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PC keeps locking up

L

locrawler

n00b
Joined
Oct 4, 2004
Messages
17
I'm working on a PC that keeps locking up about 10 mins. after it's turned on. I thought it maybe the mainboard so I change it out but it still happening.
Could it be the CPU? Locking up because of heat? Bad processor?

Any thoughts?

Compaq Presario 5000
MSI MS-6577 (mainboard)
Duron 800 ?
XP Home

Thanks.
 
virus, spyware, adware, malware?

Heat? Are all your fans spinning especially the one on the vid card?

PS?

HD?

Mem? (a possibility, but not very likely)

does it always happen exactly 10 minutes in?

Was the board that you swapped in for test purposes the exact same board? If not, now you are dealing with MB driver problems also.

What does your event viewer say? Are there any entries that might explain the unruly behavior?
 
locrawler, exact same problem for me.
If you push ctrl alt delete, and leave it open, when the computer has frozen, you'll notice that the memory usage has hit 100%.
At which point, every 30 seconds or so, the computer will respond 1 frame per 30 seconds.
(If not, then we had different problems).
If your processor is an nvidia, go to their webpage, and download drivers for your MOBO.
If you need help, just ask, there should be generic drivers for it, and one of the updates is for your memory controller.
It fixed my problem, but updating it again, at a later date seemed to make the problem occur again....
I don't know if I just got lucky with some drivers, or... what...
 
I can't tell if the processor is getting hot or not. Can't cuurently get into the BIOS to check temp readings. Having problem find the right access key to get into BIOS. The physical area around cpu not hot.

I've checked the ram before but I'm doing it again with different ram just in case.

I'll post update soon.

Thanks.
 
ok an update...

The mb I changed out was the same as the original - MS-6577 - problem still there
I changed out the ram - no change
I changed out the PS - no change
I changed the video card just in case it was a driver issue (quicker to change card then drivers) - no change
I got into the BIOS - very basic, no settings that was for any type of timing & no temp reading for cpu

The only thing I hadn't change is the cpu so by process of elimination it must be the CPU.
Does that sound right?
What do you think?

Thanks.
 
I beg a pardon for previous post. Sorry.

Anyway, what do you mean you cannot find a right key to get into the BIOS?

When your PC starts up, it writes somewhere on the screen the needed combination. If it is too fast for you to follow, use pause button?
 
Thanks Astra but I got in. It wasn't on the screen, I had to try different key; F1, F2, ESC, Delete...
As it turns out it was delete that let me in.

Thanks.
 
delete is the standard button to enter the BIOS...

it sounds like software to me... If it locks up at ten minutes then that mean the same thing has to be going wrong every time. Not sure if this is the direct path, but in windows go to control panel/administrative tools/performance?

something in there will allow you to view your logs, and whenever windows makes an error it logs it, so check out your logs and i hope that helps ya out.
 
update...

now I can't get video. I turn it on and the fans come on but I can't get any video. I've change video cards and ram again still no luck. I've unplugged it and will wait awhile and try later.
 
It really sounds like overheating. And it takesabout 10 minutes for it to reach the critical temp. You say, that funs turn on, what about hard drives? Do they come on? do you hear them spinning? What about lights on keyboard when PC boots up and goes through the POST?
 
Update...

Sorry I was offline for a day or so.

I went to the basics.
I pulled the mainboard out of the case and connect the PS, ram, video and processor. I took the heat sink off the processor so I could tell whether or not the cpu was getting hot and how fast.
It powered up fine but the cpu start to get hot within a minute or 2.
I turned it off and applied termal grease and the heat sink & fan and powered it back up.
That seemed to help but it did freeze after an hour and half.

So i think I'm going to put in a new cpu and see if that fixes it. Since I can get a new cpu for less than $40.

Thoughts?

Thanks.
 
Do you mean, that after you applied thermal paste and assembled your system, you could actually work on your system for 1 and a half hour without any problems? Booted up and logged into Windows?
 
Yes Astra. By applying the grease I got over an hour but it still locked up. Would a half fried (bad) cpu lock up anyway.
I guess I'm looking for a definitive anwser maybe I can't get one. I'll just replace the cpu and all will be fine.
 
