Netbook freezes randomly

Well I just sent my to the repair depot and am crossing my fingers ... $28 shipping and insurance ... bleh!

I sent photos of the netbook along with details of what I've done (i.e., this is NOT a software problem, etc.) ... we'll see what comes back.

 

I don't have frequent lockups anymore and I stated this earlier in my posts.
install the bios 3210, latest Intel GGMA 500 drivers and Realtek HD Audio drivers plus avoid google chrome, and system will be stable.
Just don't use it plugged for a long time because this will cause your netbook to freeze.

Regarding the webcam issue, there are times I can use it for 15 minutes straight then the video starts freezing after.
I tried reinstalling the webcam drivers but it never solved the freezing.

 

Pls. update us when you get it back. Thanks!

 

Here you go...

http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/dow ... wntypeid=3

then you pick out what OS you are using and then download it.

latest version is 6.0.1.5943 dated 9/22/2009 for Vista and Windows 7.

 

Hi!
I recently bought a Packard Bell netbook that is exactly the same as the Aspire 751, and also has the same freezing problem.
I think the problem is with the cpu throttling/speedstep function and I have been running a torture test with prime95 to keep it from throttling down. It's been running stable now for about 15 hours.
I'm running windows xp but in windows vista and windows 7 there is a setting under the advanced power options for the processor power management. Could anyone running vista/7 try to set the minimum to 100% to keep it from throttling down and see if this works. This would drain the battery a bit faster but if it works it would be better than random freezes.

 

I totally agree. This is by now the best solution. I've updated Realtek drivers and crashes on cold machine have disappeared (great, I can use Skype now!). Nontheless, crashes on long-time plugged-in machine are still occurring. My guess is that all this troubles are power-related. Probably the inner voltage-distributor overheats after an hour an a half of plugged-in machine and that's what causes unstable voltages which leads to the final freeze.
I've got to this conclusion because when I plug-in the machine, the inner fan starts spinning faster (or at least making more noise) which would be understandable if I had different processor policies for plugged-in that for on-battery, but I've specially made sure that they where both set on the same policy: so my guess is that there is an inner voltage-distributor that requires extra-ventilation.
c921 thank you very much for your solution. And let's see if someone can find a final solution that allows us to use the machine plugged-in for long periods.
Now talking about heat: Who thinks that it's a good idea to remove the label of the memory cover as shown before on this thread? Mi guess is that that label is there for a reason, but I'm not certain. Any advice about this would be appreciated.

cheers,

Martin

 

Hi guys!
My 751h (winXP, 1GB RAM) had the same problem discussed here, since the first day i bought it (45 days ago... grrrrrr!!!)
I tried (almost) all the "soft" (=software) solutions listed here.... no change... still freezin'!!!!

Then, yesterday, I exchanged the RAM module with another AAO which belongs to a friend (D150, i think)and... MAGIC!... So far, everything works as it should!!!
What it's strange, both modules are apparently the same... (same manufacturer - SAMSUNG - and same model / size / clock)

My 751h is working freeze-less for more than 10-12 hours. And my friend's computer too!!!
is'nt this great???

before, in some days, I wasn't able to work on mine for more than one hour.... Now I''m using all the applications (Skype calls, MSN messenger, Chrome....).
A swiss watch!!!!! eheheh

Hope this report helps the thread. Thanks

 

I've had the same great luck with a differrent memory card as "geco4u". I understand it only requires and runs the memory card at 533Mhz so I swapped mine for a PC2-4200 (533Mhz) version to avoid the "downclocking" (it originally had a PC-5300 667Mhz card) and it has been rock solid. Before it would only take a hour or so, if that, for a freeze to happen. It is going on a week now so I think this has fixed it. In my mind it is clearly a hardware issue of some kind. I hope this simple fix works for others.

 

I installed bios 3210 and the newer Realtek HD audio driver (5.10.0.5953). The latest GMA 500 driver was installed before.

