[Willium_Bob_Cole]

Hi, I was playing on my computer just fine last night, but turning it on this morning, it crashes to a slightly fuzzy, but completely black screen, and accepts no input forcing me to hard reset.

Recently I downloaded ATI Tray Tools, because my 2D clock speeds were causing artifacts in dual screen mode, and I set 3D clocks to the same as they were in Catalyst Control Centre... And this has worked fine for a couple weeks, so why does it crash now? The crash looks like a you problem, and I can boot into safe mode and it SEEMS like it won't crash on me...

Temps are fine. Only other thing is, I had a second hard drive but for some reason, it has started to fail on me, and now it slows my computer to a crawl when it is plugged in, it shows me my files but it is slow as [bleep], so as much as I want the stuff off of it, I just can't use it =[ but could this have caused damage, maybe to the mobo?

Also, sometimes, but rarely, firefox opens at startup and takes me to a random language learning site that I've never heard of... Seems malware-y but avast detects nothing and it hasn't been a problem, just suspicious. It's just, before my computer crashes now, I notice firefox trying to load in task manager, I'm not sure if it's malware related or taking me to some kind of crash report...

Hopefully you guys can help diagnose and fix the problem, I know you're good like that =]

Happy Christmas eve one and all

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EDIT: I was posting on an iPod before, I am now in safe mode, and yes, it definitely seems to be running without issue. As I said before, I really don't think it is temperatures, else it likely wouldn't even let me turn it back on so soon after the crash.

Whilst in safe mode, it is defaulting to a maximum resolution of 1400*1050 (I normally use 1920*1080). If I select ANY other resolution, the screen just goes blank so I have to wait for it to change back... Is this normal behaviour for safe mode?

In case it helps, now let me post a few specs also, and please let me know if you need more information, I really hope this will be an easy fix, and that nothing is seriously damaged...

-Intel i5 750 @ 2.67GHz
-Windows 7 64bit Home Premium
-AMD Radeon 6750 (2D clock 256:300 and 3D clock I think is around 700:1200)
-4GB RAM

I believe CCC and Drivers are the latest version. As said before, I have been running the card on these clocks for a while, then when I set up dual monitors I downloaded ATI Tray Tools to prevent screen flickering due to too low 2D clock speeds, and has been running fine since for at least 2 weeks. Then last night, I got major screen flickering when quitting a game, it was either snapshot or ace of spades, which was also I think after I cancelled an installation of Direct X, though this shouldn't break it completely surely, considering I am always on the latest Direct X, so no files should have been changed during that process, right?

Edited by Willium_Bob_Cole, 24 December 2012 - 02:06 PM.

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Seasons greetings to you Willium_Bob_Cole

Before I suggest that you uninstall the card and all of the associated software when the computer is in Safe Mode can you please provide the brand and model name or number of the PSU and MB (motherboard)and how many HDDs you have fitted at present.

Depending on how we get on with the hardware and software checks you may need the assistance of the experts over on the malware forums for the FF odd behavior but hopefully not.

[phillpower2]

Seasons greetings to you Willium_Bob_Cole

Before I suggest that you uninstall the card and all of the associated software when the computer is in Safe Mode can you please provide the brand and model name or number of the PSU and MB (motherboard)and how many HDDs you have fitted at present.

Depending on how we get on with the hardware and software checks you may need the assistance of the experts over on the malware forums for the FF odd behavior but hopefully not.

[Willium_Bob_Cole]

My PSU is HEC-550VP-2DE

Not sure what motherboard is or how to find out, all I know is it is ASUS something or other.

I normally have 2 hard drives, however my D drive has been failing lately so I am unable to use it which makes me saaaaad, so that is disconnected.


Problem has gone now, however...

After I posted in safe mode, I had a brainwave, remembering that the 4 or 5 times it did crash, seemed to be when it was turning the screen dark when asking permission to do something through UAC. So, I started in normal mode, ended programs in task manager that normally require UAC, and computer was running fine. Then loaded up TF2 which I run on all highest bar AA which is x2. Ran fine. Then I loaded a program that requires UAC permissions... and it opened fine... two more, and again fine. Shut down and restarted computer without closing anything in task manager, but no crash this time. So no idea what it was playing at before, it seems to work perfectly now (although thinking about it, I did, in attempts to make it work, which initially didn't help, I disconnected a few things such as second monitor, and bluetooth dongle. will try with those back in in a moment).

Oh and loading firefox this time did open two windows, one of which was just http://www.sh.com/
I'm not sure what that site is, but it has loaded without my permission a few times now, it doesn't seem OVERLY malicious, just suspicious, avast and zone alarm don't seem to have a problem with it so I just closed that window and carried on.

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EDIT:

Also, I'm not sure about now, my CPU temps are between 40 and 50 which is about normal for me, but that time I mentioned above, where I played TF2 as a test, my CPU temps were between 70 and 80, which speedfan was flaring up as hot, which isn't toooo bad when running the game but these temps persisted after I quit, so I shut down so it could recover. I will play TF2 again in a bit and report back the temps of CPU during and after playing.

Edited by Willium_Bob_Cole, 26 December 2012 - 05:33 AM.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update

Before I suggest any further hardware checks, the site that you feel is not malicious has a poor reputation http://www.mywot.com...card/www.sh.com and you do not know how it got onto your computer so as a precaution please see below;

Read the 'Start Here' topic found here. With these self-help tools you have a high chance of fixing the problems on your own. If you are still having problems after following Step 3 of the guide, continue with Step 4 and 5 and post in the Malware Forum. If you are unable to run any programs, Please create a topic stating what you have tried so far and that you are unable to run any programs. Also, Please do NOT post the logs in this thread.

