Hello,

My computer has just recently in the past 3-4 weeks started turning off for no apparent reason.. no fans on no leds.. nothing.. except my cable modem still detect my lan card. When i try to press the power button. it will NOT turn on. However, if i unplug the PSU from the surge protector or unplug the Mobo power connector and plug it(which ever i unplugged at the time) in after 10 seconds and press the power button and it turns back on.

My computer will do this at any hour of the day idleing or not.

Before this i turned off an option in my os that would reboot when it detected "failures"... didnt specify what type of failure, becuase it was rebootin at random times. for about 2 weeks it worked fine. then it started with this power issue..

At first i though it was heat... i was ovrheating badly.. but i have sinced moved my pc to get air from a window ac until i get some fans i ahev ordered... my pc is curently running at: 86 for the cpu and 100 for the system with the side panel OFF to get the ac air

my specs are as follows:

ECS k7sem motherboard
amd duron 950 mhz with a volcano 5 heatsink
384 mb of pc100 sd ram
60gb western digital hd (only 6 months old)
linksys 10/100 NIC
Soundblaster audigy gamer
geforce fx 5200 agp 8x card (running at 4x)
400w power supply (i cant remember brand and it is blocked by the mobo tray)
56x cd-rom drive
iomega zip cd 650 (old yes i know, but it can burn 700mb discs)
lexmark z42 running off os drivers so no lexapps.exe
nec multisync c400 primary display
viewsonic 5 clone secondary display
logitech usb/ps2 mouse
microfost keyboard


i must note that after these problems start i did repalce my old 750mhz duron with the current 950.. switched out a 64mb ram chip with a 128
and upgraded my geforce 2 mx440 with the fx 5200.

I run windows server 2003 (it is good games believe it or not)
dx 9
i have run 3 ad removal sweeps just 2 hours ago and it turned off right before i came here.
also i run NAV 7 corporate edition it is update as of friday.

any help would be GREATLY appreciated.
included is a picture of mbm 5 with my cpu use.. etc if it helps

i should also note that in ie6, i cant get to www.pcmod.com between 2:0 am and 9:00 am, i cant get to www.techtv.com
and between 3:00 and and 6:00 some website ads dont show
i cant ping www.techtv.com and get a response at anytime of day
put i do get a ping from pcmods.

if that makes any difference

Did this start happening right after you installed the 128mb stick of RAM?

If so, that memory could be faulty. You have 384mb of RAM installed? That must mean you have 128 and 256mb sticks, right? If so, remove the 128mb stick and just run it with the 256mb stick installed. See if that helps.

EDIT: Just had another thought. Is there a lot of condensation from the air from the conditioner getting on the parts inside the machine? Do things look damp? If so, that could be the potential problem now and will most likely cause problems later on. Make sure all the components are not getting damp from condensation.

Hmmm! I beleive the probs were there even before you upgraded the memory? After the probs started you then did a number of upgrades? & presumably they have had no effect on the symptoms?

I would be inclined to recheck the memory. Run with them individually perhaps until you are sure it is / is not causing the problem.

There was a memory checker on another thread I noticed.. If I can find it I will add link here.

incorrect, the problem was occuring before the upgrades.. i thought the upgrades would help, they have not.

could it be the 256mb ram stick? because it is the only ram stick i have not messed with.
There is no condensation occuring becuase the problems happened before i started using the ac.

ok, im running with only my 128 because the 256 is the mosy likely cuplrit if its memory, im gonna run the pc until it happens again or 24hrs.. which ever comes first.

Update: 11:03 central time

I was burning soem cds.. i was in the middle of the second one and BOOM it turns off again... so its not my memory...

Its either my PSU or Mobo now... i read that post aobut the capactiors.. could that cause it?

Yes....that would probably be the most likely cause of mobo failure.

If it is the capacitors (which seems likely with the BOOM), you can probably see just using visual inspection... If they are burst, bulging, or leaking... time to go shopping for a new board... (or RMA if you still can)...

