Computer keeps freezing

WingaWinga MrSouth Africa Icrontian
edited August 2007 in Hardware
My PC keeps randomly freezing on me. I've tried different hard drives, IDE and SATA. Different operating systems, both XP and Vista and it still does the same thing. I've reset the BIOS checked the settings made sure all the drivers are up to date. It will run indefinitely so long as I don't write anything to disk. For e.g If I create a new folder and then attempt to name it, the PC freezes.

It is especially problematic when I try to transfer large amounts of data onto the hard drive. Generally as soon as I try moving more than 1Gig of data I know it's going to freeze on me. I'm assuming it's a hardware problem but don't know where to check. I'm running F@H on it and thats running fine.

Please help!

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Memtest, update BIOS, update all drivers.
  • WingaWinga Mr South Africa Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Just found the latest BIOS revision. Haven't tried memtest. Will try that first. Thanks, didn't think of that.
  • WingaWinga Mr South Africa Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Okay I have updated the BIOS to the latest version I can find on the net, updated every driver I could find, especially the Bus master IDE controller and the ATA controller. (I hate VIA chipsets :grumble:)
    Have run memtest. The PC froze after a while, so I was not able to run it for long but there were no errors in the time it did work and I have tried the RAM in another PC and it works fine, so I can rule that out.

    I'm going to try swapping the video card and am going to install a different wireless network device. Those are the only other options I haven't tried yet.
    Is there anything else I can try that I may have overlooked?

    The board is an Intel P4VM890
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    I suspect the CPU (Temperature, maybe). Can you run ORTHOS on it for a while, please?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Memtest, update BIOS, update all drivers.
    Get your annual physical exam, recalculate your income tax, see your pastor or priest, and go for a long walk with your wife (preferably in the rain). There, that should do it.

    Temperature sounds like the suspect to me as well. Open the case and hook up an external ventilation fan. (But I'm sure you've already tried this? Wait, isn't it winter in South Africa now?)
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited August 2007
    I would also suspect CPU temperature, but it could also be your Power Supply is overheating as well. Open the case up and while it's powered up check to make sure that all your fans are spinning correctly. A correctly spinning fan should spin at a constant pace, not have a lot of 'buzzing' noise to it and spin so fast that it's barely visible.

    One other thing if it's really dusty in there get some compressed air and blow the dust out. A decent layer of dust can bung everything up.
  • WingaWinga Mr South Africa Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    I'm not ruling CPU temperature out, but I don't think that's the cause.
    @Thrax I don't see how running ORTHOS is going to help. I'm already running Folding@home on it 24/7 and although I haven't used ORTHOS before I noticed one of the stress tests one can use is a large gromacs core. I'm kinda doing that already and the computer never freezes if I just leave it alone to fold.

    I checked the temp with Everest and via the BIOS and it's registering 52C on both. That is a bit high but not too bad for stock with the CPU running at 100% constant.
    @Kryst I've stripped this rig too many times for there to be a spec of dust on it and the fans are fine. However you may have nailed the problem to be the power supply. 12V rail only shows 11.25V dropping to 11.1 at times. I'm assuming this is not good?
    @Leo you've come up with the best advice so far. Physical is done and income tax is submitted. Just dunno about the walk in the rain though. We going into spring by the way.
    The side panel of the computer is off more than on and yes I have tried extra cooling for both HDD's and CPU :D
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Based on your description (coming into spring notwithstanding) the problem is almost certainly the PSU. 11.10 - 11.25/12V? That's abysmal. Throw that sucker away and get a new one, now. That's either a defective unit, really overloaded, or an el-cheapo off brand.
  • WingaWinga Mr South Africa Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    It's an el-cheapo Aopen. Will toss it out and try another PSU with a higher wattage as well. Will let you know how it goes...
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Will toss it out
    Nah, save it for bench testing fans, lights, et cetera. I'd be lost without my el-cheapo, piece of junk, PSU that serves as my 12v tester. :bigggrin:
  • WingaWinga Mr South Africa Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Okay so I replaced the PSU and the PC still froze. The 12V rail is still a bit under powered, but it is better than it was.

    I then disabled the wireless network via device manager, which was the last item on my snag list and guess what? No more freezing :banghead:
    I should have trusted my gut and tested that first. Logic however prevailed and I incorrectly assumed that couldn't be the cause.

    I'm going to install a USB wireless dongle as opposed to the PCI card I have in there at the moment and see if it makes a difference.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Actually, it doesn't surprise all that much. What brand and model of card is the PCI wireless?
  • WingaWinga Mr South Africa Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    It's SMC. Not sure of the exact model. I know it used an Atheros chipset.
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