Vista Keeps Crashing

Does it crash with all settings set to stock?

Have you set your RAM voltage to mfg. spec? This is a common problem. If you are running 2.1 or 2.2 volt RAM at the default of 1.8 set by most MOBO's you will likely get instability when you OC, even a little OC .

If you post your RAM details (make/model #) we can look it up for you.

if that does not fix it run memtest86 on the ram. And check your temps. Maybe the heatsink is not all tightly.

Well to start off with, I didnt overclock the processor my friend did as i don't know that much about PC's but here is my RAM

Transcend DDR2 800 Dual Channel Kit JETRAM 4GB

That is what it says on the box

Go get your friend, and tell him to undo the overclock. It is obviously not stable. If he needs help getting it to run right, there is an overclocking section on the forums here.

If undoing the OC fixes it then you have an issue somewhere with the OC settings. 3 gig is a conservative OC for the q6600 and it "should" work, assuming good cooling and proper tuning of all the settings, but no OC is a gimmie, you might have an unlucky chip. You have good components so 3 gig should really be doable with an arctic 7 I would think. Make sure the heatsink is making good contact, sometimes the pins don't stick in the lock position and the heatsink rises back up a bit off the chip.

If it isn't an OC issue then I would run memtest86 on each memory stick individually.

The Transcend Jetram I can find listed runs at 1.8 v, so the advice I gave above should not apply. However, all Transcend Jetram may not be the same and without a model number it is hard to say. Look on the box and see if you see a voltage rating. It will say 1.8v or 2.0 v etc.

I am going to ask my friend to undo the overclock, and if this doesnt work.

This is going to sound really stupid, could it be my surge protector?

Or my Hard Drive?

That memtes86 don't i need a flppy drive for that because i dont have a floppy drive, and i dont see not voltage info on my RAM box

IMHO - The most likely suspect in this case would be that your friend's CPU overclock also overclocked the memory. The Front Side and RAM speeds are linked on most Intel based systems.

Not likely surge protector or hard drive. More likely something to do with RAM or motherboard or even software or drivers.

These things are hard to pin down. It might help to know the entire text of the error message.

Let us know if the problem is still there after the OC is dropped.

Ok I am going to ring my friend later on tonight and he is going to talk me through how to undo the overclock, after that I will get back to you