Computer Hangs anytime and anywhere

manan

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Hello guys,

I have Computer hangs problem. Computer hangs anywhere sometime in bios too, before POST, after POST, during work, and even in safe mode.

So acc. to me its a hardware problem.

I kept my computer open so heating of cabinet is not problem but I thought my CPU heat sink may have problem. CPU fan is working fine.

Ram is ok, I already tested memory test and it shows no problem. Even I tried to removed one ram and test computer.

Power supply also seems fine, because I tried to use another SMPS same problem shows.

My Cabinet fan is jam, but I aready kept my CPU so that fan does not make much effect I hope so.

I have doubt on heatsink but not sure or may be its thermal paste ?

I already checked Events logs no new logs shown currently all are old one.

Here is my computer config:

Processor : P4 2.4ghz
Ram: 1.12 Gb [1 GB +128 MB]
[strike]MOBO: P89v51RD2 [/strike]
MOBO: D845GVSR
Gfx card: No

* Edited mobo model earlier post wrong model.
 

manan

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If it was a virus problem then I should not be hang durin boot, in BIOS, beforepost right ?

SO I odntthink its virus problem, Even when I was installing windows then also it was hanged sometime.
 

manan

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Hey hellboy,

I already cleaned heat sink lot of times , there was not any dust on it.

capacitors on mobo seems fine.

As i already told when I tried by changing power supply sometime ago, problem remain same.

------------------------------------


I have question: When ever I cleaned heatsink copper portion, some sort of black color I seen on cloth or cotton. What that is ithat copper errode ?

Can heatsink behave like electronics components ( i mean like they have self life).
 

Hellboy

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heatsinks dont have a shelf life but the compound between the processor and the heatsink can dry out and not be as efficient as it first was..

what your removed was the heatsink compound.. I would suggest your go and buy some more and re apply... find a local store who will supply you some its not too expensive but its there to help disperse heat..
 

manan

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I already applied every time when I clean. I did not used artic silver thermal paste. I don't think P4 processor needs artic silver.

I have unbranded thermal paste that i applied evertime I clean CPU.
 

Hellboy

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the only think i can think of if you have checked the ram -

best one is memtest..

but if that is not the case then the motherboard is up the old river...

Processors would not normally fail in this way so my money is now on the motherboard....

try and find one on ebay, there cheap enough on there - if you get the same board you wont have to activate windows again.
 

manan

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hmmm Ram is ok, may be mobo problem or heat sink, I have doubt on heat sink more. Why ?

Ans: Some times when Ipress power button to start the computer it does not start, mobo light glows ,processor turn on in CPU evrything is on but no display on TFT, So What I do, Turn off everything unlock the heatsink and again lock the heat sink, you know the 478 heat sink socket, it has two white strands to lock, so simply unlock and lock the heatsink.

Then I turn on the computer and it starts, no doubt after sometime again it will hang. Very rare when it does not hang. :(
 

manan

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Are you sure ?

Can you tell me which section of mobo create prob/reason of this prob/on which behalf your saying this ?



thanks,
manan
 

Hellboy

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capacitors around the cpu - look for leaky capacitors ... the ones that are blown are the ones that havent got a flat head or may even be leaking


the reason on this is that youve changed the psu, you have checked the ram and the next logical thing is the motherboard...

 

manan

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Hmmm, I already checked , all capictors are in good situation, no one leaky or browny.

I think Heat sink is culprit ? Cannot be ?

Becz sometime after hang pc does not start and then I unlock and lock heat sink and then computer starts.
 
More then likely it's your hard drive.
Run cmd prompt sfc/scannow in safemode
Run the vendors diagnostics(available from their website).
Before you do that unplug your hdd data cable.
Boot into bios.
If that works fine (no freeze or hang) = i suspect your hdd.

Btw you're Caps aren't solid caps there're the old style.
If even one is slightly bulged at the top it's toast.
They should be flat on the top.
http://badcaps.net/images/caps/kt7/kt3.html
Look at the ones near your cpu socket they tend to go first.
 