Did you log on into your BIOS settings and checked that critical temp that forces the system to shutdown is not set too low?
Did you try to return all your BIOS settings to default?
When it freezes, cpu fan keeps on spinning?
 
Astra,
There are no settings in the BIOS for temp or temp monitoring.
I did reset the settings to default I'm sure if they were there already or not but reset them anyway. Yes, when the PC locks up the fan is still running.
 
OK. I give up.

The only things that bothers me is that you cannot see temp settings in your BIOS. As you mentioned above, you resetted it, so it would not really matter anyway, yet they are supposed to be somewhere out there. Maybe they are in advanced options, that must be enabled from inside of the BIOS.

Anyway..when you get a new CPU, please update the topic. I am very curious.
Thanks.
 
I'm thinking before you try replacing the CPU.. the heatsink that is on the processor may not be sufficient enough to dissipate the amount of heat that the CPU lets off. If putting on some thermal grease helped out, that's telling you that you weren't getting sufficient heat transfer from the core of the processor to the heatsink.

Now that you're getting a sufficient transfer of heat from the core to the heatsink, the heatsink may not be big enough or be designed well enough to dissipate that amount of heat.

So I'd try swapping out the heatsink before the processor. Get a good heatsink when you do it as well, you don't want to just reproduce the same problem with an equally weak heatsink.

If the heatsink proves not to help out, you'll have a good heatsink to use with the new processor when you get a new one.

One other thing is make sure that the case is breating. You want to be sucking the hot air from the heatsink out the back of the case, so make sure you have airflow, otherwise you're just getting the same old hot dead air recirculating back into the heatsink which would cause this problem you're experiencing. So airflow in the case can also be a determining factor.

If you've got everything in a case as of now, try running it with the case side panel off so it can breathe better. See if it still produces the same problem.
 
l337zax said:
I'm thinking before you try replacing the CPU.. the heatsink that is on the processor may not be sufficient enough to dissipate the amount of heat that the CPU lets off. If putting on some thermal grease helped out, that's telling you that you weren't getting sufficient heat transfer from the core of the processor to the heatsink.

Now that you're getting a sufficient transfer of heat from the core to the heatsink, the heatsink may not be big enough or be designed well enough to dissipate that amount of heat.

So I'd try swapping out the heatsink before the processor. Get a good heatsink when you do it as well, you don't want to just reproduce the same problem with an equally weak heatsink.

If the heatsink proves not to help out, you'll have a good heatsink to use with the new processor when you get a new one.

One other thing is make sure that the case is breating. You want to be sucking the hot air from the heatsink out the back of the case, so make sure you have airflow, otherwise you're just getting the same old hot dead air recirculating back into the heatsink which would cause this problem you're experiencing. So airflow in the case can also be a determining factor.

If you've got everything in a case as of now, try running it with the case side panel off so it can breathe better. See if it still produces the same problem.
Click to expand...

I think the heatsink is a good size.

As far as the airflow, currently the mainboard is out of the case so airflow is not an issue.

It had locked up while I was gone, the last day or so, but I turned it off/on almost 3 hrs ago with no lockup, after I the reset of the default settings of the BIOS (earlier posting). So I'll see how long it stays up.
I'll post my results.

Note:
I wanted to post a picture of the heatsink but I can't find the browse button to upload the pix.

Thanks.
 
You can't post a picture through the [H] forums. You have to upload them elseware and link them.

Didn't think those Duron's ran very hot. You may want to try a different processor on the combo, but its probably cheaper to replace the heatsink than the processor. But since its an 800 Duron.. probably close to being the same price as the heatsink. :rolleyes:
 
Note for the moderator:
If you search with the word "image" in the FAQ it returns "What are attachments" telling how to attachment an image to an posting. And yes, how to link one too.

Didn't think those Duron's ran very hot. You may want to try a different processor on the combo, but its probably cheaper to replace the heatsink than the processor. But since its an 800 Duron.. probably close to being the same price as the heatsink.
Click to expand...

l337zax,
Thanks for the help but I think I'm going to replace the CPU; it might just be dying a slow death from being overheated too may times.
 
Alrighty... after you get the new CPU... I'd make sure that its getting enough heat dissipation from the heatsink.
 
Don't forget about consequenses of ESD, when you are touching hardware components.
 
Thanks all. I will send in an update when I get the new processor.

Thanks for all the help.
 
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