Computer Related > PC crashing cont.	Computing Issues
Thread Author: Focusless	Replies: 39

Thu 26 Jul 12 21:00   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

...from www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?t=9869&v=f Brief recap - in March PC was crashing regularly; fix was to stop using one of the 2 motherboard memory slots. So it's been fine for 4 months, but... yep, you've guessed, it's doing it again (same symptoms anyway). So I decided best thing was to replace the motherboard, so popped along to the local Novatech earlier this evening to get one of these: www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/motherboards/amdam3plusallchipsetmotherboards/ga-970a-ds3.html And of course it's not getting into the BIOS. Or it is, and the display's not working. On power up, there's what sounds like a brief (second or so) flurry of activity from the HD, then another 5 sets of fluttering of about a second each with a second gap. All fans are going. No built-in graphics so relying on the 5770 PCI-E graphics card for display, which AFAIK was working fine. I've tried clearing the CMOS. There are no beeps, whichever way round I plug in the speaker connector (how are you supposed to know BTW? Ditto for the power/reset/HDD connectors, doesn't appear to make much difference). Any suggestions, as ever, gratefully received. Last edited by: Focus on Thu 26 Jul 12 at 21:01 Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 21:15   PC crashing cont. - Zero

Power it up outside the case, and make sure you have all the power plugs in. The 4 extra in the main power plug and the 4 extra ATX12v Reply to this message | Report message       1

Thu 26 Jul 12 21:18   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

>> and the 4 extra ATX12v Brilliant Z! Now getting long beeps from the speaker, which I'm hoping just means one of those connectors is the wrong way round (reset?)... Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 21:27   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

>> Now getting long beeps from the speaker, which I'm hoping just means one of those >> connectors is the wrong way round (reset?)... ...although Google suggests it's a RAM problem; argh! Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 21:51   PC crashing cont. - Zero

Don't tell me, this is the memory stick that fails in the other motherboard????? Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 21:55   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Actually I've taken out the single 4GB stick I was using in the single slot in the old MB, and put back the 2x2GB sticks I had in before, as well as the other 2x2GB sticks I had before that which were the original suspects. Just need to upgrade to Win7 64 bit to actually make use of them now :) EDIT: got the retail DVD so might do that this weekend Last edited by: Focus on Thu 26 Jul 12 at 21:56 Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 21:52   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Er... plugging the power into the graphics card seems to help.. Now seems to be up and running ok. Phew. I'd like to think I would have spotted the missing power connector eventually Z, but I'm not sure how long that would have taken, or how stressed I would have got! So a big thanks. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 22:05   PC crashing cont. - Zero

Never been there, never done it.... Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 22:19   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

:) Actually not quite out of the woods yet. On first boot after fiddling around with the BIOS (just set the date/time) I got a BSOD shortly after Windows started ie. before login. So on reboot I opted for the 'startup repair', which it's doing now. Not sure if that's a consequence of the mb change, or whether I've still got a memory problem in at least one of the 4 old sticks. The repair has been going for at least 5 minutes now without crashing, so hopefully it's a temporary glitch. (No I'm not convinced either but one lives in hope.) Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 22:24   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Ha - it was enable to repair whatever the problem was. Now trying the Windows Memory Diagnostic - I know you're not a big fan of that sort of thing Z but at least if it fails I'll know for sure. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 22:37   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Mmm... no problems detected, started to boot into Windows, BSOD. Going to try a System Recovery. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 26 Jul 12 22:49   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Nah, still crashes on starting Windows. The fact that it happens at what appears to be exactly the same point each time does make me wonder whether it might 'just' be a software issue. Had enough for now (have to get up at 5:35!); tomorrow evening will use a linux CD to attempt to save any important files (don't think there will be many) then do a clean install of Win7 64 bit. Last edited by: Focus on Thu 26 Jul 12 at 22:50 Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 02:27   PC crashing cont. - devonite

before you do anything drastic, try going into bios and disabling AHDS or native SATA. may not do any good but tis another straw to clutch at ! Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 06:26   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Thanks dev - I'll try that later, although now I've got the 8GB (assuming it is ok) I'd like to install a version of Windows that can make use of it. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 07:45   PC crashing cont. - rtj70

Before messing with Windows install boot off a Linux live cd. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 08:50   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Yep, I mentioned I was going to do that before dev's post. Last edited by: Focus on Fri 27 Jul 12 at 08:50 Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 09:00   PC crashing cont. - rtj70

I was reading on the phone and scrolled passed that - honest. This sounds like it could be a driver error that's causing BSOD. Can you start up Windows in safe mode - which loads minimal driver sets. You've changed motherboard so chipset etc likely to have changed (unless you got the same again?). For long term stability I'd go with a reinstall of Windows. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 09:20   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

>> For long term stability I'd go with a reinstall of Windows. Yep, doing that too :) Might still be driver issues, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. EDIT: different motherboard Last edited by: Focus on Fri 27 Jul 12 at 09:21 Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 11:49   PC crashing cont. - TeeCee

>> EDIT: different motherboard >> Yup, trying to boot an image built for a different mobo will send you to bluescreen hell. However, there is no need to perform a full reinstallation. Boot off the Windows disk and run through the install. It'll detect the existing installation in Windows and offer to install in a new place. Just tell it to install to the existing location and it will do the install (after asking you if you're sure), including all the necessary driver changes, but preserve all your settings and applications. You'll be wanting to run Ccleaner's registry cleaner function over it afterwards.... Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 13:55   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

>> However, there is no need to perform a full reinstallation. Argh! I WANT to do a full reinstallation!! :) Sorry TeeCee - to recap, I want to upgrade from Windows 7 32 bit to 64 bit to make use of the 8GB that's now available. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 13:56   PC crashing cont. - rtj70

