My laptop often frezes

[Thanh Tùng ??ng]

Hi!

There are too many scenarios possible so the only way to get through this annoyance, is guesswork.
Most common trouble that fits the description, is storage wearoff.
To get this out of the way, go to:

https://www.hdsentinel.com/

Download the Linux version and follow the procedure as described in the docs.
I use the following lines (actually, it is a shell script):

Code:

#!/bin/bash
#  hdsentinel.sh
#  bash script
# To start and use HDSentinel-19b
# .Ma 13 iun 2023 07:35:55 +0300
sudo /proiecte/P-012-Administrare-PC/HDSentinel-19b

You will have to replace the qualified path (absolute path, here is /proiecte/P-012-Administrare-PC/HDSentinel-19b) with your own path.
The executable (binary) is HDSentinel-19b.

This will give you the following report:

Code:

Examining hard disk configuration ...

HDD Device  0: /dev/sda             
HDD Model ID : KINGSTON SA400S37480G
HDD Serial No: 50026B778517A603
HDD Revision : SHFK70.5
HDD Size     : 457863 MB
Interface    : S-ATA Gen3, 6 Gbps
Temperature  : 26 °C
Highest Temp.: 33 °C
Health       : 100 %
Performance  : 100 %
Power on time: 85 days, 19 hours
Est. lifetime: more than 1000 days
Total written: 1.03 TB
  The status of the solid state disk is PERFECT. Problematic or weak sectors were not found.
  The health is determined by SSD specific S.M.A.R.T. attribute(s):  #231 SSD Wear Indicator
    No actions needed.

The most significant lines, are:
Temperature  : 26 °C
Highest Temp.: 33 °C

Health      : 100 %
Performance  : 100 %
Power on time: 85 days, 19 hours
Est. lifetime: more than 1000 days

The symptoms described, point me to storage overheating.
First idea, was driver conflict(s). The inxi report though, ruled out this...
Next major possible reason, is media storage.
I had my share of bad days on this so I had to dig deep to discover what is happening "behind the scenes".
Ugliest vulnerability of a computer, is storage temperature.
Nothing escapes that, including NAND media (USB sticks, SSD drives). If the storage is in its last days of life, it will lead to such freezez, even if it looks OK.

Option 2:

Usually, there should be a savvy tool on your machine. I forgot exactly if it is in the default installation so just paste the following in the Terminal:

Code:

sudo smartctl

If the tool is present, you get something like the following:

Code:

sudo smartctl
[sudo] password for serban:
smartctl 7.2 2020-12-30 r5155 [x86_64-linux-5.15.0-89-generic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-20, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

ERROR: smartctl requires a device name as the final command-line argument.

Use smartctl -h to get a usage summary

Alternately, you can use the GSmartControl, a GUI for the above mentioned smartctl (gsmartcontrol-root):
Type in the Terminal (or just Copy/Paste)

Code:

gsmartcontrol-root

Input the login password and select a drive from the list in the next window, by double-clicking its icon.
You will get a list of tabbed reports.
You will have to be familiar with the parameters though, that is why I directed you to HDSentinel.
Basically, it is the same thing, only the HDSentinel report is way shorter and simpler to grasp.
You will need to perform the short self-test. If the storage passes this test, the drive might be OK, but this is only a hint, not necessarily true.
Practice says that if the storage hit the temperature limit even a few times, the drive is already compromised due to overheating.
You will never find those things in any documentation.
I got here reading tons of manufacturer articles, spending hundreds of hours in testing and recovery attempts.
The range of safe usage for a primary drive (active drive), is somewhere between 15,000 hours (625 days) and 25,000 (1041 days).
This largely depends on the average daily uptime (less than 5 hours, more than 5 hours?), geographic zone (if summer is very hot, lifespan decreases) and so on.
My average uptime is 10.56 hours (for about 8 years of consistent data). That wears off the storage in about 3 - 4 years, maybe less, if you live in a hot climate.

What if there is another hidden cause?

I encountered also that kind of "frozen chick" due to the USB controllers. Actually, I already lost three machines for that exact reason.
Unfortunately, I lack the knowledge to test those chipsets so it's kinda "guesswork" here...
It would be great if someone would come with a kind of utility like HDSentinel for USB controllers. Given the fact that almost all periphearals nowadays are USB, that would be great!
Printers, USB Audio, MIDI devices, put a heavy load on those controllers.
This is why it might be another possible reason for any freeze event.

Beyond that, if there is anyone here that has any other idea, it would be great if the idea would be added to the thread.

Best regards, Șerban.

Thank you for your help I will check the methods you mentioned above