Random Vista Crashing after Idling a Couple of Hours

Hi All,
This problem is hard to explain. Basically, if I leave Vista on for a period of time (say for example a few hours), and am not using the computer (go to lunch, go to a meeting), I will come back and basically the computer is half dead.

Can't double click to run apps, can't click the shutdown button, my synaptics driver will crash, if I run the start menu, cannot click on anything. Kind of like computer just decided to stall on me, or doesn't know how to pick up where we left off.

I have to hit cntrl-alt-del to log off and log back in, but usually better to shut down completely.

I have a Lenovo T61P Thinkpad, but I don't run most of the Lenovo Apps.

Could this be related to power settings? Like turning off the hard drive?

 

do you have a vista disk? you could try repairing your installation. if you want to try this method, go into bios on bootup and set boot cd first and then restart. when vista menu comes up follow instructions to do a repair.

 

it's not the hard drive because i leave my temp. computer on all the time with hard drive off and it's fine after about 10 seconds

 

Yeah, normally I wouldn't think it's a power setting. I don't have a Vista book disk, but I have the restore option that comes with Lenovo computers, am able to customize the restore a little bit too.

I actually did that a couple of months ago, and was able to get a lot of the Lenovo optional apps removed from my install. Thing is, before the reinstall, had this problem as well, thus one reason for the reinstall.

I could do another reinstall, but would seem likely would run into the error again, just want to figure out a way of finding what it is.

 

When you come back and turn it on, is it coming on from sleep or hibernation?

 

well, seems like it's not sleeping properly. tinker with your sleep/hibernate options. and wait for somebody more knowledgable about this problem to pipe in.

 

Actually, when it's plugged in, I turn off sleep completely. I've had issues with sleep in the past in which the cimputer wouldn't turn back on.

I turn off the LCD after X time but that's it. Even turned off the "turn off HD" option. No Hybrid Power Savings for HD either.