System freezing up

Help! My system freezes up periodically and I cannot figure out why.

It seems to happen most often when playing games on the internet.

I am running:
AMD XP 2800 Barton w/ 266 fsb
Biostar M7NCD MOBO
PowerColor 9250 256MB Video Card
512 MB RAM PC333
Windows XP Pro SP1

Any input is appreciated.

Ruthlezz

ruthlezz_1 wrote:

Help! My system freezes up periodically and I cannot figure out why.

It seems to happen most often when playing games on the internet.

That implys that it does still freeze up when not playing games on the net.

I am running:
AMD XP 2800 Barton w/ 266 fsb
Biostar M7NCD MOBO
PowerColor 9250 256MB Video Card
512 MB RAM PC333
Windows XP Pro SP1

See what Everest says about the temperatures, its in the Sensor entry.
See if the freeze up mostly happens at the higher temperatures.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

Run memtest86 overnight and see if that says anything about memory errors.

ruthlezz_1 wrote:

Help! My system freezes up periodically and I cannot figure out why.

It seems to happen most often when playing games on the internet.

I am running:
AMD XP 2800 Barton w/ 266 fsb
Biostar M7NCD MOBO
PowerColor 9250 256MB Video Card
512 MB RAM PC333
Windows XP Pro SP1

Any input is appreciated.

You didn't specify whether or not the RAM is ECC (and enabled). If
not, it may be bad, or it may have been hit sometime by a cosmic
ray during a disk defrag or other copying, leaving permanent
damage.

--
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy New Year
Joyeux Noel, Bonne Annee.
Chuck F (cbfalconer at maineline dot net)
http://cbfalconer.home.att.net

ruthlezz_1 wrote:
Help! My system freezes up periodically and I cannot figure out why.

It seems to happen most often when playing games on the internet.

I am running:
AMD XP 2800 Barton w/ 266 fsb
Biostar M7NCD MOBO
PowerColor 9250 256MB Video Card
512 MB RAM PC333
Windows XP Pro SP1

Any input is appreciated.

Ruthlezz


Open up the machine and look for bulging or leaking capacitors. They
look like little soda cans. If any are bulging or leaking, even a
little, they're bad, and you need a new motherboard.

Other causes include, but are not limited to:

Bad ram (test with memtest86+ from www.memtest.org)
Bad hard drive (test with the HDD manufacturer's tool)
Overheating
Bad videocard --or indeed some other component, video cards are more
likely however.

Also there are non-hardware causes, such as viruses, and bad drivers.

CBFalconer wrote:
ruthlezz_1 wrote:

Help! My system freezes up periodically and I cannot figure out why.

It seems to happen most often when playing games on the internet.

I am running:
AMD XP 2800 Barton w/ 266 fsb
Biostar M7NCD MOBO
PowerColor 9250 256MB Video Card
512 MB RAM PC333
Windows XP Pro SP1

Any input is appreciated.

You didn't specify whether or not the RAM is ECC (and enabled).

Irrevant, that motherboard doesnt support it.

If not, it may be bad, or it may have been hit sometime by a cosmic
ray during a disk defrag or other copying, leaving permanent damage.

Have fun explaining how that would cause online gaming to freeze.

wrote:
ruthlezz_1 wrote:
Help! My system freezes up periodically and I cannot figure out why.

It seems to happen most often when playing games on the internet.

I am running:
AMD XP 2800 Barton w/ 266 fsb
Biostar M7NCD MOBO
PowerColor 9250 256MB Video Card
512 MB RAM PC333
Windows XP Pro SP1

Any input is appreciated.

Ruthlezz


Open up the machine and look for bulging or leaking capacitors. They
look like little soda cans. If any are bulging or leaking, even a
little, they're bad, and you need a new motherboard.

Other causes include, but are not limited to:

Bad ram (test with memtest86+ from www.memtest.org)
Bad hard drive (test with the HDD manufacturer's tool)

That wont produce a freeze.

Overheating
Bad videocard --or indeed some other component, video cards are more
likely however.

Also there are non-hardware causes, such as viruses, and bad drivers.

I should specify that the MOBO is new and just installed. As for the
RAM, I do not know if it is ECC.
The MOBO was installed to replace a Chaintech that would not even run
my XP 2800 for more than 5 minutes. Also, I did not re-install Windows
since my copy would not boot (had a terrible scratch on the CD).
Which memory test should I run?
Thanks!
CBFalconer wrote:
ruthlezz_1 wrote:

Help! My system freezes up periodically and I cannot figure out why.

It seems to happen most often when playing games on the internet.

I am running:
AMD XP 2800 Barton w/ 266 fsb
Biostar M7NCD MOBO
PowerColor 9250 256MB Video Card
512 MB RAM PC333
Windows XP Pro SP1

Any input is appreciated.

You didn't specify whether or not the RAM is ECC (and enabled). If
not, it may be bad, or it may have been hit sometime by a cosmic
ray during a disk defrag or other copying, leaving permanent
damage.

--
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy New Year
Joyeux Noel, Bonne Annee.
Chuck F (cbfalconer at maineline dot net)
http://cbfalconer.home.att.net

Rod Speed wrote:
wrote:
ruthlezz_1 wrote:
Help! My system freezes up periodically and I cannot figure out why.

It seems to happen most often when playing games on the internet.

I am running:
AMD XP 2800 Barton w/ 266 fsb
Biostar M7NCD MOBO
PowerColor 9250 256MB Video Card
512 MB RAM PC333
Windows XP Pro SP1

Any input is appreciated.

Ruthlezz


Open up the machine and look for bulging or leaking capacitors. They
look like little soda cans. If any are bulging or leaking, even a
little, they're bad, and you need a new motherboard.

Other causes include, but are not limited to:

Bad ram (test with memtest86+ from www.memtest.org)
Bad hard drive (test with the HDD manufacturer's tool)

That wont produce a freeze.


It can, though I grant you it's rare. Not bad platters--- failing
controller.

ruthlezz_1 wrote:
I should specify that the MOBO is new and just installed. As for the
RAM, I do not know if it is ECC.

Most likely non-ecc. People who have ECC usually know it. And,
statisticly, ecc is rare in home computer systems. Especially in the
'budget' motherboard brands.

The MOBO was installed to replace a Chaintech that would not even run
my XP 2800 for more than 5 minutes. Also, I did not re-install Windows
since my copy would not boot (had a terrible scratch on the CD).

Lots of DVD rental places can possibibly repair the scratch. For a
small fee. They cannot gurarentee sucess, of course.

Which memory test should I run?

www.memtest.org

Thanks!

Given motherboard replacement, driver issues are high on the list of
possible causes.

MAYBE (unlikey) a bad processor. Given history in a failed motherboard.

Also possible: a bad power supply.

What can I do to troubleshoot drivers?
wrote:
ruthlezz_1 wrote:
I should specify that the MOBO is new and just installed. As for the
RAM, I do not know if it is ECC.

Most likely non-ecc. People who have ECC usually know it. And,
statisticly, ecc is rare in home computer systems. Especially in the
'budget' motherboard brands.

The MOBO was installed to replace a Chaintech that would not even run
my XP 2800 for more than 5 minutes. Also, I did not re-install Windows
since my copy would not boot (had a terrible scratch on the CD).

Lots of DVD rental places can possibibly repair the scratch. For a
small fee. They cannot gurarentee sucess, of course.

Which memory test should I run?

www.memtest.org

Thanks!

Given motherboard replacement, driver issues are high on the list of
possible causes.

MAYBE (unlikey) a bad processor. Given history in a failed motherboard.

Also possible: a bad power supply.