i worked around that problem however after the install of the updated drivers
it still seems to be crashing while watching videos on youtube
and my computer still has that sluggish feel to it
while surfing the net and listening to winamp the sound becomes very choppy performance wise
Hey Doug,
After the uninstall of all the drivers and what not it still crashes
is there any way to show what is exactly causing the crash other then just sort of ballparking it?
You can get a very good overview of your machine's present functioning by using the PCPitstop OverDrive Full Tests.
You must register and create your own login password.
You will be required to accept an ActiveX component which will enable your machine to run the tests.
Use is free and safe. http://www.pcpitstop.com/default.asp
There are quite a few "commercial offers" on the pages, none of which are required for your use of the tests.
Just ignore the commercial offers.
I've used PCPitstop Full Tests for several years now and am quite impressed with the reliability and usability of the Results generated to tell the owner about how the machine is functioning in current Real Time.
Please Run the PCPitstop Full Tests and have a careful look at the Results in all of the graphically presented pages.
You can "share" your PCPitstop Full Tests Results here for us to review in detail with you, by posting the URL to your Results Summary page.
PCPitstop Full Tests gathers "technical information" about your machine and its current real-time performance to assist in diagnosis and repair. No personally identifying information is shared if you decide to post your Test Results Summary here into this Thread.
_____________
We also need as much information about your machine's electrical system as possible.
You may be able to use the Lavalys - Everest 2.20 Free edition.Free Download
Depending upon the sensors already in your machine, Everest provides print out of current voltages and temperatures.
SpeedFan does a similar service, but I prefer Everest 2.20.
Let us know after you've used both tools.
There are specifics that we can ask you about to try to determine additional information.
You have some work to do.
But it is uncertain from my point of view which if any of the items to be addressed may help in correcting your stated problem of crashes during viewing of flash video. Taken as a whole, the recommendations below will potentially improve the performance of your machine. However, if specific damage from surge has occurred to your motherboard chipsets and/or the AGP Slot or other MB printed circuitry, or your PSU, you may still be in need of Hardware repair/replacement.
Temperatures and Voltages:
As expected, there are some variances indicated that could be contributing to the problem
CPU temp 60*C is too high in my opinion and general experience.
There are some folks who will say that 60* is within the range for modern CPU's.
But I'd prefer to see that number well under 35*C
I realize that it is not a "fair" comparison, but the machine that I'm presently using is running more than 20* cooler at the CPU than yours and the HSFan is only laboring at 1734rpm.
I am presently running Outlook, 4 local window utilities, realtime security, printe, and (7) open browsers with multiple tabs each and displaying multiply streaming video. <– not unusual for me, but should be at least comparable to load you are running when experiencing the video problem.
possible causes:
heatsink clogged fins or HeatSink not properly seated to CPU with adequate sealing paste
case fan not properly exhausting
Ambient room temperature extremes
excessive background applications and processes running constantly
It is also possible that Everest is not giving you precise readings.
Better readings may be available to you via BIOS/CMOS display
Voltages:
"Very Generally speaking" voltage differences of .50v difference from expected values can indicate problems with PSU
Some of your values approach this level, and some exceed it significantly.
_________________
On the Top Of My List from your PCPitstop Full Tests
HD fragmentation:
Data Fragmentation 32% <– Yikes!
File Fragmentation: 7 percent
These values can cause excessive seek-read-write cycles and "could" be directly responsible for sound and video stuttering.
__________________
Background processes running: Apple iTunes Apple Inc. C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe Realtek Sound Manager Realtek Semiconductor Corp. C:\WINDOWS\SOUNDMAN.EXE ATI Hotkey Utility ATI Technologies Inc. C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2evxx.exe everest.bin Lavalys, Inc. C:\Program Files\Lavalys\EVEREST Home Edition\everest.bin
MSN Messenger Microsoft Corporation C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\msnmsgr.exe Debugger Microsoft Corporation C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7DEBUG\MDM.EXE iPod Service Apple Inc. C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
None of the above are necessary and can contribute to excessive CPU/RAM load
Recommendation: Disable them via MSCONFIG
They can be used manually if/when necessary
Speech Microsoft Corporation C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
This item cftmon.exe is unlikely to be ever used, unless you do alot of translating of Thai/Mandarin translation or if you use audio activated keyboard entry (which I do not see)
Disable - cftmon.exe via Control Panel
Control Panel - Regional and Language Options
Language(tab) - Details(button)
Advanced(tab)
Put a checkmark/tick in front of "Turn off advanced text services.
I would also turn off Hyberfil.sys (Hibernate indexing)
________________-
Are you using Internet Connection Services to connect other machines to the Internet Gateway via this computer?
If not I sure don't know why it would be running active. Windows ICS Microsoft Corporation C:\WINDOWS\system32\alg.exe
_______________
Services.exe can be an ordinary MS operating system feature, but is usually not running actively
Yours "may" be associated with a "backdoor-Trojan" Service control process Microsoft Corporation C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
You should Run an Online Scan such as Kaspersky or TrendMicro HouseCall <– Immediately
_______________
Which brings me to a very important point…..
Where's your installed Antivirus and installed AntiSpyware, and to a lesser extent why is there no software Firewall?
If you are depending upon MalwareBytes on a "per use" basis, you are at risk of allowing your machine to become infected.
____________
You have several items of application software and fragments from apparently uninstalled applications (Norton/Symantec) that are apparently not being used and ought to be uninstalled.
