Compaq laptop intermitettently freezes, thaws

[mcpeekj]

Hello all. I have a Compaq nc6220 laptop which performed great until about a week ago after a reboot following a Windows Update. It will now run fine for 5-10 minutes (longer if it has not been used for hours).

Symptoms
After some time, the screen appears to freeze and won't respond to the touchpad. Using the stick it will wake up a few times, but then that won't work. Alt-tab works for a little bit too, but then it stops. Plugging it in works for a while, but then it fails there too. Eventually, you just have to shut it down by holding the power button.

Troubleshooting
I have run a memory test (using memtest86, I believe). It ran for a couple hours and generated no errors. I have tried to restore back to a few restores back, but didn't fix it. I've run malware and antivirus scans, check disk and anything else I can think of.

Any ideas on what to try next? It's feeling like a hardware issue, I just don't know what. Is it worth reinstalling Windows/reformatting?

 

[robmazco]

Several thoughts as I have worked with them in the past on a helpdesk. My experience tells me that sometimes Windows just goes 'kablooie' on the compaq 6000 series.

Disable the touchstick, it WILL break soon and will cause all kinds of mouse/pointer problems.
Try running sfc /scannow from start-run, windows cd needs to be in drive. It will take about half hour.
Windows repair, using chkdsk /r.
Lastly, sometimes Ive done all this to no avail. Reimaging was the only solution that seemed to fix.

Anyone else with ideas?

 

[wahnula]

Sounds like it's overheating...place a couple pencils or something similar underneath it to raise it off the desk for a while...also find the exhaust fan, and give it a couple half-second bursts of canned air to see what comes out. You can also check out the CPU temp in BIOS after restart and see where it is, or install SpeedFan and see if you're running hot.

If it were my machine I'd learn how to dismantle it and re-seat the CPU heatsink, and clean out the cooling mechanism, but that's me, I've disassembled several lappies and am good with small parts and tools.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[mcpeekj]

Thanks for the advice guys. I've gotten credible advice that it's probably either a hard drive issue or OS. So I'm going to reinstall Windows and see if that helps.

I don't think it's an overheating problem as the fan comes on regularly. But I had suspected the same thing and looked for the temperature reference in the BIOS, but couldn't find it. I'll try the app you mention prior to reinstalling.

 

[robmazco]

Heat issue? Most likely not as it occurred AFTER a software update.
Of course rolling back pre-update could be tried, but again experience tells me this wont work.

 

[G0AOZ]

Does it do the same thing if you run it in Safe Mode? That might point to some sort of driver issue...

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[mcpeekj]

G0AOZ,

It did not occur while in Safe Mode, but it did occur occassionally while trying to enter Safe Mode (sometimes on the initial Compaq loading screen). I used several apps to identify any outdated drivers and updated them, but it still occurred (thinking it could just be a display driver issue).

Latest problem has been trying to restore to prior to the Windows update, but the restore consistently stalls out before finishing (assuming it's related to the freezing, but maybe not).

Thanks for the help.

 

[G0AOZ]

Assuming Event Viewer gives you no clues, I'd certainly try Tony's suggestions re a dust clean-out and CPU reseat with new heatsink compound.

If that doesn't do it, then I'd opt for cloning the hard drive if you have that facility.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[wahnula]

Heat issue? Most likely not as it occurred AFTER a software update.

Heat issues arise randomly and are not always associated with an incident, like software installation, but it's not above the realm of possibility. The machine might have been at the tipping point and the extra work caused by the update triggered it...or not. I'm only recommending the OP investigate that option by examining the CPU temp in BIOS.

The fact that someone else has experience with that model and its general wonkiness then it could be a design flaw in the cooling section. Hardware troubleshooters (and this IS the PC Hardware forum) keep all their options open.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[mcpeekj]

Maybe it is a temperature issue. I can't even get a reinstall of Windows or a reformat to complete before it freezes up. Any advice? My motherboard apparently doesn't offer a temperature check in the BIOS. And now I've half-way done a reinstall of Windows, then a reformat, so I obviously can't download anything to the laptop...

 

[chronics]

Sounds like a HDD with dodgy sectors. I would run the HDD manufacturers diagnostic tools on your system. Strange that it runs in safe mode though, makes it to hard to tell if this hardware or software