Hello All. The Problem: Frequent computer hangs on my thinkpad laptop (running xp), some random reboots. When the computer hangs, the mouse freezes and I have to hold down the power button several seconds to reboot. These hangs have happened performing a wide range of tasks (email, excel, pretty much all applications). Weird thing is when I put pressure on the casing, especially on the left side, in front of the keyboard, or lift the computer up, it almost always causes the computer to hang. The laptop is a ThinkPad R40. Ran PC Doctor diagnostics, which supposedly tests all major components (e.g. hard drive, systemboard, ram, cpu, etc.), everything passed. Updated drivers to no avail. Then reinstalled xp, also to no avail. So this (if I am not mistaken) suggests a hardware problem. I first checked for a RAM problem. I have two sticks of 256 RAM, tried each one alone, and also in the opposite slot, to no avail, computer still froze. Then I stripped the computer to the motherboard, lcd, cd drive, and RAM, and ran memtest. No errors, but when I tapped the laptop casing, I got a continuous stream of errors. So this seems to suggest the problem is either the motherboard or the CPU, right? From what I've read, CPU malfunctions are rare, so the motherboard would seem to be the prime suspect. I have sometimes lifted the laptop with one hand, near the keyboard, perhaps I cracked the motherboard (tho I didn't see any cracks when I inspected the motherboard). One more observation…perhaps this is irrelevant, but for the past year or so, my cd drive would intermittently disappear from My Explorer for long periods of time. If I took the drive out and pushed it back in it was usually recognized again. Is it possible that when I tap the computer, or lift it up, this connection gets disturbed, and this somehow makes the computer freeze? I did check to see if the computer froze with the the cd drive out, and it did, but I don't know enough about computers to know if this unequivocally rules out the possiblity that the cd drive or driver or some other thing related to the cd drive might somehow be responsible for these freezes. I really appreciate any help...I don't want to shell out hundreds of dollars for a motherboard without being sure that this is the problem!

Well, I am shooting from the hip, but anytime that you tap anything and it does wierd things, that indicates a loose piece of equipment that is shorting out. I don't think your problem is a cracked mainboard, but check all the cables and connectors to verify they are plugged in tight. Make sure all your memory sticks are snapped in tight and secure; make sure your mainboard has not loosened from its mountings and is not flexing against the case and causing a short. Also, check the wire leads from the power supply and make sure the cables are tightly plugged in. If you have a cheap power supply tester, plug it on and make sure that when you flex the wires one of them doesn't cut-out and loose voltage. If it were a piece of equipment failing or a system file corruption, tapping on the case would not make and difference one way or the other. When a CPU fails, it fails. Period. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime; Then industry pollutes the water and kills all the fish.

I suggest you to buy a new motherboard, because the processor doesn,t no longger to be damaged, if the processor is damaged your laptop cannot to run windows and bios to. thats all I think its can help you or you can wait other suggestion in this forum.

A new motherboard will probably cost you as much as a new computer, if you can find it. A used one is almost $300, but you may find a "bargain" on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-ThinkPad-R4...

A new motherboard will probably cost you as much as a new computer, if you can find it. A used one is almost $300, but you may find a "bargain" on eBay. Then you will be faced with the cost of getting it installed. If you have experience with changing laptop motherboards, that's great. If not, this may not be the time to start. http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-ThinkPad-R4...

UPDATE: Thanks for all your suggestions. Power supply was tested and is fine. Next, I took the mobo out of the case and onto a foam yoga mat, connected to the lcd and power cord, with hard drive in. Pressed down on mobo and the system still froze. Could this still be a shorting/grounding issue? As I said, I don't see any cracks on the mobo....but I don't know what else could be causing the freeze. What could cause a freeze with the mobo out of the case like that? Any more suggestions for how to troubleshoot will be greatly appreciated, I'm almost ready to give up on this and buy another computer....sigh.