XP/Hardware problem

backslash · Nov 22, 2005, 04:00 PM

About a month or two my system started freezing randomly, sound or mouse not working on boot up, or either two of them conking out after a while. The net would disconnect and I could not reconnect it (the network was operational).

I spoke to someone at DFI, and they said that the AMD AthlonXP 3200+ wasn't supported by the Lanparty Nf2 UltraB (low and behold it says it supports it on the box though, and it had been working for over a year flawlessly). I underclocked the CPU to a 2500+ (not happy about that), and my OCZ Platinum PC3200 down to 266mhz. This seemed to cure it for a small while. Now it's started not booting (just freezes at the XP bar screen), not initalizing the mouse, turning off the mouse during use. I can get it to work, but it takes a few boots to actualy get into windows. I've tried reinstalling windows numerious times, sometimes the machine freezes on install, so I'm not sure if I've got a dud disk or it is hardware.

I know XP has issues with high powered mice on USB, I can live with that. It's the fact that I can't use my hardware properly, and since most games are requiring more and more CPU power, I really don't like the fact that my CPU is running 700mhz slower that it's rated. The system was working FLAWLESSLY for over half a year before this happened. I can't even install CCP ATI drivers because the machine BSOD's on boot (god bless Omega).

I'm stuck for idea's on what it could be... Hence why I've turned here.

DFI lanparty NF2 Ultrab
AMD AthlonXP 3200+
ATI Sapphire 9800XT
Creative Audigy 2 ZS
2x512MB OCZ Platinum PC3200
Mouse = Razer Diamondback

PangingJr · Nov 22, 2005, 04:47 PM

Do you have service pack 2 installed?

the problems you've described only happened when upgraded to service pack 2?
or it always happen with Windows XP, with or without service pack installed?

backslash · Nov 22, 2005, 04:56 PM

SP2 is installed...

This is an interesting discovery...

How can it be SP2?

No_Style · Nov 22, 2005, 05:10 PM

PSU issues? Perhaps not enough power is being supplied anymore? BSODs and other issues such as that happens when your PSU shows signs of dying.

If you can get spare parts, start swapping. You can also try removing non-essential items such as optical drives, sound card, extra hard drives etc.. to isolate what the problem may be.

BTW, welcome to DH.

backslash · Nov 22, 2005, 05:16 PM

I have a 550Watt PSU... Plenty of power.

I've also removed the sound card (I have omboard AC97), didn't do anything. Also removed the DVD drive to no effect. Well, I just ran a memtest86 on my machine, with identicle ram to my other machine. This one started spewing out a few errors, the other didn't. I know this memory is fine because I did a memtest on this ram in the other machine not too long ago (week or two)...

But what confuses me is the fact that this machine has been working for so long without any problems...

BTW, I use Driverheaven for all my tech info, aswell as performance benchmarks on the newest Omega drivers (just wish he'd hurry up with the 5.11's)

PangingJr · Nov 22, 2005, 05:21 PM

clean install Windows again, and verify that the problem is not happen with Windows XP without service pack 2 installed?

i like to ask these questions again...

the problems you've described only happened when upgraded to service pack 2?
or it always happen with Windows XP, with or without service pack installed?

[hobo]eclipse · Nov 22, 2005, 05:56 PM

are u using both the master and slave on the primary IDE channel? wat are u booting from?? IDE or SATA?? Try unplugging all yer IDE cables and their power leads except the primary master {if thats wat yer booting from or unpugg it too if you boot from SATA} and see if it boots nicely and consistantly a few times, if it does try adding one, say the primary slave, be sure to plug in the power lead aswell, then try and reboot a few times and mess round a lil, if it acts up it might be the IDE channel\controler of the MB, dunno?

backslash · Nov 22, 2005, 09:02 PM

I only have one 120GB hd so that'd be a bit hard to do

. I don't really want to format or reinstall windows again (too much setup/etc). I don't know if uninstalling SP2 would work (since it can be done in the add/remove programs)...

PangingJr · Nov 22, 2005, 10:27 PM

a few meaning out of those questions that i asked earlier...
the Windows software needs the service pack 2 to be installed... but it has not been installed yet.
you might just installed it and at around the same time that the problems occurs and this problem never happened before that.
i also ask you to take a step back and ask yourself when all of these problem start to show up.

not because you have this thread opened in Windows forum and i have to check your Windows software system out. but since you've turned here. it's possible that the cause(s) of all the problems is in your software system. and a possible simpler path to try is to do another clean Windows install. forget about removing the service pack 2 and simply do another "clean" install of everything, from Windows to all drivers, updates and keep checking. and you can verify that it has nothing to do with your software system.

