My laptop keeps on locking up... What could it be?

[Ickaron]

From yesterday my laptop keeps on locking up on me even if I`m not doing any thing and it`s so far been like every hour or so it lockes up.I have a alienware m17x r4 with the specs of: Gtx 680m, i7 3660QS, 16Gb of ram,

What I have tried so far is: Do a system scan for viruses/Malwares, set my bios to default, do a system restore,

If you find a way that might solve the problem please put in some instructions because I won`t understand what I have to do.

 

Thanks

[Aniallation]

From yesterday my laptop keeps on locking up on me even if I`m not doing any thing and it`s so far been like every hour or so it lockes up.I have a alienware m17x r4 with the specs of: Gtx 680m, i7 3660QS, 16Gb of ram,

What I have tried so far is: Do a system scan for viruses/Malwares, set my bios to default, do a system restore,

If you find a way that might solve the problem please put in some instructions because I won`t understand what I have to do.

Could be a RAM problem, but first thing I'd try is a fresh install of Windows.

[Ickaron]

But to fresh install it looks like I have to back up the stuff I want to keep but I dont have any drives that is open and will have to wait for a week or so.

[Syntaxvgm]

Try a fresh install, or a live boot of linux or something. If it works, it's a software problem.

I'd suggest memtest86 first.

Then check out crystal disk info for your hard disk, just to check

Finally try OCCT and use the stability test option to test the GPU

[OriginalPromise]

But to fresh install it looks like I have to back up the stuff I want to keep but I dont have any drives that is open and will have to wait for a week or so.

Than try "repairing" windows.

[Syntaxvgm]

But to fresh install it looks like I have to back up the stuff I want to keep but I dont have any drives that is open and will have to wait for a week or so.

try a linux usb live boot. Just boot from the usb and use it for a while and see if it happens still, if it does, it confirms a hardware problem

[Ickaron]

Try a fresh install, or a live boot of linux or something. If it works, it's a software problem.

I'd suggest memtest86 first.

Then check out crystal disk info for your hard disk, just to check

Finally try OCCT and use the stability test option to test the GPU

Memtest and boot of linux need a usb (drive as in usb also)

Crystal disk; the mark or info? 

OCCT downloading right now

What do you want to see on the OCCT?

[Syntaxvgm]

Memtest and boot of linux need a usb (drive as in usb also)

Crystal disk; the mark or info? 

OCCT downloading right now

What do you want to see on the OCCT?

For OCCT, a gpu stability test. I have expedience with failing mxm gpus in alienware laptops. Mine for example.

Do memtest though, most likely culprit.

CD info, to see health of drives

The live linux -http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows

No need to install, just boot it up and browse the net for a while or something, see if it fails. This could confirm a hardware problem if it still happens. The reason I still suggest crystal disk info is using a live usb won't be using that hard drive.

[MeepLikesToBuildPc's]

overheating?

[Ickaron]

No probably not over heating and this is the next day and I cant even start windows 7 with out it restarting by it self so I might have to do a clean install...

[RossMadness]

If you have the install discs, or if your computer has a recovery partition, I would boot to that and access command prompt.

Start with a system check using SFC. 

 

I would then try running CHKDSK just to make sure that the files are in order.

[Ickaron]

The only thing I found out that it preventing me from doing a system restore is some thing from a nvidia driver is broken or deleted in that process

[Ickaron]

If you have the install discs, or if your computer has a recovery partition, I would boot to that and access command prompt.

Start with a system check using SFC. 

 

I would then try running CHKDSK just to make sure that the files are in order.

I'm guessing in command prompt? what commands would I write in?

[RossMadness]

Ideally, use command prompt WITHIN Windows because this will save you a large headache. Within Windows the commands are simply CHKDSK /f and the SFC command is simply SFC /SCANNOW  . IF you can't boot into Windows, boot to the recovery mode.

 

Since you're using the recovery options, start by typing DISKPART in order to see what the drive letters are for your Windows partition (when booting to recovery disks, the drive letters are often different from what you would see in Windows). Once you've written down the drive letters, type EXIT. This exits DISKPART. Now you can start the other options. 

So let's assume Windows is now in drive D:

 

CHKDSK is easy. CHKDSK D: /f (For basic file structure). Or for something more intense, type CHKDSK D: /f /r (this will also attempt to scan and recover bad sectors on the HDD. SIGNIFICANTLY longer scan time).

 

SFC in recovery is much more complicated. You have to use the normal command of SFC /SCANNOW but depending on the drive letters that have been assigned, there are a few extra steps you have to add. There is one: OFFBOOTDIR which is the location where Windows normally boots from. then OFFWINDIR which is where the offline directory is now (this references the currently assigned letter). So assuming Windows is usually C and is now D then the command in its entirety would look like this:

SFC /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=C:\ /OFFWINDIR=D:\WINDOWS\

 

That...was long. This type of thing isn't often necessary but heck, it's worth a shot. I've used it to repair computers in the past that would only provide a black screen on startup, but SFC addresses other issues as well.

[TDP_Equinox]

No probably not over heating and this is the next day and I cant even start windows 7 with out it restarting by it self so I might have to do a clean install...

sounds like it might be overheating?

Dust that sucker out.

[Ickaron]

sounds like it might be overheating?

Dust that sucker out.

The First thing I did was dust it but it continued happening so probably not over heating

[TDP_Equinox]

The First thing I did was dust it but it continued happening so probably not over heating

What are the actual temps? The thermal paste could just be terribad.

[Ickaron]

I do not know because when I try to get on the pc it always goes to the system recovery mode. Or I have to go to the windows restore disc

[Ickaron]

also forgot to mention this. probably really important. This started happening after an Avast! update.

[Ickaron]

So was browsing the internet to check if the problem was the avast update. I found out that the new windows up date is conflicting with the avast update so I'm guessing that that's whats happening so I think uninstalling the update might help this problem. will post an update after uninstalling (If possible...)

[TDP_Equinox]

also forgot to mention this. probably really important. This started happening after an Avast! update.

yeah, fairly important.....

Use MSE, Avast!, along with pretty much all others, suck.

[Ickaron]

so how would I be able to uninstall it without being able to go into the control panel or windows desktop?

[TDP_Equinox]

so how would I be able to uninstall it without being able to go into the control panel or windows desktop?

you should do a restore point back to where you last had it working, and then uninstall it using Revo uninstaller.

[Ickaron]

Can't it freezes when I try to even tho let me try again

[TDP_Equinox]

Can't it freezes when I try to even tho let me try again

do it from the startup repair.