Computer freezing problem

[H.Henkler]

Hello,

I keep having "freezing" problems with my (6 month old) computer.

The system:
Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 2 - Intel Pentium 4 / 3.40 MHz - 1.25
GB RAM -
NVIDIA GeForce 6610 XL - WDC WD 2500 JD-00HBB0 hard disk.

The problem:
The computer "freezes" at random , i.e. whatever application is running, if any - the
monitor screen "freezes", keyboard and mouse become inactive. I have to switch off the
power line and restart/reboot in order to make the system work again. Strangely though,
there are days, when the PC works OK, but there are also days or even hours, when the
"freezing" occurs several times in a row.
Sometimes restarting and rebooting by just pressing the start button works fine, but
sometimes the system freezes at the Pentium 4 logo already and it is necessary to switch
power off and on.

The on-site service has already exchanged the motherboard, all RAMS and the Pentium 4
processor, to no avail.

Questions:
Can this be caused by the 250 GB hard disk?
Can this be caused be the power supply unit? (my suspicion)
What else could cause the problem?

Thank you in advance for any helpful reply.
Herb Henkler

 

[Clark]

Have you checked your Event Viewer to see if any problems show up? It might
be some type of software conflict.

If not that, could it be related to heat?

Do you have another device on the IDE channel with the WD drive (if it isn't
serial)?

Clark

 

[H.Henkler]

Have you checked your Event Viewer to see if any problems show up? It might
be some type of software conflict.

If not that, could it be related to heat?

Do you have another device on the IDE channel with the WD drive (if it isn't
serial)?

Clark

Clark,
thank you. The WD drive is the only hard disk of the computer.
Heat shouldn´t cause the problem because sometimes freezing starts right at first
power-up in the morning.

More information: Systemmodell: MS-7091 / BIOS-Version: Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00
PG

Typical comments from the Event Viewer:

Samstag, 19. März 2005 Application Hang
Stillstehende Anwendung netscape.exe, Version 0.5.0.0,
Stillstandmodul hungapp, Version 0.0.0.0,
Stillstandadresse 0x00000000

Dienstag, 10. Mai 2005 Applicatio n Hang Stillstehende Anwendung POP3CH~1.EXE, Version
2.0.0.209, Stillstandmodul hungapp, Version 0.0.0.0, Stillstandadresse 0x00000000.

These hangs could be fixed without rebooting but by closing the application in task
manager.
There are also other ERROR messages but they didn´t end up in a freeze.
If the system hangs already while booting I guess there´s no chance for writing down any
event analysis in a file.

The system has a 350 W PSU. Besides the graphic adapter there is a wireless satellite
board installed for fast internet downloads.
The freeze, however, is never correlated to such downloads.
Should I try a 450 W PSU?

Herb

 

[Bob]

Should I try a 450 W PSU?

You can't possibly be using anywhere near the rated capacity of the
350 W PSU, so getting a 450 W is not going to do any good on power use
alone.

Install one of the motherboard hardware monitors like MBM5 or SpeedFan
to see if you have a voltage problem. Check with your motherboard
maker to see if they have such a monitor.

What happens when you boot into Safe Mode?

 

[H.Henkler]

You can't possibly be using anywhere near the rated capacity of the
350 W PSU, so getting a 450 W is not going to do any good on power use
alone.

Install one of the motherboard hardware monitors like MBM5 or SpeedFan
to see if you have a voltage problem. Check with your motherboard
maker to see if they have such a monitor.

What happens when you boot into Safe Mode?

Bob,
how can I boot into Safe Mode if booting already freezes at the Pentium 4 Logo?
Herb

 

[kony]

You can't possibly be using anywhere near the rated capacity of the
350 W PSU, so getting a 450 W is not going to do any good on power use
alone.

In sufficient information to make that call.
"Rated capacity" depends entirely on the rating system used.
Generics typically use a rating system based around a brief
peak output at the most optimal (overly optimistic to the
point of being unrealistic, perhaps even impossible)
conditions. In reality, today's high-speed CPUs, GPUs, etc,
require a beefier PSU even if the actual (average)
consumption is 200W, relative to what a 5 year old system
using (average 200W) would've needed. The difference is in
recovery times, the ability of the power supply to handle
rapidly changing loads... not only during the first few days
of use, but for the expected, needed life of the system.

If it's a generic PSU labeled at 350W surge, with lower true
sustained output at only 25C and further limitations per
each rail (as it commonly the case), then it's expected that
it isn't appropriate for the system.

A generic 350W PSU is not sufficient for the average system
running a P4 Prescott. It's not even sufficient for the
average system running an upper speed Northwood. That's
with low-end video and a single HDD & optical.


If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's probalby
a duck. Same goes for the interior of a generic power
supply.

 

[DaveW]

It sounds like you either have an overheating problem of some component in
your computer, such as the PSU or on the motherboard. Or, your power supply
is failing. I would first try replacing the power supply with a known
working one of GOOD Quality and adequate power output for the devices in
your computer.

