computer locking up...

Someone know of any good diagnostic programs etc. to help me? I keep getting blue screens of death. I was thinking maybe was processor because I noticed my processor running hot. Then I put some arctic silver on there and that cooled the processor down a bit.

I tried removing some of the ram. Sometimes the computer locks up then I shut it down, and turn it back on and can't get anything on the screen. Takes several times of turning it back on and back off.

Can someone point me in right direction please?

 

ttt please get me started

 

When does it crash? That would be a big clue. Also some specs are needed as well. Also check the event viewer which might lend another clue as well.

 

Computer crashes at random times. I'll try anything at this point. How do I look at event viewer? Sorry to be dumb. I know a lot about computers, but I'm stumped on this one. Let me know how to look at event viewer and I'll copy paste the results for you. Thanks.

 

specs are:

PQI 2 512 MB ram sticks
Asus P4V88 mobo
Geforce 6800GS (if I remember correctly) video card
P4 3.0E w/hyperthreading processor
Sata 150 hdd

dunno what other specs you may need, but just ask and I'll get them for you.

 

ok changed from sata hard drive to IDE, formatted ide drive, and installed winxp. Still locking up so it's not the hard drive.

Tried pulling all 4 ram sticks from computer, and tried several times with one at a time in different slots same.

I'm thinking maybe bad power supply?

 

any other ideas out there before I go buy a new power supply?

 

Is it Dual Ram you are using (same make and spec as each) or is it different makes of RAM?

You say you have changed from ATA To IDE.

Did you have the same motherboard whilst doing this?

 

If it was the power supply you most likely wouldn't get a BSOD. Now, when you reinstalled, did you use the SAME drivers as you did with the sata drive?(I mean motherboard/graphics/sound/etc) Also check that you've set everything in the BIOS correctly, even the so-called "fail safe defaults" don't always work correctly. You'd have to take a look through THIS site for more details.

Also what is the stop error displayed? Is it the same one as when you initially encountered it?

 

yes, ram is dual ram. First thing is I've been using the setup for 2 years no problems and all of a sudden this started. Is why I don't think it's so much the setup as it is something failing.

yes motherboard is the same. and I changed from sata to ata hard drive. When I reinstalled to the new hard drive, I didn't install any drivers other than whatever windows xp detects/installs.

Stop error flashes too fast. I can't even make out what it's saying, but one time it said something about dumping physical memory to disk is what got me looking at the ram.

 

well, you need to install at least your motherboard and your graphics card drivers or the best case senario you'll have a crippled PC. nvidia.com and asus.com will have them. I searched at asus' website and could only find a P4V80 model(which isn't the model number you posted) so you're going to have to find those yourself. HERE are you video drivers, unless of course that isn't your video card that you said.

 

As pyrate said your gonna need the latest drivers for your hardware to have a smooth running computer,in the mean time you can post the dump files your computer has created that can be debugged by a member

copy this into windows explorer and press return

C:\WINDOWS\Minidump

In the file that opens should be some mini dumps,the last things that happend before the crashes,copy the two latest to desktop,zip them using winzip and add it too your next post,might give a clue as to the problem 'IF' its software related

 

If it helps, here is current system status. I kinda think it's power supply but want more opinions so I don't waste money.


Vcor: 1.306V
+3.30V: 3.290V
+5.00V: 5.067V
+12.00V: 11.225V

Cpu Temp: 67 deg/152 degF

I know this processor runs a little hot. Maybe it's just the processor overheating and I need a new heatsink?

 

here is the dump file zipped as requested...

 

A little hot! hehe that things smokin,where are you getting that temp from-not the bios

 

Those errors are form all over the place it looks most likely your cpu overheating,run this program while monitoring your temps,if its your cpu your comp will bsod,if it doesnt bsod after 5mins or the temp goes much higher than 70 degrees shut off the test before something is damaged

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=867

 

what is a good computer temp monitor? I got the readings I posted from BIOS. Sorry to be such a noob, but I want to get to the bottom of this so I'm staying open to suggestions pretending I know nothing.

Also FWIW, with only 1 512mb ram stick in computer and the ide drive with NOTHING but Nvidia drivers installed and winxp installed computer is FLYING. Still random crashes/resets though.

 

Ahhh!!!! from the bios!!!!!! dont do another thing with the computer theres something wrong with your cpu cooling,take the side off the case,turn on the computer,go into bios dont let the computer load windows you may damage it further

have a look at your cpu fan 'its the large one about the middle of the motherboard' make sure its spinning at those temperatures it should be screaming also check for excessive dust inside the heatsink and all your other fans are spinning freely and post back

 

I took the fan/heatsink off recently. there was a lot of dust between the fan/heatsink I cleaned that already though. Should the fan be blowing down on the heatsink or up away from it? I have the side of the case off right now. Have had it off since it started. The fan orientation is as such: I have a fan on front of case blowing in directly on hard drive. A fan on back on bottom blowing in to allow cool air in, a fan on back of case blowing out for exhaust, and also a fan on side of case blowing in (when side is on of course).

FWIW this process is NOT overclocked and has always run hot like this. I've googled searched a P4 3.0E processor and seems normal for it to run hot from what I've read.


Worst case if processor is damaged, I will be asking you guys what processor/mobo combo to buy next where I can salvage my ram (probably 64 bit processor) but of course I don't want to waste money. I have 4 512MB DDR 400mhz ram (Pc3200 if I remember correctly).

 

while using a program called "sensors View" and running toast, my processor touched 70 deg C very quickly then dropped back down to 68.

