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System locks up when scrolling

I have a Toshiba Satellite Pro 4200 series running Windows 2000.

At least once or twice a week, usually while I'm scrolling down a page in IE6, but sometimes when I'm scrolling down a word document or an email, my system locks up. The screen freezes and no keyboard or mouse actions get any response (Not even Ctrl-Alt-Delete). Only cycling the power gets it back.

I've had this problem for at least a year and it predates IE6. I'm using Office 2000.

Anyone know how to make this go away?

CrazyOne

Are you using the built in mouse? If so it or the keyboard could have intermittent electrical problems such as short-circuiting. Since the problem has been going for so long it could be hard to identify the problem. Have you updated any driver for the system? It definitely sounds hardware related possibly from overheating. Generally speaking Win2000 will recover from a freeze ups attributed to software but if the freezeup is hardware related sometimes Win2000 won't recover from it without a restart.

The Crazy One

jhance

I'd supect your video drivers or video hardware. Of course the video on a laptop is built-in so if it's bad I hope you're under warranty.

Try this:

1) Change your video adapter to a "Standard VGA". This will use the most basic drivers. If things clear up, then the problem may be the Toshiba drivers. Go to the Toshiba web site and get the updated video drivers for this model and install them. Hopefully that will clear things up.

2) The other possibility is not so good. If your video hardware is defective you need to get it to a Toshiba service center. If it's under warranty you'll be OK but if this unit is out of warranty such a repair will be very expensive!

AvonWyss

Update your video card driver.
http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/support/downloads/p344vid2.exe

Also, a new version of the ACPI BIOS may be a good thing.
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_dtlViewDL.jsp?soid=120215&moid=1073769761&BV_SessionID=@@@@0852399640.1015337822@@@@&BV_EngineID=hadcdhcihemhbfekcghcfmfdglj

rmbrown

ASKER

I updated the video driver as suggested, but I'm a little afraid of updating the ACPI BIOS. I'm relying on this laptop heavily during the next couple of weeks and it would be devastating to spend a lot of time putting it back together if the BIOS update results in disaster. I think I'll see if the video driver update helps first. Anything else anyone can think of to look into?

BobSamonik

Hi,
I have similar problem only it occurs when scrolling in IE5.5. and Windows explorer. How long do you wait before unplugging the computer? I used to do that in the beginning but in time I got more patient and learned that it "unfreezes" and I can continue working.

rmbrown

ASKER

That's interesting... I'm usually working so I haven't had the patience to wait. I usually only give it a minute or two. Maybe I'll go to lunch or for a walk around the block next time and see what happens...

I haven't seen the problem since my driver update, but then I try to avoid "scrolling" while working... maybe I'll stress test it tonight.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

AvonWyss

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ewtaylor

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