Update:
I updated the bios software, and updated the driver from the intel download center. I found another thread saying they had luck trying to rollback the driver by device manager->display adapters->mobil intel (r) 4 series express chipset family-> properties->update driver-> search locally, then I picked an another driver. this seemed to help to the fact that it now happends less, however it still appears.
I also tried using kapersky tdsskiller to see if there is a rootkit hiding somewhere that could be causing this, no threats were found.
Other information: when I bought the laptop the seller told me that the battery doesn't hold a charge anymore. The battery will appear to charge full but will not hold a charge longer than 5 minutes. Not sure if this has anything to do with the driver issue.
Any more suggestions?
could this be the motherboard issue?
thanks again