Unbelieavable problems with Desktop PC...Read this~!

[johnnyc]

Unbelieavable problems with Desktop PC...Read this~!

Ok,
I don't want this to be a rant, but I gotta get this off my chest before my mind explodes to a billion pieces.

I am getting SO sick of my computer "freezing" or "locking up", and no tech support has ANY idea.

First off. MY pc is a Gateway Desktop P4 3.2 ghz with HT, 1 gig ram, 256 mb nVidia gfx card, 2x 250 gig SATA hard drives in NON raid configuration, although there is a raid connector, It was orginally setup in raid 0 config.

My pc freezes or "locks up" about 7-20 times a day. Can you imagine how frustrating it is for me? What happens, is while I'm working or even when I go away, the screen will completely "halt or freeze", and the cpu will not EVER blink, it will remain this way for DAYS until I reboot, I left it for a week in that state, it never changes or unfreezes, and the CPU light NEVER blinks once while in that "locked up" or "Frozen state".

Gateway tech support has NO FREAKING IDEA, what is causing this. NOTHING has been added internally to the pc, I have 5 external hard drives connected via usb ports, I disconnected all of them to make sure it wasn't them causing the issues.

I can GUARANTEE a "lock up" by opening a bunch of windows and maybe a few programs, and then open a new window and go to ANY website that has a SSL certificate, or active x, or any kind of "extra" deal to a website. Even big HTML websites will freeze my pc.

Other things that will freeze my pc, opening big programs like "adobe photoshop mx", playing ANY video game, I play counterstrike and especially TFC, that freezes it ALOT.

Pretty much ANYTHING will freeze my pc aside from that, given time. Those things I listed just freeze it ALOT faster and ALOT more frequently.



I have spent 3 months straight on the phone monday - friday, calling all day, spending 6 hours a day average sometimes, probably a FULL 3 weeks if It was all together, dealing with GATEWAY support, and they go by the book, and cannot figure out what the deal is.

Does ANYONE have any idea how I can diagnose this problem? I googled "gateway problems" and I found a place that said similar issues, and it was a problem between TWO or more DRIVERS or between HARDWARE's installed on the system.

Since EVERYTHING on the system is stock, I am left without ideas. About to trash this MONSTER of a computer, this pc is STILL nearly top of the line even when I bought it over a year ago.

I have Reformatted 17 times in the past year, reformatting DOES NOT fix problems.

I upgraded to WINDOWS XP HOME SP 2 FULLY UPDATED, went into my bios/drivers and manually updated EVERY SINGLE ONE, does not fix the issue.

Another REALLY Weird GUARANTEED way to freeze the pc.

FRESH of a COMPLETE HD wipe and fresh reformat install of WINDOWS XP HOME SP1, FIRST thing I did was go to updates.windows.com and started installing sp2. that was a GUARANTEED way to freeze the pc before it EVER started installing. It would have the GREEN bar across my screen, saying scanning system info or something like that, and freeze every time.

To upgrade to sp2, I would have to wait for the little shield to popup and let it upgrade from the system tool bar, NOT windows explorer.

I have NO spyware, no adware, I scanned with pc doctor, no problems reported.

Any bright Ideas aside shooting myself?

Thanks.




UPDATE:

ok,

Here's the long awaited update, PROBLEMS NOT FIXED.

I TRIED:

Turnning OFF Hyperthreading, Disconnected ALL External devices and USB devices, Took out one stick of ram and then switched and took out the other.

NONE of this fixed the problems. Complete Reformat does nothing.

Only thing I haven't tried yet is using a live boot linux cd, and I haven't done that yet because I simply can't work in a linux enviroment and get much work done, I use linux like a freak for servers and REMOTE access, but when I'm at my pc, it's gotta be windows or nothing.

What else should I try?

CPU is plenty cool when it freezes.

I have posted this at Webhostingtalk.com weeks ago. Here's the thread :

http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=3387658#post3387658

Please help, I am really screwed outta my mind.

[figarowa]

sounds hardware based since you have "reformatted" 17 times. try your ram in another pc to check for stability if possible, if not take it to a shop to have them test. other things to consider; how old the wiring is in your home, however sounds like some kind of processing error which could be a faulty Processor, mobo or even power supply. Is the machine still under warrentee?

[rspassey]

That certainly sounds like a mobo problem. I also have doubts on your PSU, it could be failing. I am sorry I dont have answers, but many time lock ups and freezes are caused bya failing PSU or mobo. Do you have anyway of swapping the psu with another computer?

[blue60007]

Sounds like a RAM problem. Search for MemTest98, I think.

[Panama Red]

First two things to eliminate as possible hardware issues are memory and hard drives. Download Memtest86+ (http://www.memtest.org/), make a boot floppy with it (or bootable CD) and let it run for a couple of full passes. If you get any errors, test the memory sticks one at a time to see which one is faulty. Test your hard drives with the drive maker's diagnostic software.

I doubt the CPU is overheating because a P4 will downclock to protect itself.

Almost sounds like a weak power supply or an overheated Southbridge with all the usb devices you're using. However, you did say that you've disconnected the external hard drives and experienced the same lock ups.

