Assist me in fixing my PC.

[Fyndir]

Ok, let me explain.

Waking up to your PC restarting itself over and over again is NOT a good thing.

The cycle goes thusly:

Restart, load as far as Windows XP loading splash-screen (the one with the blue bar at the bottom), repeat.

Add in the "delay for half a minute while waiting for user input on whether or not to boot in safe mode" as necessary.

Point is, something's fucked.

THINGS TRIED SO FAR:

Safe Mode! Seems to run fine, it is in fact what I'm posting from right now. I'm also downloading some 128MB .iso file that my big brother reckons will help me in some way. 0_o

System Restores! Tried twice, using different dates, both worked for a brief amount of time and then went tits up all over again.

Leaving Computer Alone For A Few Hours and Praying! Did nothing. =(


THE FUTURE!

If I don't find a solution by the February LAN I will turn this into a contest for the LAN.

I will arrive as always, help out as always and I shall sit two bottles of beer on my desk.

If you fix my PC and it STAYS FIXED, you get the beer.

The way of working this one out is this:

If I can load up XP as normal, play my games and it DOESN'T go tits up all over again before the end of the LAN..you are declared the winner.


IF YOU GIVE ME ADVICE THAT FIXES IT BEFORE THE LAN (and it stays fixed) THEN YOU WILL GET THE BEER AS SOON AS WE BOTH ARRIVE AT THE LAN.

If anyone feels they would be best served by seeing / touching / sniffing / tinkering with the PC in person then call me ( 07902293927 ) and we can sort something out.

I'll even carry the PC + monitor + everything upstairs so you don't have to go "Dear god Fyndir do you EVER tidy your room? and did something die in here?", how's THAT for a bargain?

seriously...help...any advice is appreciated.

[Sid]

Have you changed anything recently? ie. Software Installation/Uninstallation, Drivers, New Hardware etc. etc. etc.

[Fyndir]

Have you changed anything recently? ie. Software Installation/Uninstallation, Drivers, New Hardware etc. etc. etc.

Just the usual, patching games, a couple of demos. =/

The only hardware change was taking some time to clean out my PC properly over the weekend, trying to de-dust it all and such.

[Chesire Cat]

did you delete anything? when my computer fucks up on that level its cause i deleted something. :S

[DAve]

Just the usual, patching games, a couple of demos. =/

The only hardware change was taking some time to clean out my PC properly over the weekend, trying to de-dust it all and such.
You might have nudged some of the hardware so it's not seated right. Check everything's in place?
I'm fast running out of ideas though.

[LastChanceHotel]

Reinstall windows in a different folder (eg, "leave file system intact" in setup menu for XP), make sure to name your computer something different, and reinstall.

All your programs will still be there, all files under documents and settings, etc. You'll need to reinstall registry-dependent applications and drivers but that's it.

It'll take you an hour to get back up. My machine did it too. To see what the blue screen is trying to tell you, hit F8 on bootup and choose 'disable automatic restart on failure'. It usually gives some form of hint.

LastChanceHotel

[Fyndir]

You might have nudged some of the hardware so it's not seated right. Check everything's in place?
I'm fast running out of ideas though.

But if it's a hardware issue why would the system restore work (albeit temporarily) and why would safe mode work? =S

I checked all the obvious cables though, and they seemed alright.

Jan, I don't have any XP discs or installs.

I have a legal XP, but no discs.

GO GO PC WORLD POWER!

[YegaDoyai]

I know this is going to sound strange, but my suggestion is for you to completely strip down and re build your computer. Take all components that are meant to come apart apart and then put it back together. Paying particular attention to ensuring that the cables are in properly. Recently you cleaned you computer, my guess is that you dislodged something.

[Fyndir]

I know this is going to sound strange, but my suggestion is for you to completely strip down and re build your computer. Take all components that are meant to come apart apart and then put it back together. Paying particular attention to ensuring that the cables are in properly. Recently you cleaned you computer, my guess is that you dislodged something.

Is there any chance of you popping round with a screwdriver set this weekend (for example) to assist and make sure I don't break anything horribly?

I'll provide you with beer if you do. =P

[Fyndir]

PC is Fixed.

All glory to the Yega.

Partial glory to the Pixie! =P

Ale has been given to them already, rather than wait until the LAN, so that seems to be this over with.

[Fyndir]

Fun and games all round.

My PC has taken to restarting itself at random points (sometimes during a game, sometimes when checking a forum, sometimes while loading a video in youtube, there doesn't seem to be a pattern.), Firefox and mIRC randomly shit out and die (again no obvious pattern). =/

Is it likely that the reinstall of Windows didn't fully fix things?

