Windows 8 gremlins

freelancer91

New Member
Member
Messages
119
So ever since the developer preview came out, I have been having difficulties on my laptop with Windows 8. Namely, it was freezing randomly every few hours. A few weeks ago, temporarily switched back to Windows 7 to make sure that it wasn't a problem with my hardware. I had it freeze twice. That was my signal to get my device looked at by Best Buy before my black tie warranty expired in June. They said that the optical drive was broken and that it needed to be replaced. When I got it back, I put the consumer preview on it and soon thereafter it froze again. Since then, I have been running it in Windows 7 trying to get it to freeze again to make sure it wasn't a hardware problem that was missed. I ran all kinds of hardware diagnostics but found nothing. I still haven't had anything go wrong in Win7 which makes me worried that the Windows 8 consumer preview has something that doesn't agree with my particular hardware.

My device is a Dell Studio XPS 1340.

Intel P8600 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo
Nvidia GeForce 9400M G
Seagate Momentus 320GB 7200rpm
4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 RAM
Windows 8 Consumer Preview x64
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340 / Custom desktop
    CPU
    LT: Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo (2.4GHz) DT: QX9770 Core 2 Extreme
    Motherboard
    DT: DX48BT2 from Intel
    Memory
    LT: 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 DT: 8GB of OCZ DDR3 Dual Channel 1333Mhz Gold Series RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    LT: Nvidia 9400M G DT: GTX295
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DT: 2 Acer 23 iinch 1080p displays
    Screen Resolution
    LT: 1280x800 DT: 3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    LT: 320GB Seagate Momentus 7200rpm
    DT: 1TB Samsung HD103UJ 7200rpm
    PSU
    DT: 1000W Rosewill Bronze Series
    Case
    DT: Thermaltake Armor LCS
    Cooling
    DT: Custom assortment of wate rcooling parts
    Keyboard
    DT: Microsoft Sidewinder X4
    Mouse
    DT: Logitech wired USB mouse
    Internet Speed
    about 370KB/s down, 70KB/s up
Well, there really is no such thing as an operating system not agreeing with hardware (but I know perfectly what you intend). True, there may be an issue to the extent that the manufacturer must create a new driver for things to work right. It's a subtle difference, but important nonetheless.

I wouldn't mind having a look at your system info. Sometimes I find things that help. In almost all cases, I have decent suggestions regardless if they fix things or not; meaning, your system will likely end up better no matter what.

You can type msinfo32 in the start menu then press enter. File | save on the opened screen. Zip or rar the saved file and attach to a post here.

--------

What you can do on your end is to install and run CPU-Z. Compare the spd tab to the memory tab to see if they agree. If not, or you aren't sure about things, you are welcome to post screenshots of those two tabs as well.

If you find that the spd values are different, you can manually adjust your memory to be correct in the bios (if the bios allows for that).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8250 x86 + 7 SP1 x86 + Ubuntu 12.04 LTS x86
    CPU
    P4 3.4 GHz HT
    Motherboard
    MSI-7211
    Memory
    OCZ 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    HIS AGP HD 3850 Turbo Ice-Q
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer x223w
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Caviar Black 1 TB Sata II, WD 400 GB Sata I, WD 120 GB Sata I
    PSU
    300W generic
    Case
    Cybertron
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keyboard 200, Dell RT7D20
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    2 MByte/sec Down, 250 KByte/sec Up
Ok, I ran msinfo32 and CPU-Z. Here are the results. For the SPD tab, slot 1 and 2 are identical.
 

Attachments

  • memory.PNG
    memory.PNG
    13.1 KB · Views: 3,079
  • spd.PNG
    spd.PNG
    15.7 KB · Views: 3,079
  • sysinfo.zip
    49.3 KB · Views: 140

