PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Windows PCs & Software: Help, News & Discussion => Topic started by: Serenity on September 07, 2003, 11:45
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Hi Guys
I know a few of you already know about my pc freezing problems, but unfortunately its still happening in fact it has froze 4 times over the space of 45 minutes :-\ I have changed my optical Logitech mouse to a bog standard PS2 mouse but its still happening! I am unable to use the Ctr/alt/del option when it freezes and my keyboard is not USB. any ideas???? ::)
p.s. sorry, wasnt sure whether to post this in software or hardware thread :-\
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Maybe it's because your so high up the forum today? ;D
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Are you using any particular software when the freezes occur, or is it just random? Are you accessing files (i.e. in My Documents), when it happens? Also has your PC taken a bump or a knock recently, or have you had the case open for anything? When I built the PC recently for my mate, we had a freezing problem following the PC getting bumped in a car journey. I opened the case, and gently pushed all the cards to make sure they were secure, and the problem stopped, but I can't actually pin it down to a specific answer.
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No Simon, the freeze happens randomly, no specific sites or my docs opened and no I have'nt knocked the casing or anyone else to my knowledge. It seems that once it has frozen it happens again and again very quickly then seems ok for an hour or so then happens again :-\. I have run almost every program possible to eliminate glitches but with no luck.
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Hi Serenity.
I had that problem with my old PC, which is now in my son's room. Everything just freezes and the only way out is to switch off the power and then switch back on. I temporarily cured it by turning off graphics acceleration, but eventually I put an old graphics card in there and it's worked OK since.
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Random crashes are just about the hardest thing to troubleshoot Serenity especially remotely like this. This is because they can be caused by hardware, software or a combination of both.
As Simon says, it wouldn't hurt to take the side panel off your PC and just make sure that every PCI card is firmly in place and that any fans inside are still spinning.
What worries me is that when I was doing the five hour marathon remote support on your PC the other night, it didn't crash once! Perhaps the PC just doesn't like you ;) :P
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Try this as you have recently installed XP,Memory tester (http://www.simmtester.com/)
XP requires a certain amount of memory (have you installed new memory of late) also could be a PSU problem if you have installed a new hard drive as well.
Just Guessing though.. ;D
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Serenity have a look in the error logs and see if you can identify what it says is causing the freezing ???
Go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools ,Event Viewer then System.
The best time will be just after you restart again after it has frozen.
Look for something with a red X and double click on it and post a screen shot of it on here so that we can see if it shows anything specific.
Also see if there are any different ones in that same session that it froze on :)
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Is it only when you are online this is happening, Serenity? What firewall are you using?. I changed recently to sygate and now am having a lot of freezing when trying to view certain sites. :)
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I changed recently to sygate and now am having a lot of freezing when trying to view certain sites. :)
Am I beginning to detect a pattern here ???
http://pc-pals.com/index.php?board=14;action=display;threadid=6707
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I changed recently to sygate and now am having a lot of freezing when trying to view certain sites. :)
Am I beginning to detect a pattern here ???
Don't think so Sean. :-\
http://pc-pals.com/index.php?board=14;action=display;threadid=6707
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Back to the drawing board then ::)
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Just a thought.. would 2 firwalls have a conflict.
If Serenity is using Sygate and XP firewall together.. could that be it.
Or what about some programs that have been uploaded.. try deleting 1 at a time to see if 1 freezes the puter up.
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I think I have found it guys, anyone fancy a trip to Cardiff to flash Serenity's BIOS :(
According to the error log its ACPI BIOS attempting to write to and read from illegal 1/0 ports.
Theres a Windows aticle about it here :
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/tech/onnow/BIOSAML.mspx
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Sorry to rain on your parade Sandra. My event log is full of those error messages and I don't get random freezes :(
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I have uninstalled sygate and pc is working much faster. So :wahh: to Simon ;D ;) ;D
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You did install another firewall to replace it, didn't you Lona? :o
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Now, Adept, would I be so stupid. I have Sandra quiding me on this one and thanks to her I have got another. ;)
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Phew! :welldone:
At least you are proving you're not blonde Lona ;D ;D
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Well, I'm only 'borrowing' Norton for now, at least until we hear from Chorley Dave that it wasn't Sygate messing up Pals web pages.
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Well, I'm only 'borrowing' Norton for now, at least until we hear from Chorley Dave that it wasn't Sygate messing up Pals web pages.
It wasn't only pals web pages for me Simon. It was almost all pages. :(
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I think I must have caught something off Serenitys PC as I have just had the same thing happen to me as she described :o
The PC locked up completely,no hard drive activity and CTRL,ALT,DELETE wouldnt bring the task manager box up.
