PC Crashing more often now : ( Please Help

[malice19]

I have a

OS: Windows 7 64 Pro
MOBO: Asus P5Q Deluxe
RAM:4 GB
CPU: Intel Core 2 Extreame QX6700
HDD:750GB Seagate SATA
3D PCE-E:XFX 896MB GTX260 XXX 640MHz

I have got to the point where i have no idea what is crashing my PC. At first i thought it was one of the HDDs as it was making a clicking sound now and then but after running tests the HDD was reported to be fine, but just to make sure i replaced the HDD and thought it was sorted until my PC crashed again.

I have updated Drivers, flashed the BIOS, but still find my PC will just hang and mouse will not move. Have tried benchmarking the PC to see if i could get it to crash but it works fine?

I hate this kind of problem as do not get any hints what is causing the problem.


Can anyone recommend any good Diag software i could use or what i should do next?
It’s going to get to the part where i will have to start swapping parts to find out what is wrong at this rate which could get expensive.


Thanks for your time.

[malice19]

Also Event viewer just reports "The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly."

No blue screen just crash.

[oolon]

Have you tried replacing the battery on the motherboard? That when it gets old can cause instability.

[PeteSmith]

Is everything @ stock speeds, have you overclocked anything? Check the memory voltage and timings in the bios, ensure they meet the vendor recommendations. You could remove the memory from the mobo and try one stick at a time? Also what PSU do you have ?

[malice19]

Have you tried replacing the battery on the motherboard? That when it gets old can cause instability.

The MOBO is less than a year i think so would have thought that the Bat should still be good, + Would it not display error on post advising to change bat if it needs replacing?

Cheers

[malice19]

Is everything @ stock speeds, have you overclocked anything? Check the memory voltage and timings in the bios, ensure they meet the vendor recommendations. You could remove the memory from the mobo and try one stick at a time? Also what PSU do you have ?

Yes every thing is at stock speed and no OC has been done. Have tried having the RAM set to the correct speeds and also set to Auto in BIOS for timings but still no joy.
PSU = Ememax 750W

Cheers

[oolon]

The MOBO is less than a year i think so would have thought that the Bat should still be good, + Would it not display error on post advising to change bat if it needs replacing?

I thought that... I had a new board which kept falling (bought in 2008), when I checked the battery it was dated 97! Didn't have any kind of battery warning, until the thing refused to boot, but the crash had been going on since I got it. Now the problem is gone. For a couple of quid it worth a try.

[malice19]

I thought that... I had a new board which kept falling (bought in 2008), when I checked the battery it was dated 97! Didn't have any kind of battery warning, until the thing refused to boot, but the crash had been going on since I got it. Now the problem is gone. For a couple of quid it worth a try.

Yeah not a bad idea i guess , always open to new ideas... will check what date my bat has on it later.
Cheers

[this_is_gav]

Have your ran a memtest on the RAM?

Changed the SATA cables?

There's no bluescreen? It just freezes and accepts no inputs?

Does it only happen under load or is it entirely random?

If it restarts or bluescreens, is there a minidump folder in C:\Windows? If so, it's worth downloading the Debugging Tools for Windows, running WinDbg and opening one of the crash dumps - it often gives a hint at the problem caused (be it driver or hardware).

[CWH]

If Windbg is too esoteric, then WhoCrashed shows details - if available, of crashes.

Colin

[Zak33]

Have your ran a memtest on the RAM?

Mem test definately....

[malice19]

Have your ran a memtest on the RAM?

Changed the SATA cables?

There's no bluescreen? It just freezes and accepts no inputs?

Does it only happen under load or is it entirely random?

If it restarts or bluescreens, is there a minidump folder in C:\Windows? If so, it's worth downloading the Debugging Tools for Windows, running WinDbg and opening one of the crash dumps - it often gives a hint at the problem caused (be it driver or hardware).

There's no bluescreen? It just freezes and accepts no inputs? Correct.

Have run Mem test on each of the 2 sticks one at a time and both passed with no errors.
I know where your coming from as the first time i purchased this ram it was doing the same thing to my PC and mem test picked up that one of the sticks were faulty so Def worth it!

[malice19]

If Windbg is too esoteric, then WhoCrashed shows details - if available, of crashes.

Colin

No valid crash dumps have been found on your computer.

Thanks any way.

[semo]

have you run seatools to check your HDD. in my experience, if the screen just freezes then it is memory problem (RAM, HDD or maybe even faulty mobo SATA controllers). Check using Seatools and also if you have another drive, clone your OS to it and test for a few weeks to eliminate the hard disk

[malice19]

have you run seatools to check your HDD. in my experience, if the screen just freezes then it is memory problem (RAM, HDD or maybe even faulty mobo SATA controllers). Check using Seatools and also if you have another drive, clone your OS to it and test for a few weeks to eliminate the hard disk

Done both what you have suggested, thought it was my HDD at first so i ran seatools and came back with passed all tests. But as one of the drives were making a clicking sound on one of the tests i decided to clone it to another HDD and thought that was it but the PC crashed again, so still no joy....
I will try changing to a different data port on the board though as have not tried that yet.

Cheers

[malice19]

just crashed again : (
Have changed the SATA port from 1 to 4 see how it goes....

As for the BIOS Bat it has not date on it?