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340 / Custom desktop
    CPU
    LT: Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo (2.4GHz) DT: QX9770 Core 2 Extreme
    Motherboard
    DT: DX48BT2 from Intel
    Memory
    LT: 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 DT: 8GB of OCZ DDR3 Dual Channel 1333Mhz Gold Series RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    LT: Nvidia 9400M G DT: GTX295
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DT: 2 Acer 23 iinch 1080p displays
    Screen Resolution
    LT: 1280x800 DT: 3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    LT: 320GB Seagate Momentus 7200rpm
    DT: 1TB Samsung HD103UJ 7200rpm
    PSU
    DT: 1000W Rosewill Bronze Series
    Case
    DT: Thermaltake Armor LCS
    Cooling
    DT: Custom assortment of wate rcooling parts
    Keyboard
    DT: Microsoft Sidewinder X4
    Mouse
    DT: Logitech wired USB mouse
    Internet Speed
    about 370KB/s down, 70KB/s up
And literally seconds after I made that post, I got an emoticon blue screen saying WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340 / Custom desktop
    CPU
    LT: Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo (2.4GHz) DT: QX9770 Core 2 Extreme
    Motherboard
    DT: DX48BT2 from Intel
    Memory
    LT: 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 DT: 8GB of OCZ DDR3 Dual Channel 1333Mhz Gold Series RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    LT: Nvidia 9400M G DT: GTX295
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DT: 2 Acer 23 iinch 1080p displays
    Screen Resolution
    LT: 1280x800 DT: 3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    LT: 320GB Seagate Momentus 7200rpm
    DT: 1TB Samsung HD103UJ 7200rpm
    PSU
    DT: 1000W Rosewill Bronze Series
    Case
    DT: Thermaltake Armor LCS
    Cooling
    DT: Custom assortment of wate rcooling parts
    Keyboard
    DT: Microsoft Sidewinder X4
    Mouse
    DT: Logitech wired USB mouse
    Internet Speed
    about 370KB/s down, 70KB/s up
And literally seconds after I made that post, I got an emoticon blue screen saying WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR.

That's the best thing that could have happened. Seriously. Makes things much much easier to diagnose.

C:\Windows\Minidump

Copy the files in there to any other folder then zip them. Attach here. In the meantime, I'll check on what you've placed already.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8250 x86 + 7 SP1 x86 + Ubuntu 12.04 LTS x86
    CPU
    P4 3.4 GHz HT
    Motherboard
    MSI-7211
    Memory
    OCZ 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    HIS AGP HD 3850 Turbo Ice-Q
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer x223w
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Caviar Black 1 TB Sata II, WD 400 GB Sata I, WD 120 GB Sata I
    PSU
    300W generic
    Case
    Cybertron
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keyboard 200, Dell RT7D20
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    2 MByte/sec Down, 250 KByte/sec Up

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8250 x86 + 7 SP1 x86 + Ubuntu 12.04 LTS x86
    CPU
    P4 3.4 GHz HT
    Motherboard
    MSI-7211
    Memory
    OCZ 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    HIS AGP HD 3850 Turbo Ice-Q
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer x223w
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Caviar Black 1 TB Sata II, WD 400 GB Sata I, WD 120 GB Sata I
    PSU
    300W generic
    Case
    Cybertron
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keyboard 200, Dell RT7D20
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    2 MByte/sec Down, 250 KByte/sec Up
Windows 8 must store minidumps somewhere else. I couldn't find a minidump folder in C:\Windows. As for drivers, I will try to get those installed, but the damned computer keeps crashing every time I boot into Win8
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340 / Custom desktop
    CPU
    LT: Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo (2.4GHz) DT: QX9770 Core 2 Extreme
    Motherboard
    DT: DX48BT2 from Intel
    Memory
    LT: 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 DT: 8GB of OCZ DDR3 Dual Channel 1333Mhz Gold Series RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    LT: Nvidia 9400M G DT: GTX295
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DT: 2 Acer 23 iinch 1080p displays
    Screen Resolution
    LT: 1280x800 DT: 3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    LT: 320GB Seagate Momentus 7200rpm
    DT: 1TB Samsung HD103UJ 7200rpm
    PSU
    DT: 1000W Rosewill Bronze Series
    Case
    DT: Thermaltake Armor LCS
    Cooling
    DT: Custom assortment of wate rcooling parts
    Keyboard
    DT: Microsoft Sidewinder X4
    Mouse
    DT: Logitech wired USB mouse
    Internet Speed
    about 370KB/s down, 70KB/s up
You can boot to safe mode + networking to download and install. Keep pressing F8 while booting for the boot choice screen to show. Then choose safe mode + networking.

Windows 8 makes logs in the same places. Do you have C:\Windows\Memory.dmp?

Anyhow, I copied/pasted this from one of zigzag's posts:

To ensure minidumps are enabled: * Go to Start, in the Search Box type: sysdm.cpl, press Enter. * Under the Advanced tab, click on the Startup and Recovery Settings... button. * Ensure that Automatically restart is unchecked. * Under the Write Debugging Information header select Small memory dump (256 kB) in the dropdown box (the 256kb varies). * Ensure that the Small Dump Directory is listed as %systemroot%\Minidump. * OK your way out. * Reboot if changes have been made.