I tried to force a freeze and get it. =/
Just forced the cpu with all: two videos, one HD 720p and another 320p, two huge doc files, one pdf and another .doc, and gmail webcam talk. Fifteen minutes of scrolling on the pdf file, using webcam conversation and... BRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrr FREEZED. =/

Waiting for Bios 3212 to solve this problem. PLZ Acer, fix this problem. ='/

 

Its not a bios problem... Many many of us are on old bios revisions with no problems at all...

Most people's freezes are so random that changing one thing may seem to work, but it might not have changed a thing, or only changed the nature of the root problem.

I maintain its a ram incompatibility problem.

 

But the bios can't optimize the compatibility between motherboard and other hardware? On my old motherboard, I updated the bios to get new cpu compatibility.
Maybe with a new bios, the motherboard can accept the ram without incompatibility.
Just praying for this. :roll:

 

Running my 751h during one week with my old ethernet cable makes me NO FREEZE !!
My wireless card is disabled and I persist to say it's a hardware problem about this card...
If you've some freezes, try to disable your wireless WIFI card!

 

Hmm how I hate hitting the backspace key instead of the return key and half an hour of typing is lost.

Anyway, after 1.5 weeks of heavy use my Acer is now rock solid as far as using webcam and other applications are concerned. I still had a freeze, but it was when system was idle. Changing the RAM module has changed my 751h completely. All the tweaking and driver updating just made temporarly improovements, probably because of the way they adress the memory. I was going to start a thread to try to identify which modules are good/bad based on manufactures/plants/lot numbers/etc but I am not sure if there is much point in this. It seems the same module can be either good or bad. I will look around a little more before I make a purchase as I want to go back to 2GB. The 2 modules approoved by Asus mentioned in one of the overclock threads might seem a good place to start.

We are definatly on to something here.

This has been suggested and tested before.
Just wait...

 

Hello,

I bought a 751H a few days ago. I had freeze issues with the delivered 3206 BIOS. As a quite good engineer, I updated the BIOS to 3210. The problem was even worse: freezing every 15 minutes during browsing (wireless). And impossible to setup a decent MSN connection, wired or wireless, since the audio is hashed and CPU jumped above 60%. I tried to downgrade back to 3206 but... my PC froze during the downgrade process :-( So, the netbook is dead now, and it seems no USB procedure exists to recover.

I wasn't aware of these HW issues before looking around on the web. I'm very pissed off since Acer is aware of these issues for a while, still selling its products instead of recalling these. I just opened a ticket for support. I'm not intended to make any repair, but will ask for an upgrade if they're open to send a voucher for the disappointing netbook I already paid for.

Any reader has experience with their commercial department in Europe?

Thanksin advance.

 

The problem is: how I can live without wireless conection? =/
But this need to be tested, when I got some time.

 

Just for you, my lovelies, I have taken the ram module out of a non-freezing 751h, and one out of a freezing 751h, and done a memory transplant. If the non-freezing 751h starts freezing, and the freezing 751h stops, we'll have a definitive answer on the freezing issue.

 

After changing the RAM, the computer is freezing just as often as it was, and the other computer is running rock-solid. The RAM does not appear to be the issue.

 

Thanks .

 

Puzzling.. :?
Was it the same manufacturer/type?

 

Well, maybe the RAM itself is not actually faulty but the fault is in the Motherboard and how it interacts with certain RAM. Your non-freezing system Motherboard doesn't care about the RAM but your freezing system's Motherboard does.

Was your memory PC-5300 (667Mhz) rated modules? If so, then it would be very interesting to do one more test on your freezing system and put a PC-4200 (533Mhz) rated RAM module in your freezing computer and see what happens. I understand that the RAM runs at the 533Mhz speed in this Acer even if you have a 677MHz RAM installed. Maybe 677Mhz rated memory is an issue for some Motherboards.

The reason I say this is that I installed 533Mhz RAM in my system and the difference was dramatic for me. Over a week with no freezing although I am still holding my breath...