This has been a problem for about a year. It has supplied me with so many "coasters" I decided to ask some of the experts from this website. I have taken it to best buy and all they say is "interesting" over and over. While I am backing up a cd or dvd my fan starts to get a little loud and 5 seconds later my computer freezes. Sometimes it doesnt happen but more often than not, it does. The same happens when I go from the hard drive to the dvdr. I have shut off all apllications and closed off all windows but still no luck. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Sounds like a problem with the fan causing an over heat condition and shutdown. Take the side covers off and watch the fan as the problem starts. The fan noise may be that it is slowing down. Or you may be overworking the fan in there, needing a bigger fan for more airflow. Just having the covers off may cause the problem to vanish. If so its still a heat problem, you are just getting more air with the covers off. Jerry
sorry so long for the reply. If you still subscribe to this, it turns out my video card was overheating because my friend who built it for me gave me some cheap card with no fan attached to it. thanks for your help.