I'm running an up-to-date Debian Squeeze 64-bit on a laptop. It's
usually been stable, as I might expect from Debian Stable. From time to
time, though, it freezes at seemingly random times. I notice it mostly
when I'm typing and the keyboard stops responding, but I'm not sure it
always freezes while typing. I can't do anything at that point, not
even select a virtual console.
I can't find an Alt-SysReq key on the laptop keyboard to kill it
semi-gracefully, so I kill it with the power button.
When I reboot, it usually boots partway and then freezes again. It's
almost always just after it's said it's starting gdm3, checking battery
status, or starting ACPI.
Getting past that point is challenging. I've tried disconnecting the
power and taking out the battery, but that rarely helps. What usually
helps is to boot into Windows (W7, if it matters) and then shut down and
boot into Debian. Sometimes it seems to help to pull the battery for a
bit, too. Sometimes neither seem to help, and so I keep trying
combinations until it reboots.
Does that sound at all familiar?