Computer Crashing for no particular reson

BlooBloo Village Fool of UWF Join Date: 2006-11-09 Member: 58497Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">Windows in a nutshell</div>Here i am minding my own business, when suddenly my computer crashes. Everything freezes and the speakers make a DuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuRing sound and neither alt f4, ctrl alt + del or alt tab works. the only way to bring it out of the trance was to put windows out of it's miseries. i held the off button in 6 sec which of course shuts the computer down. when I start the computer again windows pretends like nothing ever happened. and boots perfectly. Who is responsible for this catastrophe? which have happened a total of 3 times now. Have someone else had this problem and might tell me what is the reason for the incident?

The suspects (Programs running while the crash occurred):

Acrobat Reader Update dller

Winamp

Word 2003

Firefox

Zone Alarm Security suite:

Windows Live messanger

Realtek hd Audio manager


Recently installed programs, and drivers:

ATI catalyse control center driver update

Driver for intellMouse Explorer 4.0 (Mouse)

Warcraft 3 and frozen throne

ANY help would be highly appreciated

-BlooRegards
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Comments

  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    System overheating
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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    You're Norwegian, right? Then why do you write "it's" when you mean "its?" I mean, I always figured someone learning a foreign language would get all the grammar and spelling drilled into them.
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  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    Double check the delta couplings on the flux capacitor; they tend to come loose if your Tesla-array isn't balanced correctly. While you are in there, I'd make sure your quantum drive array has enough cooling fluid, that can cause problems as well.


    Your RAM might be losing it. How old is this magic computing box?
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  • BlooBloo Village Fool of UWF Join Date: 2006-11-09 Member: 58497Members
    edited January 2007
    I have already double checked the delta couplings, however the lux capacitor issn't reconsecration as it should. i am running a standard unoptimized quantum t500and60/x500 v18 engine. I just replaced the Cooling fluid with brand new containe... nevermind


    My Magic box is actually one of them laptops. and is around one and a half winters old.

    EDIT:

    (TychoCelchuuu:

    I didn't realize that i had put an ' at the its before you bothered to tell me. because "Look it's Gordon Freeman" would be a good example of that it's isn't used to describe who or what it is or have been. however "look at it's enormous P****" would be a not so good example for HOW ABOUT YOU GOING TO NORWAY AND START LEARNING NORWEGIAN THEN LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN WRITE OUR GRAMMAR FLAWLESS WITHOUT A SINGLE MISTA... never mind....i will keep my eye on you TychoCelchuuu.... so you just watch yourself... )
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  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    Does your magic box have to be in operation for extended periods before having issues? If so I'd take a guess that it's overheating, not really sure what can be done about that since it is a laptop...
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  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    Remember to keep a bit of space between the bottom and whatever surface it's lying on. A laptop isn't supposed to be used on your lap, there's no room for the fans to expel air, and it's very hot.

    I still say it's to do with overheating. I've experienced those symptoms so many times for it to be something else.
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  • BlooBloo Village Fool of UWF Join Date: 2006-11-09 Member: 58497Members
    edited January 2007
    I know this already. it never overheats because of the huge gap between the fan and the table (Hard to explain)

    it also tells me whenever the core temperature exceeds 51* (I am using the "Warning core temperature exeeding safe levels" warning on DooM 3)

    The first incident happened 2 days ago
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  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    I always said that I didn't think it was overheating. If you feel like tinkering [and voiding warranty], open up your laptop and make sure everything is plugged in.

    Either way I'm 90% sure it's a hardware problem, so you might want to send it back in to get serviced -- after backing up your data to DVDs of course.
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  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    edited January 2007
    Forgive TychoCelchuuu, Bloo - he's one of my proteges and is trying hard to edge Cyndane out of the #2 Grammar Nazi spot.... ... .. .

    If you're certain it's not overheating, check the conenction to and from the harddrive. <img src="http://www.ibparcade.com/style_emoticons/default/dunno.gif" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
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  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1596408:date=Jan 8 2007, 07:00 PM:name=emperor_awesome)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(emperor_awesome @ Jan 8 2007, 07:00 PM) [snapback]1596408[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    I always said that I didn't think it was overheating.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Wait a sec...

    It could be a harddrive issue, if you are sure it's not overheating. Alot of hardware issues will just cause the computer to shut-down. However a harddrive failure would just freeze it like that I believe. Eh, I'd send it in to get serviced personally, mostly because I wouldn't be comfortable taking apart a laptop.
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  • BlooBloo Village Fool of UWF Join Date: 2006-11-09 Member: 58497Members
    edited January 2007
    NEVER!

    Medion used almost 3 months the last time

    stupid Medion...

