PC crash issues with video

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

"JustMe" <no@spam.thanks> wrote in message
news:428f39a2$0$39064$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
> OS: Windows 2000 Pro
> Mobo: Asus P4C800E-Deluxe
> Graphics: Asus V9520 Magic GeForce FX5200 with TV out
> Memory: 2 x 512MB @ 400MHz
> CPU: Intel P4 3.066GHz
> HDs: Numerous, 1 for OS, remainder for storage
> Case: Lian Li PC70
> PSU: 550 watts
> 1 PCI card: ATA/133 Host Adaptor with 2 x IDE HDs connected to one of the
> two channels
> Several other HDs connected to various channels on the Mobo
> No overclocking or anything deviating from recommended use.
>
> Hi,
>
> I've been having the same trouble with this set-up since its inception and
> I'm hoping someone can help me out.
>
> What I'm trying to do:
>
> The PC described above is effectively a video media server. The choice of
> motherboard, case, PSU etc are specifically to provide storage for a
larger
> number of hard drives which store film and television programming. The
> purpose is to replace using VHS for timeshifting and archiving and for
> storage on a home network.
>
> I use Zoom Player in place of Media player, (although the fault occurs
with
> either) and Opus directory in place of Windows Explorer, otherwise the
> software installation is fairly typical and minimal.
>
> Video is configured so that the TV out (screen 2) is set as a "full screen
> device" so that whatever video I have running in a small or minimised
screen
> on the PC's monitor is rendered full-screen on my TV.
>
> The problem:
>
> When a new video programme starts (either when playing the next programme
in
> the directory/playlist automatically or when I double-click the next
> programme I wish to watch), the output to the television screen switches
> first to the Windows desktop (as there is no video currently playing on
the
> PC) and then after a second or so, as it starts to play the next file,
back
> as a full-screen device. This is normal.
>
> BUT as it switches back to a full-screen device for the next programme, at

> the point when you'd expect the new programme to start playing, the PC
> crashes.
>
> This problem is intermittent. Sometimes it can happen after EVERY
programme,
> sometimes I can view several in a row or stop and start a few times over a
> period of days before the same fault will occur. But it never occurs when
> viewing the first programme after a reboot - I always get at least one
> programme's viewing.
>
> This isn't the exception. I want to use the PC to capture video from VHS.
> However this too leads to similar problems. I tried a Compro capture card
> some months ago which often lead to crashes and, just this week, after a
> clean reinstall of everything, I bought a Maxtor ConvertX external capture
> device (it encodes video into DivX on the fly, is an external box and
> connects via USB and is supplied with its own external power supply, so it
> doesn't take up a PCI slot). When I try to run the software for this, as
> soon as I get to a video mode (something like trying to capture or view
> incoming video), the PC crashes.
>
> Things I have tried which have not resolved the problem:
>
> Complete O/S reinstall with minimal drivers/software on freshly formatted
HD
> Uninstall/reinstall video drivers
> Uninstall/reinstall codecs
> Reducing video acceleration
> Run with case open and tons of cooling (I use Speedfan to monitor temps on
> HDs, CPU etc and keep fan noise down and nothing ever goes above 50
degrees
> anyway)
> Tried one strip of each memory at a time to eliminate faulty strip
>
> however the problem occurs under all these conditions.
>
> It HAS to be a problem with video, I am assuming. I can leave the PC
> running for weeks if I don't try any of these video applications and I use
> it as a file server from remote PCs to playback video through their
outputs,
> without trouble.
>
> Thanks for reading all that - please, can anyone help?

Well after all that, updated video drivers from the NVIDIA website seem to
have resolved this!