• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

New System- dies randomly

  • Thread starter Deleted member 65081
  • Start date
D

Deleted member 65081

Guest
I recently ordered a system online for a friend and it just came yesterday. It's a really budget-minded AMD system, with an ABIT VA-10 (video, audio, lan), Athlon XP 2000+, 256mb DDR333, Samsung 52x CD-ROM, and a 300w power supply all packed into a mid-tower case.

I installed Windows 2000 on it which went fine. After booting it up though, installing drivers and SP4, it just dies at random. The screen gets a little distorted and occasionally Windows will say an application has caused errors (say explorer, or any other random running process) and then it just shuts off. The copy of 2k is perfectly fine, it is running on two others systems sitting right here... and neither have ever been effected by such an issue. To be sure though, i have formatted and reinstalled twice- same issue every time.

My first thought was bad RAM, but after running Windows Memory Diagnostic for several hours I get no errors. Perhaps there is an issue with the on-board video? Or maybe the power supply?

Any ideas on what i could test or what the problem might be?
 
Sound’s like a bad PSU to me. But for my own curiosity start the computer in safe mode and see if the problem still occurs.
 
Things seem to run fine in safe mode. I can open applications, browse the net (with networking enabled in safe mode), etc just fine. Those are things i couldnt do without crashes before.

This is sounding more and more like a video issues isnt it? Are there any tests or diagnostics i can run for such an issue?
 
It very well could be a video issue. Try this, right click on your desktop>click the settings tab>click advanced>then click the monitor tab. Under where it says monitor settings there will be a list of screen refresh rates you can choose. Choose the lowest refresh rate and click apply. After this is all done restart your computer (not in safe mode) and run some applications. If it still die's on you I would suggest you format the computer, install your OS again, download the latest motherboard drivers before you install any other Window's applications that you don’t need right then and there. For example: virus scanner, firewall, etc. Reboot your computer and set the monitor refresh rate to the lowest setting and reboot again. Install what you want and tell me what the out come is. :)
 
It does 'sound' like a standard power supply issue, but the fact that when I boot up in safe mode w/networking and everything is fine makes me think it's probably not. Wouldn't you think along the same line?

None-the-less I have another power supply sitting around so I will try switching it and see what happens.

Thanks for the info s-other, but I did reformat/reinstall a few times, and the monitor refresh rate is fine :)
 
Originally posted by Tweakin
It does 'sound' like a standard power supply issue, but the fact that when I boot up in safe mode w/networking and everything is fine makes me think it's probably not. Wouldn't you think along the same line?

None-the-less I have another power supply sitting around so I will try switching it and see what happens.

Thanks for the info s-other, but I did reformat/reinstall a few times, and the monitor refresh rate is fine :)
Click to expand...

Are you doing anything in normal mode that causes stress on the PSU?
 
Originally posted by MemoryInAGarden
Are you doing anything in normal mode that causes stress on the PSU?
Click to expand...

Nope, I just boot into a fresh copy of Windows. Insert CD-ROMS to install drivers/updates, then when that is all done I reboot and doing just about anything crashes the system. For example, Start->Programs->Admistrative Tools->Services = CRASH, Start->Program Files->Internet Explorer (then surf a couple sites = CRASH. If I insert a CD-ROM, say for a game, and the Splash Screen opens it crashes. So basically, doing anything other then just booting will crash the system. Some times it takes a minute of doing something, sometimes it happens straight away.

I am not stressing the system _at all_, which is the weird thing.
 
Hello!!!! you installed SErvice pack 4 . THats a no no.MS has detected multiple copies. They are hosing your machine. Try reloading 2k with all the updates but sp4. You may be surprised.
 
Originally posted by jacuzz1
Hello!!!! you installed SErvice pack 4 . THats a no no.MS has detected multiple copies. They are hosing your machine. Try reloading 2k with all the updates but sp4. You may be surprised.
Click to expand...

Not sure I understand? I have the same copy of SP4 installed on this system (i have the network installer) and it works perfectly fine. Same licensed copy of Windows 2k pro, as well.

I havnt heard anything bad about installing SP4, could you please explain what you mean?
 
he's just saying that there is something in SP4 thats allowing MS to recognise that you have more then the amount of systems they want to allow you to run with the same OS/key.

Although, I don't see how that could be, concidering the fact that well... if it is MS, its a damn wierd way of telling you"STOP"
 
Since the xp non copy scheme, it was rumored that SP4 had a similar scheme, read the euala carefully. Sp4 says that upon downloading it you agree that MS can yada yada.


The register ran an article on the issue way back and there were claims of MS hosing pirates in that manner. In your case you have a network license so I doubt its the issue eve if it were true
 
Ahh yeah, I knew about that for SP1 on XP, but never heard such a thing for SP4 on 2000. Anyhow, it's all legit so I don't think thats the problem. ...And I don't think Microsoft would decide to use random crashes as an anti-piracy messure. Mainly because they have been doing it for years... I thought it was a built in feature of windows? :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top