Computer Hope
Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: Shadow Reaper on October 24, 2010, 04:05:09 PM
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So at the beginning of last month I build my own desktop. Everything seems to have worked fine until recently when I've been getting the BSOD and random unexpected shutdowns. Today was the worst of it all. I couldn't even get my system the POST but then eventually it did. I've ran virus scanners and they've turned up nothing. I have the latest drivers installed. So I have came to the conclusion that this is hardware related. The system doesn't overheat. The MAX my CPU gets when under heavy load is about 47c when I'm playing games and applications like that.
Where do I go from now in pinpointing the problem?
I wish the problem wouldn't be happening this far into this college semester as I have Java assignments to do.
Specifications:
Mobo: ASUS M4A89GTD PRO
GPU: XFX HD-587X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5870
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series DDR3-1333Mhz
OS: Win 7 Ultimate 64
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You did not indicate what if you had done minimal hardware testing, .True, there's a very good possibility is software related. But it turns out to be hardware, you'll just be wasting a lot of time.
Here is a very, very simple hardware test. You prepare a couple of floppy disks. One of him is just a plain formatted floppy. The other a DOS floppy. Inside the BIIOS always boot from floppy. Of course, you know happens. If the system boot sector is present, it will put up into a DOS system. If the blank floppy is present you get an error message because there is no operating system.
Also, set the hardware so that if there's a power failure or power interruption, the machine ill restart and go back into power on state.
By now it should be pretty obvious to you what I'm asking you to do. Start up the system with a good system floppy and let it boot up. Then remove that and put in the other floppy drive that does not have the system. Now just walk away and let it sit there overnight and come back in the morning to be one of two things. You still have just DOS prompt, or now you'll have the error message
So what is the point all this? To make sure what happens is not system software failure. In all my years I have never known MS-DOS to just reboot itself for no reason. (Windows, yes.) The reboot occurs because of a hardware If your don't fix a hardware problem, there is little point digging into Windows. First of all you have to make sure it is not really a hardware problem.
Now if you are reading positively sure it is not a hardware failure, and just ignore everything I said.
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I don't have a floppy drive installed on my system. Should I boot into safe mode with command prompt or just plain old safe mode?
Also, for setting my hardware so that if there's a power failure, the machine will restart and go back into its power on state, how exactly do I do that with Windows 7? I'm still learning everything there is to Windows 7 so I apologize for not knowing how to do some of its functions.
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Geek-9pm's suggestion is good, but you can burn an ISO to a cd and boot off of that. I would recommend memtest and drive fitness test. Just google memtest ISO and drive fitness test ISO. Then download cdburnerXP (the free version) and it will let you write ISO files to a disc.
Before we get into any testing, I'll need to know what the stop error is on your blue screen.
If you couldn't get your computer to POST after it shut down and later you turn it on and it works, then there is a high probability that you have heat issues. When your processor overheats, it shuts the computer down or reboots. I would blow all the dust out of the computer out with a can of air and re-apply thermal paste to your heatsink on your processor. And make sure to do it right; most factory thermal paste jobs suck.
Once I know the stop error on your blue screen I can go further, but until then I would remove all expansion cards and test the memory one by one.
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Everything on my computer worked good up when I built it near the beginning on last month up until like a week ago. I really doubt it's a heat issue as my temperature monitoring software doesn't show it going over 47c when its under heavy load such as gaming and only 27c-30c idle or just browsing the web. I ran a memory test with the software on the Windows disc and it did say it encountered problems on my memory so I guess my RAM needs replaced? I have no problem doing a complete wipe of my PC if you recommend doing that or even running Linux.
Here is what I got from the BSODs.
