screen goes white (windows vista)

[jmaz62penn]

When we log on to our computer and are on e-mail or even a website the screen all of a sudden goes all white. This can happen more than once while
we're on. What we do is hit (ctrl/alt/del) at the same time. Then we click on task manager and go to the bottom of the screen and click on the tab for whatever
we were on. This brings the website back up. Any ideas what could cause a sudden white screen? Perhaps its a fix we can do ourselves? We use Internet
Explorer with Road Runner for the home page.
The computer is a lap top, Gateway P-series which we have had for about 2 1/2 yrs.
Thank you
Our e-mail is: [email protected]

email addy removed to prevent SPAM.

[lostcoast]

Check for updated device drivers at Gateway Support site and also run antivirus and malware scans and rule all 3 of those out as the issue. Make sure all windows updates are done, software and critical headings.

[jason2074]

Could be hardware or software. To rule out the hardware, maybe overheat/thermal issues, clean the laptop's internal,ventillations from dust or dirt.  Download a hardware monitor software to know what's going up from your components. Use another external monitor to connect to laptop and check the difference.

[killerb255]

It could be an Interactive Services Dialog:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistaperformance/thread/ca139ba9-c96c-49af-bc09-83abc26f3f5d

In a nutshell, the screen turns gray or white with a dialog box there.  What's in the box depends on what program is running there.  In Vista and 7, older programs that like to run under the SYSTEM account are banished there.