 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8250 x86 + 7 SP1 x86 + Ubuntu 12.04 LTS x86
    CPU
    P4 3.4 GHz HT
    Motherboard
    MSI-7211
    Memory
    OCZ 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    HIS AGP HD 3850 Turbo Ice-Q
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer x223w
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Caviar Black 1 TB Sata II, WD 400 GB Sata I, WD 120 GB Sata I
    PSU
    300W generic
    Case
    Cybertron
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keyboard 200, Dell RT7D20
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    2 MByte/sec Down, 250 KByte/sec Up
Ok, got all of the drivers installed and will let you know if it fails again. I checked the minidump settings. I had it set to automatic restart, so perhaps that is why it didn't work. Also, it wasn't set to do a small dump. It was set to "auto".
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340 / Custom desktop
    CPU
    LT: Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo (2.4GHz) DT: QX9770 Core 2 Extreme
    Motherboard
    DT: DX48BT2 from Intel
    Memory
    LT: 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 DT: 8GB of OCZ DDR3 Dual Channel 1333Mhz Gold Series RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    LT: Nvidia 9400M G DT: GTX295
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DT: 2 Acer 23 iinch 1080p displays
    Screen Resolution
    LT: 1280x800 DT: 3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    LT: 320GB Seagate Momentus 7200rpm
    DT: 1TB Samsung HD103UJ 7200rpm
    PSU
    DT: 1000W Rosewill Bronze Series
    Case
    DT: Thermaltake Armor LCS
    Cooling
    DT: Custom assortment of wate rcooling parts
    Keyboard
    DT: Microsoft Sidewinder X4
    Mouse
    DT: Logitech wired USB mouse
    Internet Speed
    about 370KB/s down, 70KB/s up
I think that I experienced pretty much the exact same thing (I own a Dell Studio XPS 1340)... It froze, just like yours, and I (SOMETIMES) got a bluescreen - but never a successful memory dump (nor any meaningful log entries in the event log). This got me suspecting the SATA/disk-related drivers (why else would Windows not successfully dump the memory to a file?).

But, I've never made it work (I've tried _so_ many different drivers, configurations, etc).

Works fine on Windows 7.

:-\
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340
I have been running my laptop non-stop overnight and it is still going without problems. Maybe those drivers fixed it. *knocks on wood*
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340 / Custom desktop
    CPU
    LT: Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo (2.4GHz) DT: QX9770 Core 2 Extreme
    Motherboard
    DT: DX48BT2 from Intel
    Memory
    LT: 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 DT: 8GB of OCZ DDR3 Dual Channel 1333Mhz Gold Series RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    LT: Nvidia 9400M G DT: GTX295
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DT: 2 Acer 23 iinch 1080p displays
    Screen Resolution
    LT: 1280x800 DT: 3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    LT: 320GB Seagate Momentus 7200rpm
    DT: 1TB Samsung HD103UJ 7200rpm
    PSU
    DT: 1000W Rosewill Bronze Series
    Case
    DT: Thermaltake Armor LCS
    Cooling
    DT: Custom assortment of wate rcooling parts
    Keyboard
    DT: Microsoft Sidewinder X4
    Mouse
    DT: Logitech wired USB mouse
    Internet Speed
    about 370KB/s down, 70KB/s up
If it works, you're gonna have to share what drivers made it work :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8250 x86 + 7 SP1 x86 + Ubuntu 12.04 LTS x86
    CPU
    P4 3.4 GHz HT
    Motherboard
    MSI-7211
    Memory
    OCZ 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    HIS AGP HD 3850 Turbo Ice-Q
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer x223w
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Caviar Black 1 TB Sata II, WD 400 GB Sata I, WD 120 GB Sata I
    PSU
    300W generic
    Case
    Cybertron
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keyboard 200, Dell RT7D20
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    2 MByte/sec Down, 250 KByte/sec Up
This got me suspecting the SATA/disk-related drivers (why else would Windows not successfully dump the memory to a file?).

