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I have an Inspiron 3800 that I recently installed WindowsXP on. The computer boots fine and works normally, except when i'm not doing anything on it. It will either completely lock up with the display still on or it will flash a blue screen for 2 seconds and reboot. It does this only when I am not running any programs or when i am using a web browser. When there is a program running that uses a lot of the processor or accesses the hard drive often there isnt a problem. For instance, when i turn on iTunes or any game this does not happen. Any ideas? I already updated my drivers and BIOS.

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A focused troubleshooting checklist for — good that BIOS and drivers were updated and that suggested checking the screensaver/power scheme. Because the problem only appears when the laptop is idle, the next steps should capture the crash information and then separate software/driver causes from hardware issues.

First, capture the BSOD and logs so there is something concrete to analyze. Disable automatic restart on system failure (so the STOP code stays on-screen), set Windows to create a small memory dump, reproduce the crash, and then inspect the System/Application logs with Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) for errors at the crash time. Also run chkdsk /r on the boot volume to find and repair disk issues that can cause timeouts.

Next, run hardware diagnostics to rule out RAM and disk faults. Boot a Memtest86+ session and let it run several passes. Check the hard drive’s SMART status with the vendor diagnostic or a similar tool, and use the drive vendor’s bootable diagnostic utility if available. As a quick isolation step, boot a Linux Live CD/USB and leave it idle — if the laptop still locks or reboots outside Windows, the cause is almost certainly hardware.

Then focus on drivers and power transitions. In Device Manager, disable any power-management options for network adapters and USB hubs (the “allow the computer to turn off this device” type setting). Reinstall OEM chipset and storage controller drivers from Dell rather than generic Microsoft ones. If needed, use Driver Verifier selectively to find a faulty driver (caution: it will provoke crashes). Finally, test with AC only and with battery removed (if possible), and note the exact STOP code or minidump contents — that information will be essential for the next diagnostic steps.

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Member Avatar for dlh6213

I have an Inspiron 3800 that I recently installed WindowsXP on. The computer boots fine and works normally, except when i'm not doing anything on it. It will either completely lock up with the display still on or it will flash a blue screen for 2 seconds and reboot. It does this only when I am not running any programs or when i am using a web browser. When there is a program running that uses a lot of the processor or accesses the hard drive often there isnt a problem. For instance, when i turn on iTunes or any game this does not happen. Any ideas? I already updated my drivers and BIOS.

This is kind of a shot in the dark, but it sounds like some kind of problem with a screen saver. If you have a screen saver, disable it and see if it still happens.

Right-click on the desktop, go to Properties, click on the Screensaver tab, under Screensaver click on the drop-down arrow and select None, and then click OK.

Member Avatar for ryguy32789

Thanks i'll try that and see how it works.

Member Avatar for dlh6213

If that doesn't work, I had another idea. Also from the Screensaver tab, go to the Power button, and under Power schemes use the drop-down arrow, then select Always on. Then go down to the Settings for Always On power scheme and set all the options to Never.

Try these one at a time so we can, hopefully, determine where the problem lies.

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