[Anomalous]

I've been having a problem with my computer freezing and/or crashing at start up and randomly afterwards.

So far I've tested both sticks of RAM, removed all other un-needed devices, replaced my thermal compound to reduce CPU temp, checked the GPU and tested out my HDD.

Since I came out with nothing I turned to windows, I ran Chkdsk in recovery console and let it do a thorough check then tried starting up the computer again, this seems to have helped me make some progress as I can now finally get it to start up and stay running (sometimes) but it will eventually freeze or crash randomly still.

Considering chkdsk partially fixed my problem I'm assuming something is wrong with my windows, what other things could I do that may fix my problem?, or should I just reformat?

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Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

Thanks to Broni for the instructions

[rshaffer61]

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

Thanks to Broni for the instructions

[Anomalous]

I ran a long test and it passed everything.

What else should I check?

Edited by Anomalous, 29 July 2010 - 12:57 PM.

[rshaffer61]

So far I've tested both sticks of RAM,

With what program did you test your memory with or what procedure did you use?

[rshaffer61]

• Please download the Event Viewer Tool by Vino Rosso VEW and save it to your Desktop:
• Double-click VEW.exe
• Under 'Select log to query', select (as appropriate):
  
  • Application
  • System
• Under 'Select type to list', select (as appropriate):
  
  • Error

Then use the 'Date of events' or 'Number of events' as follows:

Either:

• Click the radio button for 'Number of events'
  Type 6 in the 1 to 20 box (or any number from 1 to 20)
  Then click the Run button.
  Notepad will open with the output log.
  
  
• Click the radio button for 'Date of events'
  In the From: boxes type today's date (presuming the crash happened today) 13 07 2009
  In the To: boxes type today's date (presuming the crash happened today) 13 07 2009
  Then click the Run button.
  Notepad will open with the output log.

Please post the Output log in your next reply

[Anomalous]

Some of the info is off because I've been too busy fixing problems on this computer left and right for about a month straight and no matter what I've fixed some new problem takes its place.

It seems to get gradually worse with use, I ran the program and posted the log here then noticed the date was off. When I went to edit this post it froze up on me mid-way. I tried turning it back on, it brought me to the desktop and then froze there, tried turning it on a third time and it reached the windows logo with the loading bar before it froze, I had to edit this post on my laptop.


----

Vino's Event Viewer v01c run on Windows XP in English
Report run at 01/01/2002 6:19:52 PM

Note: All dates below are in the format dd/mm/yyyy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Application' Log - error Type
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Log: 'Application' Date/Time: 01/01/2002 5:53:38 AM
Type: error Category: 0
Event: 1101 Source: .NET Runtime Optimization Service
.NET Runtime Optimization Service (clr_optimization_v2.0.50727_32) - Failed to compile: System.Data.Linq, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089 . Error code = 0x800706be


Log: 'Application' Date/Time: 01/01/2002 12:31:41 PM
Type: error Category: 100
Event: 1004 Source: Application Error
Faulting application winlogon.exe, version 0.0.0.0, faulting module ntdll.dll, version 5.1.2600.5755, fault address 0x00010a19.

Log: 'Application' Date/Time: 31/12/2001 10:08:59 PM
Type: error Category: 100
Event: 1000 Source: Application Error
Faulting application , version 0.0.0.0, faulting module ntdll.dll, version 5.1.2600.5755, fault address 0x00010a19.

Log: 'Application' Date/Time: 31/12/2001 10:08:52 PM
Type: error Category: 0
Event: 1009 Source: Windows Product Activation
You have not activated Windows within the grace period. To activate Windows, contact a customer service representative by telephone.

Log: 'Application' Date/Time: 19/07/2010 2:56:00 PM
Type: error Category: 0
Event: 11704 Source: MsiInstaller
Product: Adobe AIR -- Error 1704. An installation for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 2 is currently suspended. You must undo the changes made by that installation to continue. Do you want to undo those changes?

Log: 'Application' Date/Time: 19/07/2010 1:09:38 PM
Type: error Category: 0
Event: 1101 Source: .NET Runtime Optimization Service
.NET Runtime Optimization Service (clr_optimization_v2.0.50727_32) - Failed to compile: System.Xml, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089 . Error code = 0x800706be


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'System' Log - error Type
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Log: 'System' Date/Time: 01/01/2002 5:10:40 AM
Type: error Category: 0
Event: 34 Source: W32Time
The time service has detected that the system time needs to be changed by +270505378 seconds. The time service will not change the system time by more than +54000 seconds. Verify that your time and time zone are correct, and that the time source time.windows.com (ntp.m|0x1|192.168.1.5:123->207.46.232.182:123) is working properly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 01/01/2002 4:32:29 AM
Type: error Category: 8
Event: 20 Source: Windows Update Agent
Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error 0x80070643: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP x86 (KB982524).

