Sudden problems in Windows

***Cosmonautical*** · 03-12-2008, 05:52 AM

So my computer is suddenly having errors where it just outright freezes up. At first I thought it was a harddrive error or malfunction, but error checks and defragging have made sure the hd works fine. There's quite a few people online with the general problem of crashes with no previous indication of error, and a lot of people seem to think it's some sort of driver incompatibility issue. Of course the flaw in that idea is that I haven't installed anything new recently, and the computer basically started doing this all on its own. I did a virus search with AVG (it's all I've got, and it works) and also searched with Spybot, and it didn't turn up anything new.

My computer isn't running hot, but I've been running it open, just in case. Still, the locking up issues - when I'd gotten home from work, I discovered it had reboot itself. Spybot reported to me that XP was now running a "Kernel Fault Checker" prog, which I've learned it most likely related to a memory dump.

I tend to think there's some inherent flaw in SP2 itself that is causing the conflict, because I can't find anything else that should be causing the errors. Everything on my computer save the network functions near flawlessy, except the drivers for my tablet which randomly stop running on occasion.

I've looked for updates for the tablet, but are Wacom sucks and as far as I can tell doesn't have anything driver-related downloadable for the tablet, including the ones I've already got.

***Ace Mercury*** · 03-12-2008, 07:06 AM

Problems like this can sometimes be a RAM problem; try running something like memtest86+. If it's not an HDD problem, it could also be with your power supply (i.e. it sometimes supplies the wrong power to the wrong parts =\) or some random part of the motherboard. It can also be just a random part of Windows has been damaged, by teh spywares, which an OS re-install would fix.

These sort of problems are a bitch to debug. Back when I used to repair computers, a DOA was much easier to fix than a machine which runs, but fails every now and then =\

***Cosmonautical*** · 03-12-2008, 09:34 AM

Thanks, Ace. I'll try out memtest, and see what results I get.

Yes, I agree - it's much easier to fix a PC with some sort of catastrophic failure because the symptoms are much more obvious.

Okay, memtest says my RAM is perfectly functional.

Kargath · 03-15-2008, 04:34 AM

Best to do it piece by piece.
Try disconnecting parts one by one and replacing them. Ie remove tablet and try using your computer without tablet.
It does sound somewhat like a HDD fault, which scans might not necessarily find. (Plus defrag does no error correction, it's just a speed up mechanism) Corruption of a single system file could bring down the entire computer.

***Ace Mercury*** · 03-15-2008, 10:24 AM

Usually, I just get a new computer by the time stuff like this happens =/

***Cosmonautical*** · 03-15-2008, 11:24 AM

I just got mine last year, though. It hasn't been doing anything funny aside from randomly rebooting once in the past few days, so I'm assuming it's the power supply at the moment.

***Ace Mercury*** · 03-15-2008, 12:06 PM

Yeah, the power supply is a pretty critical component. If you have one of those generic power supplys, it could be decreasing the life span of the rest of the components hooked up to it, due to bad power conditioning, etc. Enermax or Antec make good ones.

Oh, and this is probably a good time to start backing up your files. Not knowing exactly where the problem is, your hard drive may be the one to crap out on you. =/

***Cosmonautical*** · 03-15-2008, 01:22 PM

Indeed, I've had that in mind. Just need to find the time to do it, I suppose.

Kimimaru · 06-18-2008, 02:50 PM

Make sure you don't overheat your computer.

Seeking Attention · 06-18-2008, 04:44 PM

I'm sure his computer is fixed by now. *coughlookatthedatecough*

chittychittybangbang26 · 07-08-2008, 07:15 AM

wow im a software geek which i mainly focus on but hardware isnt my forte' anyways i had a problem like this at first when i got my first xp the best thing to do is to get it refurbished from your supplier or back up ur files and buy a new computer.

***Cosmonautical*** · 07-08-2008, 10:57 AM

Yeah, no worries about that for now. Comp is behaving nicely after I cleaned a few things up, software and hardware wise.

