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Need Help: Random Freezing

themanwithnoname

themanwithnoname

Gawd
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
665
I'm starting to have a freezing problem again. About 3 weeks ago my computer would randomly start freezing, where i couldn't even move my mouse, but eventually I just reinstalled Windows and it turned out to work fine. But recently I began to get the freezing more and more often, so I thought it might be the harddrive since the computer would get stuck trying to detect the IDE drives. So I bought another harddrive and tried to RMA my old one today, but I found out that it also froze. I'm not quite sure what could be causing this problem anymore. Memory? Processor? Mobo? Videocard?

Whenever the computer first freezes its usually in Windows while its idle. But for some reason after the initial freeze, I'll attempt to restart and as soon as I get into Windows it gets stuck as soon as it passes the welcome screen, and on additional tries to restart it just leaves me on a black screen right after passing the splash screen of the windows with the blue loading bar. Sometimes when I reset the computer it just hangs and the monitor blinks like the computer is off.
I'm pretty sure it can't be the harddrive, its new. And its definitely not overheating the temperatures are like high 30'sC. Its not overclocking either because it crashes even when its at stock speed.

These are the specs for my comp:
1800+ XP
Abit NF7-S V.2
512mb 3200 Geil
250gb Maxtor
80gb Seagate (first hdd)

If you have any suggestions i'd be more than happy to try them cuz i'm out of ideas and this is nerve racking as college starts in a week and I needa know wats wrong or i'll have to buy a whole new setup.
 
have you tried running the memory at reduced timings/increased latency or low FSB? monitor voltages, What kind of PSU? What kind of CD/DVD drives? I had a DVD drive that was killing my mobos. Voltage spikes on the IDE bus or something
 
I've set everything to stock including the timings and voltages. I'm using Enermax 465w psu and i have one nec cdrom drive.
 
I'm trying memtest right now through dos, but there doesn't seem to b any problems as of 70% pass. Does anyone no any other dos based programs to check for errors? like for the mobo, psu, cpu, hdd?

I also realize that if a main component does turn out to be broken, I should start looking for another setup probably of cpu and mobo. So what would you guys suggest within 300? LMK thanks. I'd probably wanna get something thats good at overclocking. LMK thanks!
 
slow your memory speed from (say 400) to 333 on the FSB if it works fine its your memory, regardless of it passes memtest or prime 95. Cheap easy test. Simply slow your buss speed to one step lower ... if it works go from there.
 
Yea do what i said....

I passed memtest for 2 days and prime 95 for 3 days just fine... I was sure it was nt the memory either...... But if you slow it down like I said .. its only one simple BIOS change takes 1 min... and if your problem goes away then... what is it? memory or motherboard memory controller.... unmatched pairs... undrload ....just do the check ... I will be glad to be wrong
 
The computer works for now. I'm still not sure whats wrong with it. But i'm sure that it'll freeze again soon randomly :rolleyes: sooo I was thinking i might as well trouble shoot right now. should i try prime95?
 
running Prime95 and looping 3DMark 2001se is one of the things I do to check to see if a computer is stable...

random freezing can be hard to pinpoint tho .

one thing you could do in bios is just take a peek at the hardware monitor and see how steady your rails are ...if they are jumping all over the place , that could cause random freezing.

try disabling onboard sound and nic and see if that helps if your freezing persist's.



..also check your caps on the mobo ...if you have any that are bulging, then that very well could be your problem ;) and then it's time for a new mobo.... :)
 
Well I tried prime95 for a couple hours and then I just went out. But my brother said that the computer just gave a black screen as soon as he minimized it. Does that mean its unstable? I mean its stock... I guess i'll check the rails next as well as the onboard sound and nic. Wat is nic btw? And also I just checked the caps nothing... :(

Thanks for the help.
 
Well so far I've tried everything you guys have suggested but it seems that it's still a problem. The computer still freezes but I did notice that if I keep WMP on, it doesn't crash, but it may just be a coincidence. So i'm still not sure. HELP?

For the while, can anyone suggest any good mobos or cpus under 300? Thanks.
 
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