Laptop total freeze

[smee]

Hi,

I have recently developed a major problem with my Samsung x10 laptop. Its running XP. About a week ago it started pulling out total freezes: no response from touchpad or mouse, keyboard dead, display completely frozen, no HD activity. These freezes occur at completely random points with no particular activity assosiated with them. Not wanting to reinstall windows too hastily, I dowloaded a microsoft boot-cd image that runs a memory diagnostic. The freezes occur even when the boot cd is running: again at arbitrary points through the memory tests. The laptop has two memory modules: i have tried removing one, then the other, then swapping their places and trying each slot separately. The problem still occurs, so its probably not the memory (unless both modules are screwed). I have even removed the hard drive and ran on the boot-cd: it still freezes. Sometimes it freezes even when i run the pre-boot BIOS setup. Has anyone come across this sort of thing before? Does it sound like a hardware problem, and if so what kind? Could it be a BIOS problem?

Thanks

[jmatt]

This is a small extract from the links provided .

http://www.ultratech-llc.com/KB/ASP/...e=/KB/BSOD.TXT
http://www.ultratech-llc.com/KB/?File=BSOD.TXT
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tre...chrep/bsod.asp
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=325011
http://windows.about.com/library/weekly/aa030599.htm
http://windows.about.com/gi/dynamic/.../q192/4/63.asp
http://www.labmice.net/WindowsXP/Tro...ngXP/error.htm
http://sft-cyber.com/stoperrors.htm
http://aumha.org/win5/kbestop.htm

Troubleshooting Windows STOP Errors (BSOD) and Freezes

The following issues are easily responsible for 99% of all system instability issues, particularly with Windows:

• Bad or Flaky RAM
• High CPU/Case temperatures (Insufficient cooling)
• Bad Drivers (usually with el-cheapo hardware)
• Inadequate or Dirty Power
• Overclocking (some devices cannot run out of spec)
• Improper Permissions/Rights (results in Access Denied)
• Dirty Upgrade from Win9x/ME to 2000/XP
• Virus Infection (can result in a wide variety of problems)
• Incorrect jumper settings on your hard drive
• Improperly terminated drivers and controller
• Disabled or Misconfigured Services

SYMPTOMS OF COMMON ISSUES

• Bad Drivers ............ BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) or Spontaneous Reboot
• Overheating ............ Spontaneous Reboot or System Freeze
• Bad/Flaky RAM .......... Spontaneous Reboot or System Freeze or Failed Install
• Dirty Power ............ Spontaneous Reboot or System Generated Errors
• Inadequate Power ....... BSOD or Spontaneous Reboot or System Freeze
• Overclocking ........... BSOD or Spontaneous Reboot or System Freeze
• Improper Permissions ... BSOD or System Generated Errors
• Dirty upgrade .......... BSOD or System Errors or Slowness or Erratic Behavior
• Virus Infection ........ Inexplicable slowness or Highly Erratic Behavior
• Wrong Drive Settings ... Inexplicable slowness or Failed Install or Long Boot times
• Bad SCSI Termination ... Inexplicable slowness or Failed Install or Long Boot times
• Disabled Services ...... Poor System Performance or Installation Problems or Limited OS Functionality

Troubleshooting system lock-up problems
http://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/Tips2.htm#LOCKUP