Am I best off setting up another partition while it's still all working a bit and then doing a windows install to the other partition before copying over any data (pictures, screenshots, whatever) and then formatting the current Windows-install partition?

I hope that makes sense.

[DAve]

Is it likely that the reinstall of Windows didn't fully fix things?
You're running out of options, aren't you?
I think it's worth a shot. Make absolutely sure you've backed up everything you wouldn't want to use now. Top priority #1.

Did you re-install windows recently, or are you considering it?
Am I best off setting up another partition while it's still all working a bit and then doing a windows install to the other partition before copying over any data (pictures, screenshots, whatever) and then formatting the current Windows-install partition?
Best to get a spare partition (lets say Z: ) and then copy the files from C: to Z: over to that using safe-mode. Once you've got everything on Z: (use xcopy or similar to get the files in use) then format C: and re-install from scratch.

Unless someone else can help in a more productive way?

PS - what's your CPU temps? (MBM (http://mbm.livewiredev.com/)) or GPU temps?
PPS - is there a utility that can make a winxp install cd from your hard drive files? Dell have one for their PCs, but it's tucked away somewhere.

[Fyndir]

Did you re-install windows recently, or are you considering it?

It was a reinstall that had fixed it before...but the problem seems to be slightly different this time.

PS - what's your CPU temps? (MBM (http://mbm.livewiredev.com/)) or GPU temps?

I've never successfully made MBM work with my motherboard, but the BIOS almost always gives out a temp below 40degrees (even when restarting quickly after heavy use).

[YegaDoyai]

It's not overheating and (at least last time i was there) his hardware was all fine, I spec a little looksee at the events log will give a good idea as to what has caused the problem.

[Fyndir]

Yega was over for ages today, thank you again for your help.

Windows error reporting is now convinced (as in, every crash, which is about ten since Yega left, gives the same answer from the report) that the problem is my Video Card, or the drivers, or the hardware acceleration.

Having installed the latest drivers, I got more crashes.

Turned off hardware acceleration, I got more crashes.

Suggestions which aren't "Get a new video card" would be greatly appreciated. -_-

[Strings]

Backup your shit. Format. Check your hardware. Re-install.

Note and test the stability of your PC for each thing you re-do. With special emphasis on when your configuring your video card drivers I suppose, considering the errors your getting.

Remember latest drivers aren't always a good thing. Find a decent archive site and go for some that you were happy and stable with.

[YegaDoyai]

Strings, the hardware not tested is the graphics card, cpu mem and MOBO. Putting any under load does not affect the crash frequency so my guess is not hardware related but as windows reinstall did not fix the issue I am not sure. Cleaned and rebuilt the machine yesterday and other than being covered in crap everything looked fine, temps and voltages are rock solid. Hoping that Jan will allow us to use his rig to test components at the next LAN, specificaly the CPU.

[Fyndir]

Remember latest drivers aren't always a good thing. Find a decent archive site and go for some that you were happy and stable with.

I already have multiple older NVIDIA drivers, I've tried a couple (using Safe Mode + Driver Cleaner Pro, restart, install different drivers) and I was getting crashes with all of them, and the error reporting was coming back talking about the Graphics Card, which leaves me reasonably convinced that my graphics card might indeed be busted. =(

[YegaDoyai]

Bring me your graphics card for testing then.

[Fyndir]

Bring me your graphics card for testing then.

Call me or text me with a day and time that I can pop round with it, I'm struggling to get the PC stable for more than five minutes at a time now, so checking the forums is rather tricky.

[LastChanceHotel]

Strings, the hardware not tested is the graphics card, cpu mem and MOBO. Putting any under load does not affect the crash frequency so my guess is not hardware related but as windows reinstall did not fix the issue I am not sure. Cleaned and rebuilt the machine yesterday and other than being covered in crap everything looked fine, temps and voltages are rock solid. Hoping that Jan will allow us to use his rig to test components at the next LAN, specificaly the CPU.

Sure thing. I will also have an X800 lying around you could test with.

[YegaDoyai]

I Want That Card Damn You!!!!!

[Fyndir]

Safe Mode with Networking is completely stable as far as I can tell.

Does that help us diagnose the PC at all? =/

[YegaDoyai]

Yes, windows is shit, oh wait, we knew that.

[LastChanceHotel]

Yep, means that in all probability something useful is to blame.

ie, drivers or your x-fi. :D

[Fyndir]

Yep, means that in all probability something useful is to blame.

ie, drivers or your x-fi. :D

Not the X~Fi, we tested that.

[YegaDoyai]

probably not graphics as my card just crashed his machine more and my card draws less power and works just fine.

[DAve]

probably not graphics as my card just crashed his machine more and my card draws less power and works just fine.
Really? Then the (AGP|PCIe) slot might be to blame.
Does the motherboard have an onboard graphics as a fallback or is there a cheap 2d card lying around that you could test.

