Computer savvy people? update post 21

[Sirrahsim]

My computer has been acting up badly and will not even boot up into safemode. I ran a bootable version of memtest86 and it came back with over 60,000 errors spread out over tests 1,2,5,6, and 7:eek: :eek:

With so many errors does it seem like the problem might be my motherboard instead of my sticks of RAM? If both of my boys take a nap at the same time today I plan on pulling out all but one stick of RAM at a time to run memtest on but what should I do if I get massive errors on each stick? Do I replace the motherboard?? Or each stick of RAM?

[Hellow]

I need a little more information to help you. First, when did this start happening? Next, what type of ram do you have? Next, are you running Anti-virus and Anti-spyware programs? Are they updated? Have you installed any new drivers for your hardware lately? What caused this to happen? With this, i can solve your problem.

[DJFyrewolf36]

Hmm RAM usually doesn't spontainously fail like that, especially both sticks at the same time. Testing each stick individually is a good idea. Hopefully its just one stick acting up. Make sure you try both sticks individually on each RAM slot, just to eliminate the possibility of one of your slots being messed up.

What kind of RAM are you using? What brand of Motherboard? Hopefully I can help out some :)

[Sirrahsim]

Hmm RAM usually doesn't spontainously fail like that, especially both sticks at the same time. Testing each stick individually is a good idea. Hopefully its just one stick acting up. Make sure you try both sticks individually on each RAM slot, just to eliminate the possibility of one of your slots being messed up.

What kind of RAM are you using? What brand of Motherboard? Hopefully I can help out some :)


I didn't even think about trying the sticks in each slot. I will be sure to do that too. I'm not sure what brand my hardware is. I'll check as soon as my boys give me a moment to myself :p This is the second hardrive that I have had with this system so I know that it is not the harddrive. I use antivirus, ad-aware, and spybot regularly and they all come up clean. The registry keeps coming up with tons of errors so there is something that is causing corruption. I used system restore to several points before it started messing up and was greeted with the same problem so I know that it isn't a software problem.
I'll open up my tower when I get a chance and let you know the brands and specs of everything.

[Blue_Frog]

If you dont want to gut your computer, and just want to find out what hardware components you have --

1. Click on Start - 'Help and Support'
2. Click on the 'Computer Information' link on the left side
3. Click on 'Tools' on the left side bottom, under the 'See Also' category
4. Click on 'My computer information' on the left side
5. Click 'Find information about the hardware installed on this system' on the right side panel.

It will display all your system information. You can print or write down the info from here. Also includes the installed drivers.


Another diagostic tool --
1. click start - run
2. type in msinfo32 (hit enter)
3. a diagnostic window will appear
- Click on the + beside components on the left side panel
- Click on the 'Problem Devices' in the list.
-- See if anything appears on the right hand side, and what the error code is.


If you want to see if you have any hardware conflicts --
1. Click Start - Settings - Control Panel
2. Double click on the 'System' icon
3. Click on the Hardware tab on the new window
4. Click on the Device Manager button
-- See if anything displays with a red X through it.

[Hellow]

Adding to Blue Frogs post:
If you want a kind of medium level information on your computer go to:
Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Information

[Blue_Frog]

Adding to Blue Frogs post:
If you want a kind of medium level information on your computer go to:
Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Information

Same as running msinfo32 (part 2 of my post) -- i'm lazy and hate clicking through things ;) I'm all about the direct running from the "Start-Run" :)

[Sirrahsim]

As much as I would love to do all of those things... the computer with the problem will not boot up! Even when I try to boot it into safe mode it crashes and gives me the BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH :p

Right now I am on my husband's laptop because the only thing that I can do with MY doorstop of a computer is to run a bootable disc. I was able to run memtest because it was on a Linux CD. The Windows Repair Console was about as helpful as a bottle of water for a forest fire. It crashed as well :(

[Blue_Frog]

As much as I would love to do all of those things... the computer with the problem will not boot up! Even when I try to boot it into safe mode it crashes and gives me the BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH :p

Right now I am on my husband's laptop because the only thing that I can do with MY doorstop of a computer is to run a bootable disc. I was able to run memtest because it was on a Linux CD. The Windows Repair Console was about as helpful as a bottle of water for a forest fire. It crashed as well :(

So, it sounds like your computer is posting, and trying to load into windars and failing? I see from your first post that it do this trying to go to safe mode -- are you able to get into 'Safe Mode Command Prompt Only' or 'Command Prompt Mode'?

Also, you could prolly pull your hardware information from your system BIOS on bootup.

I'm sorry to hear that your computer has turned into a big pile :( One other thing you might be able to do (if the RAM testing, swapping ports etc. isn't working at home), is take your RAM to a local computer shop, and see if they can test it for you.

