Well, I finally got my new heatsink, a Thermaltake Volcano 7+ and it's great. Has reduced my average CPU temp from 55C to 43C.
The thing is, I still have the problem of files being corrupted. Someone here told me that this was being caused by high CPU temps, this doesn't appear to be the issue. There are no virus on the system (did a clean install very recently) and every diagnostics that I run pass without any error. I noticed the other day, while trying to install a Hitman 2 demo (during the hardware test) that it failed the RAM test... saying that I didn't have the required RAM. Needs 256, the utility said I only have 255. Any idea what could cause this? I've seen RAM misreported before, saying 128 instead of 256 and things like that but 255... Help me out if you can. Thanks.

What OS are you running? If you are running Windows 98, there is an update to correct delayed writes to the hard drive in systems with fast processors. It might have something to do with your corrupted files if you have '98.

I'm running Win98 SE, but have done all the Windows critical updates. Would you happen to know if that is a part of those updates, or is it a seperate download?

It is not a critical update. It appeared below in the list when I ran Windows Update.

OK, I got it, but this problem doesn't occur during shutdown, which is what the download info stated, but during game play. I'll give it a try regardless and see if it makes a difference. It only seems to happen during games, but that's pretty much all I use this thing for anymore... might be more than that. Think I'll let Sandra burnin run all night tonight and see what happens.......

Same old crap... that patch didn't do much, except now my PC doesn't want to shut down properly. Just sits at the Windows is shutting down screen. Oh well...

Sorry to hear that caused a new problem rather than helping anything. You might try scanreg /restore to a date before the Update was entered and see if that corrects the effects of the "fix".

Ok, from all i'm seeing here, have you even tried replacing the RAM?!


every thing you've pointed out so far looks like a faulty RAM module-replace the stick(s) and then see if you are still receiving error's.

That was my first thought, but after seeing what others had said I put it off because everyone was saying that it was a heat issue... Which made sense at the time (it all started happening when it got hot in my house). I had tested with a friends RAM, briefly and without issue, but the problem at that time was so intermitant that there was no real way to be sure. I have unfortunatly lost the invoice for my RAM, so I guess I'll have to go out and buy a new stick to see if that fixes me up.