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Dump File : 102610-19094-01.dmp
Crash Time : 10/26/2010 8:12:42 PM
Bug Check String : MEMORY_MANAGEMENT
Bug Check Code : 0x0000001a
Parameter 1 : 00000000`00005002
Parameter 2 : fffff781`c0000000
Parameter 3 : 00000000`00007f80
Parameter 4 : 00ff7f82`fffffffe
Caused By Driver : ntoskrnl.exe
Caused By Address : ntoskrnl.exe+70740
File Description : NT Kernel & System
Product Name : Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Company : Microsoft Corporation
File Version : 6.1.7600.16617 (win7_gdr.100618-1621)
Processor : x64
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\102610-19094-01.dmp
Processors Count : 4
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 7600
==================================================
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Dump File : 102510-15709-01.dmp
Crash Time : 10/25/2010 10:28:16 PM
Bug Check String : SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
Bug Check Code : 0x0000003b
Parameter 1 : 00000000`c0000005
Parameter 2 : fffff800`02c82905
Parameter 3 : fffff880`07b3c590
Parameter 4 : 00000000`00000000
Caused By Driver : ntoskrnl.exe
Caused By Address : ntoskrnl.exe+70740
File Description : NT Kernel & System
Product Name : Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Company : Microsoft Corporation
File Version : 6.1.7600.16617 (win7_gdr.100618-1621)
Processor : x64
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\102510-15709-01.dmp
Processors Count : 4
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 7600
==================================================
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Dump File : 102410-20810-01.dmp
Crash Time : 10/24/2010 5:39:58 PM
Bug Check String :
Bug Check Code : 0x00000116
Parameter 1 : fffffa80`0623a4e0
Parameter 2 : fffff880`03e06f5c
Parameter 3 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 4 : 00000000`00000002
Caused By Driver : dxgkrnl.sys
Caused By Address : dxgkrnl.sys+5cef8
File Description :
Product Name :
Company :
File Version :
Processor : x64
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\102410-20810-01.dmp
Processors Count : 4
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 7600
==================================================
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Dump File : 091710-18127-01.dmp
Crash Time : 9/17/2010 1:10:11 PM
Bug Check String : BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER
Bug Check Code : 0x000000fe
Parameter 1 : 00000000`00000008
Parameter 2 : 00000000`00000006
Parameter 3 : 00000000`00000006
Parameter 4 : fffffa80`052f6000
Caused By Driver : usbhub.sys
Caused By Address : usbhub.sys+17fa
File Description :
Product Name :
Company :
File Version :
Processor : x64
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\091710-18127-01.dmp
Processors Count : 4
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 7600
==================================================
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Do you have a USB hub attached to your computer?
With those error codes, I am leaning towards a defective graphics card, or a bad video driver.
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Test your RAM. Boot up with one stick at a time to rule out the culprit. You can also use memtest to check your RAM. Get it here: http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
If the RAM is good, swap out your power supply with one of equal or greater wattage.
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Do you have a USB hub attached to your computer?
With those error codes, I am leaning towards a defective graphics card, or a bad video driver.
There's no USB bug attached. I only have my USB ports that came with my mobo, 2xUSB 2 and 2x USB 3, and the 4xUSB 2 that are builtin the case.
I've tried 3, or possibly even 4, different versions of the Catalyst drivers and it seems to produce the same problem.
Test your RAM. Boot up with one stick at a time to rule out the culprit. You can also use memtest to check your RAM. Get it here: http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
If the RAM is good, swap out your power supply with one of equal or greater wattage.
I'll do that this weekend since I'll have more time. Thanks for the link!
EDIT: I got yet another BSOD but when I try to turn on my desktop, it runs but the monitor says No signal. I've tried restarting but to the same result. I've tried DVI, S-Video, and HDMI as well to make sure. Should I remove the GPU to see if the mobo beaps about no GPU being detected?
EDIT 2: I looked into the case and saw the LED light next to my RAM is red so I checked the mobo manual and it says that it is a DRAM LED.
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Are you sure you have the correct RAM installed ? ?
Travel to crucial.com and enter the MBoard info...
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Are you sure you have the correct RAM installed ? ?
Travel to crucial.com and enter the MBoard info...
Yes, it is the right RAM and the right timing in BIOS.
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I've tried 3, or possibly even 4, different versions of the Catalyst drivers and it seems to produce the same problem.
Right, but the video card itself may be bad regardless of having the correct driver or not. If your RAM tests good, it may be the VRAM. I would try using your onboard video card for awhile to rule out your expansion card. If you're currently using your onboard video card and your RAM tests good, you may have a bad motherboard.