Computer reboots when launching programs and games
Hi everybody!
First of all, I'm new to this forum so if this post so if I posted this message at the wrong place, I'm sorry. I have XP Home, with every update available to it.
Now, to my problem:
I think this problem has been for a while, although I haven't thought about it. I noticed it a while ago, when trying to run DosBox and when it just had started, the screen went black and my computer rebooted and upon restart it showed a message saying that the computer had restarted due to a fatal error. I have run this emulator before, with no problem whatsoever.
I didn't think much about it then since I thought something had gone wrong with the program and that I would download a newer version of the emulator. Well, having much to do, I didn't get around to it until later, when I experienced the same thing with the new version too. This time, I thought it strange and asked the makers of the program what the matter was. I got the reply that there must be something wrong with my computer, since DosBox doesn't cause this kind of issue. Well, I wasn't convinced, but since I haven't used it very much, I thought it was not a big deal, and that I would try to figure it out later. Then I tried another emulator, Joy2key, and had the same problem…black screen when the program starts launching, and a message which says that the computer has restarted due to a fatal error.
Now, I began to think it was really strange, I haven't had any problem with that program either. I've asked another group online for help and they gave some suggestions, which I've tried, but the problems remains the same. I also looked for another program which function in a similar way, thinking I would change to that one instead.
Recently I noticed that a game I have played all the way through in the past with no problem at all, reacted in the same way as the other programs. I began suspect that other games may be included as well, so I ran two others, to find out if it was the case, and sure enough, it was. One failed already when trying to install it, Dragonshard, the other I already had installed (Rebels) but failed on running it. Just a little while after clicking start, the screen goes black and the computer restarts. The games I've tried was Syberia, Rebels—Prison Escape, and Dragonshard. None of those, I've had problems with in the past, they have run as they are supposed to do. In the case of Dragonshard, I didn't get any error code, but I think it's the same here too.
So far I've updated the drivers to my video card, dusted my computer and left it open a longer period of time, just in case it gets hot, although I think this is unlikely, since this has never been an issue in the past. I have also run various cleaners, in order to check for malwares and/or viruses. The programs I've used are: AdAware, Spybot – Search & Destroy, CCleaner, Malwarebytes'Anti-Malware, SuperAntiSpyware and WinOptimizer 4. Furthermore, I've run Panda Global Protection 2011. Other than these, I searched the net, found and tried a suggestion in this forum for a similar problem. I downloaded the fix for a possible rootkit, and it came up with nothing…my computer didn't have this cleverly hidden rootkit. Moreover, I've attempted to use the recovery option, and rolled my system back as far as possible, but this didn't alter a thing.
I suppose this problem has been lurking in the background for too long, and that it wasn't possible to get it far back enough. I've also attempted a registry cleaner, in order to get rid of various junk cluttering up the registry and sometimes make it unstable, but this to, was to no avail. Sure, my computer now runs faster, but the original problem is still the same. Another thing I've thought of, is that it may be a memory problem, even if I didn't think the errors pointed in this direction. I've had a failing memory in the past, and the error messages kept showing different codes, which isn't the case this time. Nevertheless, I tried taking out the sticks one at a time, and switching them around, just in case, but it showed nothing wrong with them. The same thing happened when attempting to start the above mentioned programs.
I recently turned off the automatic reboot option, and got this error message when the computer instead of rebooting went to a BSOD, stating some possible causes to the failure (of which I've tried all I am able to): 0x0000008E (0x0000005, 0x804E5094, 0xAADC988, 0x00000000)
Another recent problem I've had that I think may be related to the issue is that when shutting down for example Outlook Express, the process doesn't shut down even though it seems to be the case. I noticed this, because when trying to start the program again, a message pops up stating an instance of the program is already running, and that it isn't possible to start this again, before turning off the previous session. This is possible to do by pressing ctrl+alt+del, and go though the running processes. Presently it seems as though this doesn't happen if there is a while between shutting down and restarting the program, but I'm not totally sure, as this doesn't seem to be the case every time. Internet Explorer seems to be left running too, even though you shut a session down and later starts Explorer again in order to check something. I reckon it doesn't matter which program that is used.
I hope someone here will be able to help me. I really appreciate all help I can get in this matter. I have tried everything I've come to think of, but haven't been able to solve the matter. I'm definitely stumped as to what to do about it. Please help, if you can.
Sorry for the length of this post, but I thought it best to try and write as thoroughly as possible.
Thanks in advance!
Tobias
First of all, I'm new to this forum so if this post so if I posted this message at the wrong place, I'm sorry. I have XP Home, with every update available to it.
