Daily Mail caused Windows 7 PC to crash irreparably

Lysander

Lysander

Lysander

Capodecina
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Joined
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Posts
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OK, so my wife has an old PC that still runs Windows 7 [I know]. I don't know all the specs but it has an E6600 CPU, 4GB of ram and some low-grade GPU. Oh it also uses an HDD rather than an SSD. It's also her MAIN computer! She refuses to upgrade...

Anyway...

Yesterday she was viewing the Daily Fail website [ahem] and the computer crashed. There was a script on that page which probably made the CPU usage spike and crashed the thing. It restarted itself but then the monitor kept showing an "out of range" error. I have tried changing VGA cables, using a DVI cable but nothing got Windows booting. I cannot enter safe mode. I do NOT think it's to do with the monitor resolution because that monitor has been using that cable/card for ages.

The only time I got Windows to boot yesterday was when I plugged a flash drive in, trying to boot Linux to see if I could set up a live system to recover some documents. All of a sudden the BIOS 'saw' Windows and booted that. However, once we'd got to the desktop, my wife opened Firefox which instantly opened the last viewed page, which was the DM and..... crash. Could not boot Windows again.

Any ideas what could be going on here? I've wondered if it's the boot priority but changing that in the BIOS does nothing. I know I am working with OLD hardware and software so it may be just time to accept it's way past its best [for the record, the BIOS couldn't even see the live USB for maybe it was a bad copy].

EDIT: SORRY I put this in the wrong board. Can it please be put in Windows?
 
Last edited:
Cyber-Mav said:
i rekon hdd failure, does it get to bios?
Click to expand...

It does, but doesn't go beyond that.

AthlonXP1800 said:
Can you give me Daily Mail link which caused Windows 7 to crash. Will test it in Windows 7 VM to see if it will crash.
Click to expand...

Would love to tell you, but I won't be getting that link unless we can get back into Windows.

HDD failure was one of my concerns too, so I may be going with @Cyber-Mav on this one. I mean, it is using a platter drive which must be at least 15 years old.
 
Cyber-Mav said:
Take hdd out and put in different pc and do smart check?
Click to expand...

Code: 
== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:     SAMSUNG SpinPoint P80 SD
Device Model:     SAMSUNG HD160JJ
Serial Number:    S08HJ1ULA30910
Firmware Version: ZM100-47
User Capacity:    160,040,803,840 bytes [160 GB]
Sector Size:      512 bytes logical/physical
Device is:        In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is:   ATA/ATAPI-7 T13/1532D revision 4a
Local Time is:    Wed Jan 11 19:50:45 2023 GMT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status:  (0x02)    Offline data collection activity
                    was completed without error.
                    Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
Self-test execution status:      (   0)    The previous self-test routine completed
                    without error or no self-test has ever
                    been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection:         ( 3653) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities:              (0x5b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
                    Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
                    Suspend Offline collection upon new
                    command.
                    Offline surface scan supported.
                    Self-test supported.
                    No Conveyance Self-test supported.
                    Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities:            (0x0003)    Saves SMART data before entering
                    power-saving mode.
                    Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability:        (0x01)    Error logging supported.
                    General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time:      (   1) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time:      (  60) minutes.
SCT capabilities:            (0x003f)    SCT Status supported.
                    SCT Error Recovery Control supported.
                    SCT Feature Control supported.
                    SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     0x000f   253   100   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0007   253   253   025    Pre-fail  Always       -       5888
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032   080   080   000    Old_age   Always       -       20849
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   253   253   010    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x000f   253   253   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  8 Seek_Time_Performance   0x0025   253   253   015    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       30471
 10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0033   253   253   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
 11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0012   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0032   090   090   000    Old_age   Always       -       10375
187 Reported_Uncorrect      0x0032   001   001   000    Old_age   Always       -       3146693
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022   181   085   000    Old_age   Always       -       19
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0022   181   085   000    Old_age   Always       -       19
195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered  0x001a   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       5335
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0012   253   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0030   253   253   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x003e   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate   0x000a   253   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
201 Soft_Read_Error_Rate    0x000a   253   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
202 Data_Address_Mark_Errs  0x0032   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
No self-tests have been logged.  [To run self-tests, use: smartctl -t]

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 0
Note: revision number not 1 implies that no selective self-test has ever been run
 SPAN  MIN_LBA  MAX_LBA  CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
    1        0        0  Not_testing
    2        0        0  Not_testing
    3        0        0  Not_testing
    4        0        0  Not_testing
    5        0        0  Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
  After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

