laptop shutting down without warning

Hello,
I have suddenly been having an intermittent problem with my laptop. I will be in the middle of something and all of a sudden the computer simply shuts off. I has happened maybe 3 - 4 times over the past month and I can't figure out why.
I have the laptop elevated so that it is getting air circulation underneath and I have even put a little fan next to the laptop so that more cool air is circulating underneath the pc as well. It has just happened after the computer was only on for just a couple of hours (not even 3 hours) and the one time it was after it had been on for quite a few hours.

I do use canned air to make sure that the vents underneath are clean and it is not a battery issue since I have it plugged in directly to the power adapter so that isn't the problem either. When I start the pc up again there is no screen telling me that the computer did not shut down properly (which is what I was sort of expecting ~ don't know why but I was).

There was one instance when I turned on the computer for the first time that day and there was a popup box stating
"Windows has recovered from an unexpected shutdown" but it was shut down properly the night before and this was the first time I had turned in on that day. Below is the information from that popup box.

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.0.6002.2.2.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: a
BCP1: 00000000
BCP2: 00000002
BCP3: 00000001
BCP4: 84E0BFE9
OS Version: 6_0_6002
Service Pack: 2_0
Product: 768_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini052413-01.dmp
C:\Users\lmh\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-74131-0.sysdata.xml
C:\Users\lmh\AppData\Local\Temp\WER471D.tmp.version.txt


Any ideas on why this may be happening (the pc simply shutting down and then when I turn it back on it is as if nothing happened) and how to resolve the issue ~ or where to look on the pc for more information?

It is a Gateway M1629 and running Windows Vista Home Premium.

Any suggestions or assistance would be so very much appreciated.

Thank You

 

This is usually caused by hardware or faulty drivers. We will need your minidump files in order to get more detailed information. Have you installed any programs or hardware recently? Applied any windows updates? You could try running memory test.

 

I have the same problem blue screen but don't know where to find the problem, I need help I get a blue screen only when Im on ebay logged in or browsing through my email then a blue screen pops up and shuts down only when Im doing something important. Any help on how I can find out what the problem is and how to resolve it, I really need help this is taking time away from class and many other stuff.I would really appreciated

 

If you could please be so kind as to tell me where to find those minidump files I will post them here.

As for adding any new programs or hardware lately - no ~ I did start using a new external hard drive and when I plugged that in it installed a new driver but that was at least 2 months ago and this issue just started up within the past month. Regarding windows updates ~ I do install those but I always wait a couple of days (just in case MS finds an issue with one of those updates and suddenly lists an update to fix an update they issued). The only updates that I generally will do on a regular basis are the ones for the Windows Defender.

Also, if you be so kind as to tell me how to run the memory test I will do that as well.

Thanks!

Lisa

 

Just to let you know --- I did find information on running the Vista Memory Test so I will do that. I do have one question regarding that test ~ should I run the standard, basic or advanced test?

Thanks so Very Much

 

Yes your right it is a hardware issue I wrote the information from the blue screen
can any one let me know where I can re-install drivers for my hardware windows 7, I have a acer aspire,
here's the information I got any help would be really appreciated, plus I think I have a virus, at the %temp% everything is clear but in safemode & networking this file will not get deleted, its hard to remove and its empty paper of notepad.
(from the blue screen)
Kernel_DATA_InPAGE_Error

make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed if this is a installed .......... ask your hardware or

software manufacturer for any windows updates you might need.

(I wrote half of what I can get, but I know its a hardware issue).

Technical Information

Stop: 0x000007AC OxFFFFF6FC400060F01 0xFFFFFFFFC0000185, ox00000000688E5860,

0x00000000688E5860,

0xFFFFF88000C1E93C

(I wrote all this stuff, I don't know what it means, please let me know what solution I can use)
Thanks in advance

 

Hello Again!

Okay, I did run the Memory Test and the results stated that there were no problems with the memory. I did remember that I had installed the opera browser on my pc around the same time that this problem started so I have uninstalled it (although I was not using the opera browser when the pc would simply shut down on me - uninstalled it anyway since I prefer the google chrome browser).

When I know where to find the minidump files that you are talking about I will be able to copy and paste them here for you. I did look in C:\Windows\Minidump but that folder is empty.

Thanks Again!

Lisa