This will be why you want to test it runs okay with a Live CD of some Linux variant first and then install Windows 7 64-bit :-) No point in installing Windows to find there is still a problem with the system. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 21:41   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Files saved using Linux CD, Windows 7 64 bit installed; now just downloading 392.4MB of 120 important updates :) No crashes yet... Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 22:27   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Well it got as far as installing update 66 (out of 120) and seemed to get stuck. Wouldn't shut down until it had installed the updates, which didn't look like was ever going to happen, so hit the reset button. On reboot, it detected that the updates didn't complete, and said it was reverting changes. Sigh. Went back into Windows Updates - only one important update!? Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 22:36   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Ah - back up to 118 now. That's ok then. Sigh (again). Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 22:46   PC crashing cont. - devonite

if its installing .Net framework updates, be patient! - they seem to be doing nothing for ages.....and ages ......and ages! ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 22:48   PC crashing cont. - rtj70

The Olympics opening ceremony will finish before the .NET updates on an average PC. :-) Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 27 Jul 12 22:48   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

It was a security update I think. Just installing 20 or so at a time now. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 Jul 12 00:15   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Got there in the end, and all updates seem to have gone in ok. Downloaded some other 'essentials' - Skype, graphics drivers etc., and also the Comodo internet security package based on a review linked to in a thread on here the other week. Of course I don't actually use it - it resides in son's room these days. So no doubt it will be full of crud again in a week or two :) EDIT: Comodo link: www.matousec.com/projects/proactive-security-challenge-64/results.php Last edited by: Focus on Sat 28 Jul 12 at 00:17 Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 Jul 12 08:03   PC crashing cont. - smokie

Image the c drive while it's still clean, saves recovery time later... Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 Jul 12 08:10   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Not a bad idea smokie, thanks. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 Jul 12 08:56   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

...although... where do I save the image? I'm guessing it won't fit on a single DVD, or does it get spread over several? Or does it need a partition on the disk? Use Windows to do it, or 3rd party software? Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 Jul 12 10:49   PC crashing cont. - rtj70

If you have an external USB drive then you could use something like Clonezilla. a Live CD based on Linux which comes with software to clone disks or partitions. And can restore them too. I used it when troubleshooting someone's PC - I cloned it so I could make changes without risk of losing anything. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 Jul 12 13:17   PC crashing cont. - devonite

I`ve never had much success with Images! - in fact the only time I tried it, I made an image of a clean install of Xp, which I had just installed on a 250GB drive. Thinking this would be a "Generic" image for future use, as my discs were getting dodgy. When I tried to install the Image on a brand-new, ntfs formatted 500GB drive, it kept telling me that the partitions had to be the same size!. Obviously understandable if the drive was too small, but whats the prob when its bigger? Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 Jul 12 13:37   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Had a look at using Windows to create an image backup, but Windows hit a problem while trying to find a backup device (a 'send an error report to us' sort of problem). Although when I had a look at more general creating backups, it found the DVD drive ok. Might create a slipstreamed Win7 installation disk instead; done it in the past with XP. www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/145343-slipstream-windows-7-sp1-into-installation-dvd-iso-file.html Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 28 Jul 12 14:26   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

BTW the 64 bit upgrade has resulted in the Passmark benchmark increasing from 1185 to 1298. (I took the earlier measurement when I was still running 2 sticks of SDRAM ie. dual channel.) www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?t=4480&m=101947&v=e Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 Jul 12 21:00   PC crashing cont. - busbee

Disk imaging I have done a lot of cloning of my PC disk using Acronis True Image Home 11.0 I keep at least 3 images of my PC disk and rotate the disks using one every few weeks. Mostly after I have done significant work. Note that you can expect problems if you try to transfer the image of a clone to the PC boot disk while it is in use. You can boot from the image and then transfer an image to that disk. My PC can take up to 6 sata drives and two pata (40 pin or so) ones, but I use just one 500GB sata one as C + D. There is a spare sata that is left unconnected unless I want to image on to it. The cloning method I use varies, but all have booted OK. I only ever had one with a funny bit. I sometimes plug in a second sata to the set of sata loose leads inside the PC. I also have a pata to usb adapter so I can image to a pata drive mounted externally via usb. The image disk has been as small as 90GB and succeeded, although it is 250GB or more, these days. I have booted just after making an image and still with both sata disks connected and then altered the image-disk name so as to be different from the original. No problems in the booting from the original disk. I have also booted from a pata image plugged into a pata socket. I have now given up checking if my images boot as they always have previously. If you don't want to buy Acronis, there are some freebee disk imaging programs, although I have not tried them and know little about them. One has been mentioned above. These next two are ones I made a note of some time ago: www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/backupandimage.shtml www.majorgeeks.com/XXCLONE_d5534.html Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 Jul 12 21:20   PC crashing cont. - John H

>> Had a look at using Windows to create an image backup, >> If you have a Seagate, Maxtor or WD hard disk: forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=1732433 www.techspot.com/community/topics/download-free-acronis-true-image-for-seagate-western-digital-maxtor-hard-drives.152472/ Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 Jul 12 21:27   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

>> If you have a Seagate, Maxtor or WD hard disk: Doh! It's a Samsung. Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 Jul 12 21:43   PC crashing cont. - John H

>> >> If you have a Seagate, Maxtor or WD hard disk: >> >> Doh! It's a Samsung. >> Other free disk imaging software is available. www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-drive-imaging-program.htm www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/backupandimage.shtml#imaging Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 29 Jul 12 22:54   PC crashing cont. - Focusless

Thanks John; might have a go with Macrium. Reply to this message | Report message