Topic: Laptop keeps turning off or freezing

[Pugnate]

Help... for some reason my laptop will just suddenly turn off or freeze after a few hours of use. After that, it continues to do so unless I leave it off for a few hours. I suspect overheating...  but opinions would be welcome. Crap!

[scottws]

My gut reaction is bad memory or motherboard.

[Pugnate]

Well I have two RAM sticks. I removed the first and it kept giving the issue, so I tried the second and same problem.

edit: Not familiar with proper laptop etiquette, but I can use it on the bed right? Because it seems to be getting really hot and one of the vents is on the base.

[Pugnate]

Well, I placed something small at base of the laptop to raise it and create some circulation. I'll let it run and see how it goes.

[beo]

i'd think overheating is very likely. my laptop runs fine on my desk, but it craps out after about 20 minutes if i sit with it in bed.

[Pugnate]

I have it elevated slightly, and so far so good.

[Ghandi]

Yeah don't set the vents on fabric or it will overheat quickly.

[Cobra951]

Right.  And laptops often end up clogged with lint, and overheat.  Small form factor doesn't help here.

[gpw11]

Yeah, the bed is apparently not good...but I do it all the time.  This is the one you got just recently? I wouldn't imagine dust should be that bad if it is.

[Pugnate]

Shit... so it keeps turning off no matter what. Yea it is the one I got recently.

Unfortunately it is out of warranty already as it was imported by the place I bought it from.

[gpw11]

does it just shut off, or does it shut down?

Also, see about getting something like speedfan to monitor temps and go from there.

[Pugnate]

So I took it back and it looks like it had some major issues. So I returned it and paid a big restocking fee and went and got a laptop from an actual HP dealer with a proper local warranty.

Why didn't I do that in the first place? Well, the officially imported laptops are almost twice as expensive.

Anyway, I got a laptop with a core i5 and a GT 320M GPU.

There is only one problem. The OEM Win 7 Home it comes with is 32 bit.

Really upset about that. Is it possible for me to install Win 7 Home 64 bit using the same key?

[scottws]

Windows Vista and Windows 7 KMS and MAK keys do not differentiate between 64-bit and 32-bit so yes you should be fine.

[Pugnate]

Thanks Scott.

[scottws]

The only problem might be if you try to use the wrong media.  For XP, there were basically three general media versions:  OEM, retail, VLK.  For example, if you tried to use an OEM key with an install from VLK media, the install wouldn't take the key.  It actually is a bit more complicated as I've seen things like Dell OEM keys not working with XP installs from HP OEM media as an example.

I am honestly not sure if this is something Microsoft continued in Vista and 7, but I wanted to let you know.

[Pugnate]

Well, I really want to switch to 64 bit, so if the key doesn't work, then I will figure something else out.

[gpw11]

Did the key work out? 

Why do they even do that?  Why not ship them on the same disc?

If it's an HP laptop you might be able to upgrade for free.  I bought my HP refurbished like 2-3 years ago and it came with Vista 32bit Pro (or whatever the equivalent is...the one that actually has Aero). SOMEWHERE in either the documentation, software, or on the laptop itself there was an offer to upgrade to 64bit for free.  I personally couldn't do it because it was refurbished and my key wasn't eligible as a result (I think it was technically a promotional key).

I do believe that they do still use the same key for both x64 and x86, it's just a matter of getting the disc.

[Pugnate]

Yea they aren't shipping CDs anymore. My brother got a laptop as well, and no CD.

For now, I am running a crack with Win7 64 ultimate, but I will install 64 home at some point.

[Pugnate]

So I started my laptop today and was informed that it was a pirated CD.

I guess I have to find a 64bit home prem. Win 7 DVD.

It has been a surprisingly fruitless search so far, though I may have found one option on TPB. Unfortuantely it is full of leachers but only three seeders. Plus it says DELL OEM in the title, though that shouldn't cause a prob.... right?

[scottws]

I can't be sure, but I would think that Vista and 7 are harder to pirate because the volume license versions don't work on the honor system like XP did.

I might be able to get you a legitimate copy for cheap, but I am not sure.  I have a connection at Microsoft and get employee pricing.  However, I don't know if they'll allow me to send it to Pakistan.

[Pugnate]

hhaha... well, let's see if the CD I am downloading works. All I could find initially was a cracked Win 7 Ultimate, which didn't require a CD KEY.

This time I am downloading an uncracked Win 7 Home Premium... so hopefully it will run with my OEM key.

If it doesn't, I might just bite the bullet and buy it from here, but I'd rather get this to run seeing as how I have a cd key.

One question... can the retail version of Win 7 run on multiple computers? If I were to install it on my laptop and PC, would I be OK? How many computers am I allowed to use it on?

[scottws]

hhaha... well, let's see if the CD I am downloading works. All I could find initially was a cracked Win 7 Ultimate, which didn't require a CD KEY.

This time I am downloading an uncracked Win 7 Home Premium... so hopefully it will run with my OEM key.

You know you can download trial versions of much of Microsoft's software right from their website, right?  I'm not sure if it would take an OEM key though.  Probably not.

One question... can the retail version of Win 7 run on multiple computers? If I were to install it on my laptop and PC, would I be OK? How many computers am I allowed to use it on?

No, I don't think so.  Office (or was it just Outlook?) used to have a license to allow this, but not Windows.

[scottws]

Alright, I am reading the Windows 7 Home Premium retail EULA (handy site...).  Definitely one copy per computer.  And if your copy provided you access to both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions, you can only use one of them at a time.  The computer can be physical or virtual, but either way it counts against your one license so you can't do both at the same time with just one license.

I also checked the EULAs for a few different versions of Office 2007 and Outlook and they don't allow you to do the desktop/laptop thing anymore.

[Pugnate]

Damnit... I was willing to buy a Windows 7 retail copy if it allowed installations on two computers.

I might as well find another OEM copy. The download is done... let's see if it works.

[Pugnate]

Well, that other download has been frozen for a day now at 94.2% Very frustrating.

Here is another one:

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/5053309/Windows.7.Home.Premium.x64-www.eightforums.com

It looks like I should be able to use my key with it, though will have to see.

It says it is the RTM. What exactly does that mean? I understand it isn't the final build... but I should be OK with win update?

[scottws]

RTM means "Released To Manufacturing".  It is the final build of the product as initially released before any service packs.  You could consider it the equivalent of the product at SP0.

[Pugnate]

OK thanks. This should be good enough then. I don't get why this is 3GB and the other torrent is 5.51...

[scottws]

No idea.  Maybe one has both 32-bit and 64-bit executables and one doesn't?

I don't trust pirated stuff though.  Especially operating systems.  Who knows what kind of crap might be on there.

[Pugnate]

Yea I know... but I have no choice.

At the same time I was careful not to download the pirated/cracked or "pre-activated" versions. These are apparently replicas of the original isntallation CDs, for people in the same boat as me. Someone in the comments section of the larger torrent file mentioned they were downloading because they didn't get a CD with their laptop.

Still, it is off TPB... so it is still a risk.

I wish there were a more trusted source. I am sure a lot of people end up in the same situation as myself.