Freezing probs

[ro§ie]

although not a new pc, i did build it (with help from here, thank you )),
2 years ago.

about a month ago i started to get intermittent freezes, cant
ctrl/alt/del... can only reboot. just recently, this has become harder and i
sometimes have to try 3 - 4 times to even get past boot up. sometimes when i
get the freeze, the monitor just blurs/pixelates.

i swapped monitors and it happened. i swapped GC's, it happens. i have run
an online diagnostic thing that told me to i should defrag (which i should)
but cant stay on long enough.

chkdsk says the disk is clean.

a few months back i did have overheating probs and went and got lots of fans
that has solved that but i wonder if the residual damage to the chip is
showing now?

any other ideas of what it could be?

gigabyte GA - 7VA
athlon 2500 XP
3 hdd's - 20gbs/ 10gbs/ 40gbs
W2K pro
i have tried both radeon 9200se and geforce mmx 440

flat screen monitor (newish)

ummm anything else to tell?

please help!! its doing my head in!!!

thanks )

rosie

 

[JAD]

1st guess PSU

 

[Michael Hawes]

1st guess PSU

and when

Download Microsoft memory test. Run it to create bootable diskette and
test your memory.
Mike.

 

[ro§ie]

yes, this has occurred to me also. i will be miffed though seeing as when i
built the pc i invested in an antec. erks... though... just checked the spec
and for some reason i only got a 300w! i coulda sworn i got at least 350w.
hmmm now this seems that it could be the culprit.

but how does one check for a fault without putting a new one in?

regards
rosie

 

[ro§ie]

Download Microsoft memory test. Run it to create bootable diskette and
test your memory.
Mike.

i am downloading this anyway as it wont do any harm to test. but as
mentioned to JAD, i think maybe the PSU is failing. i ran a defrag in safe
mode last night, it did complete but at some point the system froze, so it
happens in safe mode also.

regards

rosie

 

[Bob Troll]

FWIW pretty much every single freeze up problem I have seen is due to either
the cpu or the ram not getting the volts it needs to successfully perfom.

The first thing to do is take the advice of Michael Hawes who earlier
mentioned the memory test. I personally use Memtest86+ exclusively for this
testing but M$ will surely give a clue.

Run the memory test at least once for all possible tests it can do. If it
gives all sorts of errors or even one error, go into the bios and bump up
the ram voltage.

In my GA-7VAX manual on page 46 is the screen shot of the bios page. Look
for DIMM Overvoltage Control and give it a bump in a + direction, then run
memory test again. If all is good, you are done. If not go back and give it
one more bump up and try again. This is in the "Frequency/Voltage Control"
section of the bios.

You may have to use the Ctrl-F1 at the first bios screen to get to the
advanced features in that bios. (I don't recall perfectly on that issue).
Also update the bios to F13 if it isn't already there.

Regards and good luck, Bob "hopelessly insane machine warrior" Troll

 

[ro§ie]

thanks bob (lets hope you are not a troll really <g>)

as it happens, i cant seem to run the microsoft test. i copy to floppy as
instructed, change bios to boot from floppy, but i get a disk 1/0 error
(although the floppy seems to have the microsoft thing copied to it, so it
must work?)

this upping the ram voltage... is this something that can be required just
suddenly and not straight from the off of a system?

my display today has been awful... sort of like bad interferance, funny
coloured lines randomly scrambling the screen...

then it clears a bit but then as i am typing this, they come and go...

i dont want to buy new parts unless i can narrow it down to the bit i need.
<sigh>

regards
rosie

 

[Lapsang Souchong]

FWIW pretty much every single freeze up problem I have seen is due to
either the cpu or the ram not getting the volts it needs to
successfully perfom.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So, you never got as far as installing an OS,
eh.

 

[Bob Troll]

Assuming that you are in the USA. it is summer and heat, air conditoning etc
have an overall affect on the voltage coming to your home. If your PSU is on
the slightly lame side, the lower voltage coming to it could be affecting
the overall output of it. I'm not psychic nor close enough to see what you
have there, so all I can really do is try to offer some troubleshooting
techniques that may or may not help.

It is essential that the memory test be done to see where we are to start
and memory is probably the number one culprit in things going crazy.

Have you checked in bios to make sure the floppy options are set correctly
to allow it to boot? At this stage of the game, the OS you have is totally
ireelevant. Do you have a cd rom and can you put the memory test on it?

Google for memetest86+ and I think there are images for floppy, cd etc
there.

If you are having floppy drive problems the cd might be a way around it.

 

[Bob M]

thanks bob (lets hope you are not a troll really <g>)

as it happens, i cant seem to run the microsoft test. i copy to floppy as
instructed, change bios to boot from floppy, but i get a disk 1/0 error
(although the floppy seems to have the microsoft thing copied to it, so it
must work?)

this upping the ram voltage... is this something that can be required just
suddenly and not straight from the off of a system?

my display today has been awful... sort of like bad interferance, funny
coloured lines randomly scrambling the screen...

then it clears a bit but then as i am typing this, they come and go...

i dont want to buy new parts unless i can narrow it down to the bit i need.
<sigh>

regards
rosie

Sounds to me like you have a heat problem. Especially with your video
messing up like you describe I would say either your video card is
overheating or it's on it's way to the graveyard.

