Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1.73GHz
Version: x86 Family 6 Model 13 Stepping 8
Speed: 1729 MHz


Local Disk
Total Capacity: 52.16 GB
Sum of Hard Disks: (C: )
Used: 27.15 GB
Free: 25.01 GB

didit know what sort of info i should put so if im missing something il try and put that there too.

well if anyone can help me that would be great...

[GaryRouth]

If your system is under warranty, you might want to get it to a Toshiba-approved shop right away for warrany service. Video and gaming place a degree of stress on your laptop's components, it could simply be overheating causing the trouble. If it overheats too much, it can damage the motherboard (which on a laptop is prohibitively expensive to replace when out-of-warranty).

If you are already out-of-warranty, try a temperature monitor program - just to see if things are getting too hot. Here's one that seems to work on many laptops http://hmonitor.com/

If out-of-warranty, and the temps seem OK, try a System Restore to the point from before the trouble started. And scan your computer with an online scanner, to double-check for pests (especially try one that includes antispyware scans). There are many such tools, Ewido, Panda, HouseCall, Symantec...

. . . Gary

[archspiritadvent]

ok i downloaded the trial for the temp moniter given and this is what i got:

GPU = 71.0 C
GA = 56.0 C
HDD1 = 50.0 C

after plopping an ice pack under it it became :

GPU = 59.0 C
GA = 46.0 C
HDD1 = 37.0 C

i dunno if its bad or not (please tell me if thats a bad temperature as well as how i can cool it down) but thats the temp both before and after i ran a video on youtube and it froze still. Is there any way to check if the motherboards been damaged?
i ran checks on for viruses/spyware with norton and panda but all that came up was a coupla cookies....
and also did a system restore...any other ideas?

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

It's not particularly running cool, that's for sure. Is the laptop under warranty? If it is, as I mentioned before, a checkup is a good idea. That gpu temp is pretty warm.

Ice pack underneath??? -- you were just kidding, right? Ice packs condense moisture, not a good idea for a laptop to be sitting on. Extreme changes in temp aren't so great either (whether too hot or too cold). There are laptop coolers (a pad that the laptop sits on, that is equipped with extra fans), that do OK for extra cooling --- but the first line of cooling, that which is inside the laptop's case - needs to be functioning most of all. To check if all the cooling is OK inside -- that can involve inside the laptop-case troubleshooting - which can void your warranty if done by yourself rather than a Toshiba technician.

There were a few Toshiba models a while back that had some trouble with overheating due to a gaffe in the temperature controls in the Bios. Some systems were fine after flashing the Bios to an updated version that had the fan-control fix in it. You could check on the toshiba support website to see if there's an update for your model... The problem is, it's very hazardous to flash the Bios on a system that's proven prone to freezing up. If a freeze-up happens during the Bios flash, it can kill the motherboard. Since so much expensive hardware is at stake, this sort of fix is usually best done under warranty by a Toshiba-approved tech.

Figuring a bad motherboard is often a process of elimination. Usually things are fairly seriously wrong when the motherboard itself is damaged. If traces get broken or fried, usually the system won't start at all. The symptoms you describe certainly could be overheating. It's possible that you could have a bad driver or software incompatibility causing trouble too.

Particularly interested to hear if you have any warranty left.
. . . Gary

[archspiritadvent]

ok i have a one year warranty that will run out in about 2 months time
found a download ACPI Flash BIOS version 1.70 for Tecra M4 but i dont know if i should try it incase something goes wrong...and according to the description all it does is change a logo....
oh and my wireless keyboard and mouse just died today everytime i plug in the device (not the keyboard/mouse but the thing that sends the signal to it) theres a pop up baloon saying it wont recongize the usb device while it did this morning...
wow this week just keeps getting better and better....

[GaryRouth]

By all means, send it in for service (or take it to a locally approved center). Since you are under warranty, that is your best bet. Don't delay - in case the unit proves to need further repairs [if their "fix" turns out to be incomplete]. If you get it in right away, you still have some weeks to test and see if the system will continue stable - - - or not.

Any work that you do yourself may void the warranty, and any mistakes you make, accidental damage that can happen during the course of laptop repairs -- all these costs would then come right out of your pocket - and such repairs can end up costing more than buying a new laptop, without guaranteeing anything (it still might not work, after all your efforts).

It's a fairly good possibility that your hardware has suffered some damage. If any of the interior cooling devices were faulty, any number of components might have failed or been compromised.

Best of luck
. . . Gary