Blue Screens and Program Crashes - HELP

[struby]

I just built my computer, and have waded through just about every issue. Now I have come to this one. Every now and then, my firefox or my CS source with crash or "program stopped working."

Also, sometimes I will start up my computer and when I try to start firefox, it will "program stopped working" before the browser even pops up, and it will do that every time I try to start it. Every time I exit CS source, it says it has stopped working.

In the case of the repetitive firefox crashes, I can usually just restart the computer and it's fixed, but the computer is too new to even allow me to want to let that go, then...

Last time, I waited to restart it, and my computer blue screened. Upon windows loading on the next restart, it blue screened again. I now started it up and it appears to be running ok, I am typing this in firefox. I don't feel like this issue is going to go away, and I think I'm going to have program crashes and blue screens if I don't do something. Any advice?

my case seems cool, as do the temperature readings of easy tune, or cool enough. I'm new to this, and not sure what to do.

edit: a search of firefox crashes and blue screen came up with some complaints, and I think both blue screens were upon opening or crashing of firefox, but I'm not sure and I'm in firefox fine right now, just wanted to add that.

here is my build:

Originally Posted by daisymtc $645, exclude shipping. Phenom II x4 955 + XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 combo http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.415601 GIGABYTE GA-870A-UD3 + GeIL 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 combo http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.424666 Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB + HEC Blitz Black Steel Edition ATX Mid Tower combo http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.413256 OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W + LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM combo http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.419457 I am not sure what style of case you want, just find one with combo deal

[Force Flow]

What is the error code on the blue screen?

System instability like this is *usually* either caused by malware (in that case, clean with malwarebytes) or with faulty RAM (in that case, boot with memtest86+ on a CD and run the scan)

[Nikon]

that motherboard does not natively support ddr3 1600 ram, you will have to manually set timings/etc in bios. this is most likely the cause of the problem. even though they are combo'd together, they are not made for eachother. newegg says this in the fine print, but alas, many people dont research things like this when they see combo deals.

check your memory settings, and then run memtest.

[struby]

I have already run memtest, seagate's test, and prime95 all with no errors. But I think the first run of memtest might have given errors, I'll have to check the ram settings in the bios when I get home. I just build the computer a week ago and it has been doing it like the whole time, so I doubt malware. I'll try setting the ram when I get off work, any other suggestions in the mean time?

edit: and I'm not sure of the error on the blue screen and I hope I never get the opportunity to look again.

[orbrit]

I had similar issues in Firefox at one point. I think it was related to a plugin - Java deployment toolkit

Check in your Options/Plugins to see if you have that there and try disabling it.

[struby]

my "memory clock speed" was set to auto at 1333 in bios, I changed it to 1600, tried to start firefox, it tried to do something that needed permission, i said yes, it crashed, the blue screen.

restarted after the blue screen and everything is working ok as of now.

[Force Flow]

Originally Posted by struby But I think the first run of memtest might have given errors, I'll have to check the ram settings in the bios when I get home.

Make sure you are not overclocking. Then run memtest86+.

If it throws errors, you have bad RAM, and it will need to be replaced. If you have multiple sticks, run memtest with each stick by itself to determine which stick is the problem.

If the RAM is still under warranty, get an RMA replacement. If you bought the RAM as a matched set (as in, they came in the same package), RMA the whole set.

[struby]

I had run the memtest before on both sticks together and each stick individually, my ram was set to 1333 in bios instead of 1600, so I changed that, and it seems to have helped, but its too soon to tell

[struby]

So I had been having some program crashes and blue screens. After testing my ram and other hardware components and changing my mobos default ram speed (1333) to the ram speed I bought (1600), problems persisted. My friend came to have a look, he did a repair startup for registry errors or something like that, then he was looking around in my bios and I was wondering if his possible analysis was reasonable, because so far the computer is working ok, but it always did sometimes, so I'm not sure yet, the computer is only about 2 weeks old, just built.

He said my northbridge was set at 2000 mHz, which was the lowest number on the charts we were looking at, but he said they can overheat easily so not to up it, but my ram was set at 1600 mHz, and he mentioned something about process timing and the smaller difference causing timing issues maybe, and backed my ram settings to 1066. So far so good, but like I said, it's too early to be sure. I was wondering two things:

- Could this have been the problem/solution?

- Am I going to lose ram performance now?

[glc]

Threads merged, please keep this in one thread for continuity.

I think you simply bought the wrong ram.

[struby]

why do you say that, and how would I know. the mobo should be 1600 compatible and I have run memtest on both sticks.

[struby]

here are the memory specs, it doesn't list 1600 specifically, but I was told by multiple people it would support:

4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 16 GB of system memory (Note 1)
Dual channel memory architecture
Support for DDR3 1866(OC)/1333/1066 MHz memory modules

[glc]

I need a link to the exact memory you bought. The combo you linked is no longer available.

The CORRECT ram for an AM3 rig is 1333, and it should be 1.5v.