You also said "no spyware". What programs/tools have you run to assure your system is clean? Do you happen to be running either Norton or McAfee Internet Security or Antivirus programs?

[johnnyc]

ok, already ran memtest 4 passes, no errors found.

as far as spyware, I have ran ad-aware se 1.06 and SEVERAL other anti spyware programs, I have mcafee internet security and firewall (COMPLETE SUITE) fully updated.

I have TRIED disconnecting ALL external devices AND ALL USB devices.

AFTER A BRAND NEW FRESH (WIPE & OS INSTALL using factory cd's), I STILL get the problem, before the computer is EVER connected to the net, so it is CERTAINLY not spyware, I guarantee that.

My last options I believe are bad mobo or bad PSU.

I am HOPING it's the PSU, lol, Can someone who has experience for FACT say they have experienced a TOTAL lockup of the screen, NO input commands have any effect, CPU light NEVER even blinks once screen is locked up. Can someone tell me that a fautly PSU would cause this lock up? I mean if there was the blue screen of death or something I would be more convinced, but BECAUSE the screen simply locks up, and I try entering MANY crtl+alt+del (should give me task manager), holding shift for more than 5 seconds (SHOULD pop up sticky keys), just randomly typing keys really fast for a while (makes PC start beeping as you all know, if you type WAY too fast the pc beeps like crazy at you), nothing happens. The CPU light NEVER blinks ever until I unplug.

Taking it into a repair shop is TOTALLY out of the question, I do not trust ANYONE anymore with pc repair, I only trust myself, if you want to know why, read that other thread I linked to.

So you guys think that my exact syptoms are bad PSU ? Wouldn't a bad PSU make the pc REBOOT or something ? Why/what would cause the entire pc to just HALT for indefinate amount of time (left alone for 2 weeks while on vacation, never unfroze), and the screen stays the same and always on / displayed, no flickering or anything.

I CAN GUARANTEE a freezing of my pc, by surfing websites with SSL certificates (this is NOT the only sure fire way, but it's the most guaranteed).

EVEN RIGHT AFTER a pc reformat, I try to login to paypal.com or ANY site starting with https:// and screen locks up / pc never responds.

that is just ONE way to freeze it, I can also open up Direct Connect, Music Match, Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Dreamweaver, and then open up a windows explorer and ALOT of times that alone will freeze it, WHILE I try EXACT same thing on my laptop or other PC, no problems what so ever.


I belieeve it's definately a hard ware issue.

WHAT programs do I need to buy/download and run to test it out? MONEY is not an issue for software (most have free trials or 30 day money back, I am cool with), I need the MOST Advanced software in the world for PC diagnostics, and hopefully fast.

MEMTEST86, I ran 4 times, no errors, I took out one stick of ram, still froze, swapped out for other stick, still froze, ram is most likely good (both sticks failing and no errors displayed is very rare i would say).

Can I test my PSU ?

[Panama Red]

Remove ALL the McAfee (make that McAwful!) stuff, download the free AVG antivirus to maintain protection and see if anything changes. Remember, when diagnosing issues like this make only one change at a time and evalutate that change before making another.

[johnnyc]

ok, and I know it's not spyware, just wanted to say it's not antivirus or internet security either, because RIGHT off a fresh installation (reformat) I get the problems, even before anything is installed like mcafee.

I am going to TRY using my live boot linux cd tommroow, and try surfing paypal.com again (that crashed my pc 4 times today, of course I was running music match at the same time, not that I know if that has anything to do with it, but if there was a music match for linux that would be helpful, to have the EXACT same program running while I surf SSL sites).

It's nothing I have installed, the OS Reinstall cd's are MANUFACTURE brand directly from gateway shipped with my pc. The odd's of the problem residing ON their installation, I don't know but maybe that's where the problem is, with the gateway reformat cd's.

Is it possible that a faulty PSU causes the COMPLETE lock up?

[johnnyc]

addweb 8 and/or bittorent "lock" my computer up, and I don't mean use 100% cpu and freeze, I mean "lock up the screen forever" and cpu usage light never blinks or comes on, and no input is processed.

What is the MOST advanced software diagnostics there are, maybe I can buy and download tonight and leave it running while I sleep.

Already tried memtest86, motherboard monitor 5 and prime95 (all freeware).

[Hi Ho]

Is it possible that a faulty PSU causes the COMPLETE lock up?
Yes, it is possible for a PSU to lock up your PC along with many other seemingly unrelated problems.

I had a poor quality PSU long ago and it caused many strange problems including lock-ups, random reboots, and other errors.

McAffee Antivirus has also caused me a LOT of grief in the past. So I also recommend not installing it.

[johnnyc]

yea, i'm aware antiviruses like mcafee and norton cause errors, but that's not the case here.

I'll see about replacing the PSU, lol..... just have to find a cheap seller on the net, cuz the local pc hard ware shop sells stuff at 300% retail.

[Hi Ho]

Do you live in the US? If so, Newegg.com (www.newegg.com[/url) is my top recommendation. However, the PSU in your Gateway might be proprietory. If that is the case you will need to buy one from them.