Computer Crashing - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Wookie · 10-02-2009, 11:44 PM

Got a windows xp machine,
AMD 64, 3200, OC'd to 2.4 (been for about 3 years, so long I don't even remember how to unoverclock it.

Keeps crashing. Seems to happen whenever I'm doing network stuff. Remote desktop, or streaming to my xbox (watching shows/movies) I've never had it crash while I was actually sitting here using the PC.

I tried uninstalling a bunch of programs, cleaning up the O/S a bit, windows update, got rid of programs running in the background. Then tried AV scans, spyware, etc. Then cleaned out computer, sucked out all the dust, cleaned out the heatsinks/fans/slots/etc.

Ran some utils, checked temps, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Started running some disk tests... they took forever, in the meantime I started to stream a show (crash)... So I moved some files off my second drive onto my O/S drive. Wondered maybe if there was a drive problem and if I tried streaming off the C: drive it might help. No suck luck. Crashed...

But those seem to be the only times it crashed.

Suggestions? PC is about 5 years old I think - whenever the AMD 64's came out. I bought it mid-life cycle of the 64's, not when they were brand new. Mother board is of the same era, the first Nvidia SLI deluxe ones, and 2gb dual channel ram, the first era of 2x1 GB decent quality sticks. OZC dual channel platinum.

Xfi sound blaster,

2 seagate HDD's.

crappy cheapest nvidia 7200 gs money could buy (a year old)

That's all I got

Wookie · 10-03-2009, 12:48 AM

So I burn the video onto a disk, watch it, come back, hasn't crashed. Argg... Only crashing when doing stuff over the network.

ricosuave · 10-03-2009, 08:30 AM

is it onboard network adapter, or a separate network card (or wireless)?

Sounds like a bad driver either way - may want to check for an updated one

Jedi Ninja · 10-03-2009, 09:14 AM

What do you mean by "crashing." Does your whole computer freeze including the mouse, or does it freeze but the mouse still works?

Wookie · 10-03-2009, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricosuave

is it onboard network adapter, or a separate network card (or wireless)?

Sounds like a bad driver either way - may want to check for an updated one

Yeah, I've thought about the network card. Maybe I'll unistall it and get new drivers. Wireless add in network card.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jedi Ninja

What do you mean by "crashing." Does your whole computer freeze including the mouse, or does it freeze but the mouse still works?

Computer completely locks up (when I've made it back in time), or I get back to the computer and it's rebooting.

Didn't crash all night, but I bet if I start streaming stuff it'll freeze up again.

Wookie · 10-03-2009, 10:12 AM

and it appears I was uploading a show last night, all night, albeit very slowly and nothing happened.

Oh, and I downloaded the newest drivers, over a year+ old, removed the old ones, and we'll see what happens.

Jedi Ninja · 10-03-2009, 10:18 AM

If you download a large video file, and then play it off your hard drive, same thing?

If you look through the event viewer, are there any unusual entries in the Application or System logs at the time your computer crashed?

The disk test was OK?

Try burning and running MemTest86: http://www.memtest86.com/

Network adapters are so cheap, I'd try buying a new card to try, just to rule that out. But do the memtest86 first.

Wookie · 10-03-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jedi Ninja

If you download a large video file, and then play it off your hard drive, same thing?

If you look through the event viewer, are there any unusual entries in the Application or System logs at the time your computer crashed?

The disk test was OK?

Try burning and running MemTest86: http://www.memtest86.com/

Network adapters are so cheap, I'd try buying a new card to try, just to rule that out. But do the memtest86 first.

1. disk test didn't finish, I got bored and went upstairs to watch a show and crashed the PC

2. Will check the event viewer
3. Memtest (hahaha, that takes me back) this is the kind of stuff I forgot about when I stopped going to school and suddenly stopped paying any attention to computers.
4. haven't tried playing large video file (they're not even that large, 350mb approx.) on the PC yet. Will try that today as well.

rbochan · 10-04-2009, 01:54 PM

It might be a tumor.

missdpuck · 10-04-2009, 02:05 PM

It's a computer-room cancer.

Hack&Lube · 10-05-2009, 05:21 AM

Mine is similar vintage. 3800+ X2 @ 2.6GHz and over it's lifetime, I've had to slowly add a bit of voltage every year or so to get it to be stable where it was stable at lower voltage when never. That's what you get with overclocking. Probably electron migration over time and the added heat stress means that it needs a touch more juice every year to keep going at the speed it used to stably.

Resolute 14 · 10-05-2009, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wookie

Computer completely locks up (when I've made it back in time), or I get back to the computer and it's rebooting.

Blue screen with the system set to automatically reboot?

Wookie · 10-05-2009, 01:58 PM

None of the tests showed any problems.

No blue screen Resolute,

I'm guessing the motherboard is flaking out. Too old to swap out components. I'm just going to look at a new build.

Might go for a Phenom II or Athlon II quad core. Whatever it's called, on an AM3 platform. Looks good price/performance wise.

dissentowner · 10-05-2009, 02:28 PM

Do yourself a favour and get a Mac. What? Someone had to say it.

Buff · 10-05-2009, 02:55 PM

Sounds like you have an AMD. Get intel inside that thing quickly!

Have you recently installed Norton? I had to fix my sister-in-law's PC as it was crashing all the time and she said that it started as soon as she installed Norton 360. I uninstalled Norton and couldn't make the machine crash again.

Hack&Lube · 10-05-2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buff

Sounds like you have an AMD. Get intel inside that thing quickly!

AMD was awesome in that era! Intel was a chump for most of that time. It's too bad AMD will probably never regain that position again.

Random reboots can also be the powersupply, but I would definetly just add a little voltage to your CPU and Ram and Chipset since it's so heavily overclocked. S939 systems love voltage.

Deegee · 10-05-2009, 05:56 PM

Read about how to set the clock speeds back to default and then do that and see if it fixes the problem.

Buff · 10-05-2009, 09:45 PM

Sounds to me like it could be overheating. Feel the case, particularly around the power supply. If it is abnormally warm to the touch you've got heat problems.