Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Laptop crashes while still running

Sep 8, 2016 9:11AM PDT

This has been an on-and-off problem for a while now. Earlier this summer (early June) my Acer Aspire laptop started having a problem where the screen would go black and everything would stop working while the laptop was still running. This would happen after 10 or so minutes of my laptop being turned on. After a few days this problem went away, only to return a few weeks later. The exact same thing was happening, and it went away again after a few days, only to once again return around a month later, and then go away again after a few days. Now the problem has returned and it's been going on for about a week, much longer than usual.
Does anyone have any ideas about what the issue is and how I should fix it? I cleaned the inside and the fan the first time I had the problem but it didn't fix anything. Sorry for such a long question

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
Since there are no laptop details.
Sep 8, 2016 9:30AM PDT
- Collapse -
Re: since there are no laptop details
Sep 8, 2016 7:13PM PDT

I did clean the inside a while ago but it didn't help. I haven't been doing it regularly though. I don't think it's malware either

- Collapse -
So what is your next move?
Sep 8, 2016 7:37PM PDT

If you factory restore and this time not install Grapple's Haven Version 2, is that it?

Remember you are not sharing details. Just writing it's not that.

- Collapse -
What details do you need?
Sep 9, 2016 5:44AM PDT

Sorry I'm not good at this. It's an Acer Aspire E1(-something). At the time this started to happen I had a week old HDD so I don't junk I installed anything that would have caused an infection. I also didn't get any alerts about a potential infection

- Collapse -
That's a slim lead
Sep 9, 2016 8:58AM PDT

I can't be sure the OS was the factory supplied version. Installing Windows from a retail or OEM version is too much for most and unless I own your laptop I can't know the exact steps after the OS is installed. Unlike Apple where they control the hardware, Windows PCs and laptops are all over the map.

Try this. Give me a SPECCY REPORT and I'll read it then comment on what looks off.
How to is at
https://www.piriform.com/docs/speccy/using-speccy/publishing-a-speccy-profile-to-the-web

- Collapse -
OS
Sep 9, 2016 9:28AM PDT

I installed Windows 8 onto my HDD from a disc given to me by someone I know and later downloaded Windows 10 from the internet. Could there be a problem with that?

- Collapse -
Yes.
Sep 9, 2016 9:33AM PDT

I've lost count of folk that didn't use the factory supplied OS with the recovery media from the maker or made when they got the machine and then using found, given retail or OEM copies descend in a level of hell that I won't wish on anyone.

Remember I do not own your PC so I won't have exact post OS install instructions.

Such test the owner or tech's metal which is why, if they can't sort it out my advice is to use the maker's restore media.

- Collapse -
Thanks
Sep 9, 2016 11:03AM PDT

I'll ask the guy about it tomorrow and see what he says

- Collapse -
There are techs that won't say die.
Sep 9, 2016 11:09AM PDT

Currently about half the techs I encounter have not learned this area. That is they think they can fix it, if they can find a driver and the newer techs start talking "Windows is buggy."

It's something the techs have to learn. I've been in or around the biz since pre-PC so today, I share all this with CNET forums.

- Collapse -
Answer
Display
Sep 8, 2016 3:29PM PDT

Could be the display and you may need to get a new one.

- Collapse -
I don't believe it's the display
Sep 8, 2016 7:13PM PDT

I've tried an external monitor which didn't work