Help my PC is just constantly freezing...no idea why.

scottyboy said:
I dont think memory is the problem but i will try it. is there a hdd test as well?
Click to expand...

That's what I thought, and I even bought a new hard disc.
It froze when formatting, so I ram memtest....and guess what...errors.

Youv'e got to be very carefull with hard disc tests as they have the habit of wipping the drive.
The tools are here.
 
well theres nothing on the drive anyway.

thanks i will try both tests. you just put mem86 on a floppy and then boot from floppy dont you? I will try that first and then the diagnostic hdd tool.
 
split said:
That's what I thought, and I even bought a new hard disc.
It froze when formatting, so I ram memtest....and guess what...errors.

Youv'e got to be very carefull with hard disc tests as they have the habit of wipping the drive.
The tools are here.
Click to expand...

Ive ran one complete pass of all tests on memtest which took over an hour and there werent any errors.

Ive ran the quick test on the hdd which was fine and the extented test has just complete and thats fine. does that mean that its neither of them causing the problem? :confused: i used that "zero wipe" to supposedly make the hdd as new so im now trying to format again and see what happens.
 
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when you say freeze what do you mean? It does take a long time to format a drive, you wont see much happen other than the percent bar increase, but even this is very slow, would advise leaving it formatting for half hour and see if it has changed scottyboy
 
How long will the machine stay active whilst your in the BIOS ?

Run a live cd as a test. If it runs ok on the live cd then that should narrow it down to your HD
 
davethe11 said:
when you say freeze what do you mean? It does take a long time to format a drive, you wont see much happen other than the percent bar increase, but even this is very slow, would advise leaving it formatting for half hour and see if it has changed scottyboy
Click to expand...

No, I have left it for hours before. I know how long it takes and it just freezes randomly. once i did get past that and it froze installing windows, one lucky time i even got past and installed completely but it still kept freezing in windows with no option but to shut down.
 
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Outcast said:
How long will the machine stay active whilst your in the BIOS ?

Run a live cd as a test. If it runs ok on the live cd then that should narrow it down to your HD
Click to expand...

it doesnt crash in bios and it didnt crash running those tests either...dont know why. what do you mean by running a live cd?
 
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Get hold of an ubuntu cd and boot from it. <----Thats a live CD

You dont have to install it so it wont change your system. It will load an Operating environment into RAM... thereby testing everything. As soon as you switch off... it will be back to windows.

If you haven't got a Live Cd then leg it up your local newsagents b4 they shut and choose a magazine that has a live CD on it. either buy it or nick it !!
 
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Outcast said:
Get hold of an ubuntu cd and boot from it. <----Thats a live CD

You dont have to install it so it wont change your system. It will load an Operating environment into RAM... thereby testing everything. As soon as you switch off... it will be back to windows.

If you haven't got a Live Cd then leg it up your local newsagents b4 they shut and choose a magazine that has a live CD on it. either buy it or nick it !!
Click to expand...

can i just download this?

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

bloody hell that is gonna take all night. think ive got another windows cd lying around somewhere, i will just try that instead while this is downloading.
 
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The problem with using another windows cd is that you have to install it to use it. And if it IS your hard drive going down you will bang up on the same problem your already having.

The Live ubuntu CD installs into volatile RAM (so when you switch off... its Gorn).

Yes that download would've done it btw. And its a UBER rapid server so you would have gotten it after about an hour on an average broadband connection. You would need to burn it as an IMAGE to cd though.

Dont just copy it with Nero.. select burn Image.
 
Outcast said:
The problem with using another windows cd is that you have to install it to use it. And if it IS your hard drive going down you will bang up on the same problem your already having.

The Live ubuntu CD installs into volatile RAM (so when you switch off... its Gorn).

Yes that download would've done it btw. And its a UBER rapid server so you would have gotten it after about an hour on an average broadband connection. You would need to burn it as an IMAGE to cd though.

Dont just copy it with Nero.. select burn Image.
Click to expand...

ok ive done that and have ubuntu running and its fine, it doesnt crash at all and no problems and ive left it on for ages.

so does that mean its pretty much certain to be the hdd? that hdd test didnt find nothing wrong with it though..
 
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Outcast said:
How long will the machine stay active whilst your in the BIOS ?

Run a live cd as a test. If it runs ok on the live cd then that should narrow it down to your HD
Click to expand...

I got the new HDD today from Western Digital..

I put the windows CD in and formatted and it did all the way. I thought it was gonna work at last but then it froze installing windows (it always skips a file installing, cant find it so i skip it)..:mad:

I then tried formatting again and it froze at 57%.

So what is it???!!! could it be the windows cd? im gonna try another one tomorrow but i dont know what else to do and ive alredy sold the pc so need it fixed asap..I might have to take it to a pc shop and get ripped off.
 
I just set bios to "fail safe defaults" and did a quick format and when it installs windows I get this error..
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Tech info

...STOP.(insert a load of numbers and letters)

...USBPORT.sys - Address Base at ....(insert a load of numbers and letters)

Starting physical memory dump
physical memory dump complete
Click to expand...

:confused: did that twice but it usually just freezes.
 
If it ran perfectly from the Live CD but Borks on installing windows then I'd have to say you have a duff Windows CD.
 
scottyboy said:
I got the new HDD today from Western Digital..

I put the windows CD in and formatted and it did all the way. I thought it was gonna work at last but then it froze installing windows (it always skips a file installing, cant find it so i skip it)..:mad:

I then tried formatting again and it froze at 57%.

So what is it???!!! could it be the windows cd? im gonna try another one tomorrow but i dont know what else to do and ive alredy sold the pc so need it fixed asap..I might have to take it to a pc shop and get ripped off.
Click to expand...

A missing file on the cd when installing means a damaged cd. Since the pc works when using a live cd, the only thing it could be is the cd or hdd controller configuration.
 
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but if its the CD it wouldn't freeze during a format would it :confused:

Its not the hdd config (not sure what that is) but i have never touched that before.

I will try another windows cd.
 
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