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 01/01/2002 4:05:57 AM
Type: error Category: 0
Event: 10005 Source: DCOM
DCOM got error "%1084" attempting to start the service EventSystem with arguments "" in order to run the server: {1BE1F766-5536-11D1-B726-00C04FB926AF}

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 01/01/2002 4:05:47 AM
Type: error Category: 0
Event: 10005 Source: DCOM
DCOM got error "%1084" attempting to start the service netman with arguments "" in order to run the server: {BA126AE5-2166-11D1-B1D0-00805FC1270E}

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 01/01/2002 3:50:55 AM
Type: error Category: 0
Event: 1002 Source: Dhcp
The IP address lease 192.168.1.2 for the Network Card with network address 0015F2E3484E has been denied by the DHCP server 192.168.1.1 (The DHCP Server sent a DHCPNACK message).

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 01/01/2002 12:05:12 AM
Type: error Category: 0
Event: 1002 Source: Dhcp
The IP address lease 192.168.1.2 for the Network Card with network address 0015F2E3484E has been denied by the DHCP server 192.168.1.1 (The DHCP Server sent a DHCPNACK message).

Edited by Anomalous, 29 July 2010 - 02:00 PM.

[rshaffer61]

OK I see a big big issue. Your date and time seem to be about 8 years off. Have you set the bios for the correct date and time? If not this could be part of the many many issues you are having.

[Anomalous]

I believe my CMOS reset while I was going through trail and error. I didn't expect it to be such a big deal for the time to be off but I've gone into BIOS and adjusted it accordingly, trying to get it running again.

Edit: Got the computer running with the correct date and time, I tried updating windows but one update continues to fail:

Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error 0x80070643: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP x86 (KB982524).


The Microsoft website claims there are other updates that need to be installed, but every time I run the updater I'm stuck with this installation failure. Windows continues to randomly freeze and/or crash.

Edited by Anomalous, 29 July 2010 - 02:45 PM.

[rshaffer61]

With the date being so far off some software will not run or run incorrectly.
We need to make sure the variables are out of the picture.
Once that is corrected then let me know what your response is about the memory testing.
Are you using a retail version of XP, Recovery disk, burn copy or upgrade to install the OS?

[Anomalous]

I cant run memtest because I dont have a floppy drive, unless theres some way I can put it onto a CD.

I used Dell's Reinstallation CD for windows XP pro (SP1) when I reformatted the C drive.

[rshaffer61]

Memtest can be put on a cd by following the below instructions.

Is the system a Dell system and the disk for that system?
If you have more than one RAM module installed, try starting computer with one RAM stick at a time.

NOTE Keep in mind, the manual check listed above is always superior to the software check, listed below. DO NOT proceed with memtest, if you can go with option A

B. If you have only one RAM stick installed...
...run memtest...

1. Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)
2. Unzip downloaded memtest86+-2.11.iso.zip file.
3. Inside, you'll find memtest86+-2.11.iso file.
4. Download, and install ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/
5. Insert blank CD into your CD drive.
6. Open ImgBurn, and click on Write image file to disc
7. Click on Browse for a file... icon:



8. Locate memtest86+-2.11.iso file, and click Open button.
9. Click on ImgBurn green arrow to start burning bootable memtest86 CD:



10. Once the CD is created, boot from it, and memtest will automatically start to run. You may have to change the boot sequence in your BIOS to make it work right.

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS

Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL button
This will enter you into the Bios\Cmos area.
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CDrom.
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.


The running program will look something like this depending on the size and number of ram modules installed:




It's recommended to run 5-6 passes. Each pass contains very same 8 tests.

This will show the progress of the test. It can take a while. Be patient, or leave it running overnight.



The following image is the test results area:



The most important item here is the “errors” line. If you see ANY errors, even one, most likely, you have bad RAM.

[Anomalous]

Both sticks of memory passed.

[rshaffer61]

Is the system a Dell system and the disk for that system?

[Anomalous]

The disk was for a dell computer I no longer use, but I don't believe that to be an issue as I used the same disk when I first put this computer together.

After a few tries I finally got to look into My Computer, I noticed my secondary drives letter assignment was swapped from its original letter after reformatting the C: drive. I quickly swapped it back to its original letter before my computer could crash again. After a reset it appears to be running stable, I have run several programs without it crashing.

I wont hold my breath though,

[rshaffer61]

That is great to hear and it could be part of the issue.
I understand you have used the disk before but logically if you use a Dell disk from a different model then it will load the drivers for the original system which can and most likely will create a problem. The driver may work but will not be the correct ones.
Can you tell me if there are any yellow excalmation marks or red X's in the device manager?

• (for Windows XP users)
• Please click Start and click Run
  (for Windows Vista and 7 users)
• Please click Start and select the white text box.
• Type: devmgmt.msc and hit Enter
• Look for any entries with a Yellow Exclamation Mark or Red X's

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