I was playing a game on windows xp. I used alt tab to switch screen and my computer crashed with a blue screen of death saying that it was a hardware failure. After this it kept happening (even when not playing the game) so I disagreed and thought it was a software error since safemode gave me no problems. So I installed windows over it self.
Now I play this game again (CIV 4). After a few days of playing it freezes. So I restart my computer and whenever I get into windows it freezes. It loads windows and then I can move the mouse but everything else is frozen. At this point I think it was just a fluke, and probably not the game. I can log into safe mode, and have no problems there. Except when I try to system restore it freezes half way again.
Now I reformat and reinstall windows. When I do I still have a few errors that should not be there when I install some software. But I install everything and it seems to work. I once again play CIV 4 and my computer does the same freezing thing. So I try to reformat one more time vowing not to play CIV 4. (This is the only game I have really played recently, so it may not be CIV 4 itself, but something it is calling). After I try and reformat I try and reinstall my drivers for my motherboard. After I click restart it just restarts to a black screen – no windows.
At this point I get very worried and put knoppix in. It seems to work flawlessly.
What tests can I run in knoppix to prove it is not a hardware problem, or to pinpoint what the problem is. I have been told that is could very well be my graphics card so that I would like to test first.
Also when I turn my power supply off by the switch in the back it does not always go back on right away when I turn it on again. Sometimes I have to let it sit a while to get the computer to go back on.
My system (built by me):
Athalon X2 64bit processor
Nvidia 7800 GTX
OCZ gold ram (2GB)
Western digital hard drive
Antec SmaterPower 2.0 500W power supply
Thank you for your help.
Summarize main point:
I need to use knoppix to run programs to find where the hardware problem is if there is one (or I can try and find a way to put programs and a floppy and diagnose there)
Now I play this game again (CIV 4). After a few days of playing it freezes. So I restart my computer and whenever I get into windows it freezes. It loads windows and then I can move the mouse but everything else is frozen. At this point I think it was just a fluke, and probably not the game. I can log into safe mode, and have no problems there. Except when I try to system restore it freezes half way again.
Now I reformat and reinstall windows. When I do I still have a few errors that should not be there when I install some software. But I install everything and it seems to work. I once again play CIV 4 and my computer does the same freezing thing. So I try to reformat one more time vowing not to play CIV 4. (This is the only game I have really played recently, so it may not be CIV 4 itself, but something it is calling). After I try and reformat I try and reinstall my drivers for my motherboard. After I click restart it just restarts to a black screen – no windows.
At this point I get very worried and put knoppix in. It seems to work flawlessly.
What tests can I run in knoppix to prove it is not a hardware problem, or to pinpoint what the problem is. I have been told that is could very well be my graphics card so that I would like to test first.
Also when I turn my power supply off by the switch in the back it does not always go back on right away when I turn it on again. Sometimes I have to let it sit a while to get the computer to go back on.
My system (built by me):
Athalon X2 64bit processor
Nvidia 7800 GTX
OCZ gold ram (2GB)
Western digital hard drive
Antec SmaterPower 2.0 500W power supply
Thank you for your help.
Summarize main point:
I need to use knoppix to run programs to find where the hardware problem is if there is one (or I can try and find a way to put programs and a floppy and diagnose there)