Toshiba Laptop "Freezes" After 10 Minutes

[quidnunc]

Toshiba Satellite A105-S4074, Win XPSP3, 1.5 GB RAM, Intel 1.6ghz dual core processor.

Computer starts and runs fine - for 10 min +/-, then "locks." Display stays on, touchpad works but system is "frozen" - clicking on anything brings no response. After a few more minutes, a continuous Beeeeep starts and stays on until a "hard" shutdown (press and hold the power button.

Seems like classic overheating and investigation shows the fan to run at start but it stops after several minutes. Replaced the fan, same problem. Speedfan showed CPU temp as high as 60, both cores, before the system froze and Speedfan quit working.

But, here's the funny part. Memtest 86+ ran for 8 or 9 hours; an Ubuntu CD boot will keep running, albeit, the fan does not run.

I'm baffled. It seems to me that the problem has to be hardware related - motherboard, BIOS, etc - but, if that's the case, I can't explain why the computer doesn't freeze running Memtest or running the live Ubuntu CD.

All thoughts will be appreciated!

[Computer_Commando]

...Computer starts and runs fine - for 10 min +/-, then "locks." ...Memtest 86+ ran for 8 or 9 hours; an Ubuntu CD boot will keep running,... It seems to me that the problem has to be hardware related - motherboard, BIOS, etc - but, if that's the case, I can't explain why the computer doesn't freeze running Memtest or running the live Ubuntu CD...

Sounds more like virus or malware.
Ask the experts here:  http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/board,7.0.html

[quidnunc]

Thanks for the reply - Interesting thought but I'm not sure how a malware would stop the fan from running. Additionally, computer won't stay on long enough to do scans.

I'll pull the hard drive and scan it and see what's up.

[quidnunc]

No nasties found...SAS nothing found; MBAM nothing found; Avast! nothing found.

Any other hypotheses are welcomed - sure could use some help before shelling out $299 for a new MB!

[patio]

Well we know the memory is OK then...a live CD runs properly...could be the HDD.
DLoad and run the FREE diagnostics from the drive manuf. site.
Run the long test...

[quidnunc]

Thanks, Patio; will do and post back.

[patio]

NP...

[quidnunc]

Yep, that's what I thought...the drive is a Toshiba and I don't believe that Toshiba provides a test utility.

Any thoughts on other means to test. FWIW, the drive ran fine on my desktop system as a USB while I did the above scans.

[patio]

So your  saying the drive passed all the tests ? ?

[quidnunc]

So your  saying the drive passed all the tests ? ?

No. I'm saying that the drive is made by Toshiba and I don't believe that they have a test utility - the drive has not been tested except that it "passed" the SMART tests from Crystal Disk Info. If, in fact, Toshiba does offer a hard drive test utility, I'd appreciate a link to it.

Further, the scans I mentioned were the malware scans in #3 above - the drive ran "well" during those scans while used as a USB drive attached to my desktop.

Do you know of any other hard drive test utility for a Toshiba drive?

[quidnunc]

Anybody have any thoughts?

[patio]

You may want to try the Seatools drive test...
I think i remember someone stating it worked on other manuf. drives...
Let us know and sorry for the delayed response.
Played Golf today....

[Computer_Commando]

None of these work on Toshiba drives:  http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
There are 3rd party tools, but none I know are not free.

[patio]

SeaTools for Windows has replaced SeaTools Online and PowerMax. SeaTools for Windows is a comprehensive, easy-to-use diagnostic tool that helps you quickly determine the condition of the disc drive in your external hard drive, desktop or notebook computer. It includes several tests that will examine the physical media on your Seagate or Maxtor disc drive and any other non-Seagate disc drive.

[Veltas]

But, here's the funny part. Memtest 86+ ran for 8 or 9 hours; an Ubuntu CD boot will keep running, albeit, the fan does not run.

So the fan doesn't even run with the other OSs?

Must be the BIOS, if it were the HDD, then surely the Live Cd would let the fan run, which it doesn't.

I think Ubuntu is efficient enough to just 'run' without overheating the laptop, it certainly never overheats my netbook and that has no fan.

Also Memtest is pretty undemanding, so it's not surprising that works.

Can you post what BIOS options you've got for the fan?  That means the names and all the options for each setting.  And tell us what it's set to.