Help XP keeps freezing!

[Kef9]

Okay here goes!

Basically I have a problem with my gaming PC, see footer.

It started about 2 months ago when my computer suddenly froze. Nothing would respond and the mouse would not move. To turn the computer off you had to hold the power button. Anyway the weird thing is that if you reset the machine right after a freeze windows would load up as normal and then freeze without fail. But interestingly if you left it a day and then booted up you would be fine for a certain amount of time (maybe an hour) and then it would freeze again.

It would freeze at random times but I did notice it happened quite alot when I would start up windows media player.

Anyway the computer kept freezing on me so I thought it was a software problem. Finally when i could be arsed I did a reinstall of windows a few days ago and put all my old programs and games on. Everything was fine until i got the freeze of death at weekend. Now i have the same problem.

I now think that this is a hardware problem and there is a twist and this started happening also a few months ago.

I turn my computer on and off at the plug so it is not always on. normally to turn it on i have to first switch on the plug socket and then i have to press the power button at the front of the shuttle. However sometimes the computer will randomly turn itself on as soon as I switch my plug socket on and start whirring away with all the fans at maximum speed. Basically when this happens the bios has been reset and i have to load all the optimized defaults etc.

Now I am thinking that these two problems could be related but before I come to a conclusion I have made one other observation that also started around 2 months ago. This was that the clock in windows would start showing the wrong time when windows loaded up.

Basically do you think my mobo is knackered or could this be as simple as a new battery for the bios? Or do you still think this could be a software problem?

What do you guys think. I need some help!

[notsobig]

I suspect PSU as a culplit but not so sure. It's not listed in your setup, what's the make? BTW, I have a problem too and looks like mine is related to PSU so my view is probably bit biased at the moment.

[0iD]

I'll second the PSU theory. May be faulty or underpowered. Cant hurt to replace that bios battery also, cost pence.

[Kef9]

Hi Guys! Thanks for responding.

The PSU is basically the unit I got with the shuttle barebones. Its a 240W psu.

I have loaded it with alot of things though. In the shuttle as well as whats listed below there is the card reader, cold cathodes & usb internal wifi.

I basically modded my shuttle and maxxed out what i could fit in it.

[TamDigital]

240watt?? Crumbs, that's far too feeble to power a Club 3D X800XT surely?

I third the PSU theory. If you have a better one (you'll probably need upwards of 450watt) in your other machine, try swapping them and see if it cures the problem.

[Kef9]

Shuttles work differntly to other computers in that you do not need as big a psu.

They are very efficient.

Ive had a thought about powering my XT off another PSU and seeing if that works. I have an old psu left over so it would be worth a try.

what do you reckon?

[TamDigital]

Shuttles work differntly to other computers in that you do not need as big a psu.

They are very efficient.

Ive had a thought about powering my XT off another PSU and seeing if that works. I have an old psu left over so it would be worth a try.

what do you reckon?

Its not the shuttle which I think would have a problem with the PSU, I just think its far too weak to handle an X800XT (in the product spec, they recommend a 350watt PSU). I could be completely wrong, but that would be my first guess based on experience with Radeon cards ~ they need plenty of juice. Good luck with it though, pls let us know how you get along with this.

[this_is_gav]

Shuttles work differntly to other computers in that you do not need as big a psu.

They are very efficient.

All true, and efficiency is the key word with Shuttles, but I think you're overdoing things with the spec you list (assuming it's the gaming one that's failing). Expecting to run a 10,000rpm as one of 2 hard drives, an optical drive, a not overly efficient graphics card (could be worse, could be an X1x00xt), a soundcard with powered breakout box and 2 memory sticks is perhaps a bit optimistic. If you've got some cathodes and things in there too, then IMO if that's not well over the limit, it's bound to be right on it.

I'm not going to say it's causing the issues, but it would certainly be the first thing I'd address when looking at contributing factors.

[Kef9]

Yes its the gaming one thats failing.

I forgot to mention. Originally when the crashing was happening the first time I only had the 7200 rpm drive in there. I added the raptor only recently.

I thought that because I was doing a fresh install I would get a raptor.

also the soundcard does not have a breakout box.

[jamiecockrill]

it hasn't taken a knock recently has it? some twit manhandled my tower a couple of years ago and now and then I'd find the thing had turned itself on by itself (i thought i was going crazy!), replaced the PSU and everything was fine.

I reckon the hangs are something different though, you've not checked your temps on your CPU and GFX have you? Your cooling is probably more than adequate, but i've come across people who had PC's for years and never thought to blow a bit of compressed air through the heatsinks on their components.

Hope it sorts itself out!

[Kef9]

Hi guys

Just to give you an update the whole problem was related to my bios battery which had gone flat.

I think that what was happening was that when the charge on the battery had run out the computer would freeze. By leaving it overnight it would recharge slightly and thats why it would work the next day.

This also explained the clock never keeping time and also why my bios settings kept resetting.

thanks for you responses!

[Kef9]

Just to give people an update I found out what the real problem was. I solved the clock and bios issue by installing another battery, however it still kept freezing after 2 hours.

basically the problem was solved because the smart fan setting in the bios was not enough to make the computer run stable. It caused XP to freeze because either the cpu or the mobo chipset was overheating. This also explains why the computer would refreeze upon a quick restart because it was still too hot but worked fine for a time the next day.

I just set the bios fan setting to speed up at either 50 or 55 degrees cpu temp. This keeps a good airflow running through the machine and keeps things stable.

The problem was not psu related. I still cant belive the amount im running off a 240W psu!