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Topic Starter Topic: Random restarts
Massive Quasars
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PostPosted: 03-13-2005 10:13 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


They occur at what seem to be random intervals. My computer beeps and restarts in the middle of whatever I'm doing. I'm pretty sure this is some sort of hardware problem, not a software issue. The keyboard port is still functional, but on the fritz. When the port would screw up, the computer would beep continuously from the built-in speaker.

Specs:
AMD 2100+
256mb ram (i know....)
XP
etc.

The computer is on carpet, and it shares power with a number of other devices in this room. There could be a power problem at work here, that's one idea.

You guys were a great help in my laptop thread.............................. Any thoughts?
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Tormentius
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PostPosted: 03-13-2005 10:21 PM           Profile   Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Memtest for a couple hours :icon10:
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SOAPboy
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PostPosted: 03-13-2005 11:41 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


im having a similar issue..

either a PSU or a HD for me.. at least thats what im thinking..

:-\
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Massive Quasars
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PostPosted: 03-14-2005 02:01 AM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Torm, I have one stick of 256mb ram. If that stick is fucked, then I assume it should cause immediate problems?

Here's a little history:
These random restarts started some time after I set fail-safe defaults in the bios. If I recall, there was one setting that the ram doesn't like in default. Perhaps if I change that things will go back to normal. If that doesn't work I'll run Memtest as you suggest.



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axbaby
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PostPosted: 03-14-2005 12:55 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


keep us updated so we can help ya.



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Bdw3
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PostPosted: 03-14-2005 12:58 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


System Properties - Advanced - Startup and Recovery - Settings

Remove the checkmark from "Automatically Restart" in the System Failure section.

See if that does anything. o_0
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Massive Quasars
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PostPosted: 03-14-2005 08:17 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Bdw3 wrote:
System Properties - Advanced - Startup and Recovery - Settings

Remove the checkmark from "Automatically Restart" in the System Failure section.

See if that does anything. o_0


Thanks. I have more to report.

I just had a computer crash, everything froze and was unresponsive. I could move the mouse across the screen but nothing else would respond. I had to reboot. I changed one setting in bios, it may or may not work, time will tell.
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zolborg
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PostPosted: 03-14-2005 09:23 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Could be blown caps on the motherboard as well. Keep us posted; with luck it will be a less expensive thing.
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Massive Quasars
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PostPosted: 03-14-2005 11:00 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


I'm not interested in putting down any more money into this computer. It runs terribly slow.

I may get a proper laptop some time in the next few months.



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Massive Quasars
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PostPosted: 03-15-2005 03:04 AM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Ok, it restarted again. Damn.



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Massive Quasars
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PostPosted: 03-15-2005 12:03 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


At this time I have a GF 2 MX. I don't believe it's OC'ed either.



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Scourge
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PostPosted: 03-15-2005 12:55 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Mine started doing that right before my GF2 mx died. But I was having discoloration also.
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Massive Quasars
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PostPosted: 03-23-2005 04:31 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Bdw3 wrote:
System Properties - Advanced - Startup and Recovery - Settings

Remove the checkmark from "Automatically Restart" in the System Failure section.

See if that does anything. o_0


Did something.

My computer now crashes with a blue screen which requires restart. The most common error being "IRQL not less or equal", or something like that. I had another error screen which I couldn't remember, but it only happened once.

So I disabled all hardware that was problematic or that I couldn't find a driver for, still the crashes came. I loaded optimized defaults in bios (from the previous fail-safe defaults) and still the crashes came.

Thoughts?
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Kills On Site
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PostPosted: 03-23-2005 05:26 PM           Profile   Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


The IRQL not less or equal is a classic bad RAM sector, I know, I went through it. Now it being just one stick of 256 doesn't mean it would be more persitant or constant. It happens when it hits a bad sector of RAM and RAM has a ton of sectors so it seems random when it hits the corrupted spot.

I would check your memory timings, BIOS shadowing/caching and whatnot and run Memtest. If you can try another sitck of RAM and/or the same stick in a different slot then I urge you to.

I wouldv'e said check the PSU but I don't think it can be the culprit, but just for knowledge what make and wattage is the PSU?

Now in all fairness when I got the IRQL errors I had a Radeon 9800 Pro and Corsair XMS memory, the 9800 Pro is long gone back at newegg and I RMAed the RAM for replacement, so it could honestly be a RAM or video card error, I would also try a different video card, but RAM first as it doesn't require driver changing and whatnot.



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Tormentius
The voices in your head
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PostPosted: 03-23-2005 06:07 PM           Profile   Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Well said KoS. I'm leaning towards memory on this issue as well.




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Massive Quasars
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PostPosted: 03-23-2005 07:09 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


This doesn't look good then. The video card has never given me problems, I'm more inclined to think it's the ram stick that is the problem. I'll run Memtest soon enough.



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