My +12V is showing 10.50V. So you think I should start by a) getting new heatsink or b) new power supply? I just want to get my system stability back

 

Good idea to get a power supply. The voltages may be different with me being in the UK but what is the Wattage of the power supply you have at the moment?

 

Yea, that voltage sounds really really low. I forget the tolerance off hand but it sounds like you need a new PSU. I would go for at least 400watts. Did this all start soon after you upgraded your video card?

If you want a new heatsink THESE are the only ones IMO that will tame a presscott, well, at least almost. I have the XP90c, though the xp90 isn't a bad choice as they are a little on the expensive side. lol Oh, and when you cleaned the processor, you DID put thermal paste on, right?

Also, you haven't mentioned anything about motherboard drivers. I would suggest downloading everest to determine what motherboard you have as I suspect you may have written it down wrong.

 

This program called sensorview says that at idle cpu running at 56 degrees C under load, it runs as hot as 72deg C but under load averages around 68deg C.

This power supply is a 400W power supply.

I decided to start putting ram back in the computer since I'm sure it's not ram that's the problem, and when I got to bank 1, the computer will not boot. Some reason all of a sudden, no matter which stick of ram I use if I put ram in bank 1, computer will not boot. As of right now I have 2 512 sticks pqi ram in banks 3, 4.

Also when I try to load world of warcraft it immediatley crashes. I am able to end process, but the computer crashes. I'm open to all suggestions at this point.

do I a) buy new power supply?

b) new heatsink

c) new motherboard/processor?

 

That 400w PSU is probably a generic POS, so it doesn't matter the wattage cause it's not actually delivering.

 

,what thermal paste did you use if so

I second pyrates suggestion on the psu that 12v is way low,if you have any extra cdroms,lights ect try unplugging them to see if it helps with stability

 

yes I put thermal paste on the processor. I used Dynex silver thermal compound.

I had this new video card in the computer for about 4 months before this locking up issue started.

Computer seems "somewhat" stable as it sits now except the second I open world of warcraft world of warcraft crashes and sometimes I get a blue screen error.

 

Try a House Hold Cooling fan

Just a suggeetion!
Take off the side cover off your computer to enable you to view the motherboard and grapghics card = place your household fan close to the computer and have the cool air blowing to enable to cool the hardware
May help?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I had a "Freezing" problem with my new computer =
Now as an experiment I took the side cover off the computer and placed our room desk cooling fan about 150mm away from the computer and had the cool air blowing on the Gigabyte Motherboard and Graphics Card, Yes computer played one Video all the way through OK with showing no freezing!! [With the Graphics Card Hardware Acceleration set the maximum setting].

On further inspection I found the side cover air tube extension [for the CPU Fan] shroud had closed up. [Looks like rattled/closed its self up during the Road transporting from Sydney to Armidale [550 KMs] I extended same out to the maximum [Giving about 20 to 30mm clearance between its end and the CPU fan unit] fixed the extension out in place with a wrap of installation tape. Replaced the side cover and with same in place and yes the computer played a couple of Videos all the way through.

Since went out and purchased and fitted a "Mainboard Cooler" [One that you fit in the extra front vacant floppy drive receptacle]
It measures 250mm long and after insertion locates its self close low near the motherboard and Graphics Card
This New Fan unit now extracts a good flow of air from the lower section of Motherboard and Graphics Card extracting out through the front of computer.

Now after two months its bliss to be not having a computer problem

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Also with the above I did a clean install using = FREE Driver Clean Pro = from; http://www.drivercleaner.net/ ...mputer if not delete same. x Hope will help

 

Sorry ozrowsky I screwed up win debugger beta 'ot' my firewall was playing up,your memory dumps are pointing toward memory corruption-ie bad memory,download and run this program

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4363

Go to options-torture test-blend,this will test your ram but wont crash your computer if theres an error,you should be able to run this overnight with no errors if your computer is stable

post back as to how long you could run the test for

Edit-hurray prime 95 in MG downloads

 

Is it crashing completely to off(or rebooting)? Last summer I bought a 5200 card for my linux rig and about 2 months later my PSU blew up, and I don't even game with it, nor does the 5200 card require a big PSU. If you say the 12v rail is really low, you have a presscott and 6800(both require a descent amount of power) and it's only crashing when you need alot of power(play WoW), I'm throwing my cards in that it's the PSU, but don't discount anyone else's suggestion either.

 

Did you check you memory to make sure it's good even though you said your psu died?
there is a program you can download called memtest86 but i'm not sure if there's a linux version.

 

Me? Yea, the memory is fine it's in my computer right now. Memtest wouldn't even run, and I've seen errors with memtest before so I know the difference. My computers been working perfectly since I swapped out the PSU. That happened last summer, so it's pretty much old news to me. Obviously the PSU was a generic POS.

 

Now all of a sudden I get blue screen errors on the computer. I tried all 4 sticks of ram, and same. Everything has been good for the last 4 years, now all of a sudden everything's screwy. You think it may possibly be the motherboard?

I tried the memtest when the computer WOULD start up and it crashed 3 times as soon as it opened, and once it gave me some errors. I'm confuzzled. Gonna bring it to some friends tomorrow and try a different psu and do some experiments I'll let ya know what I find out.

 

That's the exact same thing that happened when my PSU died.

 

I tried a different PSU and no change. I guess I'm gonna go ahead and get a new processor/motherboard combo and sell whatever parts I determine to be good. That being said, what motherboard/processor should I go with?

I'm probably going to buy from newegg.com don't want anything crazy expensive, but want something as good if not better than a P4 3.0ghz. Please let me know your opinions.