Now, to my problem:
I think this problem has been for a while, although I haven't thought about it. I noticed it a while ago, when trying to run DosBox and when it just had started, the screen went black and my computer rebooted and upon restart it showed a message saying that the computer had restarted due to a fatal error. I have run this emulator before, with no problem whatsoever.
I didn't think much about it then since I thought something had gone wrong with the program and that I would download a newer version of the emulator. Well, having much to do, I didn't get around to it until later, when I experienced the same thing with the new version too. This time, I thought it strange and asked the makers of the program what the matter was. I got the reply that there must be something wrong with my computer, since DosBox doesn't cause this kind of issue. Well, I wasn't convinced, but since I haven't used it very much, I thought it was not a big deal, and that I would try to figure it out later. Then I tried another emulator, Joy2key, and had the same problem…black screen when the program starts launching, and a message which says that the computer has restarted due to a fatal error.
Now, I began to think it was really strange, I haven't had any problem with that program either. I've asked another group online for help and they gave some suggestions, which I've tried, but the problems remains the same. I also looked for another program which function in a similar way, thinking I would change to that one instead.
Recently I noticed that a game I have played all the way through in the past with no problem at all, reacted in the same way as the other programs. I began suspect that other games may be included as well, so I ran two others, to find out if it was the case, and sure enough, it was. One failed already when trying to install it, Dragonshard, the other I already had installed (Rebels) but failed on running it. Just a little while after clicking start, the screen goes black and the computer restarts. The games I've tried was Syberia, Rebels—Prison Escape, and Dragonshard. None of those, I've had problems with in the past, they have run as they are supposed to do. In the case of Dragonshard, I didn't get any error code, but I think it's the same here too.
So far I've updated the drivers to my video card, dusted my computer and left it open a longer period of time, just in case it gets hot, although I think this is unlikely, since this has never been an issue in the past. I have also run various cleaners, in order to check for malwares and/or viruses. The programs I've used are: AdAware, Spybot – Search & Destroy, CCleaner, Malwarebytes'Anti-Malware, SuperAntiSpyware and WinOptimizer 4. Furthermore, I've run Panda Global Protection 2011. Other than these, I searched the net, found and tried a suggestion in this forum for a similar problem. I downloaded the fix for a possible rootkit, and it came up with nothing…my computer didn't have this cleverly hidden rootkit. Moreover, I've attempted to use the recovery option, and rolled my system back as far as possible, but this didn't alter a thing.
I suppose this problem has been lurking in the background for too long, and that it wasn't possible to get it far back enough. I've also attempted a registry cleaner, in order to get rid of various junk cluttering up the registry and sometimes make it unstable, but this to, was to no avail. Sure, my computer now runs faster, but the original problem is still the same. Another thing I've thought of, is that it may be a memory problem, even if I didn't think the errors pointed in this direction. I've had a failing memory in the past, and the error messages kept showing different codes, which isn't the case this time. Nevertheless, I tried taking out the sticks one at a time, and switching them around, just in case, but it showed nothing wrong with them. The same thing happened when attempting to start the above mentioned programs.
I recently turned off the automatic reboot option, and got this error message when the computer instead of rebooting went to a BSOD, stating some possible causes to the failure (of which I've tried all I am able to): 0x0000008E (0x0000005, 0x804E5094, 0xAADC988, 0x00000000)
Another recent problem I've had that I think may be related to the issue is that when shutting down for example Outlook Express, the process doesn't shut down even though it seems to be the case. I noticed this, because when trying to start the program again, a message pops up stating an instance of the program is already running, and that it isn't possible to start this again, before turning off the previous session. This is possible to do by pressing ctrl+alt+del, and go though the running processes. Presently it seems as though this doesn't happen if there is a while between shutting down and restarting the program, but I'm not totally sure, as this doesn't seem to be the case every time. Internet Explorer seems to be left running too, even though you shut a session down and later starts Explorer again in order to check something. I reckon it doesn't matter which program that is used.
I hope someone here will be able to help me. I really appreciate all help I can get in this matter. I have tried everything I've come to think of, but haven't been able to solve the matter. I'm definitely stumped as to what to do about it. Please help, if you can.
Sorry for the length of this post, but I thought it best to try and write as thoroughly as possible.
Thanks in advance!
Tobias
0
Comments
Random reboots are sometimes also cause by a failing power supply. Just a thought.