[struby]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820144356
it is ddr3 1600 and in my bios in health status it says ddr3 1.5 v

above is my ram, here is my mobo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128443

and here is my cpuid info:

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1272216

[glc]

That's 1.6 volt ram. Manually set the ram voltage to 1.6 and speed to 1333 (667x2) with 9-9-9-28 timings.

Or - send it back and buy 1.5 volt 1333 ram...........

[struby]

I appretiate the help, and I think it would be best to link you to another forum so I can let you know where my progress stands:

http://www.maximumpc.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=107202

most of the beginning is all the same stuff that is posted here, probably more toward the second half of the posts is where it gets more up to date on my situation.

[glc]

I've given you advice for reliability and stability. You are getting advice over there geared towards tweakers and overclockers. Good luck.

[struby]

thanks?

[struby]

so all was going farely well, then another blue screen, went away too fast to read error, followed by windows restarting, saying it needs to check my disks for consistancy, which seemed to go well. That seemed to come up clean on all fronts, followed by a windows restart where a few of these messages come up "the instruction at 0x005f75c0 referenced memory at 0x1cf0756b. The memory could not be written". the rest being similar. Firefox also crashed before the window loaded, followed shortly after by a bluesreen which came shortly after I hit "shut down." Followed by another restart, another disk check, this time no issues or crashes or messages on windows starting, shortly followed by another blue screen. The first and third restarts after crashes were followed by my gadgets going away and desktop icons auto arranged on the first one, second one was fine, and third one brought different resolutions. it is now running at that resolution, but I have not touched it other than to open the screenshot I took of that memory error message. The only changes I have made since I thought I might have fixed it have been audio plug ins and running dual monitors now. Bios temperatures are reasonable in the low 40s. Could not see GPU temp, but does not seem to being going crazy.

HELP!

[struby]

I know last time my link to another forum seemed displeasing, I would like to do so again, there is a discussion here about which slots to have my memory in, and I was wondering if you thought that would cause my issues.

http://www.maximumpc.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=35

[pally01]

I don't think it was the link, it looks like it was the topic that was displeasing. I link to forums every now and again and have received no static yet from anyone.

[orbrit]

Your memory should be in DDR3_1 and DDR3_2 or DDR3_3 and DDR3_4 per the manual.

Let's hope it's not specific to your hardware choices.

we did advise against Geil memory, XFX graphics cards and OCZ PSU that you selected.

[glc]

I wasn't displeased, I was simply commenting that the other forum is geared more toward tweakers and overclockers. I was sincerely wishing you good luck in getting your problem solved through that avenue, since you don't seem to want to heed the advice being given here. No biggie, that's your choice and nothing is being taken personally.

[struby]

http://www.maximumpc.com/forums/view...186e22141dff88

that one maybe?

all the link talk aside, I am picking up from the manual that it should be in 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 to run dual channel. All of the manuals and things should be referenced in that forum.

I'm not trying to gear toward anything, I just want my computer and each part to work as bought. I have tested the ram, each stick tested fine alone and together. I'm fine with the power supply and graphics, the GeIL ram I agree was questionable, but that's water under (or currently flooding and destroying) the bridge, either way, i have what I have now.

[glc]

So, have you tried manually setting the ram voltage to 1.6 and slowing it down to 667/1333 and 9-9-9-28? If so, and it still doesn't work right, I'd get rid of that ram.

[orbrit]

Originally Posted by struby http://www.maximumpc.com/forums/view...186e22141dff88 that one maybe? all the link talk aside, I am picking up from the manual that it should be in 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 to run dual channel. All of the manuals and things should be referenced in that forum. I'm not trying to gear toward anything, I just want my computer and each part to work as bought. I have tested the ram, each stick tested fine alone and together. I'm fine with the power supply and graphics, the GeIL ram I agree was questionable, but that's water under (or currently flooding and destroying) the bridge, either way, i have what I have now.

From the manual, I interpret it as 1 and 2 or 3 and 4.

[orbrit]

so now I'm confused as the other forum had a different image.


which one is correct?

[orbrit]

OK I figured it out.

the top image is for REV 2.0, the one on the other forum (which I linked in the lower picture) is for REV 2.1 of the GA-870-UD3

Which one do you have?

[struby]

I just got to work so I can't check for a while, but because I know at some point I looked in my hard copy of the manual and I think it either matched the bottom one (rev 2.1), or showed the bottom (2.1) setup. Because I originally saw that it made it look like 1 and 3, so if I saw it that means there is a good chance it says the rev 2.1 in my hard copy. So for now I'll say it's 2.1 and let you know otherwise.

edit: then again it says 2.0 on the picture of the board I bought on Newegg, but I am guessing that doesn't mean anything. I couldn't find anything in the specs on Newegg specifying which one it was either. And I just ordered the thing like 3 or 4 weeks ago, so I would think it was the newest rev?.

[glc]

Relax and take a deep breath - and wait till you can visually inspect your board for the rev markings.