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computer freezes / reboots randomly


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#61
Ruitos

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I haven't used Safe Mode for much, but I did get 2 freezes rnning an antispyware program (I think Spybot) while in safe mode. I don't recall any other freezes while in safe mode.
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#62
rshaffer61

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Go to Start then to Run
Type in compmgmt.msc and click Enter
On left side click on Disk Management
On right side you will see you hard drive.
Now I need you to take a screenshot and attach it to your next reply. Do the following to take a screenshot while the above is open and showing on your desktop.

To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard. It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
Now go to Start and then to All Programs
Scroll to Accessories and then click on Paint
In the Empty White Area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
Go to the File option at the top and click on Save as
Save as file type JPEG and save it to your Desktop


Attach it to your next reply
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#63
Ruitos

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Well this was fairly easy (previous test earned me 5-6 freezes...)

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#64
rshaffer61

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Let's try this and see if there is a issue here.
ok I need you to do the following and let me know what it says

Click the Start and then Right click My Computer
Select Manage and In the Computer Management window, select Device Manager
In the right pane, click to expand IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers
The click on the + sign next to your CD/DVD drive controller which will most likely be the Secondary Controller
Right click on the drive and select Properties
Click the Advanced Settings tab
In the Transfer Mode box that represents your CD/DVD drive (typically Device 1); open the dropdown menu and select PIO Only
Click OK and exit all windows
Reboot to make sure all settings take affect and then try your cdrom drive. Reply back with your results






For HD only



Let's make sure all drives are using DMA mode

Click the Start and then Right click My Computer
Select Manage and In the Computer Management window, select Device Manager
In the right pane, click to expand IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers
The click on the + sign next to your Hard drive controllers on both the Primary Controller and Secondary Controller
Right click on the drive and select Properties
Click the Advanced Settings tab
In the Transfer Mode box open the drop down menu and select DMA if available
Redo the steps to check each of the Controllers
Click OK and exit all windows
Reboot to make sure all settings take affect. Reply back with your results
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#65
Ruitos

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Lately the system is freezing A LOT (I'm not sure if this is caused because of the parallel install).

Everthing you mentionned on the device manager was set to DMA if available. I changed both secondary IDE channels to PIO only (only the device 1, I left the device 0 on DMA if available)

Here's a screen of the device manager.

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#66
rshaffer61

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Well at this point we have gone through just about everything besides a backup and fresh install.
If using the parallel installation with hardly anything loaded and it is still causing the issue I can see no other way around this other then formatting and doing a fresh install of the OS.
Then without loading everything back into the system except the important programs like
  • AV
  • Spyware
  • Malware
  • Firewall

Then test system for a day to see if the issue still happens. If so then we would have to take a serious look at replacing motherboard and or cpu.
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#67
Ruitos

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Any particular AV you would recommend? Right now I am using Avira on that system since uses very little RAM (I use AVG on other systems).

I will try to do the fresh install on Saturday, should I install Windows XP Home or Pro?
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#68
rshaffer61

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Avira is highly recommended and since you are use to it I see no reason to change.,
As far as which to install that depends on you really. Which do you have a legitimate reg number for and is either installed on another system right now?
I myself use Pro on my system.
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#69
Ruitos

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I have a legitimate reg number for Home, but no original CD (prebuilt system without XP CD).

I friend lent me and original Pro cd and reg, it's installed on one other system as far as I know (and the parallel install I did).
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#70
rshaffer61

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OK the Pro you can't use since it is installed already on another system.
The Home edition if it is on your existing system then you can format the system and using any Home edition system cd you can install it and use your reg key then. You may have to contact Microsoft for a reactivation since it is on the same system.
If this was a prebuilt system with XP installed let me ask do you have a recovery partition then? Looking at your compmgmt screen i don't see anything that looks like a recovery partition. Is this a custom built or name brand system?
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#71
Ruitos

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I am unsure what you mean about reactivation, so far I've reinstalled Home a few times with my key without any trouble (using a burnt copy of the windows cd). The pro installation didn't seem to give me any problems either. I understand I should use the Windows version I have the key for, believe me I am more than willing to buy a Pro cd with reg if I knew this would fix the issue.

The system is a prebuilt fujitsu-siemens computer, easily 7-8 years old. (scaleo something I think)
It came with a recovery cd specifically made for the system. But I've changed a lot of hardware over the years (motherboard, gpu, hdd, both rams).
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#72
rshaffer61

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If home is reinstalled on the same system then you should have no problems.
The problem with the pro or any version is the same key cannot be used on multiple systems as this is against Microsofts EULA.
The key you have for home that is installed on the system we are working on is good for that system only and is most likely a OEM version.
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#73
Barnaby77

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Hi!

I've read this thread and let me add that this happens to me as well! I ended up and the only thig I have in common with you is the motherboard!A few months ago my original motherboard burnt and I switched for the asrock board and right away the computer would take several "boot attempts" just to start windows (It would go up to the Windows screen then everything went black, the scree would switch off after a minute or so and eventually it would reboot and ask if I wanted to star on sfe-mode, last good config, etc...), then after I update my windows to SP3 it started to randomly freeze... it became so common that I formatted my computer and started from zero! After a couple of issues installing my graphics card, the freezing/boot problems seemed gone, until last night when I finished updateing my system to SP3. Switched off the computer and today it had one of his boot problems, restaeted it and freezed on firefox. had a system restore to SP1 and for now it's working (for the last3 hours)... let's see what happens now.

Keep me posted!

Edited by Barnaby77, 22 August 2010 - 07:05 AM.

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