Thanks for helping me.
primesuspect: Thanks for correcting my post. I noticed that there were some tags from Word, but thought that I deleted all of them in editing my post, immediately after posting it. Guess my corrections didn´t get through, or more likely that you saw the message before I had edited it. In that case, I must say you are fast. =) Anyway, thanks for correcting it, and your suggestions, both as to what to use instead of Word, and what may be wrong with my computer. I´ll make sure to use Notepad in future messages. In fact, I registered, and wrote my message directly in the forum, but because of it´s length, it probably was viewed as inactivity, and I was logged out before my message was posted, resulting in my losing the entire message, and having to re-writing it completely. That´s why I used Word, which I normally use for writing all kinds of texts.
About the restarts, mine aren´t random, they only occur when launching the programs and the games. That´s why I didn´t think it was a memory problem. I had such a problem in the past and then the computer shut down totally without any prior warning, at any time, no matter what I was doing at the time being. However, it may be such a failure...I haven´t had the chance to try it yet, but I will today.
Tushon: Thanks for your help and links. I´ll check them out. =)
I will post back when I have run the tests, in order to let you know the results, regardless of if that solved my problem.
/Tobias
Sorry I haven´t written back earlier. Couldn´t rum the memtest as soon as I wanted, but now I´ve run Memtest x86+ for somewhat more than six hours, letting it do all the tested completely through 15 passes, without any error showing up whatsoever. I´ve only run the standard setting through, but have tried for a while with the other setting that I think is a deeper one, but which they say on the homepage, is more instable. As there didn´t show any error as long as I kept it running, I don´t figure that there is any error lurking somewhere either.
I have still to try the hardware tests but will get to it as soon as I can. I just thought that I would make a little update on my situation.
Oh, and yesterday I tried to burn a record. I have two programs which are able to do this...or so I thought, because when starting the one I use normally, my computer restarted in the same way as described previously. I have never had any problem with it in the past. However, I do not know when this error occurred, due to the fact that I haven´t been using it in a long while. So, I don´t know if all these malfunctioning programs were effected all at once, or if this problem is spreading. Everything else, other than the mentioned programs, are functioning as they should, as far as I know.
I will return with another update when I have run the other tests.
Once again, thanks for helping me!
THanks for the advice. I´ll get right to it, although I find it unlikely too. You see, I have had some problem with a cable to my video card, and due to that, I checked every connection I could see, to check if all were as hey should. However, that cable still appears to be somewhat lose from time to time, so I have to connect it again sometimes. I´ll check all of them again just to make sure.
Another question. I downloaded the program you suggested but haven´t had the opportunity to run any of them yet. Since it´s quite a large compilation of programs, which one/s do you reckon is the best in my case?
I seem to have messed something up, or anyway doing something wrong when trying to create a bootable disk of the UBCD iso-file. Since my burner program couldn´t handle iso files, I mounted it in Daemon Tools, and saw the files included within the ISO-file. So far so good. I proceeded by using Nero 8 Essentials to burn the files from the ghost drive I have via Daemon Tools. Everything worked fine, I let the program verify the files before shutting Nero down. Everything is as expected, looking exactly as the image file. Therefore I thought everything was as it should be, but upon restarting my computer, it started up as usual, without booting via the CD. I tried the other DVD-drive I have installed...with the same results. And yes, I have my bios set to booting the DVD/CD drive before the harddrive. To be absolutely sure of this, I went looked into the bios, just to make sure that this was the case, and it was. On booting up, I do get a screen where it says booting from CD, but then it skips ahead, and goes on to starting Windows. This is perfectly normal if I don´t have any bootable CD in any drive, but since I did this time I think it´s strange, and that´s why I thought I would ask if you what the issue may be, since you have experience of this compilation.
Also, there were a lot of .img and .gz-files included within the iso. Should I unzip these first or let them be as they are?
I think the programs do seem interesting and sure do want to give them a try at solving my problem.
A quick search on the net showed that this is a possible crash in the future. Is there anything I, myself, can do about this, or is the only solution to get a new hard drive?
I will run SeaTools too, just to make sure the Hitachi/IBM test doesn´t show a false result, which according to some info elsewhere on the net may be the case.
I must say this is quite disconcerting and since I have another somewhat smaller, but newer disk drive, I will make a backup of my system again, as soon as possible.
Hopefully, it´s possible to fix this disk drive, but if not, at least I´m glad that it gives warnings before crashing, since I had a drive in the past which just crashed from one day to another, without any prior warning.
I´ll report later how the drive performs with SeaTools.
Thanks for helping! Really glad that you take the time to do it...I really do appreciate it. =)
Glad to have been of assistance.