Code: 
smartctl 7.1 2019-12-30 r5022 [x86_64-linux-5.15.0-57-generic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-19, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:     SAMSUNG SpinPoint P80 SD
Device Model:     SAMSUNG HD160JJ
Serial Number:    S08HJ1ULA30910
Firmware Version: ZM100-47
User Capacity:    160,040,803,840 bytes [160 GB]
Sector Size:      512 bytes logical/physical
Device is:        In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is:   ATA/ATAPI-7 T13/1532D revision 4a
Local Time is:    Wed Jan 11 20:08:50 2023 GMT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
AAM feature is:   Disabled
APM feature is:   Unavailable
Rd look-ahead is: Enabled
Write cache is:   Enabled
DSN feature is:   Unavailable
ATA Security is:  Disabled, frozen [SEC2]
Wt Cache Reorder: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status:  (0x02)    Offline data collection activity
                    was completed without error.
                    Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
Self-test execution status:      (   0)    The previous self-test routine completed
                    without error or no self-test has ever
                    been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection:         ( 3653) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities:              (0x5b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
                    Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
                    Suspend Offline collection upon new
                    command.
                    Offline surface scan supported.
                    Self-test supported.
                    No Conveyance Self-test supported.
                    Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities:            (0x0003)    Saves SMART data before entering
                    power-saving mode.
                    Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability:        (0x01)    Error logging supported.
                    General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time:      (   1) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time:      (  60) minutes.
SCT capabilities:            (0x003f)    SCT Status supported.
                    SCT Error Recovery Control supported.
                    SCT Feature Control supported.
                    SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAGS    VALUE WORST THRESH FAIL RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     POSR--   253   100   051    -    0
  3 Spin_Up_Time            POS---   253   253   025    -    5888
  4 Start_Stop_Count        -O--CK   080   080   000    -    20849
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   PO--CK   253   253   010    -    0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         POSR--   253   253   051    -    0
  8 Seek_Time_Performance   P-S--K   253   253   015    -    0
  9 Power_On_Hours          -O--CK   100   100   000    -    30471
 10 Spin_Retry_Count        PO--CK   253   253   051    -    0
 11 Calibration_Retry_Count -O--C-   253   253   000    -    0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count       -O--CK   090   090   000    -    10375
187 Reported_Uncorrect      -O--CK   001   001   000    -    3146693
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel -O---K   175   085   000    -    21
194 Temperature_Celsius     -O---K   175   085   000    -    21
195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered  -O-RC-   100   100   000    -    5335
196 Reallocated_Event_Count -O--CK   253   253   000    -    0
197 Current_Pending_Sector  -O--C-   253   100   000    -    0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   ----CK   253   253   000    -    0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    -OSRCK   200   200   000    -    0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate   -O-R--   253   100   000    -    0
201 Soft_Read_Error_Rate    -O-R--   253   100   000    -    0
202 Data_Address_Mark_Errs  -O--CK   253   253   000    -    0
                            ||||||_ K auto-keep
                            |||||__ C event count
                            ||||___ R error rate
                            |||____ S speed/performance
                            ||_____ O updated online
                            |______ P prefailure warning

General Purpose Log Directory Version 1
SMART           Log Directory Version 1 [multi-sector log support]
Address    Access  R/W   Size  Description
0x00       GPL,SL  R/O      1  Log Directory
0x01           SL  R/O      1  Summary SMART error log
0x02           SL  R/O      2  Comprehensive SMART error log
0x03       GPL     R/O      2  Ext. Comprehensive SMART error log
0x06           SL  R/O      1  SMART self-test log
0x10       GPL     R/O      1  NCQ Command Error log
0x11       GPL     R/O      1  SATA Phy Event Counters log
0x80-0x9f  GPL,SL  R/W     16  Host vendor specific log

SMART Extended Comprehensive Error Log Version: 1 (2 sectors)
Invalid Error Log index = 0x0600 (reserved = 0x00)
SMART Extended Self-test Log (GP Log 0x07) not supported

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
No self-tests have been logged.  [To run self-tests, use: smartctl -t]

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 0
Note: revision number not 1 implies that no selective self-test has ever been run
 SPAN  MIN_LBA  MAX_LBA  CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
    1        0        0  Not_testing
    2        0        0  Not_testing
    3        0        0  Not_testing
    4        0        0  Not_testing
    5        0        0  Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
  After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

SCT Status Version:                  2
SCT Version (vendor specific):       256 (0x0100)
Device State:                        Active (0)
Current Temperature:                    21 Celsius
Power Cycle Min/Max Temperature:     --/22 Celsius
Lifetime    Min/Max Temperature:     --/-5 Celsius