General severity of how much/where RAM was corrupted. But that is good thinking on your part too! Sometimes faulty hardware too.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8250 x86 + 7 SP1 x86 + Ubuntu 12.04 LTS x86
    CPU
    P4 3.4 GHz HT
    Motherboard
    MSI-7211
    Memory
    OCZ 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    HIS AGP HD 3850 Turbo Ice-Q
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer x223w
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Caviar Black 1 TB Sata II, WD 400 GB Sata I, WD 120 GB Sata I
    PSU
    300W generic
    Case
    Cybertron
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keyboard 200, Dell RT7D20
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    2 MByte/sec Down, 250 KByte/sec Up
I'll give it a go, too ;)

I'm a bit skeptical, though... I've tried _so_ many different drivers. But, I'm hoping for the best!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340
I'll give it a go, too ;)

I'm a bit skeptical, though... I've tried _so_ many different drivers. But, I'm hoping for the best!

You are welcome to post the msinfo32 log the same as Freelancer did, after installing those above drivers and issues persist.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8250 x86 + 7 SP1 x86 + Ubuntu 12.04 LTS x86
    CPU
    P4 3.4 GHz HT
    Motherboard
    MSI-7211
    Memory
    OCZ 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    HIS AGP HD 3850 Turbo Ice-Q
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer x223w
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Caviar Black 1 TB Sata II, WD 400 GB Sata I, WD 120 GB Sata I
    PSU
    300W generic
    Case
    Cybertron
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keyboard 200, Dell RT7D20
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    2 MByte/sec Down, 250 KByte/sec Up
I spoke too soon. I just went over the check on my laptop and it was frozen. Back to square 1.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340 / Custom desktop
    CPU
    LT: Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo (2.4GHz) DT: QX9770 Core 2 Extreme
    Motherboard
    DT: DX48BT2 from Intel
    Memory
    LT: 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 DT: 8GB of OCZ DDR3 Dual Channel 1333Mhz Gold Series RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    LT: Nvidia 9400M G DT: GTX295
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DT: 2 Acer 23 iinch 1080p displays
    Screen Resolution
    LT: 1280x800 DT: 3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    LT: 320GB Seagate Momentus 7200rpm
    DT: 1TB Samsung HD103UJ 7200rpm
    PSU
    DT: 1000W Rosewill Bronze Series
    Case
    DT: Thermaltake Armor LCS
    Cooling
    DT: Custom assortment of wate rcooling parts
    Keyboard
    DT: Microsoft Sidewinder X4
    Mouse
    DT: Logitech wired USB mouse
    Internet Speed
    about 370KB/s down, 70KB/s up
Laptops = lot of kit in small space = cooling problems due to dust on heat exchangers, little tiny fan blades etc.

Overheating => erratic behaviour e.g. freezing and crashes, premature hardware failure, component solder failure, screws working loose and connectors coming apart due to heat expansion and cooling.

Once the problems have started, they progress. Coincidences do happen, and things behave differently under different conditions - one person can experience crashes on the same system that someone never has any problems with, probably due to the way the machine is "driven." One OS may run 10 deg warmer than another on the same CPU due to different driver (that is the Windows driver software, not the nut that connects the seat to the gas pedal) behaviour.

WHEA_ etc is a Hardware error code - Windows Hardware Error Architecture, and could be almost anything.

Check for overheating and clean the airways THOROUGHLY every few months. DO NOT JUST BLOW AIR THROUGH VENTS. Never buy laptops that require total disassembly to get to the CPU fan assembly.
Always make sure it is an easy DIY task with a minimum of panels and screws to remove (and potentially) lose.

Use proper tools - you can get micro screwdrivers cheaply, use old credit cards to split plastic cases without damaging them Check if there are youtube videos on disassembly of your model, or a similar one.

Put a folded white sheet on a table - it will save you scratching either table or laptop. Use adequate lighting.
In order to put things back as you found them - if in doubt - take photos as you go.

Use a clean white tray and blu-tac to hold small parts - not magnets. Use a small artist's brush to clean off dust and lint and blow away using canned air in a well ventilated space - do not breath dust, especially if asthmatic or allergic. Do not use a vacuum cleaner. Check connectors are properly seated and screws are firm, not overtightened, and that visible components are not burnt-out, leaking or mis-shapen.

