Ubuntu 11.10 repeated freezes

**jjbernacki** · October 22nd, 2011

Hey

I am on an Acer Aspire 5250-BZ643. Brand new...only 2 weeks or so. I recently stopped using my Dell Inspiron 6000 as my main computer for this new one. I was having repeated problems with the Dell, due to what I assessed as Hard Drive issues. I replaced the drive and use it as a back up comp. It seems to be fine...but gets limited use as of now.

I run 11.04 on the back up, and installed 11.04 on the Acer, and upgraded to 11.10. The problem I have had on the Acer is that it seems to freeze up, and everything is non-functioning...the keyboard, the touchpad, the mouse. I have no choice but to manual shutdown. The Control Alt Backspace doesn't even work, and it is enabled. I can only connect this issue to one of a few things...either it is that I have unplugged from my ethernet cable or that I am ripping Audio CDs. The first time this happened I had done a large ripping session of like 15 cds while unplugged from the ethernet cable, and the next morning I was frozen. After a lot of frustration, and searching for touchpad bug solutions on my backup comp, I did a recovery mode fsck while replugged into the ethernet, and it started working. This time, I was unplugged from the ethernet, and I noticed the touchpad etc was not working after I inserted the first CD of what was supposed to be my next CD ripping session.

I am a newbie to Ubuntu, but capable on computers.

Do you have any thoughts?

JJ

**jjbernacki** · October 22nd, 2011

One more thought.

Could this be due to corrupted, or damaged, or somehow infected files. The only other consistent thing I can think of is my external drive that I use to back up all my stuff (mp3s, documents, and pics). All the files I have get backed up to it now and then, and whenever I've reinstalled an OS, I've reloaded them from the external to the new system (the Dell on Windows, Ubuntu 9, 11, the new system on 11.) I am okay with reinstalling ubuntu, or even windows (uggghhh), but would hate it if it is something to do with all my file, and I have to get rid of it all and recreate it all.

JJ

**masgeeks** · October 22nd, 2011

Seems a lot of people are reporting issues after daring to upgrade.

A clean install has always proven the best option, at least for me. Takes less time and way fewer headaches...

**ajgreeny** · October 22nd, 2011

I would have to agree with masgeeks. Why install 11.04 and then upgrade to 11.10? It will not have saved any significant bandwidth usage, if that was your intention, and the move from gnome/gtk2 to gnome/gtk3 and unity seems to have been fairly traumatic for many more users than a normal distro upgrade.

Start again with a clean install is my recommendation.

**shrimpy89** · October 22nd, 2011

Fresh 11.10 reinstall here. My laptop still freezes 3 to 4 times a day. I can't tie it to any particular use, as it's frozen regardless of whether I only have a couple tabs open in Chrome, or am running Minecraft. So if I have the same issue as the OP, it should not be related to upgrading. That said, any number of things could cause a system freeze.

**ReZeeR** · October 22nd, 2011

For me it freezes randomly mostly, but what i've noticed it has a particular condition upon which it ALWAYS freezes and that's when you try and move an image on the firefox browser. I've just noticed it. I wanted to copy some text so i tried to mark the text but it turned out to be and image. As soon as i released the mouse, the desktop freezes up with the music playing in the background, mouse still functioning and i'm still able to access the terminal through ctrl+alt+f1. Messing a with the terminal for a few minutes and it unfreezes.
1 question. It's not really to do with this topic but how can i restart the gnome session while being in the ctrl+alt+f1 terminal? "gnome-session restart" comes out with "...Cannot open display..."

**Rodney9** · October 24th, 2011

I tried have a fresh install of Xubuntu 11.10 and it froze for no apparent reason, nothing was running except the screensaver, but only a cold reboot would get me out.

Today I tried Lubuntu 11.10 and it freezes also.

**oldtimer7777** · October 24th, 2011

If you have fairly new system I would probably recommend 11.04 over 11.10 because 11.10 is just too new. And if you going to install Ubuntu always do a fresh install. That way you don't have issues. I never do distribution upgrades anymore. They always mess up everything, and I am forced to spend more time that way instead of just doing a nice clean fresh installation with a walkthrough:

http://debianhelp.wordpress.com/2011...natty-narwhal/