sybaritic

It's a long story, but I'm desperate. I would be ever grateful to anyone who can help.
I'll try to summarize.

Original configuration: Unkown motherboard (that had SATA, 2 slots for video card, handled up to 16ga RAM and loads of other stuff) 2Ga RAM DIMM2, 250GA HD, and a lower-end Nvida

My computer went on the fritz, it wouldn't turn on. I bought a new power supply, but that wasn't it.

I gave the comp to the tech guy for my parent's firm, against my judgment.
He had it for a zillion years (okay, like a month)

He "fixed" it. He said I had damaged the motherboard and the RAM, and he looked heaven and earth to find a motherboard that would take my CPU. He comes back with a motherboard that DOESN'T EVEN HAVE SATA, so he had to BUY a 80ga IDE HD. My old one is now on an external through USB (*breathing in and out*). Plus, the MB is DIMM, so he bought 2 512's. So now I have 1ga and two RAM sticks that really should be used as chopsticks.

I burst into tears. Literally. I cried for a while.

My initial feeling was that these were parts he had lying around. He charged my parents six times what the parts cost (my bro and I looked it up). Due to diplomatic relations, they paid the guy and I thought we were rid of him.

So, I turn the computer on and it boots fast, but when I try to install AutoCad (I'm an ARCH student) it gives me some Net framework2.0 error and sometimes reboots spontaneously. (I tried to install it like 5 times) I download all XP updates, download NetFramework 2.0 again. Cool off for a couple of days.

Today, I turned it back on after some heavy meditation, and decide to try to install 3d Studio Max. It installs fine............ and then I open it. And the computer reboots. I know it's not the program, because I've been running it, and it was doing it before I installed this.

And the questions:

The only original components are the powersupply, the disk drive and the video card. Can a video card cause spontaneous reboots?
Is it the shitty MB/Processor/RAM he put in?
Am I a horrible person for knowing a little bit but not being able to fix my own computer? Do normal people cry over computers? (guessing no)
Should I be throwing out my MB/Processor and RAM and buying a new one...?
If so, how do I know which ones to buy? How do I know which processor goes with which motherboard?

dai

what video card is in it
what power supply
brand
wattage

sybaritic

Power Supply: Antec Neo HE550, 550W
Video Card: PowerColor PCI RADEON 9200™ SE /128M (R92LE)
(Sorry, I thought it was another brand)

dai

do you get any bsod error message on the reboot
check the event viewer for any error listed at the time of the reboot

sybaritic

No blue screen... just pop and it's booting again. I looked in the Event Viewer under System and it says... Error code 1000008e, parameter1 c0000005, parameter2 8055159a, parameter3 ecb57c6c, parameter4 00000000.
When I click on more info it takes me to a page that says:
Details
Product: Windows Operating System
ID: 1003
Source: System Error
Version: 5.2
Symbolic Name: ER_KRNLCRASH_LOG
Message: Error code %1, parameter1 %2, parameter2 %3, parameter3 %4, parameter4 %5.

Explanation

A blue screen (Stop error) was reported. The message contains details about the error. A matching event with Event ID 1001 might also appear in the event log. This matching event displays information about the specific error that occurred.

btw - today the computer downloaded a service pack for Net Framework and I was able to install both programs.

dai

reinstall the video drivers

in the device manager uninstall the video card
reboot tapping f8 and choose vga mode
when windows finishes rebooting
disable a/virus
install your drivers
reboot the computer

sybaritic

Okay, I did that, I'll let you know if the problem persists (last time it went 24hrs without a spontaneous reboot, and I couldn't find a way to trigger it).

magnethead

By the sounds of your previous mobo, it should not have been hard for the "techie" to find a mboard to fit your CPU. Since you had an SLI/crossfire board, that limits you to a Pd, C2D, C2Q, or a handful of AMD processors. You got jipped...big time.

sybaritic

I have no idea what you just said, but I know it was a ripoff. That's why I said there were diplomatic issues involved; the whole affair terminated in me yelling at my parents to fire his sorry ***.

I just want to get this whole thing over with, even if it means tossing it out the window. I'm even afraid to use the computer because what if it reboots? I usually don't save every five minutes, or what if I start a render and then it goes?

jbush9988

So,

is it blue screening or rebooting when your putting stress on the video card? sorry it was a long story above and i was tryng to catch little peices of it.

sybaritic

I don't think its when I put stress on the video card, and it's just a reboot. No blue screen.

it did it again. It went about two days without doing anything. I even loaded up sketchup with Vray and did some quick (1 hour) renders without it rebooting. This morning I went to access my shared docs (which I've done before with no problems) and it rebooted =(

Any other ideas?

dai

post the mini dump file

sybaritic

Uh.. I don't know how to do that...

should I try re-installing windows?

dai

look for them here
C:\Windows\Minidump\Minidump.dmp.
and go into the advance reply box and add them as an attachment