WinXP suddenly reboots without warning etc. Is my HDD about to fail?

[Olumide]

Hi -

My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.

Thanks,

- Olumide

 

[JAD]

Hi -

My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.

Thanks,

- Olumide

Turn off 'reboot on errors' in admin tools and check the event viewer.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Hi -

My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.

HDD is quite unlikely. More likely CPU/mainboard/memory/PSU
issues. Can be hard to debug.

Arno

 

[bdzyub]

I would think it might be a problem with the ram. This happened to me
last spring on a dell laptop. The computer would just frreze. Then
it would not even finish POST. I found that one of the sticks of ram
was defective and after a replacement everything worked fine.

Here is what you can do:
1. get memtest86+ and test your ram repeatedly.
2. get prime 95 and run a torture test.

Then try swapping your components i.e. processor, ram, psu, whatever
else.
If you have a friend with a working computer you can get him to help
you and spend several hours with this swapping/testing procedure.
Then I am sure you can trace the problem easily.

Unless it is a software problem. Check the error logs first, or else
it would be a pain to spend all that time testing hardware when in
fact it might have been a spyware infestation or something of that
sort...

 

[Frank McCoy]

Hi -

My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.

I'd suspect memory or PSU problems first.
Try pulling off and reseating your drive-cables first.
(If that works, replace them.)
Try reseating the memory next.
Then try running Memtest86+
Finally try a known-good Power-Supply.

 

[Olumide]

Thanks everyone. I have run memtest86+ for over 2 hours, without
error. I quit the test after I realized that the same tests were bing
repeated over and over again.

:-| (scratches head)

 

[DK]

Hi -

My WinXP machine is acting really weird. Of late, its started to
freeze outright, and sometimes it suddenly reboots itself as though
I'd hit the reset button. It even happened for the third time tonight
while I was typing this message (fortunately, firefox's restore
profile recovered this half completed message -- I kid you not). My
colleague thinks the HD is on its way out.

In theory, any faulty part can cause it but the most common
culprit is PSU problems. Since you already tested memory, next
is to swap PSU and see if the problem goes away. Buy a PSU in
a local large store so you can return it if the same thing continues
with the new PSU. Esle, keep it.

DK

 

[Arno Wagner]

Thanks everyone. I have run memtest86+ for over 2 hours, without
error. I quit the test after I realized that the same tests were bing
repeated over and over again.

:-| (scratches head)

For a not too often happening error, I would recommend running it
at leat 12 hours. I once had a weak bit in an Infineon module, that
was found abter about 40 h runnung memtest86+. That one caused
about one error a day in a computing server in practical operation.

Arno

 

[Franc Zabkar]

Thanks everyone. I have run memtest86+ for over 2 hours, without
error. I quit the test after I realized that the same tests were bing
repeated over and over again.

:-| (scratches head)

If you have more than one memory module, try removing them one at a
time, or two at a time.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[Gary Seven]

:: Hi -
<snip>

: <<Buy a PSU in
: a local large store so you can return it if the same thing
: continues with the new PSU.>> Esle, keep it.

That's quite the ethical advice, punk.

 

[Arno Wagner]

:: Hi -
<snip>

: <<Buy a PSU in
: a local large store so you can return it if the same thing
: continues with the new PSU.>> Esle, keep it.

That's quite the ethical advice, punk.

Some people are under the misaprehension that whether cheating or
stealing is acceptable depends on whom it is done to. One of the
things wrong with this world.

Arno

 

[Ed M.]

Some people are under the misaprehension that whether cheating or
stealing is acceptable depends on whom it is done to. One of the
things wrong with this world.

Arno

I agree. One of the best things I have found is to have a good relationship
with a local computer shop. I usually have a PSU or memory and stuff around,
but once in awhile I may need something for troubleshooting. I can just make
a call and in almost every case the local shop will have what I need and
have no problem at all letting me use it. They will even give me an open
bench if I want to do something there. In return, I buy a lot of components
from them. They can sometimes even beat some of the large mail-order places
in price. Warranties are a given and easy to exchange something faulty.

Ed

 

[JAD]

In theory, any faulty part can cause it but the most common
culprit is PSU problems. Since you already tested memory, next
is to swap PSU and see if the problem goes away. Buy a PSU in
a local large store so you can return it if the same thing continues
with the new PSU. Esle, keep it.

