Computer randomly crashing...

ferrari_chris

ferrari_chris

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ferrari_chris
For reasons unknown to me my computer crashes/stalls/locks-up at random intervals. :grumpy:

Sometimes my screen saver might be on then it'll just stop. Or, I can be using the computer and it'll just stop. The mouse pointer won't move, keyboard inputs make no difference. Another thing I notice is when it locks-up if I pick up my optical mouse the LED underneath doesn't shut off - it goes full all the time. The signal to shut that off isn't being sent/received.

Does anyone know what might be causing this? Processor overheating, RAM stuffed, hard-drive failing?

I don't think it's spyware/virus as there are no other symptoms and I run virus/spyware scans regularly and they come back clean.

If anyone can suggest anything I'd be greatful. I thought I might see what I can figure out before I take it to the shop. :)

Thanks in advance.
 
You could try increasing the PF, my 'puter's graphics card was ****ing up the RAM (supposedly) on startup, causing a freeze and a restart if I did anything with the computer at all within a window of about 3 or so minutes from initial switch on.

Increasing the PF from 192Mb to 384Mb solved the problem completely. :)
 
Just had a quick look and found a site that said it should be 1.5 times the size of the RAM - Mine is, so this might not be the problem.

Anything else you can think of?
 
Sorry man, that was all I could think of.

You could try increasing the PF to see if that solves the problem, but if not, I dunno how. :)

When my PC was crashing, the page filing was 1.5 times the size of the RAM (128Mb). I increased this to 3 times, problem solved.
 
blue_sharky39
Sorry man, that was all I could think of.

You could try increasing the PF to see if that solves the problem, but if not, I dunno how. :)

When my PC was crashing, the page filing was 1.5 times the size of the RAM (128Mb). I increased this to 3 times, problem solved.
Click to expand...
Worth a try I suppose.
 
ferrari_chris
You think my RAM is causing the problem?

I should replace it with new stuff, and more of course?
Click to expand...

IF you can't be arsed to find it yourself - I could _probably_ be persuaded to dig up an address to a Linux based Boot-off-the-CD thingy with a bunch of test programs on it - amidst them a very thorough Ram tester....
 
Flerbizky
IF you can't be arsed to find it yourself - I could _probably_ be persuaded to dig up an address to a Linux based Boot-off-the-CD thingy with a bunch of test programs on it - amidst them a very thorough Ram tester....
Click to expand...
I'll have a look for one and see what I can dig up, but if you're feeling generous the link would be appreciated. :)

Thanks.
 
Most likely it is your RAM. My 🤬 computer is doing the same thing, sometimes I'd like to throw it out the window.

Here are a couple of memory diagnostic utilities, one from the Microsoft god himself :D

http://www.memtest86.com/

http://www.memtest.org/

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

Burn each of them to a different CD and boot your computer up with the CD in the CD-Drive (make sure you go into BIOS and change the settings for your computer to boot from CD first), boot-up and start testing 👍

The Wizard.
 
TheWizard
Most likely it is your RAM. My 🤬 computer is doing the same thing, sometimes I'd like to throw it out the window.

Here are a couple of memory diagnostic utilities, one from the Microsoft god himself :D

http://www.memtest86.com/

http://www.memtest.org/

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

Burn each of them to a different CD and boot your computer up with the CD in the CD-Drive (make sure you go into BIOS and change the settings for your computer to boot from CD first), boot-up and start testing 👍

The Wizard.
Click to expand...
Thanks heaps!

I've already read through the Microsoft one but haven't run the program yet. I'll look into the others too.

Thanks. :)
 
if its not the ram i would suggest a fresh install of windows and see if that takes care if it. if it still happens after you freshly install windows then it is a hardware issue. check the hard drive, all the cables...

its rare for ram to just go out like that though, i would blame microsoft. what version of windows are you running and is it fully updated and legit?
 
placebo
if its not the ram i would suggest a fresh install of windows and see if that takes care if it. if it still happens after you freshly install windows then it is a hardware issue. check the hard drive, all the cables...

its rare for ram to just go out like that though, i would blame microsoft. what version of windows are you running and is it fully updated and legit?
Click to expand...
XP with SP2 and fully updated. It's legal too.

I was looking at doing a format/re-install in the new year anyway, so if the RAM checks don't solve the problem, hopefully that will. I think I'll give the case a blow-out with air as well as I think it might be getting a bit dusty and this may be affecting the cooling etc. I was thinking of getting a new (bigger) HDD to go with the new install, but if I'm buying a new HDD and new RAM, I might as well buy a whole new box... We'll see - hopefully it doesn't come to that.
 
Ok, I have the same problem, or so I thought, with my computer randomly crashing. I blame the RAM, I run memtest 86+, it finds a couple of errors during the first pass, I leave it on for 3 hours and no more errors, in any of the following passes.

So, ok, I am not going to replace my RAM just because it has 2 errors in a 3 hour period, that seems pretty good. My computer crashes more often than that, anyway, especially when I am running several applications at once (iTunes, Photoshop, MSN Messenger + others).

So, what if I wanted to test more hardware components? Is there software just for memory testing, or is there software that checks for CPU, motherboard, or video card related errors?

Can anybody point me to them if there are? What do you guys use?

Thanks.

The Wizard.
 

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