03-12-2008, 05:52 AM	#1
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Sudden problems in Windows So my computer is suddenly having errors where it just outright freezes up. At first I thought it was a harddrive error or malfunction, but error checks and defragging have made sure the hd works fine. There's quite a few people online with the general problem of crashes with no previous indication of error, and a lot of people seem to think it's some sort of driver incompatibility issue. Of course the flaw in that idea is that I haven't installed anything new recently, and the computer basically started doing this all on its own. I did a virus search with AVG (it's all I've got, and it works) and also searched with Spybot, and it didn't turn up anything new. My computer isn't running hot, but I've been running it open, just in case. Still, the locking up issues - when I'd gotten home from work, I discovered it had reboot itself. Spybot reported to me that XP was now running a "Kernel Fault Checker" prog, which I've learned it most likely related to a memory dump. I tend to think there's some inherent flaw in SP2 itself that is causing the conflict, because I can't find anything else that should be causing the errors. Everything on my computer save the network functions near flawlessy, except the drivers for my tablet which randomly stop running on occasion. I've looked for updates for the tablet, but are Wacom sucks and as far as I can tell doesn't have anything driver-related downloadable for the tablet, including the ones I've already got.

03-12-2008, 07:06 AM	#2
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 23,274 Thanks: 568 Thanked 3,297 Times in 1,582 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Dr. Mercury's Diagnosis Problems like this can sometimes be a RAM problem; try running something like memtest86+. If it's not an HDD problem, it could also be with your power supply (i.e. it sometimes supplies the wrong power to the wrong parts =\) or some random part of the motherboard. It can also be just a random part of Windows has been damaged, by teh spywares, which an OS re-install would fix. These sort of problems are a bitch to debug. Back when I used to repair computers, a DOA was much easier to fix than a machine which runs, but fails every now and then =\

03-12-2008, 09:34 AM	#3
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Thanks, Ace. I'll try out memtest, and see what results I get. Yes, I agree - it's much easier to fix a PC with some sort of catastrophic failure because the symptoms are much more obvious. Okay, memtest says my RAM is perfectly functional. Last edited by Cosmonautical; 03-12-2008 at 10:01 AM.

03-15-2008, 04:34 AM	#4
Kargath et in Arcadia ego Join Date: Jul 2001 Gender: Posts: 8,334 Thanks: 1,226 Thanked 780 Times in 488 Posts	Best to do it piece by piece. Try disconnecting parts one by one and replacing them. Ie remove tablet and try using your computer without tablet. It does sound somewhat like a HDD fault, which scans might not necessarily find. (Plus defrag does no error correction, it's just a speed up mechanism) Corruption of a single system file could bring down the entire computer.

03-15-2008, 10:24 AM	#5
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 23,274 Thanks: 568 Thanked 3,297 Times in 1,582 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Usually, I just get a new computer by the time stuff like this happens =/

03-15-2008, 11:24 AM	#6
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	I just got mine last year, though. It hasn't been doing anything funny aside from randomly rebooting once in the past few days, so I'm assuming it's the power supply at the moment.

03-15-2008, 12:06 PM	#7
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 23,274 Thanks: 568 Thanked 3,297 Times in 1,582 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Yeah, the power supply is a pretty critical component. If you have one of those generic power supplys, it could be decreasing the life span of the rest of the components hooked up to it, due to bad power conditioning, etc. Enermax or Antec make good ones. Oh, and this is probably a good time to start backing up your files. Not knowing exactly where the problem is, your hard drive may be the one to crap out on you. =/

03-15-2008, 01:22 PM	#8
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Indeed, I've had that in mind. Just need to find the time to do it, I suppose.

06-18-2008, 02:50 PM	#9
Kimimaru Newbie Join Date: Jun 2008 Gender: Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Make sure you don't overheat your computer.

06-18-2008, 04:44 PM	#10
Seeking Attention Banned Join Date: Jul 2006 Gender: Posts: 0 Thanks: 489 Thanked 185 Times in 153 Posts	I'm sure his computer is fixed by now. coughlookatthedatecough

07-08-2008, 07:15 AM	#11
chittychittybangbang26 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2008 Gender: Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	wow im a software geek which i mainly focus on but hardware isnt my forte' anyways i had a problem like this at first when i got my first xp the best thing to do is to get it refurbished from your supplier or back up ur files and buy a new computer.

07-08-2008, 10:57 AM	#12
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Yeah, no worries about that for now. Comp is behaving nicely after I cleaned a few things up, software and hardware wise.