Help: My x61 Tablet keeps crashing...

[weavermt]

 Hello

Got my new x61 on the 15th, and just got a chance this weekend to finally give it some quality time. I must say I like the size and weight of the computer...however at this time I can't say the same about the Tablet PC feature.

When used as a "standard" keyboard PC, I've yet to encounter any issues. However, when I use it as a tablet, after about 10 minutes or so, it crashes...just freezes up. I've tried waiting. I've tried going to start-shutdown-restart, etc. Nothing.

It has happened while using Quickbooks 2008. Firefox 2.whatever the latest is, MS Internet Explorer that came with it. I suspect with enough time, it will crash in Journal and OneNote, too, though I've spent less than 5 minutes in either of those programs.

I have the x61 w/1.6ghz running Vista Business. 4GB RAM (though it sees only 3.xx of it due to the 32 bit system issue). I've changed from Windows Aero to "classic" everything.

I am really at my wits end with this. I like the computer, and really want to give the pen input a go, but I can't really get used to doing anything or trying things because of the freeze-ups.

So far, it's happened about a dozen times since Friday, Jan 18th. The only added programs I've installed are Quickbooks 2008, Firefox and Trillian IM client (which I've used once). Everything else is MSFT.

Any ideas, or if it's a question of "easier to exchange than fix", how do I contact Lenovo on this given my 2 year protection warranty?

Thanks,

TimW
Phoenix

SYS.7764CT  
 CONFIGURED SYSTEM 


Serial Number:
LVB72MB

 
 $1,864.60 
 $1,864.60 
 
7764CTO
 CTO THINKPAD X61 TABLET SERIES 
 
 
 
 
27R0300
 VBB INTEGR. FINGERPRINT SENSOR 
 
 
 
 
42R9189
 VBB INTEGR.WIFI WL 3RD ANTENNA 
 
 
 
 
42V8010
 VBB MS WIN VISTA BUSINESS 
 
 
 
 
42X0661
 SBB MW VISTABUS32 US ENGLISH 
 
 
 
 
42X0466
 SBB 12.1MV+MT XGA TFT L7500LV 
 
 
 
 
41W2059
 VBB 1GB PC2-5300 667MHZ 2DIMM 
 
 
 
 
42X0133
 SBB KEYBOARD US ENGLISH 
 
 
 
 
42V9152
 SBB 160 GB HDD,5400RPM 
 
 
 
 
42V8193
 SBB INTEL TURBO MEMORY 1GB 
 
 
 
 
62P6054
 VBB INTEGR.BLUETOOTH PAN 
 
 
 
 
42V8177
 SBB INT.WIRE.WIFI/LINK4965AGN 
 
 
 
 
42T6684
 SBB THINKPADX60 TABSER8 SL 
 
 
 
 
41W1787
 SBB CPK NORTH AMERICA 
 
 
 
 
42X0511
 SBB LPACK.US ENGLISH 
 
 
 
 
42X0779
 SBB MSOFF SM 2007 ENGLISH 
 
 
 
 
42X0068
 SBB MS ONENOTE07ENG EXL EUEFTA 
 
 
 
 
93P7252
 SBB THINKPAD LOGO PLATE 
 
 
 
 
42T6786
 SBB BLUETOOTH W/ ANTENNA 
 
 
 
 
42X0750
 SBB CLEARPLATE 
 
 
 
 
42X0757
 SBB FCC LABEL 
 
 
 
 
42X0732
 SBB GEO LABEL US,WLAN,BT 
 
 
 
 
42X0727
 SBB MT 7764 SYSTEM LABEL 
 
 
 
 
42X1359
 SBB MECH MISC PARTS 
 
 
 
 
42V7972
 SBB MS LABEL (VISTA PREMIUM) 
 
 
 
 
42X5595
 SBB MSWXPTBL ED05 REC CD-USENG 
 
 
 
 
42X1232
 SBB NEWINTELLAB_DUALCORE/CEPRO 
 
 
 
 
42V8063
 SBB MS WAU ENGLISH NA-U MODELS 
 
 
 
 
42X0548
 SBB PACKAGING 
 
 
 
 
42V8299
 SBB 512MBPC2-5300 DDR2 667MHZ 
 
 
 
 
41C9335
 2 YEAR THINKPAD PROTECTION 

[Jeff]

I and a co-worker are having the same problems with our two new X61 Tablets. I posted about it here on the 16th and then with an update on the 21st but it seems my post is now missing.

Persistent lockups, constantly, when you unplug and use in tablet mode on battery. The system stays on but becomes unresponsive even to ctrl+alt+delete. All drivers have been updated.

If anyone has related information or news that would be great.

[cheesse]

I was having some problem with my computer freezing when in tablet mode, when I first got mine. I activated and calibrated activerotate and it went away. Since I have done a fresh install of vista, and I am not using active rotate and everything is fine.

[weavermt]

Jeff - that's a fair description of what appears to be happening....it just does....nothing.
Cheese - I thought the X61 had activerotate, but mine doesn't seem to be doing anything.  What's a short-cut to turn it on...since right now I've got to manually rotate the screen using the button on the screen.

