Help! Computer and/or browser shut down frequently

Discussion in 'Software' started by Tonii, Feb 23, 2010.

  1. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    For a very long time I have been having trouble with my computer and/or browser shutting down. This problem is getting very frequent, sometimes it shuts down again right after rebooting over and over again or freezes, other times it is fine for hours. (I noticed it doesn't shut down in safe mode). Even desktop recovery doesn't work stating "object doesn't support this action). Just recently, when I click on my "My Documents" icon on the desktop I get this message: "Internet Explorer" This page has an uspecified potential security risk". Frequently the browser (both IE and Firefox) crash, more frequently I get the BSOD, but never the same one.

    I have gotten these messages and maybe more I can't remember: IRQL not less or equal, Page fault in non paged area, bad pool caller, driver corrupted MMpool, A driver has corrupted the memory management system PTES, PFN list corrupt, driver IRQL not less or equal, windows corrupt file exception processing message c0000102 Paramenters 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c.

    I have Windows XP Professional Version 2002, Service Pack 3, 32-bit, AMD Athlon (tm) XP 3000+, 2.17 GHz, 512 MB of RAM, with Avast antivirus and Spybot. I have gone through the procedure on the malware thread and run the SuperAntispyware which found nothing.
     
  2. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Hi Tonii and welcome to Majorgeeks :),

    With random errors such as these, it's often bad RAM that's to blame. Can you open the PC to check if it has one stick or two fitted?
     
  3. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    Thanks for your quick reply. I can actually see in through the glass on the cover, but I don't know what I'm looking for. If its what I think it is (those flat things) there are two. I do see it is very dusty but I don't have one of those compressed air sprays. I notice the top fan at the very back is not moving as well. (there are 2 one above the other)
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2010
  4. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Ok, that sounds like you have 2 sticks, see Crucial's page on installing DIMMs, it's for a slightly older PC than yours but it's close enough for our purposes :); can you open the case (with the PC turned off and switched off at the wall) and remove the inner (nearest the front of the PC) of the 2 sticks, then power on the PC and test?

    If you get the same results (random errors), power down and turn off again then replace the 1st stick with the 2nd and test again.

    The PC will be very slow with half the RAM missing, dont worry about that at this stage.

    Do you have a separate graphics card, or does your monitor connect directly to the rear of the motherboard near the keyboard/mouse connectors?
     
  5. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    Well, I have taken the computer apart and blown some of the crap out of it, didn't change anything or touch anything because I'm not sure we were talking about the same thing, but I took some pictures. My new problem is now that I have plugged everything back in and turned it on part way through loading it stops and says: CMOS checksum error - Defaults loaded. What now?
     
  6. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    I pressed F1 and it loaded, but says it found new hardware, CD ROM, but it couldn't install it, so I don't know, maybe its just not loaded properly because of the error
     
  7. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Go back into the PC and check that the silver coin-like battery is correctly seated in the motherboard holder, that can trigger the error message. If that doesn't fix it after setting the BIOS again, you may need to buy a replacement battery, for now press F2 at the error (or whatever key combination is listed) and enter the BIOS. You'll need to correct the time and check the hard drive and CD/DVD is listed correctly before saving and rebooting.

    Checking back with the pictures on the Crucial link, you found the memory slots and sticks, yes? Your PC may have slightly different clips and one notch in the RAM but it should be much the same as photos #4-8; #3 shows the battery, low on the right edge of that 'board, but placement varies.
     
  8. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    If the sticks are only about an inch wide, I found them-- but there is only one. Do I have to unplug all the wires attached to the computer to go back in again and check the battery or just unplug it? It looks fine through the window, but maybe if I press on it, it might be loose.
     
  9. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    I can't help but noticing that since it loaded this way, I've been using the internet etc. and neither the pc nor the browser has crashed once. Could the problem then be a program that usually loads?
     
  10. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    That reads like you found the RAM - also rules out a trial and error test 'cos there's only one of them :( We may need to run Memtest later.

    EDIT: I'd just shutdown and switch off at the wall to check the battery - if it breaks contact, you'll need to set the BIOS again.
    A program or, perhaps, a driver that has switched back to a standard type ... interesting ;) check Device Manager, any unknown or non-working devices flagged there?
     
  11. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    Is there any way to insert an image from my pc?
     
  12. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    There are a few things in marked in the device manager right now, but it could be because everything didn't load (some of them were mentioned when it was trying). I'll check again tomorrow after I open it up and check the battery again. Have a good night.
     
  13. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Sure, hit the Quote button (or Quick reply then Advanced I think) scroll down to Additional Options > Manage Attachments; 97.7 KB max size for an image up to 2MB for a zip.

    Sleep well, I'll try to catchup tomorrow.
     
  14. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    Here is a photo of my pc. I opened it up this morning and checked the battery. Seemed okay, but I pushed on it anyway. Machine loaded most things, found new hardware, etc. but said it couldn't install RAID controller. In device manager now the only thing in question says:

    - other devices
    - Multimedia Audio Controller
    - RAID controller.

