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Problem with computer crashing with AC plugged in


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11 replies to this topic

#1 mike85

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Posted 10 August 2010 - 01:07 PM

Hi everyone. I'm in desparate need of your computer expertise! Recently on my HP Pavilion HDX 9000 laptop with Vista 64bit bought in 2007 (so warranty is up), I have been experiencing computer crashes. Here's what happens: When charging my computer (AC plugged in) and when watching a streaming movie online (on sites like Megavideo, Stagevu or "hulu"-type sites) my computer gradually shuts off at sporadic times when watching the movie. At first, I couldn't get it on but remembered the hard reset option on laptops (pull out the battery, push and hold the on button for 30 seconds, put in the battery). Lately when it's been happening I don't need to do this anymore though. When I push the on switch, it stays on for a second then crashes. Then I wait about 30 seconds or so then push start again and then it boots up just fine (Note: I can only get it on when AC is not plugged in!) What is wrong? I've even tried flashing/updating BIOS but is still has been happening. What do I need to do? Is it the AC power charging adaptor? Should I replace it? Could it be the battery itself? (Although I replaced it around Feb/March this year). Is it the motherboard?? (I'm really hoping it's not the motherboard!) It doesn't seem to crash at any time other than (except only once at shutdown time just before I did a virus scan) when I'm on the sites above I've noticed (and I know these are not virused sites since I've been viewing the vids for at least a year already). I mean I was working it on the computer itself all evening on/off yesterday and the system was on a total of at least 10 hours with an incident so I'm not sure what's happening :( Also, I should mention that I blasted the computer externally with compressed air at the onset of this and that hasn't worked either. I also vacuumed the vents before I used the compressed air btw. I haven't taken the comp apart since this is one BIG laptop and the screws go deep in the the computer--I'm afraid I would mess something up if I did! I've noticed that it only happens when the comp is charging and I'm streaming a movie (the fans aren't even blowing high when it happens either; the fans only blow high just before it shuts off after a crash and also when I boot the comp back up and it stays booted up following a crash). I'm not sure if this may be the cause but even when AC power is not charging my comp, I have been keeping it plugged into the wall, maybe the unit itself needs to be replaced?? I'm so sorry for the lengthy post but I wanted to be as thorough as possible. Please please PLEASE if someone could lend me their assistance I'd be so grateful!!

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#2 Nahumi

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Posted 10 August 2010 - 02:42 PM

Hello mike85, Welcome to the WTT Forums! ^_^ You say the computer "crashes", do you get a Stop Error? (As in a BSOD - Blue Screen of Death). When you are watching videos, is the laptop placed on a level flat surface and are the vents unblocked? Cheers, Nahumi
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#3 mike85

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Posted 10 August 2010 - 03:02 PM

Hi Nahumi and thanks! The laptop is on my bed (where I guess they are mostly blocked but I've been using it this way for the longest time--the computer most of the time is very "quiet" where the fans don't even need to run unless I'm gaming or downloading a movie). Now, ever since this has been happening, I've had the computer is such a way where the bottom is appropriately ventilated and the crashes still happen.

Now for the crashes: It is NOT the blue screen of doom :) How the crashes occur will be when I'm in the middle of a movie and all of a sudden the screen will fade to black, the fans will burst for a few seconds at high speed and the computer just shuts down. Now the fans were never running at a high speed during the movie in the first place so this is all too weird to me. I thought I had a virus (and I've been currently working with another tech specialist who has been "helping" me but NOT on this issue--he hasn't even addressed it. The website (with all the "virus" info I've had is here: http://kickenhardwar...ead.php?t=19716

I really hope we can get to the bottom of this and why it's occurring :(

#4 paws

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Posted 10 August 2010 - 03:24 PM

Hi Mike, Just to butt in here, but its a really bad idea to run your laptop on the bed.... its best to use it on a hard surface. I know you have been running it in this way for quite a time but its possible that its exposure to fluff and fibre has caught up with you, and the dust and fluff and bed linen fbres have been sucked in to your machine clogging up the electronics and tripping the overheat sensor so it shuts down your machine. You may be able to get some temporary relief with cleaning from the exterier but its best to strip it down and physically remove the dust from the the CPU and heat sink as a minimum. You can do this work yourself if you understand ESD (antistatic) and personal safety precautions and have a small tookkit with the correct turnscrews, otherwise I recommend a trip to your friendly neighbourhood computer technician. Get a quotation for the work first..... in my shop (London) we charge around £12 to £20 depending on model for the basic CPU and heatsink clean. Regards paws
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#5 Nahumi

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Posted 10 August 2010 - 03:56 PM

I agree with Paws here. When I was a kid I used to run my laptop similar to the way you do. It started overheating and crashing. I had to strip it down to remove about a centimetre of densely compacted dust and lint off the heatsink by one of the side vents. Let us know how it goes. Nahumi
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#6 mike85

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Posted 10 August 2010 - 05:09 PM

I would agree with you guys 100% except why was I able to run this machine for a straight 10 hours the other day and then, like clockwork, as soon as I watch a Stagevu file or Megavideo with AC plugged in, I crashed!!? That made me believe it WAS a virus but now I'm not sure..maybe it's settings due to my graphics card or...?