It appears that you are not experiencing random reboots, but rather complete shutdowns??

Are you getting any error messages prior? Or, are you just getting shutdown?

Yes, would be the answer to your question regarding bulging capacitors being a potential problem.

Do you need to let the system sit for a specific period of time before it will boot again?

How old is the Power Supply? Do you have a spare you could swap with?

there wasnt a boom sound.. i added in my frustration.
i dont have a spare psu, but i will try borrow one
and while i do no have to let the psu sit, to turn back i have to unplug it from either the mobo or the surge protector.. then plug it back in and then turn it on. the psu is only a year old

Edit: yes Complete shutdowns.. no error message.. 1 second im browing the web, the next im sitting there glaring at my blank monitor.

You need to try another PSU to rule it out, because it is a year old doesn not mean its not working properly. Also, is there any chance your surge protector is faulty? What happens when you plug it right into the wall?
Variable

when i plug it in to the wall the lights and the ground status light comes on.

LOL! BOOM! That would either be a shotgun or a cannon...
Crack! would be a rifle...
and a faint Snap! would be a bursting capacitor sounding like a finger snap from across a room. (A bulge wouldn't even do that)
Most likely though there would be no sound involved anyway, even I knew the definition of 'boom' is 'instantly'... :D My mind is envisioning 'Frank' the colonel on M.A.S.H. (early series) when he came out of the latrine all sooty with a toilet seat around his neck and shellshocked after the explosion, all he could say was... Boom!

Let's review:
MBM5 shows good voltages on all legs (though voltages and current ((amperage)) available are 2 different things).
2 different processors, same problem.
Different RAM, same problem.
Unplugging the motherboard power plug resets whatever is being 'triggered' (Uh,Oh 'boom' again...) Unplugging the PSU or switching off the power strip for a time are irrelative because you've managed to narrow it down past that or so it seems.

So we're down to mobo, battery and peripherals but cumulative (load) use of the PSU is not ruled out yet. Are the BIOS settings being held? It sure sounds like a hardware issue...

I would try a barebones boot and see if it persists. Re-adding one at a time. If things return with harddrive and operating system, try Safe Mode.

Why is an 8x graphics at 4x? Mobo limitations? What is the spyware scans you've done? Did you use different ones or all one type? Online scan for virus might not be a bad idea...

Working with only one display for awhile, trying each individually, are these with just one agp card or using onboard in conjunction with other graphics? Are you running too many apps at one time and taxing memory and CPU a bit much?

Have you hit the top of the case with a sledge yet... :eek:

Could you post a 'Hijack This' log? It might see something not being reported in your scans.

Lastly, what did you use for a thermal compound under your HS/F? MBM5 might not be working properly either.

Having one pc is like having one foot! I'm sure glad this house is like a centipede... ;) You can try this in that, that in this... It makes the process of elimination so much quicker. Hopefully you can see something here in my ramblings... I sure 'cant'! (must be'cause I got one leg shorter than the other...)

hmm.. well on tuesday i took my hd out... not cuz of this problem.. so i could get files off of it at my friends house.. anyway.. i had to leave the pc off while i was gone.. (about 5 hours for various reason)
and so i put my hd back and booted up my pc.. and left for another appointment.. and here it is now 2:00 am and it hasnt f***ed it self up yet....

