Windows 2000/98 freezes

[drunken_master]

Hi, I have a problem and I don't think that it has anything to do with drivers, or software. Windows, no matter what version, keeps freezing frequently in a game, and freezes randomly when it's doing nothing. I've tried formatting and reinstalling Win2k and that didn't work. I then formatted again and installed win 98 SE and the problem still exits. I did download the latest drivers for all my cards but none of this helps. I'm thinking that my vid card is going haywire but who knows? Please put your input into this problem. I would really apreciate it, thanks.

Oh and by the way, here are my specs...
ECS K7S5A Mobo
Nvidia TNT2 M64
384 MB RAM (1 stick 128 PC100 / 1 stick 256 PC133)
10 GB Fujitsu hard drive
Sound Blaster Ensonique PCI
AMD Athalon Thunderbird 1.2 GHZ
300W Power Supply

 

[OldBear]

Try removing your video card and cleaning the contacts - a clean pencil eraser works good.



<font color=blue>Remember.... You get what you pay for. All advice here is free.</font color=blue>

 

[Toejam31]

You might try an older driver with that TNT2 card, like the Detonator 3 12.41's. And be sure that there are no device driver conflicts ... in Win98, the video card can only share an IRQ with the IRQ Holder For PCI Steering.

You might also try adjusting the AGP Aperture in the BIOS. Try out different settings, and see if the system stabilizes.

Since the problem also occurred in Win2K, did you install the latest chipset and AGP drivers for the mainboard? Was that with Service Pack 2?

Other thoughts:

Lowering the video card hardware accelerator one notch.

Lowering the Audio Playback hardware acceleration to the middle position.

UDMA enabled for the hard drive?

Swapping out the video card.

Swapping out the PSU for a more powerful unit. GeForce cards tend to act oddly or crash the system if underpowered on the +3.3v rail. You need at least 20 Amps, continuous.

Anytime a system simply won't run in a stable condition, you have to consider either heat issues, or problems with power. Do you have a good cooling solution?

Toejam31

<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847</A>
______________________________________________________________

<font color=purple>"Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."</font color=purple>

 

[drunken_master]

Thanks for the tips guys.. Just wondering, could an overclocked CPU be a cause of random freezing?

 

[ejsmith2]

On those random freezes, if your power supply is good (i.e. enough clean power), I'd go after the drivers first *before* before messing around with hardware.

Cruise to <A HREF="http://www.viaarena.com" target="_new">http://www.viaarena.com</A> and stock up. One of everything, just like when you go grocery shopping.

4n1, busmaster, agp, miniport. Just start installing, with whatever will fit on your board; don't worry about whether you actually use the usb port, agp slot, dma mode-5, just install.

Via is buggy (not cool) like that.

 

[CALV]

Thanks for the tips guys.. Just wondering, could an overclocked CPU be a cause of random freezing?

If your overclocked, I would have tried the default clock speed way before formatting


Next time you wave - use all your fingers

 

[Toejam31]

Yes ... overclocking can do that.

Toejam31

<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847</A>
______________________________________________________________

<font color=purple>"Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."</font color=purple>

 

[drunken_master]

Hmm, I wouldn't think the drivers are bad. I did download the latest and every one I could think of. I downclocked my computer and it seemed to help with Win 98 but not with Win 2k. I do have a 300W power supply like i mentioned before, and I do believe that this is adequet enough for my system.
And about the via thing? My chipset wouldn't be compatible with it cause my chipset is SiS 735.

 

[NickM]

> “<font color=green>…go after the drivers first *before* before messing around with hardware.</font color=green>”

- That’s not messing…

That’s a standard procedure to check the hardware first, the number one step on the troubleshooting of an overclocked computer.

[re: drunken_master] Do what CALV and Toejam31 suggested. And that doesn’t take much time to put the clock on low and check.

 

[CompSci]

Couldn't help but notice your runnin two different speed of memory...
Don't know FSB on 1,2 Athlon
If ya are <=100 FSB it should work, but memory can be lazy, or outa spec...

But, if >100 could be a prob... or BIOS settings for mem timing...
(Ususlly if not explicitly stamped/stated it's CL3>
Ya could try just the 256 stick, & slow mem settings down, to see...

Win2K should be a rock....

 

[Novakain]

YES. Mismatched RAM is defineatly a possibility. I've seen mismatched/faulty memory cause similar problems. The fact that you have the same problem with different operating systems, and after you've re-installed WIN98 from scratch, to me suggests that it's more likely a hardware issue. Have you got access to a memory testing utility? If not, you might want to try this:

<A HREF="http://www.goldmemory.cz/download.htm" target="_new">http://www.goldmemory.cz/download.htm</A>

I've used it about twice, so I don't know if it's any good, but if it works as it says it does, it should be able to detect any incompatibilities between memory modules and memory & motherboard, as well as faulty memory. But as compsci said, trying the 256MB DIMM and then the 128MB DIMM in your PC on their own would definately be worth a go.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by novakain on 12/23/01 10:13 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[asus]

Have you tried to do the Low Level Format of the Hard Driver before formating it?

 

[drunken_master]

Hey thanks for the tips. I'm thinking it's also mismatched chips but I did take one of the sticks out before but it still froze. I did take my computer to a computer store but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with it and labelled it as a software problem! I kept telling them that I formatted the computer like 6 times switching from Win 2000 to 98 and visa versa.

Oh well, I'll try out some of the things that you guys suggested and btw, what is Low level formatting?