PC more crashes than peak hour on the freeway.

[AaLF]

This PC keeps crashing more times than you see crashes on the freeway. It comes in bursts. With the time between narrowing until it crashes during loading. Not the BSOD type - just flop - like the electrical power stopped.

Sometimes it seems like its overheated as reason (the temps though read normal).
Other more frequent times its just clicking on a folder - crash. Or scaring it by moving or scrolling the mouse too quickly - crash. As if the exertion was to much. Its not windows. I can reformat or grab another HDD & install win7x64 on it and thump - crash. Sometimes the critter will go for a day or three. Then it starts again. When it happened at the height of last summer the Repair shop claimed it was over heating. They were guessing. When I left it there it never crashed.

The sys. info =

• Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E4500 @ 2.20GHz
• Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. EP35-DS3P
• Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
• 8.00 GB 8.00 GB
• WDC WD5000AAKX-00ERMA0 ATA Device
• (1) USB Audio Device (2) High Definition Audio Device
• NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS
• Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1

Its a damn good PC I don't want to replace it.

 

[Golden]

I know you said you weren't getting traditional BSOD's, but there may be older ones that give clues. Follow these steps:

http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

 

[TwoCables]

Is this computer being powered by the WideTech ATX500w that's listed in your SevenForums profile?

 

[bobafetthotmail]

yeah, to me seems like PSU is dying.

Another possible reason is a video driver crash. The screen goes black but everything is still powered.

 

[gregrocker]

Work it over good with these Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7 starting with the hardware tests. The logs, system resources suggested will also provide clues.

Try another Power Supply. You can calculate your exact needs with Psu calculator - Windows 7 Forums

If all tests pass then strip it down and reseat everything to see what you find. Replace cables if possible. Run for awhile with only the parts absolutely required.

 

[TwoCables]

The only problem with the good PSU calculators like eXtreme Outer Vision's is they can be extremely inaccurate if not used properly. The simpler ones, such as the one on Newegg's website seems to always be inaccurate and always erring on the high side way too much.

In a nutshell, the two biggest offenders in eXtreme Outer Vision's calculator are System Load and Capacitor Aging. The most realistic System Load setting is actually about 70-75%. If one is to be doing Folding or BOINCing or some other kind of heavy load like that for extended periods of time, then 80% or higher is more realistic. This is because this setting is referring to the entire system, including fans, hard drives, memory, the sound card, etc. etc. etc. So 90% means 90% of the entire system, not 90% CPU load or something like that. Notice how they say that 100% means that ALL of the components in the computer are at 100% load. This again even includes the little things like fans, hard drives, optical drives, memory, the sound card, etc. etc. etc.

For Capacitor Aging, it can depend on the quality of the PSU. For a very low-quality PSU like this one, I recommend going by what is said at the bottom of the page on the calculator:

Electrolytic capacitor aging. When used heavily, or over an extended period of time (1+ years), a power supply will slowly lose some of its initial wattage capacity. We recommend you add 10-20% if you plan to keep your PSU for more than 1 year, or 20-30% for 24/7 usage and 1+ years.

"24/7 usage" means that the PSU is maxed out 24/7. For this PSU, I recommend no more than 20%. I think 10-15% is about the most realistic choice.

Now, for good quality-made PSUs, Capacitor Aging isn't even a consideration because the capacitors in such PSUs are so good that they're not really affected by aging enough to even set this to 5% (that is, if they had 5% as an option). The only reason I'm saying this is just in case someone reads this who has a good quality-made PSU.

 

[AaLF]

Sorry about getting back so late. Life doesn't slow down for PC strife.

I'm still on the beast. It's disaster comes in two ways.

#1 The screen freezes. - reboot required
or
#2 Power crashes - not blue screen style - like a neighborhood power blackout.

Been lucky lately getting 2 hrs on average between crashes. But often several crashes follow each other until i walk away thinking "i'll let it cool down". Then its right for awhile.

Is this computer being powered by the WideTech ATX500w that's listed in your SevenForums profile?

The specs in my siggy below are the old PC. This one's specs are in post #1 above.

The repairman thought it maybe the CPU. But the replacement was about 3/4 of a new one. Are CPUs expensive?

 

[TwoCables]

Sorry about getting back so late. Life doesn't slow down for PC strife.

I'm still on the beast. It's disaster comes in two ways.

#1 The screen freezes. - reboot required
or
#2 Power crashes - not blue screen style - like a neighborhood power blackout.

Been lucky lately getting 2 hrs on average between crashes. But often several crashes follow each other until i walk away thinking "i'll let it cool down". Then its right for awhile.

Is this computer being powered by the WideTech ATX500w that's listed in your SevenForums profile?