Bob

 

[ro§ie]

hi bob, no, i am in UK but it has been warm. however, i am currently running
the thing with no side on + i did get loads of fans about 3 months ago,
which leads me to ask... maybe it was the fans that tipped the PSU over the
edge?

i have run memtest86 with no errors showing. i think the microsoft test
musta been iffy cos this one booted and ran fine.

so i am back now with a scrambled screen again.

i disconnected the scanner and USB hub to lighten the load.

tomorrow i will swap out the chip or maybe even load this motherboard +
parts into the other pc case and see what occurs. that way i will see if its
the PSU.

if you have any other ideas, please let me know!

regards

rosie

 

[ro§ie]

Sounds to me like you have a heat problem. Especially with your video
messing up like you describe I would say either your video card is
overheating or it's on it's way to the graveyard.

Bob

i already swapped cards over and i have a graphics fan running too... no
luck i did wonder though if it could be the slot the card goes into?

regards
rosie

 

[spodosaurus]

hi bob, no, i am in UK but it has been warm. however, i am currently running
the thing with no side on + i did get loads of fans about 3 months ago,
which leads me to ask... maybe it was the fans that tipped the PSU over the
edge?

Adding extras fans won't help if the GPU (or CPU) HSF is clogged with
dust or simply at the end of it's bearings.

i have run memtest86 with no errors showing. i think the microsoft test
musta been iffy cos this one booted and ran fine.

so i am back now with a scrambled screen again.

i disconnected the scanner and USB hub to lighten the load.

tomorrow i will swap out the chip or maybe even load this motherboard +
parts into the other pc case and see what occurs. that way i will see if its
the PSU.

If the PSU is flaky (have you checked to see if it is clogged with dust)
then replace it, unless you're trying to tempt fate with the rest of
your system. Reducing the load on a flaky PSU isn't the best of tests.

if you have any other ideas, please let me know!

regards

rosie

--
spammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[JAD]

so

i already swapped cards over and i have a graphics fan running too... no
luck i did wonder though if it could be the slot the card goes into?

regards
rosie

Try clearing the cmos or set defaults.
On the testing of a PSU ...there are 15-20$ miniconnector testers out for
ATX BTX 24-20 pin PSU's
(you could 'rent' it to friends to recoup, I charge an ale a test)

 

[Michael Hawes]

so

i already swapped cards over and i have a graphics fan running too... no
luck i did wonder though if it could be the slot the card goes into?

regards
rosie

If you have another PSU available, just hook it upto the problem system
as a quick test, you don't have to actually fit it into the case. The spec
you gave should be OK with a GOOD 300W PSU.
Mike.
Mike.

 

[ro§ie]

thanks everyone for your time and efforts. i did indeed try the other PSU (a
350w) and have been online for sometime with a good screen and no freezes
(touches wood!!).

so... looks like it is the PSU, an antec, so not even a cheapie one! but
dammit, i cant find my receipt at the mo and i know they have a 3 year
warranty, although i am sure they will wiggle out of it!

so i will need to replace the PSU (ha! in my daughters pc NOW <g>). any
siggestions? ebuyer have some incredibly cheap ones.... how can that be? and
how sh*te can they be???
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=61308

regards

rosie

 

[Victor Fries]

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 10:58:20 -0700, JAD wrote

<snip> there are 15-20$ miniconnector testers out for ATX
BTX 24-20 pin PSU's

Wow. That's nifty. So which one do you recommend?

-- Victor Fries

 

[JAD]

MWAVE ALUMINUM POWER SUPPLY TESTER $7.00

SKU: BA21041Mfg. Part No: N/AMore Info



ANTEC ATX POWER SUPPLY TESTER (*While Supplies Last!) $8.50

SKU: BA20842Mfg. Part No: ATXPWRSUPPLYTESTMore Info



ASPIRE PST-01 POWER SUPPLY TESTER $9.50

SKU: BA20803Mfg. Part No: N/AMore Info



COOLMAX 24-PIN ALUMINUM POWER SUPPLY TESTER

 

[Victor Fries]

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 23:58:18 -0700, JAD wrote

<snip tester info>

Thank you. I owe you an ale. A virtual one.

-- Victor Fries

 

[spodosaurus]

thanks everyone for your time and efforts. i did indeed try the other PSU (a
350w) and have been online for sometime with a good screen and no freezes
(touches wood!!).

so... looks like it is the PSU, an antec, so not even a cheapie one! but
dammit, i cant find my receipt at the mo and i know they have a 3 year
warranty, although i am sure they will wiggle out of it!

so i will need to replace the PSU (ha! in my daughters pc NOW <g>). any
siggestions?

Try and RMA it directly through Antec using the serial number if you
can't find the receipt.

ebuyer have some incredibly cheap ones.... how can that be? and
how sh*te can they be???
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=61308

regards

rosie

--
spammage trappage: remove the underscores to reply

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/