Sony VAIO notebook user having problems after 5 minutes

[max]

when i use Aquarium 2 as a screen saver, in exactly 5 mins after saver activates, it will freeze momentarily for a split second and shuts off my computer.

I went to Sony site and downloaded a driver that was most recent for my computer model dated from Nov 2003. but same problem still exsists.

my laptop is a PCG-FRV25

[Edgar]

If you use a different screensaver, does it also shut down your computer after 5 mins?
If you run it by double clicking on it, does it also shut down after 5 mins?

[max]

When running windows pipes computer does not shut down. when running Aquarium 2 by running it in test mode it does shut down. Is it possible that my video card is overheating ..i seemed to have read in a help file that this screen saver runs your system at 100%. just a thought.......i have not removed my old video driver and installed my later one yet as it seems risky, and i think that if it was the driver the saver would not run at all. It looks just fine when it is actually running.

[drfish]

That was my first thought, overheating I mean... Try capping the framerate at 30fps or so and see what happens...

[max]

ok, I tested with frame rate at 30 fps, same result, after a little less than 5 mins, computer shuts down cold.

Im pretty tenacious....anyone have any other ideas or life experience dealing with this problem to help me get on with my life.

All you VAIO owners out there......HELP

[Wizwad]

I think Sony must not have designed their graphics cooling very well. I got myself a PCG-GRV616G in the middle of last year. My first act was to install MA on it. Then later on the GA. By Halloween it was crashing out every now and again, by Christmas it was crashing out whenever I ran any Prolific (i.e. 3D intensive) screensavers and by the end of January it had died completely.

You may have to resort to Sony Support to sort this out. Best of luck! :-S

On the interesting side, half-way through I got some very interesting effects where the screen would get divided up like panels of Mondrian, and as the fish swam past some panels, as one crossed an edge, I'd just see a sharply delineated wireframe fish in the panel until it swam out the other side. Like having x-ray screens placed randomly on a fishtank!

[Jav400]

If I remember correctly I think Jim had a Vaio for awhile, I don't remember if his experience was a good one or not. But, I am sure that he would have tried running his work on it. Maybe he would have some pointers, That screen runs at a native res of 1024x768, make sure that the screen saver is set to that res and choose 16 bit.

[Jim Sachs]

Yes, I still have the VAIO. It's the thin desktop version. It runs the Aquarium continously with no problems.

[max]

I have another post but i mistakenly named it incorrectly. I am hoping to find someone who has had this problem and knows how to fix it........for all you guys who have helped up to now....thank you very much....Sony says this notebook will shut it
's self off if it gets too hot.......If that is it I wonder if there is a way to verify that that is indeed the case....????

Just fishing for an answer.

[Jav400]

{Threads merged}

I would guess that is your problem then. You can try setting the fps lower, or turning off fish one at a time and see if that will help. Running the aquarium is hard on notebooks, as it is a 3D app and takes some video card horsepower.

[max]

I even tryed and empty aquarium, not bubbles, lowest frames per min, same result, im going to take back off of computer and see if video card has lint clogging the chip, .....wish I could find someone with my same model lap top that uses this so I would have hope of success.

[Tiny Turtle]

Perhaps you could post a question over in the computer section of Agoraquest?

Being a Sony-only forum should mean a denser Vaio concentration, ne?

As for trying other screensavers, could you try a graphics intense saver (Windows Pipes isn't really taxing the system)? I suggest downloading Living Pond which should put a proper strain on your system (and looking good in the process). Will that cause a shutdown as well?

/Tiny Koi

[max]

I tryed the living pond screen saver.
It did the same thing. shut down after about 5 mins
the pipes screen saver from windows worked fine
It is looking very much like a video overheat issue for now, I am E-mailing Sony and I will post any progress here.

Thanks again everyone for your comments

Max

[Surferminn]

Hi Max, not to rain on your particular vaio, but if you bought aquarium on cd, maybe you could visit one of the computer stores with vaio displayed and load/run it and see if it does the same thing on the displays as well...

Minn

[Edgar]

I still think it is a Driver issue. The Pipes screensaver is also a 3D but uses OpenGL.

If you look here for instructions on reinstalling video drivers, it might fix your problem. Look at the last entry. But if you have never reinstall video drivers, watch the warning.

[max]

well i was able to talk to a lady tech at sony who ran me through uninstalling my video driver, then reinstalled the same one. this did not work. some more interesting facts, while i talked to her i let it shut down and then i immediatly restarted

It shut down in only 2 mins instead of 5, confirming it was a heat problem.

she had me install a patch to keep processor from running at 100%....that did not work either.

finially after i hung up i disassembled computer and blew out the two fans, they did not seem real dirty but the good part is when i re-assembled computer i ran MA 2 fo about an hour and it did not shut down.

must have been just enough dirt to not allow fans to keep up with the heat generated by computer.

[Surferminn]

thanks for reporting back final results, max.

[Jim Sachs]

Just to clear this up in my own mind -- We are talking about a VAIO laptop here, not a desktop as in the thread title, correct?

[max]

Yes it is a VAIO PCG FRV25 notebook, I tryed to correct my mistake by making a duplicate thread, but the editer did not keep the correct post.....sorry for the confussion.

Once again thanks for all your help dealing with this.

It is a very cool screen saver.

[Jav400]

Thread title fixed. Glad that cleaning the fans let it stay cool and keep running.