PC crashes UNLESS I am running a game

[Wamjet]

Yep that's about it, unlike many other users my PC dies unless I have a game (WoW, BF2) running (full screen or alt tabbed).

Sometimes it turns itself off before, as or just after my desktop loads up, other times it simply hangs.

If my PC runs long enough for me to get a game started (usually after about the 3rd or 4th restart) the whole thing runs fine no problem, and I just surf the net or whatever with the game minimised.

If I exit the game the PC eventually hangs (5-20 minutes later).

I have put a new power supply in and that didn't make any difference.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[KSoD]

So what errors do you get the first 3 or 4 times before it boots? Have you checked for spyware, viruses? Have you reinstalled Windows? Done a repair install of Windows? What have you done to try and correct this other than running a game minimized?

 

[Wamjet]

TBH I thought I'd post it here first and see if anyone was familiar with the symptoms, which to me seem fairly perculiar given the only way to stabilise my PC is to run a game.

Cheers

But yes I have done a virus/spyware scan, nothing noted.

 

[KSoD]

Which OS are you running? Vista or XP?

 

[bkolk]

i have an issue with vista ultimate 64-bit and nvidia 8800gt freezing my computer constantly. I'm pretty sure its the nvidia graphics drivers fault, and i havnt found a solution anywhere. Google "vista ultimate 64-bit randomly freezing" and theres alot of results on this topic, no solution ive seen tho.

When u say crash, what type of crash is it? for me its the screen freezes at the picture it was at, no mouse movement, keyboard, sound, have to do a hard reboot.

 

[Wamjet]

I am running XP SP2

I do notice tho that it is noticably better on warmer days. I am wondering if a component is buggered and that heat (either from a load on the video card or warm weather) is fixing it?

Will throw another video card in and see if that changes things.

 

[KurrentEweser]

A cold solder joint could cause problems like this.

 

[Wamjet]

A cold solder joint could cause problems like this.

Yeah definately a possibility, but how to find it hmmmmmmmm.....

When u say crash, what type of crash is it? for me its the screen freezes at the picture it was at, no mouse movement, keyboard, sound, have to do a hard reboot.

Yeah same, no errors or anything it just freezes or shuts down without warning, generally while it starts up or very soon afterwards.

 

[KurrentEweser]

Yeah definately a possibility, but how to find it hmmmmmmmm.....

Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier.

 

[RichM499]

take a spool of thin guage solder, and melt it randomly around the motherboard


if that doesnt fix it, at least you'll have fun seeing the pretty sparks=)



EDIT--

dont take my advice, =P