Freeze and lockups

[Alan]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

I got a "bundle" system from a mail order company.
Finished it off as I have with loads before, loaded software, installed
windows, ran it.
Couple of days later, whole screen froze. I rebooted.
A day later, it rebooted without warning.
3 or 4 days after that, it froze again, no reboot, just a complete freeze.

I ran Memtest and found 1 error in one of the 256 Mb sticks of Ram.
Sent it off for exchange leaving 1 good stick in, but it seemed that
each time it crashed, another file would become corrupt, until I was
wading through errors each reboot.

I have run a full overnight test on the harddrive using the Maxtor
software, I have checked that the CAS timing for the RAM in the bios is
correct, I have used the "safe" defaults, the temperature never gets
higher than 35 degrees, there is no overclocking either.

There is also nothing written to the event log when it freezes.

Mainboard is a Matsonic Ms8147C running a Celeron at 2.4Ghz. Half the
people say it could be power supply, the other half say that Matsonic
Mainboards have a problem whereby the layers seperate. I've re-pluggewd
all the cabling so I don't think it's that.
But it only seems to happen when I'm doing lots of things at a time. But
again, the temperature is well within limits.

IN the meantime, until this gets resolved, can anyone suggest some good
freeware (or cheap!) method of backing up the drive onto another part of
the drive in a way that, if it DOES crash again, I can copy it back over
to repair the corrupt files without having to install everything
AGAIN?!? Also, is there ANY software which can catch information about a
crash like this as it happens?

Thanks.

(Amazing, I managed to write a whole post without the fu

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

Alan wrote:
>
.... snip ...
>
> IN the meantime, until this gets resolved, can anyone suggest some
> good freeware (or cheap!) method of backing up the drive onto
> another part of the drive in a way that, if it DOES crash again, I
> can copy it back over to repair the corrupt files without having
> to install everything AGAIN?!? Also, is there ANY software which
> can catch information about a crash like this as it happens?

1st question: <http://xxcopy.com>.

2nd question: Get a system with ECC memory.

--
A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

Alan <reply@thisgroup.please> wrote

....
> Mainboard is a Matsonic Ms8147C running a Celeron at 2.4Ghz. Half the
> people say it could be power supply,

Also possible as bad house current, in which case an uninterruptible power
supply might help.

....
> IN the meantime, until this gets resolved, can anyone suggest some
> good freeware (or cheap!) method of backing up the drive onto another
> part of the drive in a way that, if it DOES crash again, I can copy it
> back over to repair the corrupt files without having to install
> everything AGAIN?!?

Get PartitionMagic or some other disk manager. It does that, and as you
learn how to use it, your Windows problems slowly disappear. And that's
a lotta problems. A disk manager is nearly as important as the operating
system(s), in my opinion.

Always keep a removable media backup of your most important files.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

Probably by coincidence you probably have some RAM failure, or a failure
on the mother board for the RAM buffer/controller.

As for installing any type of especialy promotional software that comes
in the mail, or by other un-requested means, this is taking a big chance
on a computer that has value to you. Most of these come with Adwares,
Keyboard Logging, and other means to track the users for marketing and
information gathering. Some of these are not well written, and can cause
many types of faults with the user's computers.

The only software that you should be installing on a serious computer,
are ones from reputable software companies or reputable sources, and
those that you can be guaranteed of them to be safe for your machine.

--

Jerry G.
======

"Alan" <reply@thisgroup.please> wrote in message
news:cjbegj$3fk$1@titan.btinternet.com...
I got a "bundle" system from a mail order company.
Finished it off as I have with loads before, loaded software, installed
windows, ran it.
Couple of days later, whole screen froze. I rebooted.
A day later, it rebooted without warning.
3 or 4 days after that, it froze again, no reboot, just a complete
freeze.

I ran Memtest and found 1 error in one of the 256 Mb sticks of Ram.
Sent it off for exchange leaving 1 good stick in, but it seemed that
each time it crashed, another file would become corrupt, until I was
wading through errors each reboot.

I have run a full overnight test on the harddrive using the Maxtor
software, I have checked that the CAS timing for the RAM in the bios is
correct, I have used the "safe" defaults, the temperature never gets
higher than 35 degrees, there is no overclocking either.

There is also nothing written to the event log when it freezes.

Mainboard is a Matsonic Ms8147C running a Celeron at 2.4Ghz. Half the
people say it could be power supply, the other half say that Matsonic
Mainboards have a problem whereby the layers seperate. I've re-pluggewd
all the cabling so I don't think it's that.
But it only seems to happen when I'm doing lots of things at a time. But
again, the temperature is well within limits.

IN the meantime, until this gets resolved, can anyone suggest some good
freeware (or cheap!) method of backing up the drive onto another part of
the drive in a way that, if it DOES crash again, I can copy it back over
to repair the corrupt files without having to install everything
AGAIN?!? Also, is there ANY software which can catch information about a
crash like this as it happens?

Thanks.

