hi,

i have a gateway t-6859u laptop run by ubuntu 10.10 64-bit.

it seems to run great most of the time. but perhaps two or three times a day it will hang and nothing seems possible except holding the power button until it shuts off and restarting it. also, it can be very difficult to restart requiring several attempts because it hangs before the gateway bios splash screen starts. and sometimes hags a the bios splash screen.

it has also been run by ubuntu 32-bit in the past and the former owner reported similar problems.

perhaps it needs a new bios?

what could be causing this and how can i resolve it?

please advise.

thank you.

I would check the temperatures, and blow the dust out of it with canned air.

the thing is its clean as a whistle already.

the machine has very few hours on it.

I'm thinking power supply.

Power supply because the battery goes flat and then has to get charged a bit before the box will restart. Power sockets often go dodgy, and the power cables can break below the plug due to lead bending. Try setting the lead, leaving the box immobile, removing the battery, and running it. Batteries can leak enough to blow a power supply. If that solves it, lose or replace the battery.