justpassingby

Hi nikeman !

Are you using an usb keyboard ? If so switch for a PS/2 one.

Don't feel like reading through all 10 pages, could you give us your complete current system specs :

- Power Supply : brand, model, watts and number of amps on +12V rail(s) (open the computer case and look on the sticker that's on the side of the power supply block).
- Motherboard : brand & model
- CPU : brand & model
- RAM : brand & model
- Video Card(s) : brand & model (nvidia and ati are the chipset maker, not the manufacturers)
- Hard Drive(s) : brand & model : either open the computer case and look on the sticker that's on the drive itself or go to start => run, type devmgmt.msc, expand disk drives and give us the model you'll see there
- CD drive(s) : same as hard drives
- Other PCI cards : brand and model
- Number of USB devices you have attached
- Number of additional fans if any
- Operating System : what version of XP (Home, Pro, Media Center or 64bit) & what service pack. Is it a retail (you bought XP and installed it yourself) or OEM installation ? If OEM what's the brand and model of the computer ?

Please add all that information in your user options under system specs so they'll appear next to your posts and we won't have to search for them later on.

What tests have you already run, what parts have been replaced ?

If your computer crashes unexpectedly and won't recognize the keyboard this has to be an hardware issue.

nikeman

it actually did not crash this time, i just restarted it and it all of a sudden no keyboard. It is also a wireless keyboard and the sensor thing is plugged in via USB. As far as all that other stuff goes... I will have to have more time to look into it.

justpassingby

Wireless usb keyboards aren't that reliable, if you've got spare PS/2 keyboard & mouse use them for the rest of the troubleshooting process, it'll be one less thing to worry about. Else check the wireless keyboard's batteries.

Take your time to gather all the info, I'll be around. Also enter the BIOS at startup (press del or look for some "press xx to enter setup" message) and report the temps, fan speeds and voltages from the hardware monitor screen.

Geekgirl

I dont have time to go back and read this whole thread but was the drive tested?

Find the manufacturer of your hard drive and run their Hard Drive Diagnostics Utility.

nikeman

I remember doing all of the hard drive tests, speedfan, and all that kind of stuff and it all passed. I also ended up buying a new power supply because I was told the one I had originally sucked and was known to cause problems. I bought the one that the person here recomended. I got the keyboard and everything working now so I can run any tests you guys need me to. I will boot in BIOs when I get home from work and let you guys know the results.

Should I not download a new copy of Windows XP online and try installing that on the computer to see what happens? I remember early in this thread, that was one of the possible problems that could be causing my lockups. If so, how can I get the CD Key for my windows software because I am sure I do not have that disk anymore..

justpassingby

You ran the HDD manufacturer's diagnostic tool but did you run XP's check disk utility as well ? The HDD utility will check whether the drive is physically fit but it won't repair errors in the file system. If you haven't done it already run chkdk c: /F.

I haven't read the whole thread and you know better than us what you've done already so give us your complete specs and a detailed summary of what tools and scans you've already run when you have the time. What are the remaining issues ? Does the computer crash sometimes ? Any error messages in the event viewer ? If we could have everything in one easy to read post it'll be easier to give it a fresh look.

If this is originally some brand computer you can order the XP disc on the manufacturer's website and the product key will be on some sticker on the computer itself. Don't download XP from the internet, it's illegal and you could get yourself a hacked version without knowing. Let's not reinstall right away.

OldGrayGary

Hi again nikeman, it's been a while . . .


As I recall, your system was a custom build, and you were given a custom "recovery disk" (but that even after running that disk you were still having problems). The power supply that originally came with the system failed, and your custom shop provided you with the not-to-great replacement. During your repair attempts, I had you try a new Antec power supply. Then the system continued to be somewhat unpredictable, and I mentioned the possibility of leftover damage to system parts from the failure of the original power supply. The possibility that the motherboard has suffered damage at some point remains a consideration. Once the new power supply was installed, I believe you tested (yet again) the memory and hard drive -- and they passed the tests. Around this same time, I found mention in some forums for your motherboard that your model board had instability issues if the system memory wasn't running at 2.6v -- and I don't remember if you had the chance to explore that or not.

There was also a fairly extensive malware infection that tetonbob helped you clean up. During our discussions back then, I believe I recommended that you not use the file-sharing program Limewire, especially since your system's protection had failed a few times previously.

I believe I also had you test the system with a Linux Live CD (Knoppix probably - or Ubuntu). You could try testing for stability with that disk if you still have it. If you can run a few of the programs all at one time, for a fairly long period, and the system behaves flawlessly -- that would tend to point to a software problem, whether malware, file corruption, or faulty drivers [when running in Windows XP, that is]

I would argue against trying to download XP from the Internet, for several reasons: 1) many such sources are quite dodgy & the legality of their licenses is questionable 2) if you wish to repair your system & use your original license key, you'll need to use a version of XP that closely matches your original version 3) Downloading an OS is a lengthy download, and if any trouble occurs during the download process, the files might be corrupted (the use of "download manager" software is notorious for causing this sort of trouble)
_________

I'd be curious to see how the sytem runs when booted with your Knoppix disk.

I think it might be time for another visit to the Security forums, if you've evidence of any recurring malware infections.

Best of luck!
. . . Gary

. . . .( & Hi There, justpassingby & GeekGirl)

nikeman

I think the last thing I did was run my computer in linux for a day or 2 and I had no problems at all. I am leaning towards software problems but I do not know what software is causing the problem. Also, it does not ever seem to lock up unless I am on the internet...

justpassingby

What's the remaining issue like ? Just locking up when going on the net ? Can you exit the browser using the task manager (press ctrl+alt+del, select the browser's process and click end task) or do you need to restart the computer ?

Does the problem only happen with youtube videos ? Do you have any third party codecs installed ? If so uninstall them all, none should be needed for youtube. What happens if you turn the hardware acceleration off in the display properties => settings => advanced => troubleshoot tab and in windows media player => options => performances tab (you may need to restart the computer to see the changes).

Have you tested for malwares ? What antivirus, firewall and other security programs do you use ?

Are there any errors in the event viewer : start => run => eventvwr.msc. If there are errors near the times of the crashes double-click them, click on the third button on the right (this copies the info in the memory) then right-click => paste it here.

Use a PS/2 keyboard and mouse. Use msconfig (start => run => msconfig) to do a selective startup : go to the startup tab and untick everything except your firewall and antivirus (needed to browse the net safely). Once you're in Windows's selective mode disable all the browser's plugins and extensions, restart the browser and see if the issue still arises.

I still don't see a list of your complete system specs anywhere, see post #201 here.

Chevy

This thread is over a year old, and has 208 responses. If it hasn't been resolved yet, a wipe-reinstall must be the answer.

I'm closing this thread.

justpassingby

@ Chevy : it's the OP himself who brought the issue back on December 19th 2008 :
http://www.techsupportforum.com/1866181-post200.html