[Sirrahsim]

My computer will get all of the way to the full screen windows logo and then go black for a moment before coming up with the BSOD. When I try to load into safemode it runs through all of the files until it gets stuck at the file past drivers/mup.sys and then goes to the BSOD. My boys are both napping *gasp!!* so I'm going to go test the RAM now:)

[Sirrahsim]

:rolleyes: It looked like a dust bunny family reunion inside my tower :rolleyes: I cleaned out the case and gave the fans a good scrubbing with a Q-tip. Throughout the time that my comp was working but messing up from time to time I was keeping an eye on the cpu temp and it never went higher than it is supposed to. It turns out that I only have one stick of RAM but it was filthy so I cleaned it off a bit. The wrench in the works is that now that I have plugged the essential things back in to test if it works my monitor won't work! As soon as I turn the computer on it says that it is entering power saving mode.... SO it might have fixed the problem but if it did I don't know it :rolleyes: I'm off to fiddle with the connections and make sure that I didn't knock anything lose.

[Sirrahsim]

Monitor works but nothing else does :(
It's a much cleaner doorstop now though! :rolleyes:

[Blue_Frog]

:(

If its not booting now, the only thing i can think of is to take out the cards one by one, and reseat them and hope it loads.

Sounds like a trip to a local computer shop might be in order though, if you suspect its a hardware failure :(

[Sirrahsim]

I'm so mad at my computer :mad: :mad: Time to go be a Mom :)

[Jadapit]

I'm not real computer savvy, but our computer was doing what yours is awhile back. We took it into the shop it was the motherboard. We had to have a new one put in. I love computers but man they can be a pain in the butt at times. ;)

[DJFyrewolf36]

Sure as heck sounds like a motherboard issue to me now...espeically if after you took it apart and it started to die. Do you have integrated video (the video slot is attached to the motherboard, as apposed to an expansion card).

Also, your hardware settings in windows may have gotten corrupted (a common XP problem) Both problems require testing that a computer shop can do, just dont let them rip ya off ;)

[Hellow]

My computer was doing this 2 years ago, i had to replace tha hard drive and one of the memory sticks and re-install windows XP. It has worked fine until i installed Limewire, now it is infested with adware and spyware and viruses that i cant get rid of. Right now im on my laptop too because my computer is a big pile of it. Im mean HUGE pile of it. Oh, yes. And did i mention that one of the viruses is programmed to destroy the physical part of my computer because it melted my computers CPU and memory sticks by overheating. So i guess my computers age has caught up with it. Im going to buy a new computer sometime soon.

[Blue_Frog]

My computer was doing this 2 years ago, i had to replace tha hard drive and one of the memory sticks and re-install windows XP. It has worked fine until i installed Limewire, now it is infested with adware and spyware and viruses that i cant get rid of. Right now im on my laptop too because my computer is a big pile of it. Im mean HUGE pile of it. Oh, yes. And did i mention that one of the viruses is programmed to destroy the physical part of my computer because it melted my computers CPU and memory sticks by overheating. So i guess my computers age has caught up with it. Im going to buy a new computer sometime soon.

I'm sorry that your computer has turned into a pile as well -- try reformatting again.

However, I have to disagree, a virus will not physically damage your hardware (I used to work tech at a major antivirus company, and i've never heard of this happening) -- see this article at Symantec --

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/docid/1999041209131106


Because of the publicity that viruses have received, it is easy to blame any computer problem on a virus. The following are not likely to be caused by a virus or other malicious code:
Hardware problemsNo viruses can physically damage computer hardware, such as chips, boards, and monitors.


It sounds more like you had a cooling issue in your PC that caused the meltdown.

[Hellow]

Well, my computer is not very well ventalated naturally then the virus came and worked my computer so hard that it melted my computers cpu and memory. At least i know that my slow laptop is still working cause im on it lol.

[Cinder & Smoke]

:confused:

Missy ~

Why don't you continue to UPDate THIS Thread -
rather than start another new thread discussing the same problem?

Folks can follow along better if the Whole Story is in ONE thread.

/s/ Phred

[Sirrahsim]

I did a full format and reinstalled XP.
It is thinking about working now. I can get into Windows but get error messages left and right. I'm working on downloaing the many windows updates that it thinks I need but it is slow going because the computer keeps randomly restarting itself. Some piece of my hardware is obviously corrupt so this is a temporary fix but I'm happy with it for now.

[Hellow]

Hey does anyone have an extra hard disk because i started re-formatting and it got halfway done then the power blinked and my computer shut down. So i cant install windows and i cant boot.:(

[Hellow]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I fixed my computer!!! I believe that my computer was designed to run Windows 2000 / ME but hp just slapped a copy of XP on it to attract customers. So i made a MS - DOS boot disk with my laptop, used tit to re-format my computers hard disk, and since XP came per-installed and i only have a Windows 98 SE disk, i installed 98. It is working on setting up win 98 on my computer and it will be done in a few. I can tell from the speed my computer is running 98 works better than XP on my computer

[Sirrahsim]

My computer is dead again. It worked briefly and then started giving me the same errors and will no longer boot up. I've decided to take a break from it for a week or two and then try to tackle my hardware issues.
In the meantime I'll be on hubby's computer :)

[Craftlady]

My computer is dead again. It worked briefly and then started giving me the same errors and will no longer boot up. I've decided to take a break from it for a week or two and then try to tackle my hardware issues.
In the meantime I'll be on hubby's computer :)


Best Buy "Geek Guys" to the rescue, would be my next step :)

[Hellow]

Best Buy "Geek Guys" to the rescue, would be my next step :)
I dont think ANYONE is as smart as they are about computers except the people that make them lol. Major GEEKS!!!