Yeah, grasping at straws here, but it's the best I've got.

[YegaDoyai]

Not the slot, when it does work, it works fine with Fyndirs 7800GT

[Bluepixie]

After being round yesterday it very much looks like a motherboard malfunction. I put my money on a cheap discrete component that was put on to cut corners. Crap capacitors often dry out and can cause all kinds of issues like we're seeing here. Seen it happen with both my own motherboard, other peoples and PSU's not to mention general electronic systems. Admittedly I couldn't see any signs of bulging caps or foaming but it doesn't always show.

Either that or some other non-critical system component. It's just such a shame that when it gets down to this level of fault finding, we just have to buy new parts. Gotta love modern tech but damn I wish it was a bit easier to repair!

[LastChanceHotel]

THROW THE FUCKER AWAY!

Actually, as a matter of fact, if you're on a PCI-E + socket 939 + DDR1 affair, you can try my old s939 board I was going to ebay (probably for <£20 :P). As long as you only have two sticks of RAM and no problems with doing without RAID, it should at least be able to narrow it down for you - and if it runs fine, you can probably keep it!

Jan

[YegaDoyai]

Good call Jan, I was going to see if you had it but is that the RMA'd board?

[Fil2eFly]

duno if it helps, but my old comp did whats sounds like the same things, restarting and eventualy would only boot up every coupple of trys, the problem i had was that my ram was fucked,,,

if u still cant get ur comp working by the lan your more then welcome to use my laptop, not gona be gr8 but better than a kick in the teeth..

[Fyndir]

My dad is most kind.

Yega's advice led me to beg my dad to buy this..with the condition that I pay him back ASAP. (http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/95354/rb/26798458869)

He kindly agreed, and it should be here on Thursday, which means we can get it set up on Friday night at the LAN, hopefully.

So hopefully I will be at the LAN, with a working PC, and gaming shall commence. =D

[LastChanceHotel]

Yey, £35 motherboard!

[YegaDoyai]

Please note, Foxconn make the majority of motherboards for 3rd party retailers like Epox, MSI, Asus (sometimes), Abit, etc. It is an Nforce shipset not a shitty VIA and has crap onboard cooling that we should be able to replace for about a £5 to get awesome overclocks.

[Fyndir]

It's here, it looks ok to me.

So I just put it in the case over the top of the old one and use duct tape to keep it there, right? ;)

[CaNNoN_FoDDa]

Yeah, but first you need to take the cpu cooler off and then you mount the new mobo facing the old one with the cpu slot over the top of the cpu. They arent really designed to go this way (hence the lack of pins), so you'll need plenty of superglue and duck tape.

Some peeps have reported performance benefits from adding a pipe that goes between the backs of the cpu slots on each mobo (to duct the magic smoke). This is some hardcore l33t 0vercl0cking tho.

[Fyndir]

Thanks for the advice man, I'd hate to do it wrong. =P

[Fil2eFly]

ohh!!!1111 one thing dont forget to re-calibrate your giggly interface!!!1

[LastChanceHotel]

ohh!!!1111 one thing dont forget to re-calibrate your giggly interface!!!1

you FOOL, you ruined everything!

[Fil2eFly]

lol

well Fyndir if u comp is still fooked as i said u can use my laptop, jst put another 512mb's of ram in so should run games a little better :)

[Fyndir]

It SEEMS to be fixed, which is nice.

I'll do some proper testing (you know, gaming. =P) after dinner, but for the moment it seems fine.

[Bluepixie]

yay! He shall return. :twisted:

[Fyndir]

No crashes yet, I've even done some gaming. =O

Shocking, I know.

Got BF2 installed, five hours later it finished patching and I now have Project Reality installed.

With luck I'll remember to sleep at some point. ;)

[Fyndir]

Currently my only temperatures BELOW 40 degrees are my hard drives. =S

This is most odd.

Do I desperately need a new mobo and CPU fan?

[YegaDoyai]

40-50 is to be expected with stock cooling, do not worry.

[Fyndir]

It mostly bothers me because I can't convince the CPU fan to turn on. =(

[Hex]

It mostly bothers me because I can't convince the CPU fan to turn on. =(

Thats somewhat concerning.....however I wouldn't be concerned about the 40+temps. In My machine, I have a CPU fan, GFX card fan, front intake, rear exhaust, and 3 fans on the PSU, plus the case has an outflow that sits right over the CPU. System is about 35 degrees, CPU is currently 52. Unless you buy really clever cooling then this is pretty normal in my experience

[Fyndir]

Here's hoping that when I attempt clocking it the CPU fan will turn on so that it doesn't catch fire. ;)