[Shed247]

I've had this computer for about 3 years now and last week it was having problem booting to the home screen sometimes it would freeze at the windows logo and sometimes it would freeze at the home screen.

No input from mouse or keyboard would do anything, tried another keyboard and mouse was no help, only option was to hold in the start button and force a shut down.

When I restarted it it would go to a screen telling me of a start up problem and I run through some sort of start up repair and rebooted to the home page.

Normally when my computer plays up I do a virus scan (Nortons Internet Security) a Malware Scan with (Malwarebytes) Clean with (CC cleaner) including a registry clean which I've found by reading the forums here is not advisable, this normally fixes all my problems.

I do defrag regularly and keep my computer updated.

 

The problem persisted, first boot was always a problem, needing to turn off with the start button and restart would often be successful, during operation the computer would freeze at random times.

While reading this and other forums I decided to remove the cover and check the ram modules by removing and refitting was no help, but removing one saw the computer reboot and work normal, thinking may be a faulty module I swapped modules and it rebooted ok again, tried the other slot worked fine with one but not 2.

 

Not sure where to go from here, people on forums are talking voltage to frequency problems, all over my head, would like some help from an expert please.

 

My system is,

Win 7 Pro,

Service pack 1

64 bit

Normally 4 GB ram but 2 at present

Intel Core i5 CPU  650 @ 3.2 GHz 

MoBo Asus P7P55D LE

 

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    Shed247

 

It may be a memory or memory slot issue but there are other possible causes such as a flaky PSU or bad MB setting.

 

Please tell us the brand and model name or number of the add on video card and the PSU.

 

Can I just confirm that when you are inserting two sticks of Ram that they are in memory slots A1 and B1 which should be blue in colour to help to easily identify them, the slots are numbered as follows, the slot nearest to the CPU is A2 - A1 - B2 - B1.

 

If you don`t have it your MB manual is available from here, see page 20 for memory configurations and page 30 for how to use the MBs Mem OK button.

[phillpower2]

    Shed247

 

It may be a memory or memory slot issue but there are other possible causes such as a flaky PSU or bad MB setting.

 

Please tell us the brand and model name or number of the add on video card and the PSU.

 

Can I just confirm that when you are inserting two sticks of Ram that they are in memory slots A1 and B1 which should be blue in colour to help to easily identify them, the slots are numbered as follows, the slot nearest to the CPU is A2 - A1 - B2 - B1.

 

If you don`t have it your MB manual is available from here, see page 20 for memory configurations and page 30 for how to use the MBs Mem OK button.

[Shed247]

Hello phillpower2, thank you for responding to my problem.

Video card is a Nvidia GeForce GT240 from Gigabyte Technology.

PSU is a Infinity ATX P4-460W

 

Yes it was working fine for about 3 years with both RAM sticks in the blue slots A1 & B1, now I have one stick in A1, as I said it works fine with either

stick in the A1 slot but not both.

[phillpower2]

Have you tried booting with a single stick in slot B1, if it does not boot it suggests a problem with the memory slot itself.

 

You are welcome btw 

[Shed247]

Yes boot up and runs ok with a single Ram strick in the B1 slot.

[phillpower2]

To confirm that the second stick is ok on it`s own in slot B1 can you swap and test the Ram and then post back.

[Shed247]

Swapped the other Ram stick into the B1 slot and boots ok and some minor use all ok.  

[phillpower2]

There may be a bad MB setting, do you know how to restore the default factory settings in the BIOS, if not please see the attachment below, once done can you run Speedfan and HWMonitor and post a couple of screenshots so that we can check the voltages etc;

 

Download Speedfan and install it.  Once it's installed, run the program and post here the information it shows.  The information I want you to post is the stuff that is circled in the example picture I have attached.

If you are running on a vista machine, please go to where you installed the program and run the program as administrator.

 

(this is a screenshot from a vista machine)

 

 Download then run HWMonitor and post a screenshot so that we have a comparison to the Speedfan results, details from here

 

 

To capture and post a screenshot;

Click on the ALT key + PRT SCR key..its on the top row..right hand side..now click on start...all programs...accessories...paint....left click in the white area ...press CTRL + V...click on file...click on save...save it to your desktop...name it something related to the screen your capturing... BE SURE TO SAVE IT AS A .JPG ...otherwise it may be to big to upload... then after typing in any response you have... click on browse...desktop...find the screenshot..select it and click on the upload button...then on the lower left...after it says upload successful...click on add reply like you normally would.

Screenshot instructions are provided to assist those that may read this topic but are not yet aware of the “how to”.

[Shed247]

I've reset the BIOS to default setting.

Can't find how to upload files, there's no Browse icon

[Shed247]

Worked it out.

 

Edited by Shed247, 20 May 2014 - 07:58 PM.

[Shed247]

Gee I noticed my BIOS is badly out of date, i'll have to update it after this fix or is resetting the BIOS to defaults the cause.

[phillpower2]

Gee I noticed my BIOS is badly out of date, i'll have to update it after this fix or is resetting the BIOS to defaults the cause.

 

 

Please do not update/flash the BIOS, due to the potential for something to go wrong it should only ever be done as a last resort and if it is likely to resolve a known issue which is not the case here.

 

Clearing the CMOS does not change the BIOS version that is stored on the BIOS chip, what it does is restore the boot sequence, time/date and CPU/Ram settings back to the way the MB was when it was tested at the factory, these are often called the default or most stable settings.

 

HWMonitor shows two different voltages going to the memory slots (VIN1 and VIN6) one is very low, the other we cannot tell until we know the brand and specification of your Ram, can you post this information + confirm whether or not both sticks are the same brand and exact spec.

 

Tip

If you have something to add while waiting for a reply use the edit tab – bottom right of the dialogue input box and this will ensure that no information that you provide is overlooked (this can happen if your topic has more than one page)    

[Shed247]

Both are Kingston and both are KVR1333D3N/2G 

[phillpower2]

The voltage to the memory slots is showing to be 1.7+V and 0.9+V, both are bad but the low voltage may be explained by the absence of Ram in the slot, swap the same memory stick back into slot A1 and provide a new screenshot for us please, for reference here are your Ram specs; KINGSTON KVR1333D3N9/2G DDR3 1333 2048MB DS Qimonda IDSH1G-03A1F1C-13H 9(1333-9-9-9-24) 1.5V ●●

 

We will need to do the same tests with the other stick of Ram I`m afraid, this to rule the present stick in or out as being faulty.

[Shed247]

Ok swapped Ram stick from B1 to A1