Hellboy

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ok sounds like a connection between your processor and your motherboard...

now youve got two options...

replace the board, the heatsink or the cpu...

i still recon its the motherboard but i have got some in stock to try out
 

manan

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Ok, Davcon also has the point.

But now situation is weird :D

I tried to test HDD using seagate software, It fails SMART test because of some bad sectors, but rest all TEST successful.


Then I try to Scan HDD using HDD properties and scan disc (check option fix error). Restart PC becz and C drive scanned and fix some errors.

Then I removed HDD data cable and turn on PC in bios. It did not hang out for few minutes.

and again I connect the HDD datacable and turn on PC.


Now computer did not hang for few hours even today I played AOE-II on this PC :D and its running smoothly.


Then again i tried to scan HDD using seagate soft again SMART test failed and other test passed.


May be some other technical harware prob is there.

Still Working on it, if it hangs again I will report here. Kindly don't close the thread.
 

Hellboy

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ok

hard drives causing this sort of problem is not common - hanging the bios but not a possibility.

Try replacing the hard disk cable - is it a Sata or IDE

a hard disk failing like this would normally be

Boot device not found etc but it is a Seagate and they have been known to have some firmware errors...

Get all the details of the hard disk from the sticker and report it here.
 

Hellboy

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its an old hard disk by any standard...

a 40 gig hard disk was around 8-10 years ago and could be failing but the whole machine is old...

my monies on the motherboard - somethings not right on the power phase to the cpu in my opionion... maybe its time to replace the whole system

heck you could get one hell of a better system for 2-300 dollars
 

manan

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@ hellboy,

I am not using that system anymore, I got two new latest system with Core i processors. That system is used by my parents to learn computer :p They don't know abt computer so i decided to keep that system for that purpose only.

Its 6 years old PC actually.


@Hexit
problem is abt system hangs randomly not turn off randomly.

This system has 1.128 GB Ram Latency is not much difference between them. I know Ram will operate at lesser frequency, if system has two different frequency modules.

One is PC-2700 (166Mhz) - 128 MB , #Latency - 2.5 clocks
Other is PC-3200 (200Mhz) - 1 GB , # Latency - 3.0 Clock

Overall: 166MHz, # Latency 2.5 Clocks


[ initially system comes with 12b MB ram lol sounds strange these days, but at that time its sufficent] Then I upgraded to 1 GB more.
 
nah theres not enough difference in the latency to cause damage to the mmu. that normally takes 2-3 points across each timing.

i doubt your using win7 or vista 64 either... as they both need high precision event timers. with out that being set rite the system would hang constantly at random intervals. it may also affect 32bit versions but im not sure about that.

so i would look at aging components like the caps and voltage regulators...


 
Have you checked running temps with HWMonitor or RealTemp?

Have you removed the 128mb RAM and run the 1gb alone, at it's rated speeds and voltage?

Aside from that... could be motherboard, could be PSU (although I know you tried a different one so probably not). I've never heard of a HDD causing it to hang in the BIOS. Have you tried unplugging the HDD completely? It will come up with a "boot device not found" error, but if it doesn't hang in BIOS then you might have found the culprit.

Can't really think of anything else... CPU not being seated right, or overheating... You say you tested RAM so I guess that's ok...
 
i have just reread the whole post and you have already tried everything else i was gonna suggest... but i see davcon asked you to run chkdsk which you did and the problem went away for a short time...
this is because the hdd mapped out the bad sectors, but over time it created more. so you can assume the hdd is failing. to be sure run the tests again. again it should map out any bad sectors and seem to work for a while at least. then it will happen again...

eventually what will happen is that you will have no more recovery space on the hdd and it will fail properly. my guess is that the power supply is causing power spikes in the hdd and burning the disk the resulting bad sectors, also power spikes would also shut down the pc...

if the hdd is failing then it will need to be replaced but if the psu is causing it to fail then you will have to replace both.