I had to use the reset switch.
I checked the error log and there wasnt anything in apart from a DCOM error at 13-50,time it happened was 10-58pm ???
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Well, I'm only 'borrowing' Norton for now, at least until we hear from Chorley Dave that it wasn't Sygate messing up Pals web pages.
It wasn't only pals web pages for me Simon. It was almost all pages. :(
You must have been unlucky Lona. I've recommended Sygate to lots of people, who have had no trouble with it. :)
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never had a moments bother with the free ZoneAlarm, and my PC is 100% stealthed.
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well thanks to ALL you guys for your suggestions and the program link. I am having someone "flash" to me tomorrow ;) so if I slip into cyber oblivion you know my mother board is ermmm...cream crackered! :o
:-*
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Well here we go, possibly "fried mobo" day :-[ wish me luck :-\
p.s. Adept you will be happy to hear Im also upgrading to a 1.4 CPU, bought my A socket AMD 2.0gb fan in readiness and Sandra, Ive got the new 420F 4 port USB 2.0 diect access hub ;) Im getting there... slowly 8)
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Best of luck Serenity! :D
Note to self: keep off messenger... ;) :P ;D
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Good luck serenity :-*
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p.s. Adept you will be happy to hear Im also upgrading to a 1.4 CPU
Does that mean you'll be able to mess up your PC even faster now Bev? :o :P :blonde:
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Sean ::) thats what I like about you, the support you give to your less techie minded members NOT :'(
Anyway, I didnt get to where I am today by listening to derogatory remarks from a Telly Tubby :P ;D :chubby:
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Be very careful Sean.. :o :rumad:
I'd hate to see you have an accident in Serenitys area.... ::).... Coz she has the power to make sure those bandages are on real tight... :o.. "Around your neck" :youch: :heehee: ;) ;D
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It's not his neck he should be worried about! ;D Seriously though, good luck Serenity. We will all be thinking about you.
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Ive got the new 420F 4 port USB 2.0 diect access hub
Is that a powered external one Serenity ?
It will only operate as USB 1 though as your mobo doesnt support USB 2, at least you have "future proofed" yourself for when you get a newer PC sometime in the future :)
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Go go for it Gal
'she who dares.............usually ends up with a contented smile on her face' ::)
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Serenitys PC reminds me of Painting the Severn road Bridge.. it never stops being painted or repaired ;D
Hookstar
:baad:
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:funny: :pmsl:
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oooops.. me thinks the old girls PC is dead :o..
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I must admit that it looks ominous doesn't it?
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p.s. Adept you will be happy to hear Im also upgrading to a 1.4 CPU
Does that mean you'll be able to mess up your PC even faster now Bev? :o :P :blonde:
:go: :heehee:
Brian
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I have had a message.. the Bios is broke :o
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Morning guys, NOT a good morning though :'( :'(
Well, the CPU was fitted, the fan was fitted the USB was fitted and did it all work NOPE :-[ The Bios is all up the creek :-[ well 1 consolation is the Mobo didnt fry :-\
I will keep you posted as and when I can get it sorted :)
p.s. any clever clogs out there who are reasonably expert at BIOS problems feel free to post your ideas
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@Serenity
Sorry to hear about your troubles my friend the problem with the BIOS is that once it?s been flashed incorrectly it becomes unusable, try to reflash the bios with the old version (of course you made a copy before you flashed it didn?t you) and sometimes this will work, otherwise its a new motherboard I am afraid
Brian :'(
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Hi Serenity.
Perhaps you might want to look on this website. It is dedicated to motherboard problems only.
http://www.qdi.nl/cgi-bin/bbs/YaBB.pl
Edit: Seems to have expanded since last time I was there. It can be ultra-technical, but if you find something I'm sure some people here will be able to explain it more clearly.
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well there is a way to see if it is a hardware problem or not. Take a test hd with a fresh installation of 98 on it and test it out. if the comp still freezes the likely possiblitiy is that its a hardware problem. Ive repaired computers that were freezing that had hardware problems like for example, someone didn't install the mainboard correctly and it was shorting out on on the tower. Or a loose wire in the box got too close to the processor fan and took a blade off, causing the machine to overheat. Sometimes its as simple as just removing all the dust from the fans. As far as conflicting software problems like i said your best bet is to pinpoint when the problem started and see if there was any software installed on that date. Now for flashing, i always thought the only real reason to flash a bios was to get a hd to be recognized. And i know for a fact its very very dangerous to your pocketbook. If u don't know what your doing or just don't feel like paying for a new board incase you screw up, you should take it to a tech shop where u can have someone else do it. If the tech screws up then they'll most of the time replace the hardware for free. Well at least thats how they do it in the states.