I think there is something seriously wrong with my PC!

[Zer0Cool]

As some of you know I'd been experiencing some PC problems for the last 1-2 month. Yesterday I made a detailed post about how my PC freezes sometimes. Please see the thread here:

http://www.computerforums.org/showthread.php?t=78829

Last night different symptoms had occurred. When I clicked the shutdown button on my desktop, PC starts shutting down as normal, the screen goes black the light on the monitor goes orange, but the PC keeps on working, I had to turn it off manually. That happened twice, before it actually properly shutdown. I'm not an expert, but this looks like it might be a HDD problem? I do have a raid 0 in it.

I think this weekend I will do a full RAM test & HDD test. Can someone please tell me what programs and where I can get them I need to use to perform these tests? I know someone sad use the Memtest for the RAM, are there instructions on how to do it? Basically all your input here is greatly valued! Thank you.

 

[IAntDemo]

O I'm sorry man, I totally forget about that problem.

Here is my quick input.

Ok 1st things 1st, make sure everything is in nice and tight, now, as to what you was asking in your last thread here is how to check your disk

Vista/XP

Start/Run>Type: CMD now black screen, now type CHKDSK

Now it will fly threw your harddrive and check it, report back to me if it has bad sectors or anything bad as it will tell you.

Also, sound cards sometimes crash computers, if you have lots of sound cables coming out here their and everywhere and have a sound card then if you nudge it it could just freeze and will make it sound horrible out of the speakers, my friends pc freezes like yours sometimes because he moves the tower by mistake and it can just touch his sound by abit and make it freeze.

Also you can DIAGNOISE your pc with some tools:

I have not used one of the internet so you can choose:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=e...t=result&cd=1&q=diagnosis+pc+download&spell=1


Also you could download cCleaner and scan your registry and your pc and clean them both up.

Also you could run it in safemode and just have a genral scan and check it, and also you could defrag it.

I'm sorry about leaving it blank on that thread you made, I forget about it lol.

Anyway goodluck

 

[Atomic Rooster]

You can find a HDD testing utility on the drive manufacturer's website.

This will tell you how to run Memtest: Memtest86+ FAQ

 

[Zer0Cool]

Antdemo +1, but "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Antdemo again"

I will do every everything as you instructed, thank you. I will open my PC to check if the sound card is properly inserted. And no worries about the last thread I appreciate your help.

+1 Atomic Rooster, but "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Atomic Rooster again." thank you for the links.

 

[LambOfGod]

Is anything overclocked? Have you run Prime 95 on all 4 cores to insure stability?

If you run the above tests and still do not find the issue, I would back up and reload the OS w/ the latest service pack/drivers. If it acts up again, I would suspect a hardware issue.

 

[Atomic Rooster]

Just a shot in the dark, are you able to try another power supply in that computer? Faulty PSU's have been known to cause shutdown problems like that.

Here's a good read on diagnosing shutdown problems: WINDOWS XP SHUTDOWN & RESTART TROUBLESHOOTING

 

[Zer0Cool]

Is anything overclocked? Have you run Prime 95 on all 4 cores to insure stability?

If you run the above tests and still do not find the issue, I would back up and reload the OS w/ the latest service pack/drivers. If it acts up again, I would suspect a hardware issue.

No no OC on this PC. I didn't run the P95 because I figured if I don't have nothing OC what's the point...

Just a shot in the dark, are you able to try another power supply in that computer? Faulty PSU's have been known to cause shutdown problems like that.

Here's a good read on diagnosing shutdown problems: WINDOWS XP SHUTDOWN & RESTART TROUBLESHOOTING

I might have another PSU, but i think its only about 500w-550w not sure.. Will that be enaught for this PC? Also the freezing problem happens VERY rarely, so id have to be using this PSU for some time in order to determine if the other PSU is indeed faulty. The problem with the shutdown only happened yesterday for the first time, if it does it again I will change the PSU to test it out.

So this week I will do the HDD test that "Antdemo" described & I will do the Memtest that "Atomic Rooster" mensioned. If both of them will be in the green, I will change the PSU, will 500w will be enough for this PC? I'm trying to avoid the full system reinstall just because I have so much stuff to back up!

Anything else im missing? Thanks

PS: I have Vista 64 bit ultimate

 

[Atomic Rooster]

I was looking at the rig in your profile. You have two sound cards installed? Why? Maybe they are having a conflict causing the freezes.

 

[Zer0Cool]

I was looking at the rig in your profile. You have two sound cards installed? Why? Maybe they are having a conflict causing the freezes.

Good observation Rooster Right now I actually only have only one the razer. However, I do have the SoundBlaster drivers installed. I will remove the drivers this week, well see what happend's

 

[Atomic Rooster]

You should always remove drivers from previous devices to avoid any conflicts. Sandblaster's were notorious for causing driver conflicts.