[ultimateslacker2]

We might be looking towards bad RAM.

Download memtest86 from Here. This is a ISO image so you will need to burn the image to a CD.

Unzip the file, and run the instructions, and burn the Image. Than pop in the cd on reboot, make sure the CD-R is set to boot first so the BIOS can read the CD-R first.

Post back if you have any problems writing to a cd.

Edited by ultimateslacker2, 26 February 2007 - 03:15 PM.

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I also forgot to mention, let it run for about 5-10 hours.

[ultimateslacker2]

I also forgot to mention, let it run for about 5-10 hours.

[Susan9700]

Let me see if I understand this....

I download a zip file onto a CD-R, unzip it onto my computer??? and then put the CD-R back into the computer...and what makes you think I know how to change the BIOS??? It just happens that I do, only from previous teachers, but I really don't understand the computer talk, I'm sorry, I need stupid people english.

You want me to download the zip file to the CD-R (your words "image"), unzip it again to the CD-R following the on screen directions, don't put it on my computer, keep it on a CD-R (your words "burn the image"), reboot and make sure the BIOS is set up that computer boots to CD-ROM first...so that the CD-R will start first when rebooted, thus forcing the program I just put on the CD-R to run for 5 to 10 hours??? Yikes, what is this program, what does it do? Do I get a report of some sorts that you might need later, or do I just run the CD for 10 hours and never report back to you? Don't understand, sorry.

[Susan9700]

Also, sorry for the delay.....my kitchen had a major sudden flood from a broken sink pipe.

[ultimateslacker2]

Zip the file to your desktop, than run it.

[wannabe1]

Hi Susan! Welcome back....

ultimateslacker2: Susan's an old friend...mind if I cut in?

The BSOD appears to be hardware related and slacker may be right in looking for that problem in the memory...let's test it another way, though. Can you boot into Safe Mode and run without errors there?

How much physical memory is installed on the machine. Right click on My Computer and choose "Properties". Under the "General" tab, it should tell you how much memory you have installed and what kind of processor you have in the machine. Post that information here for me. We'll use this information to look into the virtual memory issue.

Good to see you again!

wannabe1

[ultimateslacker2]

wannabe.. its no problem!

I actually will be busy for a couple of days so wannabe can help me out too

[Susan9700]

Hi wannbe!

Thanks for helping me out, nice to hear from you again too!

What does BSOD and ISO stand for?

I did not run that memtest86...should I have done that before rsvping to you? My computer never stays on for 10 hours! Something's seriously wrong with it, perhaps malware at this point as well....I'm trying all the things listed in that formum.

When I run Safe Mode, which requires rebooting or restarting computer, I still get that black page with the original message...I get it any time I start the computer or restart it...so I just hit the enter key, as it tells me.

I did go and find out the info you asked for, this is what it says: Gateway, Intel Pentium, 2.40 GHz, 256 of RAM.

I know what GHz and RAM mean and I believe that's a pretty low amount of memory.

Do you want me to run that memtest86?

Thanks for helping me again!

Susan
PS...sorry it took me so long to come back here, but I no longer use the computer that much because it takes about a half hour to just load up and then it runs extremely slow...kinda not worth even turning it on, I only check my mail and that takes about an hour...too much waiting!

[wannabe1]

I'd really like to try and narrow this down a little...let's try starting in diagnostic mode.

Click Start, then Run, type msconfig and click "Ok". In the window that opens, tick the box next to "Diagnostic Startup", click "App;y", then "Ok". Reboot.

Upon restarting, you will see a selective startup dialog window...this is normal. Tick the box to not show it again and click "Ok".

See if the machine runs better...

[Susan9700]

I rebooted with the Diagnostic Start, but still got the black page saying: A problem with the hard drive has been detected. Consult the Troubleshooting section of your user's manual. Press the Enter key to continue. And when I did, my computer loaded rather quickly, but it didn't show any internet connections, so I had to come back to Normal Start Up and OH BOY is there a huge difference.