(Amazing, I managed to write a whole post without the fu

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:30:43 +0000 (UTC), Alan
<reply@thisgroup.please> wrote:

>I got a "bundle" system from a mail order company.
>Finished it off as I have with loads before, loaded software, installed
>windows, ran it.
>Couple of days later, whole screen froze. I rebooted.
>A day later, it rebooted without warning.
>3 or 4 days after that, it froze again, no reboot, just a complete freeze.
>
>I ran Memtest and found 1 error in one of the 256 Mb sticks of Ram.
>Sent it off for exchange leaving 1 good stick in, but it seemed that
>each time it crashed, another file would become corrupt, until I was
>wading through errors each reboot.

Bascially you must reinstall the operating system AFTER you
retest with memtest86 for several hours. If one file was
corrupt, odds are good others are too.

>
>I have run a full overnight test on the harddrive using the Maxtor
>software, I have checked that the CAS timing for the RAM in the bios is
>correct, I have used the "safe" defaults, the temperature never gets
>higher than 35 degrees, there is no overclocking either.

CAS timing is correct for what?
Some unscrupulous vendors will sell parts that don't work
well alone, not ever considering pairing up several marginal
parts.

Send the whole bundle back. Contact them NOW and insist on
a refund. You can always get the RMA and spend a couple
more days fooling with it, but get the RMA before too much
time has elapsed, if it hasn't happened already.


>
>There is also nothing written to the event log when it freezes.
>
>Mainboard is a Matsonic Ms8147C running a Celeron at 2.4Ghz. Half the
>people say it could be power supply, the other half say that Matsonic
>Mainboards have a problem whereby the layers seperate. I've re-pluggewd
>all the cabling so I don't think it's that.
>But it only seems to happen when I'm doing lots of things at a time. But
>again, the temperature is well within limits.

Well you didn't mention what power suppply, but if it's a
generic low-quality PSU, then yes that could be it.
Matsonic boards are junk too... basically the odds are high
that everything but the CPU should be replaced.

>
>IN the meantime, until this gets resolved, can anyone suggest some good
>freeware (or cheap!) method of backing up the drive onto another part of
>the drive in a way that, if it DOES crash again, I can copy it back over
>to repair the corrupt files without having to install everything
>AGAIN?!? Also, is there ANY software which can catch information about a
>crash like this as it happens?

There is no point trying to struggle with it, if it doesn't
even work right when new (after clearing CMOS), after seeing
if any issues are known about the board that can easily
rectified, the whole kit was a bundle and should be
returned.

 

[Starfish]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

Hi
I had the same problem...after many month of trying to figure out what was
causing it (and many tests later) i found out that my power supply couldnt
handle everything in my comp...so it was a trip to the computer shop to buy
a bigger weattage power supply......everything is fine now!
Hope this helps
ves
"kony" <spam@spam.com> wrote in message
news:s0ejl056jpoe64gjs2v510mlsgrmpo8s9r@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:30:43 +0000 (UTC), Alan
> <reply@thisgroup.please> wrote:
>
>>I got a "bundle" system from a mail order company.
>>Finished it off as I have with loads before, loaded software, installed
>>windows, ran it.
>>Couple of days later, whole screen froze. I rebooted.
>>A day later, it rebooted without warning.
>>3 or 4 days after that, it froze again, no reboot, just a complete freeze.
>>
>>I ran Memtest and found 1 error in one of the 256 Mb sticks of Ram.
>>Sent it off for exchange leaving 1 good stick in, but it seemed that
>>each time it crashed, another file would become corrupt, until I was
>>wading through errors each reboot.
>
> Bascially you must reinstall the operating system AFTER you
> retest with memtest86 for several hours. If one file was
> corrupt, odds are good others are too.
>
>>
>>I have run a full overnight test on the harddrive using the Maxtor
>>software, I have checked that the CAS timing for the RAM in the bios is
>>correct, I have used the "safe" defaults, the temperature never gets
>>higher than 35 degrees, there is no overclocking either.
>
> CAS timing is correct for what?
> Some unscrupulous vendors will sell parts that don't work
> well alone, not ever considering pairing up several marginal
> parts.
>
> Send the whole bundle back. Contact them NOW and insist on
> a refund. You can always get the RMA and spend a couple
> more days fooling with it, but get the RMA before too much
> time has elapsed, if it hasn't happened already.
>
>
>>
>>There is also nothing written to the event log when it freezes.
>>
>>Mainboard is a Matsonic Ms8147C running a Celeron at 2.4Ghz. Half the
>>people say it could be power supply, the other half say that Matsonic
>>Mainboards have a problem whereby the layers seperate. I've re-pluggewd
>>all the cabling so I don't think it's that.
>>But it only seems to happen when I'm doing lots of things at a time. But
>>again, the temperature is well within limits.
>
> Well you didn't mention what power suppply, but if it's a
> generic low-quality PSU, then yes that could be it.
> Matsonic boards are junk too... basically the odds are high
> that everything but the CPU should be replaced.
>
>>
>>IN the meantime, until this gets resolved, can anyone suggest some good
>>freeware (or cheap!) method of backing up the drive onto another part of
>>the drive in a way that, if it DOES crash again, I can copy it back over
>>to repair the corrupt files without having to install everything
>>AGAIN?!? Also, is there ANY software which can catch information about a
>>crash like this as it happens?
>
> There is no point trying to struggle with it, if it doesn't
> even work right when new (after clearing CMOS), after seeing
> if any issues are known about the board that can easily
> rectified, the whole kit was a bundle and should be
> returned.