Laptop freezes with HDD light glowing

[P1990]

Hello guys...having a freeze issue and it has started just a few days back.
My system freezes with the hard disk light glowing solid bright(no strobe effect at all). The only way to find a solution is to restart the system. CTRL+ALT+DEL does not work.
This usually happens while installing applications...and happened while installing Microsoft Flight Simulator X. I was able to move the mouse arrow around though. I am using nVidia's 195.62 WHQL certified drivers.
Antivirus is Norton Internet security 2010.
Any idea?

My laptop config:

HP PAVILION dv5t
Intel Core 2 Duo P7350(2.00GHz,3MB L2,1066MHz FSB)
3GB DDR2-800 RAM
250gb@5400rpm HDD...Fujitsu
nVidia Geforce 9600M GT 512MB DDR2(NO OC)
Vista Home Premium 32(SP1)

 

[tipstir]

Load the system into safe mode without networking and leave it on for 1 hour then come back. Do you have the same issue? If not then it might be NIS10 causing the issue or registry errors. Download and install IOBIT Advance System Care (free) you can install that then run it under Safe Mode. See what it finds on your system that needs attention to fix.

 

[P1990]

Hello tipstir...I was facing the same problem even while running HDD scan 3.1...after a few minutes(3-4 usually)...the PC just hangs...I can move the mouse pointer around though. Now,I have reinstalled the OS(restored the system to original factory settings)...and I ran HDD scan 3.1 again....and I faced the same problem(freeze). Has the HDD gone kaput? I ran windows memory(RAM) test as well and there were no problems......