Reassemble in reverse order to dismantling. Be confident.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP COMPAQ Presario CQ57
    CPU
    AMD E- 300 APU with Radion HD Graphics 1.30GHz
    Motherboard
    inbuilt
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI
    Sound Card
    High Definition Audio on-board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    notebook
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate ST9500325AS
    Google drive 15GB
    Skydrive 25GB
    BT Cloud
    PSU
    external 20v
    Case
    Laptop
    Cooling
    pretty good
    Keyboard
    inbuilt
    Mouse
    touchpad
    Internet Speed
    BT Infinity Unlimited - 80 up 20 down =70/16 really
    Browser
    Chrome Canary usually
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    no Start menu modifications
    Upgraded with no issues to 8.0 and to 8.1
I spoke too soon. I just went over the check on my laptop and it was frozen. Back to square 1.

When you say frozen - do you mean permanently until a reboot or frozen for only a few seconds or a minute?

Something that can not hurt and only help: Open an elevated (ran as admin) command prompt. Type this and press enter: chkdsk /r

Then follow the simple instructions on screen.

Edit: Good stuff fafhrd. The system won't allow me to rep ya again. heh
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8250 x86 + 7 SP1 x86 + Ubuntu 12.04 LTS x86
    CPU
    P4 3.4 GHz HT
    Motherboard
    MSI-7211
    Memory
    OCZ 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    HIS AGP HD 3850 Turbo Ice-Q
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer x223w
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Caviar Black 1 TB Sata II, WD 400 GB Sata I, WD 120 GB Sata I
    PSU
    300W generic
    Case
    Cybertron
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keyboard 200, Dell RT7D20
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    2 MByte/sec Down, 250 KByte/sec Up
Laptops = lot of kit in small space = cooling problems due to dust on heat exchangers, little tiny fan blades etc.

Overheating => erratic behaviour e.g. freezing and crashes, premature hardware failure, component solder failure, screws working loose and connectors coming apart due to heat expansion and cooling.

Once the problems have started, they progress. Coincidences do happen, and things behave differently under different conditions - one person can experience crashes on the same system that someone never has any problems with, probably due to the way the machine is "driven." One OS may run 10 deg warmer than another on the same CPU due to different driver behaviour.

WHEA_ etc is a Hardware error code - Windows Hardware Error Architecture, and could be almost anything.

Check for overheating and clean the airways THOROUGHLY every few months. DO NOT JUST BLOW AIR THROUGH VENTS. Never buy laptops that require total disassembly to get to the CPU fan assembly.
Always make sure it is an easy DIY task with a minimum of panels and screws to remove (and potentially) lose.

Use proper tools - you can get micro screwdrivers cheaply, use old credit cards to split plastic cases without damaging them Check if there are youtube videos on disassembly of your model, or a similar one.

Put a folded white sheet on a table - it will save you scratching either table or laptop. Use adequate lighting.
In order to put things back as you found them - if in doubt - take photos as you go.

Use a clean white tray and blu-tac to hold small parts - not magnets. Use a small artist's brush to clean off dust and lint and blow away using canned air in a well ventilated space - do not breath dust, especially if asthmatic or allergic. Do not use a vacuum cleaner. Check connectors are properly seated and screws are firm, not overtightened, and that visible components are not burnt-out, leaking or mis-shapen.

Reassemble in reverse order to dismantling. Be confident.

You see, right now, my laptop is only crashing in Windows 8. Overheating, if it were the problem, would surely happen in both OS's. Plus, I just got my laptop back from Bestbuy, where they replaced the Optical disk drive. Surely they would have cleaned the dust out. Best buy seemed to think that the reason my computer was crashing was due to an optical drive failure. It apparently didn't work (although I haven't had any problems in Windows 7 since getting it fixed).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 1340 / Custom desktop
    CPU
    LT: Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo (2.4GHz) DT: QX9770 Core 2 Extreme
    Motherboard
    DT: DX48BT2 from Intel
    Memory
    LT: 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 DT: 8GB of OCZ DDR3 Dual Channel 1333Mhz Gold Series RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    LT: Nvidia 9400M G DT: GTX295
    Monitor(s) Displays
    DT: 2 Acer 23 iinch 1080p displays
    Screen Resolution
    LT: 1280x800 DT: 3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    LT: 320GB Seagate Momentus 7200rpm
    DT: 1TB Samsung HD103UJ 7200rpm
    PSU
    DT: 1000W Rosewill Bronze Series
    Case
    DT: Thermaltake Armor LCS
    Cooling
    DT: Custom assortment of wate rcooling parts
    Keyboard
    DT: Microsoft Sidewinder X4
    Mouse
    DT: Logitech wired USB mouse
    Internet Speed
    about 370KB/s down, 70KB/s up
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