Lock-up leading to BSOD when closing programs/files

[Aesctaa]

Title should read after closing programs/files.

I'm On Vista SP2, i would upgrade to 7 but I'm moving to the US in a couple of weeks and will be using some kind of macbook there.

The problem is caused when closing a file or a program, but the steps listed below do not always start immediately, there is usually a 20-30 second gap until it begins. The common culprits are NEF(nikon raw photo), and larger JPEG files, firefox, PS/GIMP, and games.

Its far more likely to happen with firefox and games, closing WoW when i used to play was basically guaranteed to trigger it. closing picture files is approx 5-20% chance.

Its a pretty big issue since i need to process near enough 5000 photographs before i move, and this is seriously disrupting my workflow, i can't just leave everything open, the files are too big after a while.

When its triggered, the sequence is:

1) Unable to click on anything
2) Windows taskbar/startbar freeze
3) Firefox(if open) freezes
4) Cursor Freezes
5) Everything else freezes, including sound and video
6) Black screen
7) BSOD and reboot

Each step separated by about 5-10 seconds.

Its been happening for a few months, i thought it was in some way related to a dud graphics card that fried itself, but its still happening post replacing it. I figure i might need to take this to a specialist tech forum of some kind, or at least be more specific about my system, but if anyone has any knowledge of if its a common issue and could share any info or a link on the usual cause/fix would be appreciated.

[diemos]

Sounds like it could be your hdd possibly. It seems as if it happens when you're writing data to your drive. This being said, it could also be a RAM issue (less likely). Both of which you can test by downloading UBCD (google it) and booting off that.

I would do a hard sector scan if possible on your drive(s).
I would also run a complete RAM test which will take ages, but usually comes up clean.

Then again it could be something simple like drivers or your system overheating. However I doubt it would be overheating off of the symptoms you decribed, since you're saying it happens when you close the program(s).

Do your updates!!! Meaning. go to the manufacturer's website and check to see if they have any updates. This doesn't mean JUST go to HP.com or acer.com etc.., but check the components individually. It's a bitch of a process, but it goes a long way in the end (you can store the drivers and easily reformat your system with proper, up-to-date drivers.

If you do a sector scan of your hard drive and find bad sectors, get your data off it and onto something else immediately. Hard drives have a tendency to fail faster and harder the more time you give it.

If it's your RAM, you can easily buy a couple sticks for relatively cheap off NewEgg or something.

If things are overheating, say hello to desk fan in case.

If you've done updates, and all of the above steps, I'd say it's a motherboard problem, (could be solved by BIOS updates), however, if you get to this point I'd ALMOST say build a new one.

[sruon]

HDD or RAM it looks like, just do as above poster said and memtest that shit.

$10 on RAM.

[Strife]

If your computer has two sticks of RAM, then I would remove one and see if it still happens, if so try the other stick.

Seems like faulty RAM to me.