If you are still having issues after the malware expert gives you a clean bill of health, Please return to THIS thread and we will pursue other options to help you solve your current problem(s).

[Willium_Bob_Cole]

umm thanks lol but that post you linked to doesn't seem like the self help you described, it simply says generate a log and post it in a new thread. Which I can do, I just don't know if that's what you meant for me to do...

[phillpower2]

Self help guide http://www.geekstogo...cleaning-guide/

If you need the assistance of a malware expert start a topic @ http://www.geekstogo...alware-removal/

If you do need to start a topic on the malware forum please include a link to this topic so that any steps already taken can be checked.

[Willium_Bob_Cole]

OK my computer is doing the same crash this morning, I was playing games perfectly fine last night... Ace of Spades did do that worrying screen on/off thing, but I think that was the night before last... Am going to run the self help guide and check it isn't malware causing it. Which it may well be seeing as I am pretty sure it isn't overheating simply on the desktop. Most likely though I think is something to do with overclocking as it has only ever happened after I started using ATI Tray Tools to set correct 2D clock speeds for dual monitors. Will post back results when am done with self help and possibly expert help!

-------------------
New thread is here

Edited by Willium_Bob_Cole, 01 January 2013 - 07:07 AM.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update

We will be here should you need us after the system is confirmed as being malware free, good luck.

Just to add, overclocking would not explain the unusual FF behavior and how or why the mysterious software appears but bad settings would explain the crashes, it is something that we could have done with knowing earlier so my apologies for not asking the question.

[Willium_Bob_Cole]

Also, this hasn't happened to me, but night before last, and tonight, my gf has tried to use firefox (on this same computer) and it closes on her with error about plugins, so I had to put it in safe mode. It seems a plugin on firefox is, occasionally, to blame for firefox problems. Not frequent, but yeah.

[Willium_Bob_Cole]

Pc has been on all day in safe mode without issue, tried to restart normally, can stay on login screen for ages just fine, logged in, and it lasted a couple mins longer than it usually does before crashing, enough to let me load speedfan, and temps are lowlowlow so it isn't that, but it crashed so there is obviously something wrong...

Edited by Willium_Bob_Cole, 01 January 2013 - 03:05 PM.

[phillpower2]

As you have now started a topic over on the malware forums I must hold off until you get the all clear of malware from the experts there.

FWIW: I suspect that the cause of the system crashes is both hardware and software related with the root cause being low storage space on the HDD, we can address this after you have had the all clear of malware.

[Willium_Bob_Cole]

With reluctance to believe my HDD would have anything to do with the crashes, I deleted a couple of things to free up a few GBs, restarted, and coincidence or not, but my computer is again working fine for now! I'm all, What the...!? lol

I've hovered between 10 GBs and 0MBs of HDD space for the last year or so, without problems other than needing to delete things to make way for new things, so it is weird if it really is that which is suddenly causing crashes, I didn't know it COULD have an impact like that. Problem is, I am a self confessed data hoarder, I hate to delete ANYTHING, it's like a scrapbook of my life, every game, save game file, every thumbnail and readme file, it obviously adds up but I always like knowing that I can always refer back to anything else I've ever done on here. I need soooo much more HDD space but can't afford one right now, I have been eyeing a 3TB HDD for a while, might have to invest when my Student Finance sort's itself... Ideally I'd get a whole new powerhouse machine, my case is so mini right now, I did have a second HDD for things like more games, photoshop etc, which was just kinda loose in my case, leaning against my GPU... but that is basically failing now, I don't know if you know how I can fix or recover it? When that HDD is connected, it doesn't show up anywhere in windows at all, so I checked in BIOS and it was recognised, and, two times, it WOULD be discovered in windows, but my whole computer would slow to a crawl, and it would let me look at the files in the drive but not really open or move or do anything with any of them... I have left it unplugged for a couple weeks now until I know what to do with it, but it is a shame =[

YAY I can play games today though, seeing as the bizarre HDD fix, ACTUALLY worked!! THANK YOU =D (Will post back if it breaks again, especially if freeing more space doesn't fix it in future)

[Willium_Bob_Cole]

Aaaand broken again. I installed half a gig of games again during yesterday's session and played for a while. Coming back this morning and again the same crash (this time the screen was a little blue, with fuzzy white lines from top to bottom)

I tried deleting even more stuff, but it is no use. Yesterday freeing about 6 or 7 total GBs seemed to work, today I have freed it to nearly 10 GBs and it is still crashing in normal mode!! This is ridiculous =[ Still no help on malware front, any other ideas of what to do to fix the crash if it isn't indeed malware related?

[phillpower2]

Regarding possible malware attack;

Many of us use Google which can leave us vulnerable (not down to Google), please follow the previous malware guidance that I offered as we cannot help you here until this is done, thank you for understanding;

Additional guidance to help before posting on the malware forums;

1: Do not create a topic on the malware forum unless you have a malware issue that you cannot resolve yourself.
2: If you do need to start a topic there provide a link to this thread so that steps that have already been taken can be checked.
3: As the Malware Techs are extremely busy you may not receive an instant reply, if you have waited for three days then post in the Waiting Room http://www.geekstogo...e-waiting-room/ be sure to identify the issue as malware related and provide a link to your malware topic.

[rshaffer61]

Due to illegal installation of software as discovered HERE in malware topic and because of forum rules indicated in the above malware topic and below this topic is closed.

We here at GeeksToGo will not assist you with issues relating to copied, pirated, or in any other way stolen programs or services illegally. It is a direct violation of our TOS (Terms Of Service) to offer any assistance in this matter.


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