SCT Temperature History Version:     2
Temperature Sampling Period:         1 minute
Temperature Logging Interval:        1 minute
Min/Max recommended Temperature:     10/55 Celsius
Min/Max Temperature Limit:            5/60 Celsius
Temperature History Size (Index):    128 (38)

Index    Estimated Time   Temperature Celsius
  39    2023-01-11 18:01    30  ***********
  40    2023-01-11 18:02    30  ***********
  41    2023-01-11 18:03     ?  -
  42    2023-01-11 18:04    28  *********
  43    2023-01-11 18:05    28  *********
  44    2023-01-11 18:06    24  *****
 ...    ..(  2 skipped).    ..  *****
  47    2023-01-11 18:09    24  *****
  48    2023-01-11 18:10     ?  -
  49    2023-01-11 18:11    28  *********
  50    2023-01-11 18:12    28  *********
  51    2023-01-11 18:13    24  *****
  52    2023-01-11 18:14    24  *****
  53    2023-01-11 18:15    24  *****
  54    2023-01-11 18:16    31  ************
  55    2023-01-11 18:17    31  ************
  56    2023-01-11 18:18    30  ***********
 ...    ..( 28 skipped).    ..  ***********
  85    2023-01-11 18:47    30  ***********
  86    2023-01-11 18:48    32  *************
 ...    ..( 24 skipped).    ..  *************
 111    2023-01-11 19:13    32  *************
 112    2023-01-11 19:14     ?  -
 113    2023-01-11 19:15    35  ****************
 114    2023-01-11 19:16    37  ******************
 115    2023-01-11 19:17    37  ******************
 116    2023-01-11 19:18    37  ******************
 117    2023-01-11 19:19    33  **************
 118    2023-01-11 19:20    33  **************
 119    2023-01-11 19:21    33  **************
 120    2023-01-11 19:22    36  *****************
 121    2023-01-11 19:23    37  ******************
 122    2023-01-11 19:24    37  ******************
 123    2023-01-11 19:25    37  ******************
 124    2023-01-11 19:26    33  **************
 125    2023-01-11 19:27    33  **************
 126    2023-01-11 19:28    31  ************
 127    2023-01-11 19:29    31  ************
   0    2023-01-11 19:30     ?  -
   1    2023-01-11 19:31    35  ****************
   2    2023-01-11 19:32    35  ****************
   3    2023-01-11 19:33     ?  -
   4    2023-01-11 19:34     ?  -
   5    2023-01-11 19:35    35  ****************
   6    2023-01-11 19:36     ?  -
 ...    ..(  4 skipped).    ..  -
  11    2023-01-11 19:41     ?  -
  12    2023-01-11 19:42    20  *
  13    2023-01-11 19:43    20  *
  14    2023-01-11 19:44    22  ***
  15    2023-01-11 19:45    18  -
  16    2023-01-11 19:46    18  -
  17    2023-01-11 19:47    18  -
  18    2023-01-11 19:48    20  *
  19    2023-01-11 19:49    20  *
  20    2023-01-11 19:50    19  -
 ...    ..(  4 skipped).    ..  -
  25    2023-01-11 19:55    19  -
  26    2023-01-11 19:56    21  **
 ...    ..( 11 skipped).    ..  **
  38    2023-01-11 20:08    21  **

SCT Error Recovery Control:
           Read: Disabled
          Write: Disabled

Device Statistics (GP/SMART Log 0x04) not supported

Pending Defects log (GP Log 0x0c) not supported

SATA Phy Event Counters (GP Log 0x11)
ID      Size     Value  Description
0x0001  2            0  Command failed due to ICRC error
0x000a  2            2  Device-to-host register FISes sent due to a COMRESET
0x0008  2            0  Device-to-host non-data FIS retries
0x0009  2            0  Transition from drive PhyRdy to drive PhyNRdy
0x000b  2            0  CRC errors within host-to-device FIS
0x000d  2            0  Non-CRC errors within host-to-device FIS
0x8001  2            0  Vendor specific

root@psychopig-xliii:~#
 
Last edited:
Semple said:
Reported uncorrectable errors. Bit of a sign of something iffy, but with no relocated sectors would suggest the drive is still in pretty good health.

Can you get the PC to load and remain stable if you don't open Firefox?
Click to expand...

Not, not at all, can't boot Windows, not even in safe mode.

Replaced the RAM modules. Still nothing.