DK

AHHHH you must be a member of the current 'gamers'. who think that if you DON'T cheat you
not 'being all you can be' in a multiplayer scenario....ahhh what a generation of humans
that are coming up the ranks.....gonna be 'escape from new york' and snake pliskin is
right around the corner....... ;^(

 

[Arno Wagner]

I agree. One of the best things I have found is to have a good relationship
with a local computer shop. I usually have a PSU or memory and stuff around,
but once in awhile I may need something for troubleshooting. I can just make
a call and in almost every case the local shop will have what I need and
have no problem at all letting me use it. They will even give me an open
bench if I want to do something there. In return, I buy a lot of components
from them. They can sometimes even beat some of the large mail-order places
in price. Warranties are a given and easy to exchange something faulty.

Excellent. You get this only if you respect them completely of
course. Incidentially I found the same thing holds with system
admins at wirk: Respect them, ocasionally do someting for them
and if you need something, you often can have it immediately,
while other people get stonewalled.

Arno

 

[Arno Wagner]

AHHHH you must be a member of the current 'gamers'. who think that
if you DON'T cheat you not 'being all you can be' in a multiplayer
scenario....ahhh what a generation of humans that are coming up the
ranks.....gonna be 'escape from new york' and snake pliskin is right
around the corner....... ;^(

Don't think it is this generation only. I think it is just that
these are not even afraid to say what they think in public.
Better that wa, makes them easier to spot.

Arno

 

[John Doe]

AHHHH you must be a member of the current 'gamers'. who think that
if you DON'T cheat you not 'being all you can be' in a multiplayer
scenario....ahhh what a generation of humans that are coming up the
ranks.....gonna be 'escape from new york' and snake pliskin is right
around the corner....... ;^(

The obsessed troll JAD falsely accuses others of cheating in
multiplayer, because he can't play well enough to win. It's the last
whining excuse of a loser before he quits the game.

 

[John Doe]

....

Don't think it is this generation only.

Of course not.

I think it is just that these are not even afraid to say what they
think in public. Better that wa, makes them easier to spot.

As a multiplayer host, I do everything possible to prevent cheating.
The best way to stop cheating is to record the game (which I always
enable). If someone is able to cheat without being noticed, that is
the game maker's fault. Accusation without proof is just the sign of a
loser/whiner and doesn't belong in multiplayer gaming anymore than
cheating does.

If a player has hard evidence that someone has cheated, he should send
it to the game maker. If a player has no evidence except that the
other guy was playing better, he should shut up and play the game just
like everybody else.

If a player has crummy hardware like JAD and that's his excuse, well
boo-hoo for him.

 

[JAD]

The obsessed troll JAD falsely accuses others of cheating in
multiplayer, because he can't play well enough to win. It's the last
whining excuse of a loser before he quits the game.

Right Mark You are the wisest of all time,,,,STFU, your useless. ever notice you have
NOTHING NEW to add to any thread just repeating or attacking? what a sad little girl you
are...........How's that porn business doing anyway?, afterall we all know that's why you
capture and post headers.............


NOT A THROUGH THREAD
DEAD END

(Which is where all threads that J Doe posts to, end up)

 

[John Doe]

Right Mark You are the wisest of all time,,,,STFU,

Says the tough guy wanna-be over the Internet.

your useless.

It's "you're". And I am useful for pointing out when JAD doesn't even
bother reading the post he is replying to.

ever notice you have NOTHING NEW to add to any thread just repeating
or attacking? what a sad little girl you are...........How's that
porn business doing anyway?,

Apparently JAD has a "fetish" for "sad/lonely little girls". It's an
often repeated theme of his.

afterall we all know that's why you capture and post
headers.............

That makes no sense, just like most of JAD's attempts to figure things
out.

NOT A THROUGH THREAD
DEAD END

(Which is where all threads that J Doe posts to, end up)




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[Don]

HDD is quite unlikely. More likely CPU/mainboard/memory/PSU
issues. Can be hard to debug.

Arno

How old is your machine? Reason I ask is that I had a similar
experience with a six year old machine. At least one of the capacitors
on the motherboard finally gave out, at least to the point where strange
things started happening. If a capacitor is starting to go, it's head
becomes rounded (bubbled). A capacitor should be flat. If that
happens, time to get a new motherboard.