Mouse and keyboard freeze on laptop
 

A couple of days ago, the keyboard and mouse on my laptop just started freezing all of a sudden. The laptop is still working because I can still see animations on a website or in the taskbar, but the keyboard and mouse don’t get any response no matter how long I wait or what I do. If I close the lid of the laptop, it goes on standby, and then I can log in again and everything will work, but then it does it again. It usually takes a couple of minutes for this to happen.

I tried plugging in a USB mouse and a couple of minutes later the mouse and keyboard froze, but the screen also became bright (I have the screen set to be dark when the power cord isn't plugged in to conserve power, and the screen went back to normal bright settings) for a couple of seconds, then went back to being dark, and 5 seconds later I could use the mouse and keyboard again (this was the only time it went back to normal). Then 20 minutes later the same thing happened, except the screen was bright for 30 seconds, then it turned dark and the keyboard and mouse froze permanently. It happens regardless of whether I have the power cord plugged in or not.

I use a Dell D610 and all the drivers are the most recent versions.

What is going on here and what can I do about it?

Thanks.

Please provide a copy of your Application and System event logs, in .EVT format.

How do I do that?

Start > Run > eventvwr.msc

Right-click Application and System > Save Log file as (specify EVT instead of text).

I attached the 2 evt files.

Okay then.

Offhand, I don't see anything indicative of a software problem.

Applications -- you seem to have a (rare) problem of Microsoft Word 2000 hanging.
Systems -- There's a lot of errors popping up with "Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection."

Diagnostic

I'd like you to leave that laptop one, while all internet connections are physically turned off, and see if the problem occurs.

Additional Information

Since you were using a rather old version of Microsoft Office, could you give information on the version of your Windows, and the programs you have installed? Also, please post screenshots of the services and startup items on your computer. (Start > Run > MSCONFIG > do PrtScn of Services and Startup tabs)

I would like to rule out any software issues before concluding that there is something serious going on with your motherboard, RAM, or hard disk.

I disabled all the internet hardware through device manager. About a minute later, everything froze for a couple of seconds, then the mouse started working, then everything froze, and it happened a few more times and then everything worked fine for a couple of minutes and I just put the laptop on standby.

2 days later, I tried turning on the laptop without the power cable connected and it turned on but turned off right away. I plugged the power cable in and it did the same thing. I tried waiting for 5 minutes, and then I turned it on. I heard the fan and the caps lock button and 2 other buttons lit up but the screen didn’t turn on. Then I waited about 2 hours for it to charge and then everything worked fine, but once I started using the laptop, it froze after about 1 second (all internet hardware was still disabled).

I haven’t installed any new programs in a very long time, and I can’t recall making any changes recently (I haven’t taken any screenshots because it’s kind of hard with the laptop freezing, but I can try if you think it might be a software issue). I actually keep my laptop in my backpack and sometimes I frequently walked for up to 20-30 minutes in 90 degree weather. Could that have caused this problem? When I use the laptop, it doesn’t seem to overheat, though.

So do you think this is a hardware problem? If so, is there anything I can do about it, or should I end up getting a new laptop? Luckily, this model costs about $300 if it is refurbished.

I'm leaning towards a hardware problem, yes. Posting screenshots of your startup items and services would seal the deal.

Generally when computer hardware fails, you gotta buy a new one to replace it. This is much harder for laptops, since some parts may be custom-made.

I'm pretty sure it's a hardware problem. Recently, every time I turn on the laptop, it shuts off almost immediately even though it has been charged relatively recently, and when it does turn on, the screen stays black (it has never been like this). I'm going to go ahead and buy a new laptop. I have a few questions, though.

If I transfer files from my laptop onto a flash drive and it freezes during the transfer, what could happen? Would it only corrupt the file being transferred or would it corrupt the whole flash drive?

Also, for the laptop that I want to get (dell d610), it has the option of either an Intel 915GM Video Card or a ATI Radeon Mobility X300 64MB Video Card, which is more powerful. If it has a more powerful video card, is the laptop more prone to damage or wear or overheating?

One more thing. If a laptop has a larger hard drive, is it more prone to being damaged or overheating?

Thanks.

> If I transfer files from my laptop onto a flash drive and it freezes during the transfer, what could happen? Would it only corrupt the file being transferred or would it corrupt the whole flash drive?

The file being transferred would be corrupt. While unlikely to happen, the flash drive could also be corrupted. Best recommendation? Buy a USB enclosure, put your laptop hdd inside, and transfer it to a PC.

> If it has a more powerful video card, is the laptop more prone to damage or wear or overheating?

The rule of thumb is yes, more powerful video cards generate more heat. The more accurate answer is, it depends really on the hardware. So do some research on that.

> If a laptop has a larger hard drive, is it more prone to being damaged or overheating?

No. But a larger hard drive has more space for you to put more of your precious files in. So if there's a failure, it will make you more sad.

I have another question regarding graphics cards. One version of the laptop has an Intel Graphics 915GM graphics card. In general, how compatible are integrated laptop graphics cards with different programs? Are they compatible with most games? Can they play movies without a problem etc.?

Thanks.

Most integrated graphics cards will shit the bed when you try to play games with them. I'd try out some older stuff you've got hanging around and see how they perform before going out and buying anything new.

My laptop that is "broken" has a pretty good ATI graphics card in it. Would it be easy to transfer that graphics card to the new laptop (the laptops are the same model- Dell D610)? Or it's not as easy as installing a graphics card on a desktop pc and you would you have to completely take the laptop apart with special tools and only a very experienced person should do it?

It's probably something for experienced people to do.

Laptops are always constrained in upgradeability compared to desktops.