No_Style · Nov 22, 2005, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by backslash

I have a 550Watt PSU... Plenty of power.

Yeah, plenty, but it may not be working as well anymore. It's just a hunch.

OldBuzzard · Nov 23, 2005, 04:17 AM

I had a problem recently that was due to the memory. At first it looked like my 9500 Pro had died. but when I replaced it with a 9600XT, the same problem was there. It got worse, and at times it looked like it was the AGP buss on the MB, then the PSU, and then the HDD. Just really strange.

It all started after I removed the 'live drive' for my Audigy2. It turned out that I had 'disturbed' the mem module(s), and one of them wasn't seated properly.

You might try taking the memory out and reinstalling it (especially since you say: "I know this memory is fine because I did a memtest on this ram in the other machine not too long ago (week or two)..."), and if you are using two sticks, swap their positions in the slots that you are using.

backslash · Nov 23, 2005, 12:26 PM

Tried that over and over, with and without dual channel.

Rayder · Nov 23, 2005, 12:45 PM

On the motherboard, look at the capaciters and see if any of them are bulging out on the top. If they are, they are bad or are going bad. The top of caps SHOULD be flat when they are in good working order.

We had a PC start acting strange and that's what turned out to be the problem.

It was my brother that discovered it, he's into electronics so he knows what to look for.

Just throwing another idea out there....

ReDGuiTaR · Nov 24, 2005, 02:25 AM

Is the bios flashed to the newest version ??? sometimes when new graphic drivers comes out it really need the last bios ....

The problemsyou described are mostly due to a faulty / old bios motherboard or dying PSU. Even if you got a 550watts PSU does not mean that it provide all the juice needed by the component.

Nov 22, 2005, 04:00 PM	#1
backslash DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: England Posts: 16 Rep Power: 0	XP/Hardware problem About a month or two my system started freezing randomly, sound or mouse not working on boot up, or either two of them conking out after a while. The net would disconnect and I could not reconnect it (the network was operational). I spoke to someone at DFI, and they said that the AMD AthlonXP 3200+ wasn't supported by the Lanparty Nf2 UltraB (low and behold it says it supports it on the box though, and it had been working for over a year flawlessly). I underclocked the CPU to a 2500+ (not happy about that), and my OCZ Platinum PC3200 down to 266mhz. This seemed to cure it for a small while. Now it's started not booting (just freezes at the XP bar screen), not initalizing the mouse, turning off the mouse during use. I can get it to work, but it takes a few boots to actualy get into windows. I've tried reinstalling windows numerious times, sometimes the machine freezes on install, so I'm not sure if I've got a dud disk or it is hardware. I know XP has issues with high powered mice on USB, I can live with that. It's the fact that I can't use my hardware properly, and since most games are requiring more and more CPU power, I really don't like the fact that my CPU is running 700mhz slower that it's rated. The system was working FLAWLESSLY for over half a year before this happened. I can't even install CCP ATI drivers because the machine BSOD's on boot (god bless Omega). I'm stuck for idea's on what it could be... Hence why I've turned here. DFI lanparty NF2 Ultrab AMD AthlonXP 3200+ ATI Sapphire 9800XT Creative Audigy 2 ZS 2x512MB OCZ Platinum PC3200 Mouse = Razer Diamondback

Nov 22, 2005, 05:10 PM	#4
No_Style Styleless Wonder Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 6,034 Rep Power: 0	PSU issues? Perhaps not enough power is being supplied anymore? BSODs and other issues such as that happens when your PSU shows signs of dying. If you can get spare parts, start swapping. You can also try removing non-essential items such as optical drives, sound card, extra hard drives etc.. to isolate what the problem may be. BTW, welcome to DH. __________________ "The Best Style Is No Style" Specifications Here

Nov 23, 2005, 04:17 AM	#11
OldBuzzard DH's oldest Geek Join Date: May 2003 Location: Oberlin, OH Posts: 2,781 Rep Power: 141 System Specs	I had a problem recently that was due to the memory. At first it looked like my 9500 Pro had died. but when I replaced it with a 9600XT, the same problem was there. It got worse, and at times it looked like it was the AGP buss on the MB, then the PSU, and then the HDD. Just really strange. It all started after I removed the 'live drive' for my Audigy2. It turned out that I had 'disturbed' the mem module(s), and one of them wasn't seated properly. You might try taking the memory out and reinstalling it (especially since you say: "I know this memory is fine because I did a memtest on this ram in the other machine not too long ago (week or two)..."), and if you are using two sticks, swap their positions in the slots that you are using. __________________ When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY Last edited by OldBuzzard; Nov 23, 2005 at 04:23 AM.

