Please please help!!

[sues1958]

Pc spec
Intel Pentium D 3.4ghz
512gb DDR2
Foxconn Mobo P4M800P7MB-RS2H
320gb HD Sata Hitachi Deskstar T7K500
2 x DVD RW
Software
Win XP Pro all up to date
AVG Free
Zonealarm Anto spyware.
PowerDVD

It all started when the PC started to reboot randomly for no apparent reason. It is a self build pc and this has been going on really since first built 10 months ago. Thinking the problem was windows installation I reinstalled but had problems with installation. Thinking the problem was with the DVD RW tried another but had same install problems ie Windows unable to find files. I managed eventually after reformatting a couple more times.
Had PC running a while (hours) without any updates or adding anything else the had the blue screen and PC seems to shut down leaving just mouse pointer visible. Fans on CPU and in case still working.
Replaced memory stick. Still same problem.
Carried out loads of S/W tests on hardware - no problems detected.
Upgraded bios - still same problems.
Changed out MOBO to Foxconn P4M8907MB-KRS2H, reinstalled fresh copy of windows. PC seems to run noticably better so thought this was the problem ie incompatable CPU and MOBO but its happened again this morning. PC seems to shut down, I can hear the HD click off but the fans etc still working. WHen rebooted WIndows fatal error screen indicating driver problem but there is hardly anything installed on this pc, no other PCI cards or anything.
I am really at a loss what the problem is. Only HD and CPU left to swap out.
Fault seems to happen randomly. Have checked temp. Have reseated CPU and re done thermal compound. Temp ok. Got CPU fan and 2 case fans running.

The hard disk does and has always been very noisy. Noisiest i've ever had, makes lots of clicking noise. Have run Hitachi HD software checker on it but didnt come up with any errors!

Please, please does anyone have any suggestions!!

Thanks Sue

 

[guest_9323wk]

Hello,

Thank you for your post.

Are you connected to the internet when these errors are happing? Do you have any Wireless cards connected to the PC? When do these error mostly happen? you could try going to the motherboards website and downloading any updated drivers chipset VGA and sound to see if that helps.


Do you have any errors on the Blue screen if not then please do these steps. disable auto restart in control panel system advanced, start up and recovery and uncheck auto restart. This will show a blue screen when the computer restarts hopefully it will have a error code on it and then you can post it here and we can look into this further for you.


I hope this information helps,

wiz

 

[psd99]

have you looked on your case's power/ide/reset switch pins on the motherboard?

make sure they are in the right places.

 

[sues1958]

Hello,

Thank you for your post.

Are you connected to the internet when these errors are happing? Do you have any Wireless cards connected to the PC? When do these error mostly happen? you could try going to the motherboards website and downloading any updated drivers chipset VGA and sound to see if that helps.


Do you have any errors on the Blue screen if not then please do these steps. disable auto restart in control panel system advanced, start up and recovery and uncheck auto restart. This will show a blue screen when the computer restarts hopefully it will have a error code on it and then you can post it here and we can look into this further for you.


I hope this information helps,

wiz

I am always connected to the internet using on board lan. I updated the bios and mobo drivers on previous mobo and same fault occurred. I have updated on this new mobo, same fault occurred. I have disabled auto restart. Sometimes i have a blue screen and the error codes indicate software error but they are always different error codes. When the pc just seems to shut down i dont have blue screen but the fatal error message on reboot. I sent the fatal error off to microsoft today and the response was device driver error but unknown. The only device i have attached outside the pc is a printer. I have had the fault without the printer being installed.

 

[sues1958]

have you looked on your case's power/ide/reset switch pins on the motherboard?

make sure they are in the right places.

I have checked and double checked these and as far as i can see i have then attached correctly.

 

[psd99]

what do you have attached on board?

PCIE or PCI cards?

Did you try removing this and trying...

 

[Ian]

If you have replaced the motherboard, it might be worth doing another re-install and see if this goes ok. I've had problems when swapping a motherboard over in Windows XP a few years back.

However, I don't really like the sound of the hard drive - I think it would be running a full CHKDSK on it to see if it picks up any bad sectors.

 

[sues1958]

what do you have attached on board?

PCIE or PCI cards?

Did you try removing this and trying...

I dont have any other pci cards attached.
Attached to mobo is HD, 2 x DVDRW of which I have tried different one but same fault occurs. DOnt have floppy or anything else attached.

