Windows Freezes if the case is touched

[mistamoni]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post, so hopefully some people can help me shed some light on a recent mystery. I recently bought a few upgrades for my PC, and upgraded everything myself. The main upgrades was a new motherboard, increased RAM, a bluray burner, and a new harddrive. I did a fresh install of Windows XP SP3, and all seemed well. However, I would notice that my computer would randomly just freeze. I couldn't move the mouse, the keyboard wouldn't work, everything would just freeze. I re-installed windows again, and same problem would occur. Thinking that some of the firmwares from the motherboard utility disk were causing it, I didn't install anything... yet I was still getting these random freezes. At first I thought the CPU may have been overheated, but when I checked through BIOS, it read 30C the entire time.

Today, after I did a clean re-installation of windows for the 3rd time, everything seemed to be running smoothly. I then accidentally touched the case, and it froze again. To make sure this was the reason I was getting the freeze, I re-started the PC, and just slightly tapped the side of the case... and bingo, it happened again. So any vibration from the case is causing it to freeze.

Now, does anyone know why this is happening? Is there a solution to this?

Computer Specs incase anyone needs to know the hardware info:

Gigabyte EP45-UD3P Motherboard
Ultra 650 LSP Power supply
Intel Q6600 Quad Core
8 GB G-Skills DDR2 800 (4x2GB)
EVGA 8800GT
Generic DVD burner
Pioneer Bluray Burner
Antec 900 case

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[bliss]

Something's either shorting out or something is loose.

Take everything out except the motherboard and put it back in.

 

[oldskool]

^ +1 Yes it sounds like shorting out. Make sure all your standoffs are installed properly (correct locations and all of them installed), as well as everything snug.

 

[forrestcupp]

Also, are you plugging it into a grounded outlet?

 

[mistamoni]

Hmm.. I checked and double checked everything to make sure it was installed tightly.... but I'll look again. The computer and monitor are both plougged into a Belkin 4320J surge protector, that's laying on the carpet on the ground. I've seen a post before where the static could have interfered with it if it wasn't grounded properly... but I don't think this is the case.

On a side note, I've noticed that the mouse just randomly freezes sometimes. I've opened another thread on it here. I'm starting to think that my MB may just be defected

 

[veg1992]

Sounds like its shorting, I think you didn't put the standoffs in the motherboard correctly and didn't screw it down.

 

[mistamoni]

Sounds like its shorting, I think you didn't put the standoffs in the motherboard correctly and didn't screw it down.

Would you be able to elaborate a bit? This is my second time custom making a PC, so that may be the case. What exactly are the standoffs you are speaking off? I made sure to follow the book that came with the motherboard, and everything was pretty much plug and play (they were clearly labeled) in terms of connecting everything. So I don't think I put anything in the wrong slot. However, the outlet from the CPU fan has 3 holes, and the CPU fan slot on the MB has 4 prongs. It fits in, and the fan turns on after a second, but that was the only thing I was confused on. I re-opened and checked everything again, and everything (including all the plugs, PCI cards, graphics card, and sata wires) are all snug in pretty tightly. Can't really determine anything loose.

 

[KSoD]

The standoffs are the little brass pieces that go between the mother board and the case.

That is what they are. Those should be under your mother board and attached to the case. If not you will get shorting problems like you are describing.

 

[veg1992]

The standoffs are the little brass pieces that go between the mother board and the case.

That is what they are. Those should be under your mother board and attached to the case. If not you will get shorting problems like you are describing.

Put those in the motherboard holes that line up in the case, then screw it in to keep it in place.

 

[mistamoni]

Ah ok. My case has them already... but I think I may have screwed just the normal screws on top of the MB instead of connecting the standoffs... I'm guessing they should line up... or the standoffs that are attached to the case should also be closed with another set from the top of the MB. I will try to connect these and then see if it makes a difference. Thanks for the help.

Actually, I just took everything out again... and noticed that this MB is slightly larger than my last one... so 3 of the holes on the far right hand side didn't have the standoffs at the bottom, and I never had screwed anything in initially. There are spots under those screw holes on the case where I'm gonna now manually install the standoffs. Hopefully this will do the trick. I guess I am suppose to install the flat screws, and not other standoffs on top, correct? Or do additional standoffs have to connect with those for the current to pass better??