HP g6 random crash (tricky)

AndyPix

Cmos is a side issue here.
Certainly sounds like an overheat to me - especailly with it being triggered by the hardware watchdog.


Unplug and re-seat everything (Ram etc) too
Check the vents for fluff


Let us know

almillar

- battery is "weak" - can a weak battery crash a laptop (even if its plugged in)

As DoaM says, take the battery out, and see if the laptop will boot without it. You can then test without the battery being part of the equation.

Losing the time is a very obvious sign that a new CMOS battery is needed. Change this before doign anything else. Might be tricky on a laptop.

The ATI thing would point me towards graphics drivers, hopefully, or an overheating graphics chip (reapply thermal paste), or dry joints on the chip. This might be accompanied by graphical glitches, though.

grumpycrab

Proven that random crashes occur with or without the main battery. Pointing towards an overheat but I cannot get it to fail when its in my hands;
As above, I cannot get it to fail at my house - even running Prime to 99degC its noisy but doesn't fail.
Another clue - neighbour does lots of Ebay and has lots of images on the laptop - when viewed with MS Photos app it drives the CPU crazy (but no crashes in my hands);
My recommendation is to reapply thermal paste (which I won't do because my own skills at stripping a laptop are limited.)

almillar

Before I take a laptop apart, right to the bones, to reapply thermal paste, which is only a stab at a fix, I'd be backing everything up and doing a re-install. Definitely making sure to have the most up to date graphics/chipset drivers.

AndyPix

Id bet my bottom dollar on this being a cooling issue


Before you start fiddling about with thermal paste, the first and easiest thing to do is check for obstructions in the cooling vents.


I bet they are full of crud


If nothing is immediately visible from the outside then take off the back cover for a fuller view

almillar

Id bet my bottom dollar on this being a cooling issue

But:

As above, I cannot get it to fail at my house - even running Prime to 99degC its noisy but doesn't fail.

He has tested (the processor) seriously and it has passed. There's plenty of airflow it seems, so I doubt crud, and I guess he has already inspected visually. If there is a thermal issue, I'd guess it's paste on the graphics chip as above, or perhaps a fault with the solder on it.
A fresh install is just so much easier (and free!) than taking the computer apart though.