agp card has 2 plugs for vga
usually one 1 bakcground app and maybe mbm 5
havent used a sledge.... yet.....
the compound is just the generic silicone for now... all i had avilable at the moment i put the thermaltake on instead of the coolermaster retail

the mobo can only go up to 4x agp... and (says in manual and i have tested the hard way) only supports nvida based cards

no viruses
spyware scans: adaware 6.0 and spybot S&D

Logfile of HijackThis v1.96.0
Scan saved at 2:34:35 AM, on 8/6/2003
Platform: Unknown Windows (WinNT 5.02.3790)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 (6.00.3790.0000)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\bin\Apache.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec_Client_Security\Symantec AntiVirus\DefWatch.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec_Client_Security\Symantec AntiVirus\Rtvscan.exe
C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\bin\Apache.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\SYMANT~1\SYMANT~1\vptray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Dfssvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Trillian\trillian.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.winchestersun.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://start.earthlink.net
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant =
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Int ernet Settings,ProxyServer = 209.222.194.9:8000
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\blank.htm
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Use Custom Search URL =

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {4E400661-A8BA-4B98-A88E-1F6F8672E8CD} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\aloky.dll
O3 - Toolbar: @msdxmLC.dll,-1@1033,&Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\msdxm.ocx
O3 - Toolbar: 3DNA Toolbar - {2ECB7FB2-0333-416F-92FD-4904AD49252B} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\3DNATO~1.DLL
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroCheck] C:\WINDOWS\system32\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [vptray] C:\PROGRA~1\SYMANT~1\SYMANT~1\vptray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
O16 - DPF: {166B1BCA-3F9C-11CF-8075-444553540000} (Shockwave ActiveX Control) - http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/director/sw.cab
O16 - DPF: {70BA88C8-DAE8-4CE9-92BB-979C4A75F53B} (GSDACtl Class) - http://launch.gamespyarcade.com/software/launch/alaunch.cab
O16 - DPF: {82202BE7-C56A-487E-9E55-D84BDC1A5776} - http://install.anark.com/client/version1/windows-ie/en/AMClient.cab
O16 - DPF: {861DB4B6-3838-11D2-8E50-002018200E57} (MrSIDI Control) - https://zulu.ssc.nasa.gov/mrsid/bin/mrsidi.cab
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab

;p Have you tried another PSU yet? You could buy one and if its not the PSU you could take it back,If money is tight.

At the moment.. my system seems stable... i havent repalced anything else yet, i did replace 2 fans however, some generics for 2 titan 80 mms

Couple of things in your Hijack this log that need attention:-

Run Hijack this again, and after scanning, check the boxes opposite these items. Close all other windows, and click on "fix checked"

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Use Custom Search URL =


O2 - BHO: (no name) - {4E400661-A8BA-4B98-A88E-1F6F8672E8CD} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\aloky.dll

If you did not set this yourself, also check:-
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present

Reboot, preferably in safe mode, and delete the file C:\WINDOWS\system32\aloky.dll.

David

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Use Custom Search URL =



I was talking to Merijn this morning about this issue and he said it was an error, in HJT, he said that an updated version correcting this error is being/has been uploaded.

...err...I mean 'aloky' was something I could not find much of a lead on. And I don't like anyone not willing to introduce themselves proper: "BHO: (no name)"...

mjc,
Anything on this? What it is? Sorry, Nubê disease,,,

Not 100% sure, but it has the earmarks of one of the sevarl that are random names/CLSIDs....

all right... btw: whats the dll do?

In this case it is a Browser Helper Object, an add=on to IE and it most likely loads popups, aomg other things, it can be responsible for redirecting searches, homepage settings or several other things.

thanx, well so far i have yet to have pc shutdown except in one instance when i wasnt running my side fans and it overheated, im going to be getting a new and bigger case soon so i can mount more fans.

f*** this god d*** s***.... its doing it again.... gahh looks like i'll be spending money for a new case, new mobo, new cpu and new ram, gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... i wish i had a job... but noone around here is hiring

Go to the following website and get the free memory tester this will rule out it being faulty memory that is causing your problem.

DocMemory Diagnostic (http://www.simmtester.com/page/products/doc/docMemSignIn.asp)

If it shows your memory is fine it could be your cpu, motherboard or several other peripherals. You should try running your computer in safe mode for 24 hours in case it is a software problem.

i was in the bios and it shutoff once.. so its NOT a software problem