Crashes and random reboots

[Dr DRAM]

My computer has been acting up lately. ive been getting random reboots and lock ups in windows XP and 2000. in windows 98 and ME its locking up and crashing alot. i reformated and tried to install windows again and i was getting blue screens during the install. can someone help me out??


[System]
CPU: AMD Athlon 1.4Ghz
Mobo: Asus A7A266
Mem: 256MB DDR
Video: Creative TNT2 Ultra
Sound: Sound Blaster Live! X-Gamer
OS: n/a
[Drives]
60GB Maxtor ATA100
10GB Western Digital Ultra DMA
13GB Western Digital Ultra DMA
Plextor W-24xRW-10xR-40x CD-R

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- - Load Universe into Cannon. Aim at Brain. Fire. - -

[mjc]

What size power supply do you have?

Have you sdded any of your listed devices lately?

Anything else besides what you have listed?

What kind of cooling solution?

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[Paleo Pete]

Sounds like you're using a multiple OS. Have you tried one OS at a time and see how it runs? Trying to figure out problems with 2 or 3 different OSs to figure in is very difficult. Each one adds its own set of issues...

That aside, if it's having problems with ALL of them, that in itself might be indicating either a hardware or BIOS problem. Power supply, memory, cooling could all cause similar problems, BIOS settings too. (mjc as usual is right on target...)

Remove the case cover and check it with a small fan blowing inside, set BIOS Defaults or Optimum Defaults and try only one OS at a time. Get one running right before even thinking about adding another one.


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[Dr DRAM]

it has a 300w p/s.

im only using 1 OS. i only tried all of those. nothing was taken out or changed. a friend of mine told me it might be bad memory.

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- - Load Universe into Cannon. Aim at Brain. Fire. - -

[diurnal]

Also check your powersupply, get a voltmeter,dcv, hook black to black and red to yellow,uplug all drives and turn power on should get around 11 to 13volts.Post back

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Sledgehammer will save the day!

[This message has been edited by diurnal (edited 10-30-2001).]

[andreadebiase]

you don`t have a matrox video card or a Via chipset do you? if yes, update immediately the drivers for both.

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#!@$*%.....just format the damn C:

[BigBlue66]

Hey Doc, it hurts when I do this.

But seriously, it sounds like either a power supply issue or excessive heat. Not only do you have a lot of components drawing power, but they're also generating a lot of heat.

Power supplies are fairly cheap. With all those components, I would say you need at least a 400watt PS, more is even better.

Also, check your cooling. Is the CPU fan turning as it should? Do you have case fans? If so, do you have one in the front blowing in and one in the back sucking out?

Check all these things and get back to us.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66

P.S. Bad RAM could be a cause, too, but I have a feeling it's power or heat related. Good luck.

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Life = Karma, or is it, Karma = Life?

[Dr DRAM]

its gotta be the memory. i took one of my 128s out and it seems to be working fine. or atleast its not half as bad. i just dont want to end up buying more memory if i dont need it. thats for all your help everyone. im sure you all know ill be back.

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- - Load Universe into Cannon. Aim at Brain. Fire. - -