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[Nas92]

There's something going on with my laptop, maybe it's because Windows 7, or just a simple virus, which can be easily dealt with, but I'm paranoid because of my previous experiences with small, unexplainable stuff hapenning inside a computer.
So, the situation is the following. One day, I left home with my laptop plugged in, thinking that it will hibernate(I'm not sure if that's the word for it, my Win7 is not English) and I can just turn it back on. I get home, study for like an hour, turn it on, and there's some stuff like "Oh, error, turn off shadowing and whatnot in BIOS if you see this again, blabla" so I turn it off and then back on and it says that Windows was restored after an error. I didn't think much of it, I guessed it's some random stuff that happens and I was unlucky. I never got the message afterwards, but one time Windows said that it wasn't properly turned off, I picked "Start in Normal mode", I became suspicious. I turned on the laptop this day and it said that it wasn't properly turned off - now I am paranoid and I get the same uncomfortable feeling while using the thing as I got when my old computer was about to die.
This is a fairly new laptop and it's been working well. I have a feeling it might be the trial of McAfee fucking things up, it's trying to refresh all the time, I've only kept it installed for the Site Advisor, or is it because Win7 is just not as stable enough as it should be? That might make sense, considering I still don't have the Sevice Pack installed. There is a full version of the Service Pack out, right?

[G-Flex]

My initial guesses would be overheating and damaged RAM, but I can't be very sure.

[Tellemurius]

oh god McAfee? burn that bastard program out!

[Nas92]

oh god McAfee? burn that bastard program out!

Done and done. After reading your post I immedieately uninstalled it. It feels refreshing not having to close three pop-up messages. Not sure if the problem is solved, though...

My initial guesses would be overheating and damaged RAM, but I can't be very sure.

Damaged RAM might not be a big deal, that's one of the few things you can actually replace in a laptop, but the probability of overheating scares me, because if it does I'm certain it's because of Dwarf Fortress. This might sound nerdy - okay not might, it does sound nerdy - but I would be sad if I had to stop playing right when I was getting the hang of the game.

[G-Flex]

I doubt McAfee would be doing anything that crazy, but hey, you can always reinstall it if necessary. I wouldn't, though, because I generally never leave any free trial software on; you just have to replace it eventually anyway. But yeah, if McAfee were doing that, and it comes stock on that laptop, you'd likely be seeing more people with the same problem.

I have no idea if RAM would actually be causing the problem, but it's easy enough to test if you can burn a memtest86+ CD. I'm wondering about the hard drive, too, but I'm not sure what the best method is of testing that.

[Tellemurius]

hold on before we blame DF for anything (blasphemy!), how much ram did you have anyway and hows the cooling for your laptop?

[Nas92]

hold on before we blame DF for anything (blasphemy!), how much ram did you have anyway and hows the cooling for your laptop?

I have 4 GB RAM and here's my processor: Intel Core i3 M330 2.13Ghz
I don't know how's the cooling. I have painfully limited knowledge on computers, I haven't really been interested in the current hardware and gaming stuff, for several years now, and before that, I was a kid, I knew what a kid could know, but that's it. All I know is that I keep my laptop on a table, although sometimes I put it on the bed. I do feel it lets out warmer air, but it never turned off randomly, like most computers should nowadays when they are overheating. Although, there was one time, now that I think about it, when I returned from having dinner and I saw the laptop on the Login screen and once again it said the computer was restored after an error. Maybe the screen apeared again and I just didn't see it? I even thought hibernating itself could be causing this so I turned automatic hibernating off. Maybe I will try memtest86+, but I don't have a working empty CD, so I'm open for any suggestions in the meantime.

[Tellemurius]

there is a autoinstaller for usb now.

[Carrion]

Check the BIOS for the shutdown when overheating option.  My computer will just shut off and not restart but it may be possible to set it to shutdown and then restart.  If you find it on that setting switch to shut off without restart.  If you find your computer has turned itself off, you may be more inclined to think that it is overheating.  Also, don't set laptops on fabric or soft surfaces like your bed because it won't get proper ventilation.

To check the RAM, presuming you have more than one module, remove one and then restart.  If the problem persists, switch modules.  Though, malfunctioning RAM will usually not allow the OS to boot at all, and will instead give a long beep or series of beeps until you power down.

[G-Flex]

there is a autoinstaller for usb now.

Installer? You should be booting into memtest, not installing it.

[Tellemurius]

there is a autoinstaller for usb now.

Installer? You should be booting into memtest, not installing it.

urgh, a autoinstaller for Memtest TO your usb for other options to boot from instead of cd installs.

[Virex]

 Also, don't set laptops on fabric or soft surfaces like your bed because it won't get proper ventilation.

If you have to do that though, you might consider using the energy saver option most laptops have. Reducing the CPU load also reduces the heat buildup. You'll notice that DF runs significantly slower though.

[Lord Shonus]

Sounds like a defective mobo to me.