SeaTools says there are some bad sectors and that they may be able to repair these using the same program. Well, I did, and now running the test again in order to see whether there is any difference. After this, I will start backing up my system. I´m thinking about doing a whole system l´ll backup using a backup program from Acronis, and then save my e-mails, documents, photos, some e-books and some music on separate disksv uncompressed, so that I will be able to access them without having to reinstall the whole system. Thinking of getting a new computer soon, so that´s why I´ll make these additional disks
If the program, after this run shows no errors, you still think there is some problems with the hard drive? That would be tricky indeed of a program such as this, to claim there is no faults if there still is, in reality.
However, I will start looking for a new hard drive. Any suggestions as to trusty manufacturers. Yes, I do know that none is totally capable to guarantee that there will be no crash, or other problems with the drive, I would just like to hear your thoughts on the matter. Personally, I´ve heard Seagate to a good brand, while Western Digital has more often trouble with their hard drives. I figure that you guys may have a lot of experience in this area of knowledge.
Yes, I certainly wouldn´t have had any chance to figure this out for myself, since I had tried everything I could think of and also asked in another group before finding Icrontic and you. Thanks for all help! =)
Seagate, WD, Samsung all have had pretty good drives lately, just check newegg for a good price then google the model number with something like failure and see if you get alot of hits. I've got a WD Raptor drive that has served me flawlessly.
Thanks for your suggestions too. I´ll see what I can find. Will take a quick look around in the stores here, and also online. It´s a bit nervous to have a drive behave in this way, not knowing whether it will keep together until a replacement arrives.
Will get as much as I can done tonight, since I don´t dare to wait any longer. Hm, this will be a loooong night...
Anyway, thanks for helping. =)
Have made some backups now, but made a bit more research to find out what causes this problem. Since last time I wrote, I haven´t had any more problems with my computer, that is, if I don´t touch the aforementioned programs and games. Anyway, I have since then also had to changed my graphic card, since it crashed, of accident, not by any internal failure, I will add.
What I found out tonight is, after some more tests, is that the error message has changed since last I viewed it. It now reads 0x0000008E (0xC0000005, 0804E5094,B31A3988, 0x00000000).
What´s more, I also made a test downloading and installing DosBox-74 (the newest version) and installed in on an external disk, which I´ve experienced no problem whatsoever with, and run the program from it instead of my main disk, thinking that that might solve the issue. You see, if there is a disk problem causing the program to have this effect (rebooting), I figured it would run nicely from another disk. Not at all, the computer shut down in the exact same manner.
I also made a go at starting my computer in safe mode and run DosBox from there...and what do you know, it worked!
So to my mind there is something in normal mode hindering the programs/games to run, but still haven´t figured out what.
Any ideas?
Oh, about a game I tried in Safe mode, I didn´t get i tto run, because there was a message telling me that my video card lacked drivers to run this game. I gather it was because I tried it in safe mode and not normal, since this new card should be somewhat better then the old card I had...it was 6 years old. I chose a cheaper card since I´m looking for a new computer in the not so distant future...just searching for one that I want...and for the time being, a graphic card I´m interested in hasn´t been released here yet.
You also don't know what files or folders the applications you are running happen to be calling. Just because a program is stored on an external disk does not mean that the program isn't loading anything from a defective hard drive. Hundreds of files necessary to every program on your PC could be loaded from the broken disk for any application you run from any hard drive.
Make sense?
I'm not sure I understand how a new video card factors into this.
thanks for your reply. To answer your question first, the reason to why I thought the changed error code might have something to do with the change of video card, was because it changed some letters and numbers after I had installed the new one.
Yes, actually your reply made sense, although I didn´t think of that before. So, would you still suggest I get a new hard drive? If so, as I have made a backup of my current hard drive, could I intall this on the new one and get rid of the problem, or do you think that I must do something else too...or am I wrong all together?
The reason to why I now think the error is somewhere in the software is that DosBox for example which got an error message in normal mode was perfectly in order when trying it in safe mode. However, I´ve been wrong before, but interested in learning more. Never had such a complex error as this. As stated earlier, I´ve really tried a lot of things.
Just found out about the program windbg but maybe it´s not useful in this case? Have just started looking into it, but seems like I´m missing something when attempting to install the symbols, in order to be able to read the dmp-files. As it contains info about the crash, I figured it could be helpful to know about. Easier to do something about a know cause then an uknown...
Well, you learn something new each day, right? =) Just would like to get to the bottom of this issue and get it fixed, one way or the other.
As the drive is brand new, I don´t think there is anything wrong with it, so I´m thinking to reformat it tomorrow, and start installing Windows from scratch.
However, I will attempt your suggestion of chkdsk/r first, just to see whether it alters the situation and fixes the problem, finally. I´ll keep you posted. I must say that this is the toughest problem I´ve had so far.
Thanks for helping. =)