[Dell Inspiro-3252] Freezes with Debian BullsEye [edu versi]

[habibie]

I have a Dell Inc. Inspiron 3252/0WVYMC, BIOS 2.3.6 12/07/2015 computer with 4 GB RAM. Currently, it is running on the Debian BullsEye [EDU version].

History: This computer used to run on OpenSuSE 13 sans a problem. I occasionally ran the memtest86+ overnight sans any problem, except they all showed several passes on RAM tests before I terminated the tests in the morning. Unfortunately, the version of this OS no longer supported and/or maintained by OpenSuSE and I decided to replaced it with uBuntu 20.x. While my computer is running on uBuntu 20.x, I noticed it behaved erratically, i.e. freezes randomly, and I had to manually power cycle the computer. So, I decided to run the memtest86+ and it too always freezes at around 65% memory on RAM test. The first thought was my computer had a RAM issue. Then, I went to MemTest86 website to download a copy of the latest version of memtest86+ on ISO. When I do the RAM tests again with the memtest86x downloaded from MemTest86 website, the test passed several time over the night sans a problem. Regardless, the freezes became more frequent and eventually I had to replaced the OS with Debian 10.x and experienced with the same freeze issue.

Now: My computer is running with Debian BullsEye [EDU version] and it behaved more stable (very few freezes) with the Linux kernel linux-image-5.9.0-4-amd64; however, the memtest86+ from Debian BullsEye (not downloaded from MemTest86 site) still freezes at around 80% on RAM test. Unfortunately, when I did perform an apt update, the process installed with the new linux-5.10.19 kernel (Linux am-f48e3882a094.intern 5.10.0-4-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.19-1 (2021-03-02) x86_64 GNU/Linux), my computer starts to show erratic freeze behaviour again. To make the matter worse, somehow the existing linux-image-5.9.0-4-amd64 package got removed when I did perform an apt update again when my computer was up running with the newly installed linux-5.10.19 kernel. I tried to reinstall the linux-image-5.9.0-4-amd64 package to no avail. Unless there is a way I can quickly resolve this issue, my best solution is trying to revert to OpenSuSE with the latest version and hope this problem deosn't exist. Anyone?

[PS]: This [deep] freeze is so bad that I had to compose this message 3x mainly because my computer froze on me twice.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Is the CPU µcode package installed?

[habibie]

Is the CPU µcode package installed?

TBH, I have no idea what is the CPU µcode package. However, I launched synaptic package manager and searched for CPU micro code and found this amd64-microcode and intel-microcode packages not installed. Is this what you meant? Anyway, I went ahead to install the later since my computer is an Intel based CPU. Now, what should I do next?

PS: My computer still freezes after rebooting with the intel-microcode installed (see below).

Code: Select all

[Wed Mar 10 13:13:16 2021] microcode: microcode updated early to revision 0x368, date = 2019-04-23
[Wed Mar 10 13:13:16 2021] Linux version 5.10.0-4-amd64 (debian-kernel@lists.debian.org) (gcc-10 (Debian 10.2.1-6) 10.2.1 20210110, 
GNU ld (GNU Binutils for Debian) 2.35.2) #1 SMP Debian 5.10.19-1 (2021-03-02)
[Wed Mar 10 13:13:16 2021] Command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-4-amd64 root=UUID=22732659-d906-4eff-9c47-48b0864d7e25 ro n
et.ifnames=0 splash quiet
[Wed Mar 10 13:13:16 2021] x86/fpu: x87 FPU will use FXSAVE
...
[Wed Mar 10 13:13:21 2021] microcode: sig=0x406c3, pf=0x1, revision=0x368
[Wed Mar 10 13:13:21 2021] microcode: Microcode Update Driver: v2.2.

[arzgi]

TBH, I have no idea what is the CPU µcode package. However, I launched synaptic package manager and searched for CPU micro code and found this amd64-microcode and intel-microcode packages not installed. Is this what you meant? Anyway, I went ahead to install the later since my computer is an Intel based CPU. Now, what should I do next?

Just reboot, did you get further?

[habibie]

TBH, I have no idea what is the CPU µcode package. However, I launched synaptic package manager and searched for CPU micro code and found this amd64-microcode and intel-microcode packages not installed. Is this what you meant? Anyway, I went ahead to install the later since my computer is an Intel based CPU. Now, what should I do next?

Just reboot, did you get further?

Like before, I can use my computer before and then suddenly it just freezes and I have to manually power cycle my computer.

I just updated my previous post to show the partial output of dmesg -T to show the load of microcode.

[stevepusser]

Have you monitored the CPU temperatures and whatever other sensors you can in realtime to make sure that's not an issue?

You may also try and take a look at the inside of the thing to make sure it's clean, and try and clean the contacts and reseat what plugs in.

[habibie]

Have you monitored the CPU temperatures and whatever other sensors you can in realtime to make sure that's not an issue?

I don't think this is an issue, especially when my computer was just powered up in the morning during a cold winter night. Last night, as I was writing this post, my computer got frozen again. This afternoon, while I was doing some searches on google and reading an article, my computer got frozen again. Fortunately, this time I just happened to have psensor running. Since there was nothing I could do to take a screen dump due to the freeze, I resorted to take a screen shot using an Android smartphone and I I don't see any anomalies in term of CPU temperatures which spiked to about 120F (may be I am wrong). I wished I could attach the screen shot here to show you.

You may also try and take a look at the inside of the thing to make sure it's clean, and try and clean the contacts and reseat what plugs in.

Yes and I just opened up the mainboard case and it was clean.

One thing for sure is the memtest86+ installed from Debian 10.x during the installation process still freezes at around 80% of RAM test while the one I downloaded from the MemTest86 site (the same version) runs OK with several RAM tests completion over the night. I don't suppose these two memtest86+ versions have anything to do with CPU microcode, do they?