Always Crashing

[Copper]

Can anyone help here ?

My PC has started to crash at the slightest event. I seldom get the BSD , but when i do it says the usual - 'IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL' or i will get 'PFN_LIST_CORRUPT'

But most times the PC just switches itself off and restarts.

When it does restart i get the error message from Microsoft that it was 'Error Caused By graphics Device Driver' or 'Error caused by Device Driver'

I have changed the graphics card & drivers god knows how many times.

I have run a RAM test and i often get it showing errors in MATS or WMATS, i have changed the memory with a PC at work which uses the same kind, but i still show as having errors.

Could i have a faulty motherboard or are the settings wrong, or could my PSU be gassed ?

Are there any other tests that i can run to test these components?

Any help would be much appreciated.
Copper

 

[Him]

Damn, thats a dilly of a pickle. Do you have onboard graphics? If you do, try that. If you dont, have you trid to reinstall Windows? That may or may not work. Also, try rolling back to sp1. If none of that works, I would say that your mobo is faklempt.

 

[diabloII]

before this ATi, have you used a nvidia card on this comp?

 

[Copper]

Hi

Thanks for the replies DiabloII & Him

I have tried the onboard graphics and an old Nvidia card as well.

I have also tried reinstalling XP Home edition with SP1 and then with SP2 and the same with XP Pro first with SP1 then with SP2, but I get the same problem.

I have tried flashing the BIOS as well, but the system is still pretty unstable.

It will even shut down while booting up, and will only start up if I switch it off at the mains for a minute or two then reboot.

This is pretty random, the PC may work for an a few hours doing same pretty heavy work, then on another day it may just crash or switch off just doing the lightest of tasks.

Annoying

 

[Him]

There may be somethign wrong with your MoBo than. First troubleshoot all of your components. Take them out one by one and replace it with a different one and seee if your computer still crashes. Try swapping the hard drive, that may or may not work. Make sure you test everything, your mobo is the last component you will want to replace. Before the processor, anyway.

I think it is your mobo, but I could be wrong.

 

[Bryan]

What kind of power supply do you have? I have the same problem pretty much and I get the same error message from windows, the only difference is that my PC only reboots when I'm doing something graphics intensive, it's very rare for it to reboot otherwise. I have a 9800 from ATI, I called them several times and worked with them trying to troubleshoot the problem but they eventually ran out of ideas. They didn't think it was the card's fault but they were willing to exchange my old one for a newer one. Anyways, some people on the board pointed out to me that I was probably in need of a new PSU, maybe you should try the same thing. I'm going to be getting my new PSU sometime within the next two days, so I'll post the results if you haven't decided to change your PSU already.

 

[Copper]

Hi again.

I do have two Hard drives, so i installed XP on the other hard drive, but still the same problem.

Is there a way of testing the processor ?

I think i have narrowed it down to Motherboard / Processor / Power supply.

 

[Bryan]

See how your system runs with another, better Power Supply. You probably don't want to rush in an start messing around with your Motherboard or CPU until you're absolutely sure it's not your Power Supply.

Check your +12V, +5V and +3.3V if you can with MotherBoard Monitor or something. Just make sure you check the Power Supply first 'cause that's definitely a lot easier to change than the other two.

 

[Him]

Thats a good call, I always seem to neglect the PSU. It's a bigger cause of problems than most people realize.

Unplug things you dont need. One of the HDD's, any extra fans you have running, even your floppy and CD rom. Lower your voltage drain, and see if that works. Or simply try a different PSU, like has been siad.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

I got that everynow and then, dont remember what fixed it, but it wasnt hardware related.