Edited by mike85, 10 August 2010 - 05:10 PM.


#7 Nahumi

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Posted 10 August 2010 - 05:20 PM

When you're watching video your graphics chip will be working harder than when you're not doing anything graphically intensive. Depending on where the dust build up is, the graphics chip could be overheating when the CPU is still operating within normal environmental limits.

If you want to check that your laptop is not overheating without taking it apart you could always download a demo copy of Everest :

http://www.lavalys.c...pport/downloads

Just install it and open it. Go to Computer and then Sensor. Try watching video again and see if the temperature increases dramatically. It might be worth letting us know the starting temperature and then the temperature just before it crashes.

To be honest, though, it might be easiest to take it to a local PC repair shop.
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#8 mike85

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Posted 12 August 2010 - 12:29 AM

Hi everyone--well it has happened again. I've been running my comp on a flat wooden board for the past couple days. I'm attaching the Everest screenshots I took. It shows the status of the temperatures at startup, paused (when the movie Stagevu file I was watching was paused and the comp was charging), lowest (the lowest temperatures after the comp is off AC and fully charged), and the worst (the worst temperatures while charging and the video being paused--however, when I saw this, I immediately got off that site and the temperatures went down drastically within 10 minutes!). Now I'm thinking it might crash because it reaches a temperature at 100C or over. Does a laptop naturally shutdown if it reaches this temp as a sort of failsafe?? Also, why do the "Core 1 & 2" overheat so much and the "CPU" temp stays rather consisten at around 40C? By the way, the latest crash was when I was trying to game this evening (playing the game TF2 on Steam). When it crashed and I booted up the comp again, the fans always seem to run at high and I checked Everest. It was around 88 or 90C when I started it up. Maybe it reached over 100C during game play and that's why it shutdown?

Attached Thumbnails

  • startup.jpg
  • lowest.jpg
  • paused.jpg

Edited by mike85, 12 August 2010 - 12:34 AM.


#9 mike85

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Posted 12 August 2010 - 12:35 AM

Worst temperatures pic (couldn't fit it in the above post). I also am posting another pic I just took--it was after the crash a little while ago and the fan is running at high speed. It's amazing how low the numbers came down! I'm not sure what's going on :(

Attached Thumbnails

  • worst.jpg

Edited by mike85, 12 August 2010 - 12:44 AM.


#10 mike85

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Posted 12 August 2010 - 12:48 AM

Same charge (a little while after the crash), AC continously plugged in and fan running at high speed--the numbers are low though! (in comparison to my other pics). The second pic, aftercompressedair, was taken on bootup after using compressed air while the PC was shutdown (and AC power was not plugged in during the pic).

Attached Thumbnails

  • samecharge_aftercrash.jpg
  • aftercompressedair.jpg

Edited by mike85, 12 August 2010 - 01:33 AM.


#11 paws

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Posted 12 August 2010 - 01:40 AM

All the screenshots you are showing are consistant with a laptop that has been used on a soft surface for a considerable time. As a consequence the heat sink/tube, processor/fan and vents are likely to be clogged leading to auto shutdown when the temps reach cut off values. Your gaming is very intensive work for your laptop and its to be hoped that a clean up of the above areas will help...however running at high temperatures for more than a short moment or two is likely to lead to permanent damge to your machine that will be expensive to repair. It's recommended that you stop using the machine at all until you have performed an internal clean...... but you will be lucky if your machine has remained undamaged..... Good luck with it and lets hope that you have been lucky so far! Regards paws
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#12 homerscousin

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Posted 17 September 2010 - 04:21 AM

Hi to all. I just stumbled across this site and just now registered. I have never owned a laptop and by no means am I a computer engineer. But I wanted to add this little tidbit. I looked at the screen shots of your various temps. The CPU core temps go up dramatically but the GPU temp is pretty much unchanged. The videos you are watching more than likely are in flash format. Flash only in version 10.1 added limited support for graphics acceleration. It relies on your CPU for all processing. Your graphics card or chipset is pretty much idle. I wondered why my CPU use and temps went up significantly ( GPU only went up by maybe 4c due to ambient increase) in my desktop while playing some rather mediocre flash videos. Took a while but I finally found this answer. Try playing a NON flash video from somewhere and then a flash while monitoring temps. I bet you will see a noticeable difference. I try to stay away from flash.

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