 

[sues1958]

If you have replaced the motherboard, it might be worth doing another re-install and see if this goes ok. I've had problems when swapping a motherboard over in Windows XP a few years back.

However, I don't really like the sound of the hard drive - I think it would be running a full CHKDSK on it to see if it picks up any bad sectors.

Hello Ian
When i attached the new board i did a complete new windows install. I have run chkdsk and hitcachi's own disk checker but no errors came up.
SUe

 

[psd99]

memory scan?

Get software to test your memory?

you could try seating the memory into different slots if at all possible..

 

[sues1958]

memory scan?

Get software to test your memory?

you could try seating the memory into different slots if at all possible..

Did the software test without error but replaced memory just in case and have same problem.

 

[guest_9323wk]

You say you have lots of error codes come up and lots of Blue scrrens can you please post one of the error codes that comes up so that we can see if we can find the problem.

Is the hard drive making any grinding noise or clicking noies if so then this is the sign of the hard drive is on its way out.

Thanks,

wiz

 

[sues1958]

This is my 15th pc build and i have not had problems like this before.

The user ( my friend) uses it only for surfing the web and/or playing pc games. Nothing too intense just basic games that the onboard vga should be fine with. The pc gets used probalby 2-3 hours a day. Nothing heavy.

 

[sues1958]

You say you have lots of error codes come up and lots of Blue scrrens can you please post one of the error codes that comes up so that we can see if we can find the problem.

Is the hard drive making any grinding noise or clicking noies if so then this is the sign of the hard drive is on its way out.

Thanks,

wiz

I cant post any error codes at the moment as i gave my friend the pc back when i changed the mobo and all 'appeared' to be ok.
The hard drive makes lots of clicking and grinding. Would the hard drive on its way out cause my sort of problems yet have no errors when tested??

 

[floppybootstomp]

Bit of a mystery eh?

I would have sugested a cooling problem but you seem to have that angle covered.

Then I would have suggested motherboard but again it's been replaced.

If possible try a different hard drive and reloading Windows onto it.

Also, just to confiirm it's not a heating issue, leave the case side off and position a large fan to blow at the CPU. If it still reboots randomly then it's not a heating issue.

And run memtest, it's a freeware software program that you can boot from a CD or floppy disk and tests your memory. You can get it from Here. Let it run for at least an hour, preferably a few hours.

Only other thing I might comment on is Foxconn don't exactly make the best motherboards on the planet but, obviously, it should still work.

 

[sues1958]

Using some software which came with new mobo i have checked the power supply output and all seems ok.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I cant post any error codes at the moment as i gave my friend the pc back when i changed the mobo and all 'appeared' to be ok.
The hard drive makes lots of clicking and grinding. Would the hard drive on its way out cause my sort of problems yet have no errors when tested??

Just spotted this (and missed it in the first post - ooops ).

I think that's your problem.

Oh noes, not the Deathstar syndrome again?

And I have two Hitachi drives.........

 

[sues1958]

Bit of a mystery eh?

I would have sugested a cooling problem but you seem to have that angle covered.

Then I would have suggested motherboard but again it's been replaced.

If possible try a different hard drive and reloading Windows onto it.

Also, just to confiirm it's not a heating issue, leave the case side off and position a large fan to blow at the CPU. If it still reboots randomly then it's not a heating issue.

And run memtest, it's a freeware software program that you can boot from a CD or floppy disk and tests your memory. You can get it from Here. Let it run for at least an hour, preferably a few hours.

Only other thing I might comment on is Foxconn don't exactly make the best motherboards on the planet but, obviously, it should still work.

Thanks for this, I have installed new memory so dont think I need to run memtest although i did on previous stick.
I accept the comments re Foxconn and usually buy ASUS but as you say it should work. I thought about the heat issue, the cpu runs between 29c and 32c and the system 40c.

 

[sues1958]

Thanks to everyone for your help. I have a working 20gb HD so think my next move will be to format and install to the system to see what happens. If all is ok then i will send the HD back to Hitachi for replacement.

Sue

 

[guest_9323wk]

Thats the best thing to do.

No hard drive should be making clicking noise or grinding noises.

Even thought the software says that there is no errors on the drive somtimes the software can miss some and windows finds them and this could be why your computer keeps restarting.


wiz