    I was actually thinking of upgrading the ram from 1024 - 2048

    and the free service thingy exceeded long ago


    Why do they put the laptop fan under the laptop anyway?

    And is there some way to easy test the ram for errors?

    like running several programs at once?

    Anyway i have to go to sleep now. i'l check the forums tomorrow
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  • TestamentTestament Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 4037Members
    You can run a RAM test.
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  • RedfordRedford Monorailcatfjord Join Date: 2002-04-28 Member: 528Members, NS1 Playtester
    Primary suspect would be video card drivers. If you recently upgraded your drivers and you are now crashing, my suggestion would be to rollback to the pervious drivers if there was no issue with them. There is some logic in finding a set of drivers that work well and then only upgrading them when an issue presents itself - sometimes upgrading your drivers can cause more problems then they fix if you had none to begin with.
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  • ScytheScythe Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 46NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation, Reinforced - Silver
    Your best bet would be to grab <a href="http://www.memtest86.com/" target="_blank">Memtest86</a> and create a bootable CD with it. Bung it in and reboot and it'll run increasingly more stringent memory checks from now until eternity. Literally. If you let it run for about half an hour you can be pretty sure your memory is fine.

    Try getting a straw and blowing out your fan ducts. They might've accumulated a dust pad in there somewhere. Make sure you dry your mouth out a bit first so you don't spit all over the inside of your computer.

    Some more random advice:

    Ditch ZoneAlarm firewall. It's a piece of crap. It's slow, buggy, inflexible and stupidly anal-retentive about some things. Replace it with <a href="http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/" target="_blank">Comodo</a>. A far superior alternative.

    If that ZoneAlarm package has an anti-virus built-in, grab <a href="http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1" target="_blank">AVG Free</a> to replace it.

    There's always the possibility that you got a silly driver version or something, so it might be worth rolling back to the previous driver version you had installed to see if that fixes it.

    Good luck.

    --Scythe--
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  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    Doesn't AVG Free expire after thirty days?
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  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1596411:date=Jan 9 2007, 12:06 AM:name=Bloo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bloo @ Jan 9 2007, 12:06 AM) [snapback]1596411[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Why do they put the laptop fan under the laptop anyway?
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I never got that myself. Put the fan, underneath, where no air will actually get to it because it's face down.

    Probably simply because you can't really put it anywhere else, can you?
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  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1596432:date=Jan 8 2007, 07:58 PM:name=emperor_awesome)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(emperor_awesome @ Jan 8 2007, 07:58 PM) [snapback]1596432[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Doesn't AVG Free expire after thirty days?
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Negative.
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  • douchebagatrondouchebagatron Custom member title Join Date: 2003-12-20 Member: 24581Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited January 2007
    *I lack the maturity to help forum members so I got edited by Comprox*
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  • ComproxComprox *chortle* Canada Join Date: 2002-01-23 Member: 7Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, NS2 Developer, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver, Subnautica Developer, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    Ill try and be more helpful than the ... people... so far in this thread.

    1. Make sure you do a spyware and virus scan in safe mode (grab AVG or Avast for antivirus. Grab adaware or spybot for spyware - all free). Can never hurt.
    2. It looks like you've done some driver updates. Can you remember the last update you did before the problem occured? If so, try updating or rolling back said driver. If not, make sure all drivers are up to date.
    3. Has that full list of programs been open every time? Try and narrow it down. Things like adobe updater would not be running each time I assume, so we can probably remove it from the list of suspects. Same goes for Warcraft and Word.
    4. A very common occurance of this (besides heat as stated) is sound driver issues. Really look closely at those, try a few versions if possible.
    5. Maybe download hijack this and run it as well, last resort?
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  • BlooBloo Village Fool of UWF Join Date: 2006-11-09 Member: 58497Members
    edited January 2007
    All your help is as said before highly appreciated.

    EDIT: Why does Zone Alarm suck so much? it.. it... says triple layer firewall... that's good isn't it?
    And also... i... MIGHT have cracked the full version... MIGHT... and i have had some problems with AVG free before. Is it really that great?

    Facts about the crash

    Winamp was in 2 of the 3 times the crash occured. And I have had some problems with winamp before.

    Sound was involved in all 3 of the incidents

    the exact same sound (Duuuuuuuuuuuuuur) was involved in all the crashes.


    Programs that was running in ALL the crashes:

    Zone alarm package

    Adobe updater.


    Actually i haven't experienced the same crash thingy. I will do what you have told me and report back to this tread if my problem continues

    Again thanks for the help. You guys really are great.
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  • Lt_PatchLt_Patch Join Date: 2005-02-07 Member: 40286Members
    Software firewalls, no matter how many "layers" the creators claim to have put into it, will never outclass hardware firewalls, such as are found in routers, and dedicated hardware...
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