Computer lockups at random, beleaved to be hardware falt.

[Fujiiro]

I know this is long but please read it, i have ran out of idears and i need some help on this problem.

To give you an idear on the problem this will be a fairly long post but ive picked everyone I know's brains from tutors to people at the local PC shops and 2 months after we still are without a fix.

Ive not done this before so if my decription of my problem is lacking in detail or just not very relivent in parts please forgive me.

about 2 and a half months ago after Upgrading my computers memory from a P133 128MB single chip SDRAM to a P166 2 chips of 256 (total of 512) the computer devoloped a lock up problem, expecting it was falty memory i swaped back to the original but the problem persisted. I was running windows 98SE.

The lockup as i call it in more detail is as follows. I would tuen on the computer one day and before i can even click on the START bar the picture on the VDU would freeze the mouse pointer was unable to be seen if it was responding or not it just dissapeard and the keyboard becomes unresponsive. none of the keys appear to be regestring neather caps, Numlock, scorll lock would cause the lights to go on or off, and you could controll alt deleate till the ed of time with no affect, pressing the power off key on the computer that would normaly cause it to shut down did nothing. if i had any music playing it would hang or jump repearing say the last 5 seconds of song over and over and over...

This led me to think that there was a hardware or software problem, so i preceded to backup all data i needed (college work) and Formated the compyter useing the /u for an unconditional format and reinstalled windows, as i have done 100s of times before. this still lead to no corection to the problem. with some money i had saved up i went and purchased some new computer hardware in order of purchase this was a new videocard (Hercules 3D Profit 3, Titanium 500 64MB AGP) this was uncesfull in fixing the problem (Upgraded from a Matrox G400 Max 64MB AGP) I then Purchased a new Motherboard & Processor (from Gigabyte GA-BX2000 to a Shuttle AK32 SocketA motherboard, and a P3-450 to a AMD Duron 1300 Processor) Plus a new case and power supply (dont know the modles but if i have to ill get them for you) And the problem Remained.

buy this time I had enough parts to build 2 computers so i did.

Computer number one consits of the Matrox, one of the 2 new chips of memory, A 8.2 GB harddrive (Cant think of the make right now) my old Sound Blaster AWE 64, Generic network card, CD-ROM, Gigabyte and P3 Processor. old case and power pack. (I think that was the lot hehe)

The other computer was the new processor. new motherboard, new videocard, the other chip of memory, IBM 30GB, an identical generic network card, my Cable Modem (USB) soundblaster Live! Value (taken out of the other computer that had the problems), CD-RW.

forgive me if i missed something its been a while, but that was the general setup and the problem remained.

So i striped the computers down to Motherboard, Videocard, Processor, Memory.

It still happend so I tryed another Os Windows 2000 Pro

but! now the newer computer (the one with the Druon does not doing it as frequant, it still does it but I will need to be playing something like Everquest, Unreal torny, Warrior Kings before it locks up, so bascialy anything that require high processor, memory and video access.

One intreasting thing i found this time around was that when the other computer that was locking up still (just opening notepad would cause it) I could still access its Harddrive vie the network save and retrave documents on the other computer. So while the picture beeing displayed was locking up, with no mouse, or keyboard access and the power button was not responsive, i was still able to work on it vie the network. and the same applied to the new computer when it locked up.

to further test i put in a sound card and to my surprise, if I had a song going in the background say a MP3 it would continue playing when the picture mouse keyboard ect was frozen (I have left them for over 5 hours and it does not unfreaze)

wondering if its the memory I swap them around and the times do not differ, the one that took its time still did and the one that locked up just fro you looking at it was as frequant, if i put oth chips into the new computer i did find it wanted to lock up sooner tho. if this was considence or not i was unshure so useing the last of my saving i got another chip of memory (PC133 128) and tryed it in the computers and thay still locked up.

Yesterday I installed Linux on the computer that locked up a LOT and it does not untill I do anything with a high amout of graphics, (3D games) because of this im not shure if it memory, processor or videocard, but consideing the problem is on 2 computers one with brandnew parts im at a loss to what might be causeing it.

Ive done many virus scans and have the most uptodate files (my virus killer is McAffe) and its found nothing at all, scaned all my CDs, Install CDs, Disklets, Files, and I still cant find anything.

Please if anyone has any idear what might have caused this to suddenly appear out of no where please tell me and if anyone has a fix please let me know, as on the 23rd this month college will be done for the year so ill be able to open up and start redoing hardware checks on the computer so any sujestions on checks to see if there working corectaly would be much appreashated.

Anything really would be loved im out of Ideards, after doing 2 years in computering at college myself and none of the the Tutors or technitions have a clue. but maby someone out there will.

Ritchie.

Slight Edit, the Linux version is 8.2 Mandrake. and sorry for the poor spelling and grammer.