computer freezes

Guys - can anyone advise on this?

My son's computer freezes solid at random intervals, when it's under even light workloads, and it stays frozen until he turns it off. Then it boots right up again until the next freeze. It runs normallly otherwise. Spec as follows:

Case: Cooler Master Centurion 5 (4 years old)
Motherboard: ASRock N68C-GS FX (5 months old)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB PCIe (4 years old)
Power Supply: XFX ATX 550 Power Supply - P1550SXXB9 (5 months old)
Processor: AMD Phenom 8650 2.3Ghz (4 years old)
RAM: G.Skill 4GB (2x2GB) (4 years old)
Hard Drive: Western ITB SATA (1 week old)
OS: Windows XP (4years old)

Can anyone help troubleshoot this? Thanks

Hi Spiny Norman, and sorry to hear about your son's computer problems.

There could be any amount of reasons for this situation, so the diagnosis by remote forum posting may be long and tedious……

However here are some thoughts that would immediately spring into my mind if a customer bought this machine into my workshop:

1 The machine has had so many new parts fitted that it is in reality quite different from the original. 
 

2 If full ESD (anti static) precautions and recommended workshop practices were taken by an experienced technician in a well equipped workshop in fitting and assembling all the parts then the possible outcomes could be expected to be more favourable than if a person carried out the work in an unsuitable environment and without following the recommended procedures.(this is not to cast aspersions on the standard of the work completed in the past (by whoever performed it…. or on your son's training and experience as a technician or his workshop environment…..as obviously I have no knowledge of this.)
 

3 If the problem has only just started, its often productive to look fairly hard at the last alteration or intervention that was undertaken….as this is often a "prime suspect"
 

4 I would wonder why someone would install a new hard drive, a week or so ago, and presumably install on it a version of Windows (XP) that will be at the end of its safe working life (without taking extra-ordinary precautions) within about the next 6 or 7 weeks…
 

5 If 4Mb of RAM is installed and Windows XP is the 32 bit version then, the machine will be unable to use part of the RAM installed…… If the Windows XP installed is 64 bit, then all the RAM will be able to be used but getting the appropriate drivers for a smooth and stable system will likely be problematic. 

6 When the new motherboard was installed approx. 5 months ago, was Windows XP reinstalled on a fully formatted hard drive?   
 

After these thoughts and turning to the diagnostics, I would try to establish if the computer's hardware (excluding the hard drive and its connections) was working Ok. Booting into a live distro of Linux (Linux Puppy is a simple and quick way, (but there are many other Linux distributions) I would give the machine a good workout, play some music look at some pictures, open some docs, browse the Internet etc., (using an Ethernet connection)…… If the machine works Ok on Puppy Linux after a thorough and prolonged test, without freezing then we have eliminated most hardware and can therefore focus attention on the hard drive and the Windows operating system  and software installed.

In explanation Linux Puppy is a completely free and independent operating system that is happy to run in memory (RAM) from a CD and does not need Windows  or a hard drive even to be present)

Post back with any observations your son has and how the machine runs using a live distro of Puppy (it will be slower than normal, but whether or not it freezes is diagnostically significant). If he needs information on how to download and use Puppy then I will be happy to post them.

Regards

paws

 

Thanks for the reply paws.

I downloaded Linux puppy and booted the computer from CD. It looks very interesting but I am having a problem connecting to the internet. The computer has a USB wireless adaptor connection and I can't figure out how to get this to work. Thanks

Hi Spiny Norman, That's why I recommended:

 give the machine a good workout, play some music look at some pictures, open some docs, browse the Internet etc., (using an Ethernet connection).

 

Its a lot easier to use an Ethernet cable rather than configuring a wireless connection ( it often can be difficult to set up and install the Linux drivers for a wireless connection especially if one is not experienced at using Linux…. )

Regards

paws

ok sorry I didn't see that bit.

Here's the update. I got your note to make sure it was connected via Ethernet cable but before I even got chance to do this my son told me it froze when using Linux Puppy. Actually while the computer was idling. Does that give us clues? I guess it's telling us it's  hardware issue?

 Yes it sure looks like it but just boot into Puppy a few times, if it still freezes then its pointing at the hardware   

Regards

paws

if it freezes using puppy linux, then like paws said you can rule out your hard drive/os as the problem because puppy only runs in memory and doesn't touch the hard drive.

first thing i'd check is temperatures, if high check the cpu fan and try reseating the cpu cooler, i'd expect a complete shutdown more than a freeze if temps were the problem but still not unheard of so worth checking.

the order i usually check for any hardware problems is (not including hard drive.)

powersupply

ram (one of if not the primary culprits for freezes in my experience.)

video card

leaving the cpu and motherboard till last because they are the hardest thing to troubleshoot without proper testing equipment.

have the freezes been happening since you changed the motherboard 5 months ago? if yes then i think i might try a different/updated bios to see if that cured things.

if they've only been happening in the last week since you changed the hard drive, i'd double check everything is connected/seated correctly, maybe you knocked something while installing the hard drive so making a bad connection somewhere causing the freezes.

Thanks paws & terry1966. Sorry for the lag in response. I can't always access my son's computer and I need inoculations to be able to brave his bedroom

OK here's the update. The computer will no longer boot from the hard drive into Windows or the CD drive into Linux Puppy. In Linux if gets as far as a screen saying:

"Loading drivers needed to access disk drives..

Searching for Puppy files in computer disk drives…_"

the underscore is flashing and there's a green "done" in the top RH of the monitor.

Also I wanted to add some more information. The spec of the computer is:

Case: Cooler Master Centurion 5 (4 years old)
Motherboard: ASRock N68C-GS FX (5 months old but RMA'd in the past month)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB PCIe (4 years old)
Power Supply: XFX ATX 550 Power Supply - P1550SXXB9 (5 months old)
Processor: AMD Phenom 8650 2.3Ghz (4 years old)
RAM: G.Skill 4GB (2x2GB) (4 years old)
Hard Drive: Western ITB SATA (3 weeks old)
OS: Windows XP (4years old)

We've had problems with this computer for a while now. Way before this thread started. I've had various pieces of advice which led me to replace the PSU, the motherboard and the hard drive. Replacing the motherboard seemed to fix this about 6 months ago but they returned and I took it to a shop who diagnosed a faulty motherboard so I RMA'd the board. We installed the board but it still wouldn't boot so took it to a different shop who ran various diagnostics and said that the hard drive had bad sectors and may fail again. Also they said the RAM was suspect but they fixed that. When I brought it home from this latter shop the computer was working, it would boot, it was really fast but kept freezing. I replaced the hard drive. It continued to freeze and that's when I started this thread hoping to fix the issues once and for all.

But now it seems I'm back to square one with a computer that just stares at me. I've replaced various parts and I feel the thing owes me money . However, I'm committed to solving this issue and I'm looking forwrad to any help and advice you have.

Many thanks for the help so far,

Ok All understood, Just to be sure we don't overlook anything please try the Linux Puppy CD you made in a different machine….If it works Ok in the different machine then we Know that the Puppy disc is Ok

Regards

paws