 

[Clark]

The reason I asked about the WD drive was to make sure you don't have it
set to master if it is on its own IDE channel. It should be set to single.

The F8 key will give you an "Enable Boot Logging" choice.

Are you overclocking the CPU? It is fairly fast so things like memory
settings not correct or the wrong type of memory could lock it up. Are you
setting up the Bios or someone else?

If it continues to lock up, as others have suggested you need to make it as
simple as possible to eliminate such things as drivers or software.

Sorry I could not read all the Event Viewer comments, but what you are
looking for is something that happens on a fairly continuous basis.

Clark

 

[H.Henkler]

You can't possibly be using anywhere near the rated capacity of the
350 W PSU, so getting a 450 W is not going to do any good on power use
alone.

Install one of the motherboard hardware monitors like MBM5 or SpeedFan
to see if you have a voltage problem. Check with your motherboard
maker to see if they have such a monitor.

What happens when you boot into Safe Mode?

I followed your advice and installed SpeedFan.
Voltage readings:
VCORE 1.36 V
+12 V 11.98 V
+3.3 V 3.39 V
+5 V 5.05 V
VIN2 10.94 V
+5 VSB 4.84 V
VBAT 3.10 V

Any voltage not within specs?
Herb

 

[mhaase-at-springmind.com]

I followed your advice and installed SpeedFan.
Voltage readings:
VCORE 1.36 V
+12 V 11.98 V
+3.3 V 3.39 V
+5 V 5.05 V
VIN2 10.94 V
+5 VSB 4.84 V
VBAT 3.10 V

Any voltage not within specs?
Herb

Unfortunately, you're probably not gonna see the kinda power supply
problems that would cause freezing/crashing/etc using this kind of
monitor. They tend to be momentary fluctuations that are too fast to
be displayed. With a suspected PS problem, the best troubleshooting
method is replacement with a known good unit.

Another frequent cause of freezes lately has been the "bad capicitor
on the motherboard" problem. Did you say what MB you;re using? Check
out www.badcaps.net for more info.

M

 

[w_tom]

The number associated with +5 VSB is suspect. Excessive
ripple would cause this low number AND could cause
intermittent failures.

Motherboard monitor is not sufficient for measuring
voltages. That monitor must be first calibrated with a 3.5
digit multimeter. The monitor is for monitoring changes and
not sufficient for accurate voltage measurements. Get the
meter. If +5 VSB remains that low, then either borrow
equipment to view ripple voltage, or try same measurements
with a new supply.

 

[H.Henkler]

Unfortunately, you're probably not gonna see the kinda power supply
problems that would cause freezing/crashing/etc using this kind of
monitor. They tend to be momentary fluctuations that are too fast to
be displayed. With a suspected PS problem, the best troubleshooting
method is replacement with a known good unit.

Another frequent cause of freezes lately has been the "bad capicitor
on the motherboard" problem. Did you say what MB you;re using? Check
out www.badcaps.net for more info.

M

Thank M,
I fully agree with you. The motherboard is a MS-7091. I didn´t find any specification
for it on the web nor does the computer dealer MEDION (Germany) hand out the data sheet.

Herb

 

[CBFalconer]

The reason I asked about the WD drive was to make sure you don't
have it set to master if it is on its own IDE channel. It should
be set to single.

The F8 key will give you an "Enable Boot Logging" choice.

Are you overclocking the CPU? It is fairly fast so things like
memory settings not correct or the wrong type of memory could lock
it up. Are you setting up the Bios or someone else?

If it continues to lock up, as others have suggested you need to
make it as simple as possible to eliminate such things as drivers
or software.

Please don't toppost. Please do snip irrelevant material.

I suspect many people accuse systems of 'freezing' when they fail
to set the solitary drive to single because of lack of patience.
If you wait, the system should time out on its search for a slave
drive, and announce something like 'faulty slave'. This may well
take two to three minutes, after which the cure becomes fairly
obvious.

 

[Bob]

I fully agree with you. The motherboard is a MS-7091. I didn´t find any specification
for it on the web nor does the computer dealer MEDION (Germany) hand out the data sheet.

Get another PSU - a decent one this time. You are suffering
needlessly. They don't cost that much, and you will have to replace
the one you have eventually even if it is running within specs at the
moment.


--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

"Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverence. Talent
will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education
will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and
determination alone are omnipotent."
--Calvin Coolidge

 

[mhaase-at-springmind.com]

Thank M,
I fully agree with you. The motherboard is a MS-7091. I didn´t find any specification
for it on the web nor does the computer dealer MEDION (Germany) hand out the data sheet.

Well, take a close look at the capacitors on your MB - see if any of
them resemble the pics on that web page. If so, odds are that's your
prob. If not, I'd replace the PS.

M

 

[yani]

I have thesame problem with are editing machine it keeps in freezing
even I have checked all the part in my point I have seen no problem
with the part of the said unit i have checked it all and i have found
a solution but just lust for 2 hours then after that still the problem
presist we are using hte unit for 3 years now with heavy load of
editing.