Also, this may or may not have anything to do with this, but while in Diagnostic mode, I ran one of my spyware programs and it said only 9 processors were running and usually it tells me that there are 33 processors running, I know that means unnecceary stuff is running in the background, but I don't know what's what and what to shut down.

Also, I forgot to tell you that while in Normal mode, whenever I open any program, even a card game, not related to the internet, when I close the program, it closes from top to bottom very very slowly, removing the desktop icons behind it, but the icons come back up in a minute or two. If I'm using the whole screen, like for the internet, and close out of IE, then all my icons disappear and slowly start coming back. Same goes for starting up/opening a program...basically everything is slow and stuff disappears, but comes back. HOWEVER, when in Diagnostic mode, this did not happen at all. The programs open quickly and closed quickly and when they closed they didn't take the icons behind them with it.

So bottom line...yes, indeed my computer ran so much faster in Diagnostic mode than Normal mode.

Will wait to hear from you. (Just typing this message, the font is slow to appear, or I type to fast!)

[The Skeptic]

33 processes running is nothing unusual. Right click the task bar at the bottom of screen and click Task Manager. In "Performance" please report: Cpu Usage (should be less than about 5%) when the computer is idling. In Physical Memory please report "total" and "available".

I suspect that the page files (virtual memory) in your hard disk are badly fragmented or are not having enough space. This can happen because of number of reasons. Please do the following: Start > control panel > system > advanced > performance > setting > advanced > virtual memory > change. Mark "drive C" and check "Custom Size". For initial size type 750 and for maximun type 1200. Click set. Ok > apply > Ok. What we do here is to manually create space for virtual memory. The alternative is to let windows manage virtual memory. We do not want this.

Now, download and install PageDefrag from here. Run it, double click PageDefrag.exe and set it to run after next bootup. Reboot and let PageDefrag do the job. What it does is to defragment page and system files. When the process ends the computer will start normally. Please report performance.

[Susan9700]

Cpu Usage (should be less than about 5%) when the computer is idling.

Surely you jest! Not on my computer! When the computer was idle, the usage varied from 10% then jump to 43%, 4% would jump to 40%, 5% and would jump to 38%

The Physical Memory read as follows: Total: 259,888..........Available: 59,736

I will download the page thing you recommended and let it run and then reposot.

Thank you.

[Susan9700]

I forgot to tell you that I also changed that virtual memory thing, as well.

Well, that page thingy didn't do a thing. I set it to do it's thing when I rebooted the computer and nothing...just opened up as it regularly does. According to the directions on the link you sent me to, it was suppose to do a normal defrag and then the page one with the blue screen.....it didn't do either of them.

Now what? The computer is still running crappy in Normal mode, still losing desktop icons when closing programs, still takes forever to get to a web site. Should I shut down some of the things running in the background. I know you said 33 processors was normal, but I don't think 256MB of RAM can handle all the crap in the background. Will do whatever I'm told to do. What about that memtest86 that slacker recommended?

Thanks again.

Susan

[wannabe1]

Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Delete) and click on the "Processes" tab. Look in the list for 1) What is using the most cpu time, and 2) What is using the most memory. (disregard the System Idle Process...that indicates what's not being used at idle)

Post back with what you find. Let's not worry about memtest yet.

[Susan9700]

Hi Wannbe!

I forgot to tell you...don't hate me, but I use Automatic Update thing and it changed IE 6 to IE 7 and I'm not sure, but I think my problems began then. I absolutely hate ver. 7, hate, hate, hate, hate it. Could this be the thorn in my side?

Now onto the things you asked. MOST CPU USAGE: swdoctor.exe 68% (in 2nd place is System Idle Process @ 39%, 3rd place explorer.exe @ 36%) and MOST MEMORY USAGE: swdoctor.exe @ 46,084K (in 2nd place is iexplore.exe).

swdoctor.exe is Spyware Doctor. What the heck is the difference between explorer and iexplorer???? Do I have two explorers running at the same time?

Will wait for you.