Pc Keeps restarting....help

xirokx

xirokx

xirokx

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Hi,

Specs: amd 3500, 1gig RAM, abit ul8 mobo, nec 4570 dvd rw, WIN XP SP2...Not overclocked

Pc keep restarting randomly, I could be watching a movie, playing a game or it could be idle...

Sometimes once a day sometimes not at all sometimes 2 - 3 times a day...

You guys told me to check the RAM and PSU...

However this morning was watching a movie when it happened so I went into "my computer" "manage" "event viewer" and saw I get this error msg...

"The file system structure on the disk is corrupt and unusable. Please run the chkdsk utility on the volume D:."

D: is a partitioned drive of C: .....could D: causing my system to restart?

Please clarify...

Please help

Thanks in advance..

Cheers!!!
 
That doesnt mean its a problem with the files - could be the memory causing probs - have you ran at least a 24hr loop of memtest to check the memory? Also try running a hard disk checker such as seagates discwizard to check your drive isnt causing problems. Apart from that back up and format and start over
 
Update:

Ran memtest for 20hrs and there were no errors - However I never ran any particular tests, I booted from CD and then once the prog started let it do its thing - Is this the correct for what I am testing for?

PSU - if the above is correct...Would you guys say my PSU is slowly on its way out?

Please help..

Thanks in advance...
 
Its happened like 4 times today and is really ******** me off now....

Please help...

CPU idle temp = 44c
PWM = 50c
Sys = 30c

ATX 12v - 12.27v
ATX 5v - 4.83v
ATX 3.3v - 3.28v

Like I said I ran memtest for 20hrs and it not get any errors...I am in the process of running seagate discward 2003 the extended test....

I just dont know what it could be but its sooo god damn annoying grrrrrrrrrrrrr

I look at the event viewer and see just before it restarted I get this error msg " The file system structure on the disk is corrupt and unusable. Please run the chkdsk utility on the volume D:."


Update1: I switched on BSOD in the advanced tab in system from control panel in the hope I would get an error msg before it happened again......But I never....So I ran chkdsk and chkdsk /r and both reported 0 bad sectors...

however the pc is still restarting...

So I will try another psu an antec 500w psu will keep u updated ....

If you guys have any ideas please help

Thanks...
 
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Right I have 2 hdd's

first hdd: c:windows d:progs e:games
second hdd: music

Update: After installing new antec 500psu from another machine the system is still restarting - grrrrrrrr

Since installing the new psu no errors in eventview manager as before and on start up windows chkdsk doesnt run like it did before....

I did run Memtest for 20hrs but as you guys say you cannot be too sure with that...

So do you think its my RAM as the PSU and HDD are out of the equation now??

Please help

Thanks...
 
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it gets even weirder...

I re read the mobo manual and it states when installing dual channel memory modules use slots 1+2 and 3+4

So as I have 4 x 256mb sticks (2 micron modules and 2 swissbits modules) I put the first set of two in slots 1 + 2 and the other set in slots 3+4.

Before when the system kept restarting the memory was in 1+3 and 2+4....

Well after changing the memory so its in slots 1+2 and 3+4 I couldnt even get into windows...

I received a STOP error msg after the windows screen

"STOP Error 0x0000008E 0x0000005 0x80543803 0xb9bcb5b0 0x000000000"

So I thought I would try a reformat...

With 2 same sticks of memory in slots 1 +2 and 3+4 I tried a fresh install and after the inital setup process when it goes into windows to install all the other files I recieved a "FATAL ERROR MSG"

So now either:

a) The memory is in the wrong slots
b) the memory is dying/dead


Been reading up on abit UL8 mobos and apparently they dont like it when all memory slots to be filled...

Hmmm running out of ideas guys...

Please help me resolve this problem

Thanks for any responses I recieve...
 
try just using one stick for a bit see if it crashes... then use the other stick see if it crashes to see if its one stick or the other

Stelly
 
I'd try 2x256mb sticks first and then the other 2x256mb if the first two don't work. I'd then simply try 1x256mb, one by one to see which, if any of the memory sticks are at fault. It could also be your motherboard at fault, happened to me once but I was getting memtest errors.

Also your CPU idling at 44C is pretty high. I get 45C at max load with my A64 3500+ and 28C-35C idle. Whats your environment temp like? I'd recommend you clean out any clogged up dust inside your case, remove your heatsink/fan, clean out any dust and reapply some thermal paste.

Apart from that I'd remove any non-essential components and try installing windows on the bare minimum; if it works, i'd add each component one at a time to see whats at fault.
 
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Surprising that Memtest didnt pick up something, but no memory test application is perfect, sometimes problems happen in combination. Perhaps the PSU load is lowering memory voltage just a little during high cpu load, or during high levels of hard drive activity (windows booting etc).

4 memory sticks often causes small errors on the memory bus, and it is often possible to compensate for this by lowering the memory timings a little.

Reboots are a very common side effect of memory that has its timings a little too tight. The memory's SPD could well set the timings for the ram, with a command time of 1T for example, but with 4 sticks, you'll almost certainly need 2T for stable operation.

A small voltage increase to the memory can sometimes be all thats needed to bring stablilty to a slightly unreliable PC, even without and changes to the memory timings, always worth a try. If you do change the timings though, make only 1 change at a time, its actually possible for the timings to be too slow, and that can create instability as well. (Might be just my old PC, with Corsair memory, but it wont even boot if I set Cas at 3, instead of 2 or 2.5)
 
Before when the system kept restarting the memory was in 1+3 and 2+4....
Click to expand...

So I thought why not swap the memory around and have a play...

Well after changing the memory so its in slots 1+2 and 3+4 I couldnt even get into windows...
I received a STOP error msg after the windows screen
"STOP Error 0x0000008E 0x0000005 0x80543803 0xb9bcb5b0 0x000000000"
So I thought I would try a reformat...
With 2 same sticks of memory in slots 1 +2 and 3+4 I tried a fresh install and after the inital setup process when it goes into windows to install all the other files I recieved a "FATAL ERROR MSG"
Click to expand...

The STOP error probably occured because I never resetted CMOS when I tried to run the memory in dual channel as per the mobo instructions..

So I formatted...the reason I was getting the FATAL ERROR MSG was because my windows cd was corrupt - luckily I had another spare so I tried that and it got me into windows...

So now with a fresh install time to mess with the memory...

Basically after several testing methods, slots 1 + 2 did not like the swiss memory modules so I put the micron modules in there instead and put the swiss modules in slots 3 +4.....

So far it works :D, running dual channel and system has not restarted....

Fingers X :)

So to recap it was:

a) dodgey win xp cd when reinstalling that was causing the FATAL ERROR MSG

and

b) The mobo (dont know if others are like this one) didnt like the way I put the RAM into the slots...

Fingers crossed I don't encounter any restarts....

Thanks for all your help and advice...

Cheers!!!! :):)
 
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