Nov 24, 2005, 02:25 AM	#14
ReDGuiTaR DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Quebec , Canada Posts: 746 Rep Power: 0	Is the bios flashed to the newest version ??? sometimes when new graphic drivers comes out it really need the last bios .... The problemsyou described are mostly due to a faulty / old bios motherboard or dying PSU. Even if you got a 550watts PSU does not mean that it provide all the juice needed by the component. __________________ Zing a ling... zing a ling a ling ... A8N-E - A64x2 4600, 2048 Mb Kingston ram 400mhz cas 2.5 ( 2 x 1024 DualChannel ), Seagate 320 Gig 7200 16Mb cache S-ata 2, GeForce 7900GT 512MB, Enermax 460watt power supply, WindowsXP SP2.

Nov 22, 2005, 04:47 PM	#2
PangingJr Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,989 Rep Power: 69	Do you have service pack 2 installed? the problems you've described only happened when upgraded to service pack 2? or it always happen with Windows XP, with or without service pack installed?

Nov 22, 2005, 04:56 PM	Thread Starter #3
backslash DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: England Posts: 16 Rep Power: 0	SP2 is installed... This is an interesting discovery... How can it be SP2?

Nov 22, 2005, 05:16 PM	Thread Starter #5
backslash DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: England Posts: 16 Rep Power: 0	I have a 550Watt PSU... Plenty of power. I've also removed the sound card (I have omboard AC97), didn't do anything. Also removed the DVD drive to no effect. Well, I just ran a memtest86 on my machine, with identicle ram to my other machine. This one started spewing out a few errors, the other didn't. I know this memory is fine because I did a memtest on this ram in the other machine not too long ago (week or two)... But what confuses me is the fact that this machine has been working for so long without any problems... BTW, I use Driverheaven for all my tech info, aswell as performance benchmarks on the newest Omega drivers (just wish he'd hurry up with the 5.11's)

Nov 22, 2005, 05:21 PM	#6
PangingJr Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,989 Rep Power: 69	clean install Windows again, and verify that the problem is not happen with Windows XP without service pack 2 installed? i like to ask these questions again... the problems you've described only happened when upgraded to service pack 2? or it always happen with Windows XP, with or without service pack installed?

Nov 22, 2005, 05:56 PM	#7
[hobo]eclipse ...just bummin 'round Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 2,897 Rep Power: 107 System Specs	are u using both the master and slave on the primary IDE channel? wat are u booting from?? IDE or SATA?? Try unplugging all yer IDE cables and their power leads except the primary master {if thats wat yer booting from or unpugg it too if you boot from SATA} and see if it boots nicely and consistantly a few times, if it does try adding one, say the primary slave, be sure to plug in the power lead aswell, then try and reboot a few times and mess round a lil, if it acts up it might be the IDE channel\controler of the MB, dunno?

Nov 22, 2005, 09:02 PM	Thread Starter #8
backslash DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: England Posts: 16 Rep Power: 0	I only have one 120GB hd so that'd be a bit hard to do . I don't really want to format or reinstall windows again (too much setup/etc). I don't know if uninstalling SP2 would work (since it can be done in the add/remove programs)...

Nov 22, 2005, 10:27 PM	#9
PangingJr Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,989 Rep Power: 69	a few meaning out of those questions that i asked earlier... the Windows software needs the service pack 2 to be installed... but it has not been installed yet. you might just installed it and at around the same time that the problems occurs and this problem never happened before that. i also ask you to take a step back and ask yourself when all of these problem start to show up. not because you have this thread opened in Windows forum and i have to check your Windows software system out. but since you've turned here. it's possible that the cause(s) of all the problems is in your software system. and a possible simpler path to try is to do another clean Windows install. forget about removing the service pack 2 and simply do another "clean" install of everything, from Windows to all drivers, updates and keep checking. and you can verify that it has nothing to do with your software system.

Nov 23, 2005, 12:26 PM	Thread Starter #12
backslash DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: England Posts: 16 Rep Power: 0	Tried that over and over, with and without dual channel.

Nov 23, 2005, 12:45 PM	#13
Rayder Mostly lurking lately.... Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 2,160 Rep Power: 71	On the motherboard, look at the capaciters and see if any of them are bulging out on the top. If they are, they are bad or are going bad. The top of caps SHOULD be flat when they are in good working order. We had a PC start acting strange and that's what turned out to be the problem. It was my brother that discovered it, he's into electronics so he knows what to look for. Just throwing another idea out there....