Clean install of Windows 7 however the machine randomly crashes.

I have tried booting it in Safe Mode and it doesn't crash. I have also tried to lower the resolution settings in Normal Mode but it crashes.

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name TAM-PC
System Manufacturer TOSHIBA
System Model EQUIUM L350
System Type X86-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU T2370 @ 1.73GHz, 1729 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date INSYDE 1.30, 19/03/2008
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume2
Locale United Kingdom
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
User Name Tam-PC\Tam
Time Zone GMT Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 2.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 1.99 GB
Available Physical Memory 1.44 GB
Total Virtual Memory 3.98 GB
Available Virtual Memory 3.45 GB
Page File Space 1.99 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys


Event Viewer has detected and inconsistent shutdown:

- System
- Provider
[ Name] Microsoft-Windows-WMI
[ Guid] {1edeee53-0afe-4609-b846-d8c0b2075b1f}
[ EventSourceName] WinMgmt
- EventID 5611
[ Qualifiers] 49152
Version 0
Level 4
Task 0
Opcode 0
Keywords 0x80000000000000
- TimeCreated
[ SystemTime] 2011-11-19T17:00:52.000000000Z
EventRecordID 30064
Correlation
- Execution
[ ProcessID] 0
[ ThreadID] 0
Channel Application
Computer Tam-PC
Security
EventData

Core Temps are fine and nothing showing untoward in Task Manager.

Anyting else I should look at or is the graphics card dying?

Core temp is my favorite CPU monitoring program, but it doesn't monitor the "system" (chipset) temps. And with notebooks, they are nearly impossible for normal users to thoroughly or properly clean the interior to rid the system of heat trapping dust. Still, I recommend you remove the battery, drives, all access covers and cards and attempt blast out any dust with a can of compressed dusting gas.

Why did you reinstall Windows? Did you reinstall all the drivers?

If you have more than one stick of RAM, you might try one at a time. If only one, run Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool.

It's a friend's machine and he wanted Windows 7 and we thought it may cure the crashing.

I omitted to say I have reseated the HDD and both sticks of memory and blasted it it with compressed air. Battery is out of the laptop.

Updated with Slim Drivers and the graphics 965 Express Chipset from Intel's own site.

I'll give the diagnostics tool a try but the machine is crashing as soon as I boot it up now. Can it be done in Safe Mode?

Memtest86 also showed no errors.

Apologies for missing out this info first time. Manflu and a splitting headache to blame.........

Thanks for your reply.

I generally recommend updating drivers from the computer maker's site - especially with notebooks, which tend to be very proprietary.

Can it be done in Safe Mode?

It does not run that way. You set it to test, then it runs during the early stages of the next boot process. But if you already ran MemTest and it found nothing, I would not be surprised if Microsoft's memory tester finds nothing either. In any event, none of those tools are conclusive, so again, since this has two sticks, running with one at a time may be a better test.

One at a time it is and I'll report back.

Thanks.

Ran both separately in the inner slot = crash

Ran both separately in the outer slot = not even booting.

Well that doesn't tell us much, huh? Especially since it seems to run all day long in Safe Mode. That would suggest a driver or something that is loaded in normal mode, that does not load in Safe Mode. And my first thought would be graphics.

When did the problem start? Was it after an update or some other change?

My friend passed it onto me to do a clean install as he reported it crashing with Vista.

Windows 7 install went without a hitch and the only programmes I have added are FF 8, Skype and Microsoft Security Essentials.

I thought about trying selective start up but does that not run in Safe Mode which would defeat the purpose as it doesn't crash in there?

No. In selective startup, you chose which will load during a normal boot.

Are you saying Windows 7 installed and ran fine after that and the problems started after you installed those other programs? If so, I would uninstall FF and Skype and see what happens. Keep MSE as you should never run without an anti-malware solution and that is a good one - and, FTR, what I use along with Windows Firewall and IE9.

No, the crash problem was there I reckon.

I did try Avast (CCleaner also installed) but it wasn't loading. I removed that and installed MSE instead.

Selective start up seems another time consuming process though? I'll need to study it more.

I have heard of a debugging/mini dump thing I could do?

I was following this with regards to Selective Start Up. Should I continue?

1. Restart your computer if it is powered on.
2. Tap the F8 key after your computer initially powers on.
3. Once you see the Advanced Boot Options menu you can stop tapping.
4. Use the up/down arrow keys to highlight your selection.
5. Select Safe Mode and press Enter.
6. You should see drivers loading, and then please wait.
7. You should then be at the Welcome Screen.
8. Logon to your computer using an account with Administrator privileges.

Refer this link for help:
Start your computer in safe mode

If it doesn’t crash in safe mode then do a clean boot. A corrupt program or driver might be causing the problem and with the help of clean
boot we can isolate the corrupt program and remove it.

Follow these steps:
1. Click the Start orb on your Desktop
2. Type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.
3. On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
4. Under Selective Startup, click to clear the Load Startup Items check box.
5. Click the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
6. Click OK.
When you are prompted, click Restart.

If this resolves the issue, then see the following Microsoft Article on “Clean boot” and the section “How to determine what is causing the
problem” to determine which program or service maybe causing the issue.

How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

How to set your computer back, to boot normal:

1. Click start on your desktop
2. In the start search box, type msconfig, and then press ENTER.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.
3. Click the General tab.
4. Click Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services, and then click OK.
5. When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.

If that doesn’t work then make sure volume shadow copy service is running and set to automatic.

Follow these steps:
1. Click on start and then type in services.msc in the search box and press enter.
2. Look for the volume shadow copy service is set to automatic.

If it is already set to automatic, then stop the service and follow these steps:
1. Click on start and then type in sysdm.cpl in the search box and press enter.
2. Click on system protection.
3. Click on the drives and then click delete.

This will delete the restore points.

Make sure you start the service again by following these steps:
1. Click on start and then type in services.msc in the search box and press enter.
2. Look for the volume shadow copy service.
3. Right click on the service and click restart.