Blue screen help please..

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stevewestern

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My laptop has started to do this -

screen_grab_2r.jpg


It seems to happen about 5-10 minutes after switching it on and only once every 3-4 days. Then it is usually fine for the rest of the day.
Any ideas ?

No big changes or new programs have been installed since it started to happen bar a trial of Photoshop Elements 10 about 3 weeks ago, but it has been happening for longer than that.
If any help can be in the language that a 'Blue-Screen for dummies' reader would understand it would be appreciated !

Thanks !
 
I'm no expert but I think the codes on the bsod tell you more than these reports. You may have to turn off the automatic restart on sysytem failure to see it. control panel>system>system protection>advanced tab in windows 7 and probably somewhere similar in Vista.

Standard advice is usually to update the video driver - unless a recent update caused the problem. Doesn't seem too likely in this case.

5 to 10 minutes sounds like heat. is the cpu fan running ok? maybe it sometimes stalls and sometimes runs ok. try blowing out any dust and fluff that might be blocking the vent or fan blades.

you could download a temperature monitoring program/gadget and see if heat is building up.
 
Thanks for that Mr P
! I am out now but will check the fan, though it runs fine. I'll also look at the video driver.
 
If its random, the first place to check is virus, then RAM.

If you have multiple sticks of RAM, pull them out and just leave 1 in, if the machine still crashes, swap it for another one to see if it happens. If it crashes with all of them, then its not the RAM, but random crashes are often the RAM.
 
Oops - I forgot to turn off the automatic reboot - tis done now..
I guess I'll just have to wait till it happens again to see what it says then report back.

I do have 2 sticks of RAM, and have just checked to see that they are fully inserted, and they seem good. The laptop is very rarely moved - it has lived in one place for almost all its life so hasn't been knocked about at all.
I'll wait to see if it happens again before removing either.
Many thanks for the advice - Cheers Neil and Dale !
 
what about a simple Systems Restore
 
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