'Random' Freeze/Shutdowns

[nightreaper]

Specs:

Laptop, ASUS N61JQ
i7-720
4GB RAM
ATI HD5730
Windows7 - 64bit

Problem:

As of the last two weeks or so, I've been experiencing random shutdowns and freezes on this computer. They occur in two 'ways': a) when I've used the computer for an amount of time, having successfully logged in [timeframe can range from 3 minutes in to hours), or b) during startup, where the computer just turns itself back off again.

I haven't been getting and bleeps or bloops from the computer, nor any bluescreens - with a) I first notice when the fan turns off, and the computer becomes unresponsive [sometimes the shutdown button works when I hold it down for 5 seconds, sometimes it doesn't and I have to cut power to it].

I HAVE been having battery problems - it has been telling me to get a new battery - but how would a battery problem explain the freezing which can go on indefinitely?

I've tried using a checkdisk and a windows problem-checker as directed on startup, but neither of them seem to have changed much. Note that the problem still occurs even when I remove the battery entirely and just plug the computer in.

Thanks for reading!

 

[office politics]

to rule out the battery, try d/c it and plug in the laptop. see if it boots.

sometimes i have to reseat my battery to allow my lp to boot. this happens when i try to poweer it on and nothing happens.

 

[nightreaper]

Yeah, I tried that. It still did freeze. Would a whole laptop freeze from a shoddy battery though?

 

[nightreaper]

UPDATE: Now the computer doesn't turn on at all - I press the button, it blackscreens and then I have to turn it off. I tried doing a hard reboot, and that also didn't help anything. Is it probably a hardware issue?