PC shut off randomly (freezing on boot now)

[wymond]

My PC took a huge crap on me....

Came home from school yesterday to find my PC off...when I left it was on...so logically it shut off because of a power surge OR it overheated my CPU.

I believe the CPU isn't working correctly.. I have tried everything, added silicon grease...ect..its not the power supply, not any of the cables, not the mother board...the only thing I have in mind is that I need a new CPU ( mine isn't even old... /sigh ).

When my PC actually gets past the windows loading screen (40% ) of the time I will actually make it to my desktop of windows...when I open a folder my PC freezes, when I right click ANYWHERE, it freezes. I can't do anything after windows loads if it even does load...

What do you think is the problem? Ask questions if you need more info, I will answer.


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7950gtx Nvidia
50gb left out of 160gb on my Hard Drive
250gb External ( now internal HD )
Intel Pentium D 3.4 Processor
2GB ram

*

[dairyman]

Can you start Windows in Safe Mode?

Before you see the Windows Bootscreen, keep tapping F8.
Use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode and press Enter.

[wymond]

Yup. I did Safe Mode, freezes just as it is in Normal Start Up.


I plan on changing the HD with another PC to test if it's my Windows. If it isn't my HD, then it is something else ( CPU, Mother Board, ect..)

[dahlarbear]

1.  Operating System Version.  What operating system version are you running?  Windows XP Home Edition, Professional, or something else entirely?  Original, Service Pack 1 (SP1), or SP2?  Is the operating system current with all updates?


2.  Symptoms.  OK, you believe your system shutdown by itself... Just once or is it now a recurrent problem?

Now, 40% percent of the time when you're able to login to Windows; it freezes when you open a folder or right click anywhere.  Do you ever see any error messages?  If so, please post the exact text and/or numbers.

The other 60% percent of the time, when you don't get that far, what happens?  Do you ever see any error messages?  If so, please post the exact text and/or numbers.  Does the POST diagnostic screen display look normal?


3.  Safe Mode.  Login to "Safe Mode" and let it set awhile.  Does it freeze in Safe Mode while the operating system is just sitting there not doing much of anything?


4.  File System Integrity.  When was the last time you did a "thorough" scan of the file system?  When was the last time you "defragged" the file system?


5.  CPU/Memory.  To eliminate the Windows software as the source of your problem, you can download memory test software, create boot floppy or CD, and execute it.  This will test your system memory and stress your CPU at the same time (exercising basic CPU functions.  It also doesn't use your hard disk, should that be triggering your problems.  Recommend "MemTest86 v3.3" from following web site (avoid v3.4 for now - believe it to be a bad build):

    http://www.memtest86.com/


6.  Hard Disk Drive.  Most manufacturers provide diagnostic software that you may download and boot to test the integrity of the hard drive (as well as its disk surfaces).  Go to their web site to find it.


7.  Missing/Corrupt System Files.  What type of installation media do you have?  OEM Recovery Partition, OEM Recovery/Restore CD, OEM Windows XP Setup CD, Microsoft Retail Windows XP Setup CD?  The system file check utility "sfc" of Windows XP may be used to check the integrity of your system files and restore them with fresh copy if corrupt.


8.  Computer turns off without warning:
    http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000689.htm


9.  Windows freezes or stops responding frequently:
    http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000690.htm

[wymond]

Windows XP (sp2)


Normal / Safe mode both freeze if they sit there for a period of time..

And the other times when it does not make it to Windows desktop, it just freezes when verifying pool data, windows loading screen, windows welcome screen, all random freezes..

It only shuts off after it has froze for a while without manually turning the PC off.

And, no, I do not get any error messages.

[dahlarbear]

And the other times when it does not make it to Windows desktop, it just freezes when verifying pool data...

1.  Well... I'm not familiar with "verifying pool data".  Exactly when does this occur, and how do you know it's occurring?  If a message is displayed, when, and what is the exact message?

2.  Either start following the computer hope procedures for troubleshooting "freeze" and/or "shutdown" (in the links provided earlier) or strip that computer down to a minimum hardware configuration and run diagnostics from either boot floppy or CD.  I'd start testing memory because it's a simple test (does not need hard drive) and is designed to run forever or until you terminate it manually.

Minimum system would be:

    o  Power Supply
    o  Motherboard
    o  CPU
    o  One stick of memory (module)
    o  Video Adapter
    o  Monitor
    o  Keyboard
    o  Mouse

Remove all other boards and disconnect all other devices from both power and data ports.  It's especially important to disconnect the hard drives and/or any CD-ROM/DVD drive not used for diagnostics as they may be cause of problem.

Use canned air to blow all the dust out.

Ensure the CPU is fully seated as well as heat sink with fan and thermal grease in the right places.

Reseat all boards that remain as well as their power and data connectors.

[wymond]

Everything is not working.

Formatting now. I can't waste this much time, I have to be on my computer!

It's actually letting me boot with disk and format...without freezing, I deleted my partition and now installing Windows...so now I am 90% sure it was my HD.

[dairyman]

If you wan't to us to help you fix your computer, you have to answer questions.

What do you mean "everything is not working"?
Did you run a memory test at the website dahlarbear told you to go to?
When did you last scan for corrupt/missing system files?
Have you recently cleaned the inside of the computer?

[wymond]

how am i supposed to test that sh*t if i cant even start my computer up omg dude...



and anyways................


my pc froze while copying files during the format process....so its not my HD, it is something else connected to my motherboard thats s***ed up

[dairyman]

Read this carefully for instructions on how to start the memory test: http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic62524.html

(Part of fixing the problem is being patient. If you really need to do something immediantly ask someone to come over with a laptop if they have one and do it while you can)

Report back with the result of the memory test.

Good luck.

[wymond]

Got my mom doing the mem. test thing at her work right now, I'm at home..

Last night my PC did let me delete and format my partition on my hard drive when booting my PC with the Window's disk. But when it got to the copying files part after formatting process, it would freeze on 11%... after about an hour I thought something was wrong..so I retried the Window's disk and formatted, then I went to sleep and let it do it's thing...when I woke up, it's on 11% again!


That is so wierd..

I'll post again when I get mem test results.

[wymond]

Got the mem test on CD.

Both of my RAM chips get to test three and stop working...I get no errors also.

So now I think it is my RAM??

Going to test my brothers RAM ( is compatible with my motherboard ) and test them to see if it is just mine.

[dairyman]

Make sure your brother gives you the right RAM chip, otherwise you will get a BSOD.

If that doesn't work...

Try removing one of the original RAM chips and test the RAM again.
If that doesn't work, remove the other RAM chip and test the RAM again.

[wymond]

My RAM on my mobo only gets to 27-32% ......my brothers both get to 72-79%...

I ran multiple times on with both sets of chips...one at a time.


After a while I started to think...maybe it is my mother board...so I tried the tests on my brothers computer and my RAM works perfectly normal, so this concludes to my mother board being fried from a power surge...which is BS! =]

oh well...


I found a really cheap one

Code: [Select]

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10005859

[patio]

A cheap MBoard may be the source of the issue...however just for grins swap in a decent PSU of the same or greater wattage and see what happens...