The specs in my siggy below are the old PC. This one's specs are in post #1 above.

The list of specs doesn't include the PSU though. Do you know which PSU it is, the make and the model? It's pretty important, so find out if you can.

 

[AddRAM]

Reinstall windows, problem solved

 

[gregrocker]

If you're due for a Clean Reinstall then now would be a good time so you can see how it behaves in the boot mode while installing, get a perfect baseline install following the steps in the blue link which will eliminate software as a possibility.

If you're satisfied with your install and it comes close to the perfect install in the link, then you could also run from a Linux live disk for awhile to see if the problems continue which will also take software out of the equation.

 

[Faladu]

Test this system with a Linux Live disc while you are at it, as well, if it is hardware it will be a crashy beast there too, if it doesn't, then you know it is software problem.

Download - Linux Mint

Live disc runs it all from the disc, just don't go silly and click the INSTALL and follow through with it, when it's running the OS.

Keep disc again for later testing.

 

[AaLF]

Qik update - its not win7. This has been going on for 6 months @ dif. levels of intensity. Windows has been re0installed too much. i'm expecting MS to block me.

I dont want to touch linux. I stuffed up last time & destroyed my Win7 OS. Is there a utility that'll interogate & advise about the CPU?? Any on line interogators?

 

[TwoCables]

I still want to know what PSU you have because I still think it could be the culprit. Usually, when someone doesn't know what PSU they have, it's a junker and the cause of most of their computer problems.

 

[bobafetthotmail]

I still want to know what PSU you have because I still think it could be the culprit. Usually, when someone doesn't know what PSU they have, it's a junker and the cause of most of their computer problems.

This.
If you can, open the case and have a look at the sticker about specs on the metallic box that spits a lot of multicolored cables to every other component. How much Amps per kind of Voltage erogated (3.3, 12, 5 are the most important). Total wattage is usually misleading if not a blatant lie on crappish units.

I dont want to touch linux. I stuffed up last time & destroyed my Win7 OS.

With Mint or Ubuntu it's very hard to do if you don't go custom and screw with the settings, they (finally) made very noob-friendly distros with smart utilities that do most of the technical stuff for the user.

 

[gregrocker]

You can reinstall Win7 as often as you want. You can ask us if you're not sure about these things.

The question is if you followed the steps in the Clean Reinstall tutorial as it pertains to drivers and the other Best Practices for Win7, as if not I would do it over if you didn't.

Otherwise run with Linux live disk for awhile to see if the problems repeat which confirms they are hardware.

 

[AaLF]

Can't download that Linux mint right now as the PC can't stay on its feet that long.

Grabbed another HDD & tried to install windows. Crashed several times during the process. I gave up.

the power supply is called COOLPOWER 850w #P4N9-N

When it was at the shop the tech was guessing the problem lied behind the little fan attached to the motherboard. But the beast never missed a beat while with him. But he just switched it on & left it.

By far the
#1 fault is it crashes when one tries to open any folder.
#2 just crashes for the hell of it.
#3 freezes

 

[gregrocker]

The point is that if you can operate with a boot disk long enough then you'll know if the problem is hardware-related. So obviously you need to use another PC to burn the Linux or other disk if Win7 isn't stable enough to do this. Or boot the WIn7 installer and run a few Startup Repairs, Disk Check from the Command line in Repair My Computer link on second screen after you boot the installer, SFC /SCANNOW Run in Command Prompt at Boot. Then after running these you'll know by how the hardware behaves whether the problem is with it or the OS.

If the problem is with the OS then proceed with Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start

 

[AaLF]

Have now d/l & burned Linux to disc. Now what?? How do i function with this 'thing'?? how do I get internet??

 

[AaLF]

The point is that if you can operate with a boot disk long enough then you'll know if the problem is hardware-related. So obviously you need to use another PC to burn the Linux or other disk if Win7 isn't stable enough to do this. Or boot the WIn7 installer and run a few Startup Repairs, Disk Check from the Command line in Repair My Computer link on second screen after you boot the installer, SFC /SCANNOW Run in Command Prompt at Boot. Then after running these you'll know by how the hardware behaves whether the problem is with it or the OS.

If the problem is with the OS then proceed with Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start

Surely the problem is hardware....... I just grabbed a reformatted 1TB HDD with a new 100GB partition. whipped the old HDD out & popped in this one. Then set about re-installing windows from the CD. The PC freezes during installation. So it can't be the OS... there ain't one.

 

[bobafetthotmail]

That PSU sounds like the culprit. Apart that COOLPOWER is not a good brand, a good 850W PSU should cost around 100 bucks while that is sold at 50.

Also, you don't need 850W. your rig needs at most 450W, as this calculator says.