Hi "Befuddled"
The first thing I would do in your situation is visit the website
of the laptop's manufacturer, and update all system drivers,
in particular the drivers for Chipset, Sound, and Video.
Driver installation instructions should be provided at the web
site, or start from Step 2 of my desktop video driver install
instructions:
http://mvps.org/nibblesnbits/Video.html#drivers
Plug in your laptop for the best results when gaming.
OVERHEATING is the #1 cause of various laptop problems!
Be certain that you're not blocking the laptop's air vents,
and that they are free of dust. Look for signs of overheating
by running your hand along the sides and bottom of the laptop.
If you notice your laptop is running hot, and the fans are all
working properly, one trick that I've used with my old laptop
was to sit it on a clean flat box (similar to a medium pizza box),
in which I kept several cooler ice packs from the freezer. ;-)
Of course, you could order a professional cooling mat instead.
If you feel that your laptop is overheating way too much, you
should contact the manufacturer to see what they suggest. In
some cases they may need to replace the CPU heating fan, or
recommend the ideal Power Settings to use while gaming.
--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S.
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
Game FAQs:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite:
http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________
| I have a perplexing problem. My computer works fine while in normal windows mode, but if I play a game that plays in a fullscreen
format the computer will power itself off in what seems to be random intervals. No matter what I leave running (or don't leave
running) in the background while gaming, it seems to have no impact on when the poweroff occurs.
| Furthermore, when the computer is powered back on, it boots up as if it had been shut down gracefully. No system check or so on.
| I have scanned the computer for viruses and spyware and it seems clean.
|
| I have a VAIO notebook with ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 video card, and have patched the drivers and direct x and still am seeing
this issue. Any ideas?
