Windows 7 freezing up completely

[CoreEye5]

The problem I've been having is so random and frustrating that I've hesitated to even post about it. It is so maddeningly arbitrary as to defy normal diagnosis. I can only supply a vague guess at the frequency - maybe a few times a month? I guess I should start writing it down when it happens.

Basically, my Samsung NP300V5A-A02US laptop will freeze completely, in no apparent pattern, while running stuff under Windows 7.

It happens when I'm using MATLAB, it happens when I'm browsing the Web. It happens when I'm not doing anything but moving the mouse around.

The freeze-ups *never* happen on my desktop, which runs 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate.

Let's assume for the sake of discussion that there's no malware afoot. I have not had a machine infected for years and years. I don't install stupid toolbars or *.exe's sent by strangers. Also I run Microsoft Security Essentials, and it hasn't picked anything up. Other than the freezeups, the laptop runs as well as ever.

Could this be a problem with TrueCrypt? That is the only application I use constantly on the laptop, but rarely on the desktop. But I haven't found reports of anyone else having the system freeze up catastrophically when using TrueCrypt.

(I already have the latest BIOS, which was released last July.)

[tijo]

It could be truecrypt or it is due to a driver. Did you update a driver before the freeze started happening?

[NotEnoughMinerals]

Have you ruled out hardware issues?

By freezes you mean just frozen mouse/can't enter keyboard commands but you can still see the screen? No BSODs?

[Greg]

Have you tried disabling LPM and disabling hard drive sleep?

[StormJumper]

It happens when I'm using MATLAB, it happens when I'm browsing the Web. It happens when I'm not doing anything but moving the mouse around.

The freeze-ups *never* happen on my desktop, which runs 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate.

I am going to take a guess here have you clean the dust out of your laptop yet and have you re-applied the thermal paste to your CPU and GPU if you have one? From what your describing it sounds more like a system overheating and the cooling system is plugged up with dust and not allowing the cooling fans to work properly thus causing your system to lockup when idling or not over tasking the CPU. So take apart your laptop and clean out the dust if you haven't done so.

[Greg]

Try reading temperatures with OCCT before you start taking your notebook apart. The thermal paste might be perfectly fine. Then again it might not. Running OCCT and trying to keep an eye on temps (especially right before the laptop shuts down) will help determine if taking the notebook apart is the next step.

[qhn]

The problem I've been having is so random and frustrating that I've hesitated to even post about it. It is so maddeningly arbitrary as to defy normal diagnosis. I can only supply a vague guess at the frequency - maybe a few times a month? I guess I should start writing it down when it happens.

Basically, my Samsung NP300V5A-A02US laptop will freeze completely, in no apparent pattern, while running stuff under Windows 7.

It happens when I'm using MATLAB, it happens when I'm browsing the Web. It happens when I'm not doing anything but moving the mouse around.

The freeze-ups *never* happen on my desktop, which runs 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate.

Let's assume for the sake of discussion that there's no malware afoot. I have not had a machine infected for years and years. I don't install stupid toolbars or *.exe's sent by strangers. Also I run Microsoft Security Essentials, and it hasn't picked anything up. Other than the freezeups, the laptop runs as well as ever.

Could this be a problem with TrueCrypt? That is the only application I use constantly on the laptop, but rarely on the desktop. But I haven't found reports of anyone else having the system freeze up catastrophically when using TrueCrypt.

(I already have the latest BIOS, which was released last July.)

Run memory diagnostic (Memtest, Windows Memory Diagnostic etc ..) and a drive defrag. Check for disk errors. What I would do first.

cheers ...

[dtd00d]

OP: You might find this useful:

Solved: Computer Freezes/Hangs With Wireless Card

[CoreEye5]

That does sound like the problem I'm having, only it doesn't happen very frequently.

No way to tell if it's the wireless card because I don't have another I can swap out, and the computer is largely useless without wireless networking (there are few places at school, if any, where I can plug into the network wired).

I'm probably just going to RMA the machine to Samsung after classes are over and let them figure it out. For now, even though it crashes occasionally, I still need it to do school work. I save and backup my school stuff often enough that I haven't lost any work yet.

[CoreEye5]

Try reading temperatures with OCCT before you start taking your notebook apart. The thermal paste might be perfectly fine. Then again it might not. Running OCCT and trying to keep an eye on temps (especially right before the laptop shuts down) will help determine if taking the notebook apart is the next step.

What settings should I use? I tried the defaults (large data set, "infinite") but it just overheats one core automatically.

Also not sure where I should set the temperature limit. The default 85°C is toasty, but I'm pretty sure the CPU (Core i5-2410M) can safely be run even hotter than that.