    I'm not sure if everything loaded properly as it went by quickly. I thought maybe it said something unusual but I missed it. So far everything seems to be working, but it hasn't been long. I didn't do anything with the BIOS or anything like that. Just turned it on and let things install themselves.
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    ok, it never blue screened last night when it loaded the default, but it just blue screened now and gave the run driver verifier message and error code:

    STOP: 0x000000CS (0x00000000, 0x00000002, 0x00000001, 0x8054BF87)
     
  16. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    And again just now, same message, different code:

    STOP: 0x000000C5 (0x6A59E44C, 0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0x8054BF0F) or OF, not sure.

    When it was loading as it went past quickly, I noticed it now says scan devices - no device.
     
  17. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    Here is a screen capture of the Device Manager:
     

    Attached Files:

  18. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    Sorry, this one should be easier to read
     

    Attached Files:

    • dm.JPG
      dm.JPG
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  19. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Ok, there's a setting in the BIOS which changes the way the hardware is accessed and controlled, the BIOS default setting is different to the way it was before.

    If you can give me your PC make/model/serial number or the model of the motherboard, I'll find the correct settings for your BIOS.
     
  20. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    How do I find the model of the motherboard?
     
  21. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Umm, look between the RAM and the heatsink/fans, I can see it on the photo but can't be sure of it.
     
  22. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    I see something near the purple DIMM that says Gigabyte GA-7VT600. Is that it?
     
  23. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    That's it :)

    According to the manual, I think the quickest option is to enter the BIOS and select ''Load Optimized defaults'' (F7?). Save and reboot - F10.

    When Windows starts it should now install the drivers differently, using similar settings/drivers that you had originally.
     
  24. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    um, I know nothing of BIOS, could you walk me through the steps, please?
     
  25. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Ok, reboot and tap the Del key to enter the BIOS; on the right side of the page will be ''Load Optimized defaults'', select it and hit the Y key to agree, then press F10 to Save and exit (reboot).
     
  26. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    ok, that is done. I noticed as it loaded that it still says no devices as before and something about master disk smart capacity disabled, maybe its supposed to - I don't know. It still says found new hardware RAID controller, I don't think I have a cd for that. Is it important? Do we still need to do a memtest?
     
  27. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Ok, SMART disabled is normal (boots up a little faster without the check), RAID controller, I'm guessing you only have one hard drive so it's not needed.

    Yes, you'll need to allow Memtest to run for several loops, preferably overnight - but if it flags errors then you'll need new RAM ... I'd opt for 1GB.

    I have to leave here soon to get hands on with an infected PC, I'll try to catch up with this thread while I'm there - good luck :)

    PS, can you check for bad caps? If you have any (you'll need to diconnect the PC, use a mirror/flashlight/magnifier to check) then cancel the RAM - the motherboard will need replacing.
     
  28. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    Actually, I have 2 hard drives, C and D, but mostly use C.

    A couple of my caps have some sort of orange on the top and one seems to be tilted a bit. I guess that means I have bad caps :cry
     

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  29. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    What do I do now? Can this be fixed reasonably? or do I need a new PC?
     
  30. rjc862003

    rjc862003 Corporal

    yep shes blown

    well if your good with a soldering iron you can replace them but it might be time to let her rest and think about upgrading altho you can still get replacement motherboards
     
  31. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    so, money wise, would it be better to start new than to start replacing parts, motherboard, ram, etc?
     
  32. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Probably, unless you can source a new motherboard with AGP for your current graphics card, the same CPU socket and RAM. It won't be easy, most places would have sold this ''old stock'' off years ago.
     
  33. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    ok thanks. On the plus side, it is working way better now than it was, so maybe it will last a bit longer.
     
  34. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    Well, I must say even though it blue screened constantly, this old computer lasted until December when it finally just gave up and died, it made a noise and turned off never to come on again.

    So anyway, what I am wondering is, do I need to be concerned about privacy in the event someone gets ahold of this as I can no longer wipe the drive clean. Can they still somehow retrieve anything from my hard drive? Is there any way to clean it when it doesn't work?
     
  35. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    You may want to slave the drive to another computer and see if anything is accessible. If it isn't, then you can be pretty well assured that nothing is retrievable. Worst case, find a very strong magnet and swipe it over the hard drive a few times. LOL
     
  36. rjc862003

    rjc862003 Corporal

    all someone needs todo to get the data off the drive is remove the drive and connect to another pc if there is very sensitive information DESTROY the drive a magnet might NOT do the trick
     
  37. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    @rjc862003 --> believe that is what I said.
     
  38. rjc862003

    rjc862003 Corporal

    but if he wants to be extra super sure he should just physically destroy the drive
    melt it .. smash it with a hammer ... drill it full of holes ..... ect ect ect
     
  39. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    LOL.....sledgehammer!!! Blow torch!!
     
  40. rjc862003

    rjc862003 Corporal

    I put a old drive with my bank account info in our coal burning furnace
    SLAG IT!
     
  41. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    So I'm finally getting around to disposing of this unworking computer. I have taken the hard drive out to destroy. Is there anything else that is a privacy issue or just the hard drive?
     
  42. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    is it possible that any of the RAM memory that is usually dumped when you shut down, wasn't dumped because it just died? or any other things I should remove besides the hard drive. Someone wants to try using the parts, so will have the tower and contents.
     
  43. usafveteran

    usafveteran MajorGeek

    The hard drive is all that you need to remove.
     
  44. Tonii

    Tonii Private E-2

    Great! Thanks!
     

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