System Lockup

[_Jess]

I am running a home-built PC with an AMD Duron 1.2 MHz processor and
524-MB RAM. It is a dual boot running Windows XP Pro and Mandrake 10.1.
I have not put SP2 on the XP install, but otherwise it is fully
up-to-date in terms of updates.

Suddenly the system is freezing up in XP. I am thinking this MAY be a
hardware or thermal issue. Here is what it does. I can have only a
couple of Windows apps open and everything is fine. Then I hear a
"click" noise like a solenoid or something (the system is at eye level
on a desk so it's easy to hear stuff). The red hard drive access light
turns red full time. The mouse will still move for a second or two. Then
the system "freezes up." Nothing moves, no keystrokes work, the mouse is
frozen in the screen. The display is still there but totally
unresponsive. The hard drive light always stays in the solid "red" color
mode.

The noise and the hard drive light staying on are what makes me suspect
hardware. But, it is quite random. No pattern of particular programs,
etc. It will even "freeze up" just left on overnight with no user
applications running.

But, it does not freeze up at all in Linux, even with fairly heavy use
or if left on two or three days. *BUT* -- It appears that the "click"
noise also occurs from time to time, the hard drive light glows solid
red, but Linux appears to "overcome" this and keeps on running.

And to answer the first "obvious question" -- there is just one physical
hard drive with the first partition for XP, a second partition formatted
FAT32 (User data), and the three Linux partitions all in the extended
partition after that. So if it is hardware level on the hard drive, it
does not appear to happen in Linux.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Is there any free Linux
system-loading program that I can run to "stress" in in Mandrake to see
if it can be frozen in Linux? What are some tests to evalaute if it is
hardware or thermally related? (I downloaded "StressLinux" but it is
self booting and I cannot seem to get it to work anyway).

Thanks in advance,
Jess

 

[Jim Macklin]

I think a software problem, such as a virus that effect
Windows, but nor Linux is more likely.

Since you have not really patched Windows and SP2 does fix
some exploits, you could have software issues. If a virus
starts to write data and it is copying files to the hard
drive and using all the CPU cycles, it will freeze.
--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


| I am running a home-built PC with an AMD Duron 1.2 MHz
processor and
| 524-MB RAM. It is a dual boot running Windows XP Pro and
Mandrake 10.1.
| I have not put SP2 on the XP install, but otherwise it is
fully
| up-to-date in terms of updates.
|
| Suddenly the system is freezing up in XP. I am thinking
this MAY be a
| hardware or thermal issue. Here is what it does. I can
have only a
| couple of Windows apps open and everything is fine. Then I
hear a
| "click" noise like a solenoid or something (the system is
at eye level
| on a desk so it's easy to hear stuff). The red hard drive
access light
| turns red full time. The mouse will still move for a
second or two. Then
| the system "freezes up." Nothing moves, no keystrokes
work, the mouse is
| frozen in the screen. The display is still there but
totally
| unresponsive. The hard drive light always stays in the
solid "red" color
| mode.
|
| The noise and the hard drive light staying on are what
makes me suspect
| hardware. But, it is quite random. No pattern of
particular programs,
| etc. It will even "freeze up" just left on overnight with
no user
| applications running.
|
| But, it does not freeze up at all in Linux, even with
fairly heavy use
| or if left on two or three days. *BUT* -- It appears that
the "click"
| noise also occurs from time to time, the hard drive light
glows solid
| red, but Linux appears to "overcome" this and keeps on
running.
|
| And to answer the first "obvious question" -- there is
just one physical
| hard drive with the first partition for XP, a second
partition formatted
| FAT32 (User data), and the three Linux partitions all in
the extended
| partition after that. So if it is hardware level on the
hard drive, it
| does not appear to happen in Linux.
|
| Any suggestions would be appreciated. Is there any free
Linux
| system-loading program that I can run to "stress" in in
Mandrake to see
| if it can be frozen in Linux? What are some tests to
evalaute if it is
| hardware or thermally related? (I downloaded "StressLinux"
but it is
| self booting and I cannot seem to get it to work anyway).
|
| Thanks in advance,
| Jess