phyllis

Ok, the last couple weeks, the pc's been freezing, with no warning, kaput, done, requiring me to use the "reset" button

It doesn't seem to matter whether it's during a game, a d/l, or just browsing the web. No warning, it just freezes. Sometimes on reboot, the disk scan finds errors, or lost chains, sometimes not.... after a reboot like that, is there any way to find out what might be causing this hang-up ? I can't pinpoint any common program, or situation that might point me in the right direction....seems 100% random at this point....ugh !!

CingularDuality

Troubleshooting suggestions:

1. Are you sure your power supply is enough? If it's old, it may be losing it's oomph just enough that it's causing these errors and/or you've installed hardware (USB items add up...) that is now taxing your PS.

2. Have you installed any new software that may be causing this?

3. I'm assuming you've scanned your HDD with good AV scanner and a good spyware detector (adaware and/or spybot search and destroy).

4. Is your actual HDD old? Could be time for a new one? Or at least a low level/factory reformat....

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Overlag

alittle more info on system specs please.

for instance, ATI cards might freeze like this if fastwrites is on..... My first system did this too, fastwrites + Geforce 2 = dont mix and crash when using IE!

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From Adam Webb

phyllis

1. The whole PC is about 15 months old, I haven't added anything hdwe wise at all...

2. A few demos, no software updates that I can think of...

3. Ya.... I tangle with adware/spyware all the time...I have a 12 yr. old on the net, he doesn't pay much attention to that kind of stuff....

4. same answer as #1

It's ran nonstop, no hangs for about 13 hrs now...a record for the last couple weeks....

phyllis

xp 2200 on a m7vib mobo....fx5200 card, 512 pc 2100...XP home, sp1...


I did have the 5200 oc a bit, but I turned it back to original specs a few days ago...as I thought that might have been the issue...

Overlag

and its fully upto date?

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From Adam Webb

phyllis

Yea....as far as I know...

There used to be a site, or link somewhere, that scanned your system online, and told you if anything on your pc had an update, or upgrade available, and I can't for the life of me remember where I used it from...

....anyone ?

HSantal

Start Internet Explorer.

Tools.

Windows Update.


Move along. Nothing to see here.




http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

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I do what I can.

cpgf: (n.) Acronym describing a significant other who has not yet acheived full spousal status and is in possession of a cable modem; of note because at YOUR house, you still have dial-up -- and crappy dialup at that.

phyllis

Yea...windows is up to date, the link I was talking about did all the other software and hdwe drivers on your system, not just Windows itself....

HSantal

C|net used to have an update function but I think they killed it.
I used it quite a lot a year or so ago.

They have something else now: http://download.com.com/1200-20-960126.html?tag=tm
although it looks like it's only for software.

__________________
I do what I can.

cpgf: (n.) Acronym describing a significant other who has not yet acheived full spousal status and is in possession of a cable modem; of note because at YOUR house, you still have dial-up -- and crappy dialup at that.

phyllis

Yea...now that you say it, CNet is where I used it at

I'll check it this evening...I don't want to botch anything more with my machine...I have a StealthRecon Mission today...I'd really like to not have anymore issues than I already do !

TheFeniX

Is your PC brandname or home-made?

If it's brandname, then you should be able to download hardware diagnostic tools for it. You mentioned something about lost clusters on you HDD. This is usually a bad sign of disk drive degredation.

phyllis

Not name brand like Compaq or HP, it's a Systemax box, from the mail order outfit.

Most of the time, the lost clusters are shown from whatever application was open when the thing froze....

FireMarshal

Check Tactical Gamers E-commerce site... order a PC there... End of Problem....

NOW you can move along... nothing to see here....

TheFeniX

I've had my PC hang plenty of times and not get any lost clusters. Your PC could be hanging because it's corrupting data when reading/writing. Then you loose the OS and it picks up the corrupted data on the reboot.

I would highly recommend you test your hard drive or (much less likely) your IDE controller. Western Digital and Maxtor have tools you can download straight from their site.