________________
You have
Norton Antivirus 2004 (apparently not updated?) and not running active?
Spyware Doctor (excellent, but apparently not updated)
Spybot S&D (good but apparently not updated)
Ad-Aware (not much use, except in specific circumstances)
Zone Alarm from 2005 which is way out of date and vulnerable and not scanning actively?
Your JAVA Runtime Environment 5. 7 appears to be "way" out of date <– very much vulnerable to corruption
You could be dealing with a corrupted Codecs Pack.
The one you appear to have DivX was installed in 2006 and therefore "not suspect" since it apparently served your purposes for quite some time, but it could have become corrupted.
I like K-Lite Mega Codec Pack which also contains a Quicktime Alternative and RealPlayer Alternative which can be configured to run through Windows Media Player with much less impact to your machine.
______________________
***
It is "possible" that much of your performance difficulty is due to undetected malware.
I'd certainly post a HJT over in the Malware Removal Forum for an expert opinion.
***
It is "possible" that much of your performance difficulty is due to Hard Disk Fragmentation – Run your Defrag
***
It is possible that much of your performance difficulty is due to damage to PSU or MotherBoard sustained during surge.
You can take remedial steps using the above as guidelines before taking the step of trial PSU replacement.
I would most Definitely post a HJT over in the Malware Removal forum.
The above is a "bunch" to consider.
Please keep us posted with your progress.
Hey Doug
Thanks for that =) it seems like lots to do and hope that one of these will show some signs of improvement =)
I had to disable Zonealarm to run the PC Pitstop test
I would also turn off Hyberfil.sys (Hibernate indexing), how do I go about doing this
as for the Internet connection one, my computer is connected to a router to the cable modem, I have to computers hooked up to a lan
I have Norton AV 2004 disabled as it really slows down my computer
where can I update
JAVA Runtime Environment
also what can I do up cleaning this up?
You have several items of application software and fragments from apparently uninstalled applications (Norton/Symantec) that are apparently not being used and ought to be uninstalled.
and I will run a disk defrag later today
should I post you the results?
I already posted a HJThis log in the antispyware forums here
after we followed the needed steps they told me to do a post in here
Hey doug just a quick update
1. The online scan found 2 files that were locked away in my norton antivirus, I removed those
2. As per the defrag, it went very well except for these files that could not be moved / defraged
Fragments File Size Most fragmented files
9,315 2.74 GB \Documents and Settings\Alex\My Documents\wow_client_installer.zip
337 3.57 GB \Program Files\World of Warcraft\Data\common.MPQ
147 1.91 GB \Program Files\World of Warcraft\Data\patch.MPQ
132 1.37 GB \Program Files\World of Warcraft\Data\expansion.MPQ
3. I also noticed my computer does not beet on boot up anymore
it used to beep once. The only time it beeps is after a crash while watching youtube videos
I did a google search on beep codes could this be possible that the power is bad
Hi Alex,
Good Progress.
Do you have an External Hard Drive?
Here's why I ask….
"Defragging" is essentially the process of taking the bits and pieces of a large file that has been stashed all over a drive in small packets, and putting them all together into one continuous location.
WOW files get notoriously fragmented and are notoriously resistant to being moved/compacted by the native MS Defragger tool.
So here's a "manual way" to defrag.
First Defrag your machine's HD as best you can with the MS Defragger tool.
Make sure you have plenty (or as much as possible) FREE SPACE on your machine's HD.
Next Copy the file To your External HD.
– for instance
132 1.37 GB \Program Files\World of Warcraft\Data\expansion.MPQ
It will be "written" to one continuous location on the External HD.
Now "delete" the file from your machine's HD.
Next - "Copy" the now single large file from your External HD back to your machine's HD using simple "drag-n-drop" copy/paste function.
Voila' It will be "written" to one continuous location on the machine's internal HD.
The file will now appear completely defragged on your machine's HD.
Do the same for other major files that are resisting Defragging via MS tool.
_____________–
I realize that you have requested other specific instructions about some of the previously posted recommendations.
I'm getting to it. Please be patient.
Best Regards,
Doug
Hey Doug
another thing I noticed was on boot up it says
Default / Current
400 MHz / 200MHz (this is in bold white)
the right side being what I adjusted manually
I dont recall ever adjusting this, I do rememer installing memory quite sometime ago but never adjusted these settings
Right-Click on an empty spot of your Desktop background
Select - Properties
Select - Screen Saver(tab)
Press - Power(Button)
Please take note of which "power scheme" is selected
Please also browse the other "power scheme" options in the drop-down menu
Post back to tell us what the present "power scheme" selection is.
While you are there, you can select the Hibernate(tab) and remove the checkmark/tick from "Enable Hibernation"
Good Morning
Hi Alex,
Home/Desk Office is the power scheme most often used.
Do you have settings to turn off, after a set period of time:
Hard Drive
Monitor
and setting to
Go into Standby
For the time-being, consider a setting of "Never" for these.
When your machine "crashes" while viewing streaming-video, does it crash immediately when media is played?
Or does it perhaps play for a short period of time, before crashing?
a short period then crashes and sometimes it also crashes when not streaming video but just using msn and listening to winamp
another thing I noticed was on boot up it says
Default / Current
400 MHz / 200MHz (this is in bold white)
the right side being what I adjusted manually
I dont recall ever adjusting this, I do rememer installing memory quite sometime ago but never adjusted these settings
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