Here's an update to the situation from my original post:

I ran all the Window updates right out of the box. I then ran the ThinkVantage updates (or so I thought...see below). I then installed the following programs:

Firefox 2.x
Trillian IM client pro, 3.0
Quickbooks 2008

Those are the only apps I've loaded that didn't come with the computer.

I just ran the ThinkVantage update utility, as I had thought I'd done before, and it d/l and updates about 26 different items. I am running it again. Perhaps something that is in there, and wasn't on my computer like it should be, is contributing. I have no idea.

I did use the handwriting training program last night for about an hour and it didn't crash, so that was encouraging. If it doesn't "get better" within a day, I'll call the 800 support number that's on the Lenovo website...unless you have a better number to call.

I'll spend tomorrow testing this out to see if the updates, which I thought had all installed, did anything.  On some of them they wouldn't install until I downloaded them (for 'deferred installation') then installed them after they were all downloaded.

Any other ideas would be appreciated...I really don't want to go through the hassle of exchanging this for one that works....

[cheesse]

There is a tablet shortcut button just above the rotate button (or to the right of it depending if it is in tablet or notebook mode). Press that, then settings. There should be a box to use active rotate. Make sure you calibrate it!!

If you dont have too much installed I suggest doing a fresh install of vista. It greatly improved my tablet's performance. Here is a link that I followed step by step.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=144783

There are a few things I had to do that wasnt suggested. Make sure you download the tablet button drivers, and make sure you download the Active protect system program. The APS allows for active rotate. I also used a friends vista installation disk, because mine still hasnt come in, and I ordered it 2 weeks ago.

Make sure you read the instructions thouroughly and follow them exactly. I didnt have any problems at all.

Hope this helps.

[tselling]

I would try uninstalling CSS (Client Security Solution).  That seems to be the cause of some similar problems I was seeing.

[prsgroup]

Try the following...

Go to Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, Power Options, Change plan settings, Change advanced power settings and set Hard disk, Windows Hybrid Hard Disk Power Savings Mode, On battery to Disabled.

Rick

[weavermt]

PSRGroup  - what does this do?

Cheese - it took a while but I actually figured out how to enable auto-rotate...I wasn't looking closely enough for the "settings" button.

Anyway, happy news:  I've had only one crash since the time I last wrote, and that was playing Civ IV on battery using the docking station.

Basically, I thought I had downloaded all the drivers and stuff via the ThinkVantage tool, but it didn't.  Apparently a couple packages wouldn't install (and I didn't catch it) which halted the d/l of all the others.  After realizing this, I downloaded them all for "deferred installation" then installed them one-by-one.  Since then (about a day after my last message), it's been smooth sailing, knock-on-wood.

Thanks everyone for your time and assistance.

Now, if I could only get my Bluetooth to work with my Blackberry 8320 for a dial-up modem (when WiFi isn't available), I'd be really happy...but that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

TimW
Phoenix

[hiker]

I have been dealing with a number of stability related issues here with my X61 Tablet (7764-CTO) Vista-32. The common problems until February with crashes and freezes related to standby mode and use of the tablet features appear to have been cleaned up by the intervening software updates. Which is great.

My laptop still has a recurring over heating issue during periods of intense use such as software installs, iTunes synchronization or playing video. Unfortunately my model doesn't have the power connector for the second fan which the X61s comes with so at the moment I am hoping for software changes to come down the pike. The system may, from what I can see in the monitor program,  be trying to manage the issue already by reducing the CPU clock rate. Not desirable but I want stability so I will keep quiet. Recent software changes seem to have speeded up some activities (iTunes synchronizaiton) or maybe the recent BIOS updates and maybe made over heating more frequent. It certainly seems so, or maybe now that other issues are resolving themselves it is easier to identify the over heating. Are you seeing problems during CPU or IO intensive operations under Vista? Can you reproduce the failures by running Windows Media player full screen for a few minutes. That reliably causes my system to over heat. It seems to me that the heating problems cause an immediate shutdown where as the earlier standby and other software issues tended to cause freezes and random slow flickering deaths.

I haven't tried changing the power adapter for the higher wattage adapter because it seems a long shot at the moment but that is my next option and after that I will try to retrofit an X61s fan (42X3806) into a 7764-CTO but that means I have to make my own power cable and research hot to retrive power from the board or from the PCI connector. I'm reluctant to get into that. It would at the least invalidate any warranty there may be. So far I have been able to just not do things that cause crashes and wait for software updates but I am stuck with the overheating issues and compatibility problems with the 3945ABG (Separate thread).

Are others seeing over heating related shutdowns with X61 7764-CTOs particularly with recent updates?


Message Edited by hiker on 05-14-2008 03:09 PM

[bylund]

---

hiker wrote:
Are others seeing over heating related shutdowns with X61 7764-CTOs particularly with recent updates?

---

I have a 7675-CTO (not a tablet) but I have the same experience. Some update in the spring 2008 made my computer a lot hotter and after this change Windows sometimes automatically shuts down (overheats) when I have the battery plugged in.