Tried hooking it up to another monitor with both VGA and DVI from the GPU and the integrated graphics port. No signal. Though weirdly, the graphics card gives a picture of the BIOS on the old monitor.

Currently thinking it's a motherboard issue. POST gives two short beeps which suggests it's a mobo problem seeing as replacing the RAM did nothing.
 
Last edited:
mrk said:
I also have no doubt the HDD has bad sectors, so unless a defragment has been done, then it's possible that area of disk is where the browser cache lies for whatever stuff that page was running, which is why reloading back up on that page polled the same area of disk. You wouldn't get that with an SSD, the self maintenance the driver's controller does to the flash will isolate off any bad blocks and not use them again.
Click to expand...

This is a very interesting comment. As you can see from the SMART readings above, there are a hell of a lot of uncorrectable errors. And I imagine it's a long time since a defrag was done.

Me and a friend are going to look into checking out the mobo issue tonight or tomorrow. But it could be that the sector of the HDD where the BIOS 'finds' Windows has become corrupted over time [not sure of the name, I'm not a Windows admin, someone else would be able to say]. This would be why all the other hardware checks out, and why pretty much the only thing remaining in question is the motherboard. Now, if the mobo is not an issue, we would have to look at the HDD again.

In a very worst case scenario I would have to go back to our storage facility, locate the W7 disc, reinstall [I have a spare SSD, not sure if I have a caddy though] having previously linked up the HDD to my Linux system and pulled off any necessary files.

Also, the CMOS battery is dead, but this has been the case for a long time, and shouldn't stop Windows from booting.

My question now is, would it still be possible to activate Windows 7?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: mrk
GaryTheSnail said:
It will if the bios is resetting every time due to unsaved settings. Usually a warning is issued on boot when the bios is reset anyway.
Click to expand...

That's not been my experience. The only thing that's lost is date and time and other such things which are reset. The BIOS can still see the primary boot device.

This isn't to say that the battery shouldn't be replaced though.
 
Last edited:
OK, thank you very much to everyone here. There were some very good ideas and suggestions. I had a two hour call with an IT friend from Turkey and after that, the machine is now working better then before!

Yes, Windows 7 is up and running and I even managed to clear out Firefox and add uBlock Origin on it thanks to @mrk. I also did a defrag and a malware scan... it's all good to go.

So... what was the "gotcha" then? The main issue was that the graphics card was on its way out, but why was this making it so that the machine wasn't booting Windows? Well, because the graphics card was dying, and the CMOS battery was dead, the BIOS was getting confused about what to display and was having difficulty switching to onboard even when the VGA was plugged into that port. So it just gave up and had the BIOS running with a black screen.

Fix: we turned the onboard to primary and removed the graphics card. Instant boot into Windows 7. But no 1920zx1080 resolution since the onboard chip didn't have the drivers for it. So we had to download the display drivers for the mobo from the Intel website [not Asus] and then, on reboot, all was perfect.

Thanks to everyone who came in to help. Now the computer should work for longer, oh, and at least we now know the HDD is fine since it's been SMART tested. Will she get an SDD though? Don't hold your breath...

Now, as for that Daily Mail link, you may be wondering, did I retrieve it? Of course I did. Please see it below... and click it at your peril [no issues with it here, btw]...

www.dailymail.co.uk

Harry recounts awkward moment William 'recoiled' from Meghan's hug

In his bombshell memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex, 38, described the moment he introduced his brother his new girlfriend at Kensington Palace in 2016 as a 'classic collision of cultures'.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

Have a good night, all.
 
Last edited:
Rroff said:
No issues loading that page on the Windows 7 systems I've got booted up, though as with a lot of those kind of news sites it is an unoptimised mess with way too much **** loading in.
Click to expand...

I don't know how, but I think that, in some way, that page helped 'break' the graphics card. Since that second time we loaded that page, the computer crashed as soon as it attempted to load it. Also, I think that the ad blocker that was on there before was no way as good as uBlock Origin. I since tried that DM page on her computer after cleaning things up, and it was fine.

What this does show, is that the internet can be a nasty place without a good ad-blocker/solution. And that the 'average' user can really get screwed over without the right resources.

The graphics card in question:

 
Last edited:
bledd said:
Get an SSD and install Linux Mint on it.
Click to expand...

I hear you, but if she's not going to move off Windows 7, she's not going to move to Linux.

The thing is, Linux users still think that Mint is enough like Windows for Windows users to move over. It's really not for most Windows people. I moved one girl at work over to Mint on her laptop and she loved it for a few days before somehow deleting network manager. I then gave up on her and I presume she moved back to Windows.
 
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