PC hangs during video playback

[Uzisuicyde]

Hi, I have suddenly started getting this problem of my PC hanging during video playback, no matter what player I use. I have to hit the power switch to get my PC back into action.

It can hang either straight away after starting the video or after a few minutes.
I have tried uninstalling all player software and reinstalling but no joy.
I have tried running Dxdiag but everything seems fine.

Nero was the only thing I recently installed so I uninstalled that. When I run Sherlock I get an error with the Nero Digital AVC Video Enc codec stating it's broken. I have run the Nero cleaning tool, but it doesn't remove it, could this be the problem?

I have checked the fan on my Radeon 9800 pro gfx card, it's fine and I recently purchased a new CPU so no problems with overheating etc as games run perfectly.

Does anyone please have any ideas, I so don't want to reformat.

[Soopafresh]

If it is an XVID file, try opening it in MPUI

http://mulder.brhack.net/public/downloads/MPUI.2006-10-13.Full-Package.exe


That will bypass your Xvid decoder (which is the likely culprit). If everything works, then upgrade FFdshow (if you have it installed)

[Uzisuicyde]

Dude, you are a star!

So far so good. Didn't have FFdshow installed (forgot about it) so will do.

It's weird how it suddenly started happening, never had a prob before.

Anyway, many thanks !

[Uzisuicyde]

Damn, it froze again this morning and it has also done it with a wmf.

Looks like I'm gonna have to format.

[Uzisuicyde]

Well I formatted, installed only FFdshow, ac3 and DivX player and it's still doing it.

I'm at a loss.

[mats.hogberg]

CPU heat problem? Take a look at your CPU cooler, to make sure it's running, and not clogged up with dust.

/Mats

[Bjs]

Get rid of ffdshow to start with , it can cause problems and you really dont need it .

Get rid of that divx player ... stick with mainstream players first such as wmp .

Update your video drivers ... download the newest version asap , reboot pc and then see what happen's .

Take the cd your original vga drivers came on and throw it as far as you can out the window ... there crap .

Grab gspot to make sure it is actually an xvid file and not the new divx ... the new divx can cause many problem's . including the player ... it's why it is not installed on any pc I service , and I tell the user's not to install it as I will charge double to fix the stuff up's .

The same thing happened to another pc here , and the video drivers where at fault .

[Nelson37]

1. How many different movies display this behavior? Numbers. You may have simply gotten a corrupt download. Or two or three.

2. Have you verified that you are using a source that is Known to be Good, by copying the file that exists NOW (Not a copy made months ago before the problem began) and taking it to another PC to test playback? Also, taking a movie that plays correctly from another PC and copying it to disk, then to yours?

3. Have you thoroughly checked and tested your hard drive, chkdsk, defrag, any other tools?

4. Get a sample MPG1 that will play through WMP and test that. There should be some sample files on the disk for your video card.

[Uzisuicyde]

first off thanks for all the replys and suggestions.

I got rid of ffdshow and DivX player and installed Xvid Final, and so far have watched 2 movies without a hang, so touch wood everything seems to be cool.

Thnx again

[Uzisuicyde]

Hi, It's doing it again

This time I am streaming video from Gamespot. I watched about 15mins of On the spot then it locked up, so I gave my PC a physical clean, defragged, tried to watch a trailer and it locked up within seconds

It has also done it on the odd occasion with Xvids.

It can't be a CPU or GFX card prob as I can play graphically intensive games no problem.

It's driving me insane

Any more suggestions would be appreciated.

btw I did try changing drivers as I was using the new ATI cat, tried rolling back to older cat's but still no joy

[jagabo]

Try changing your video overlay settings.

[Uzisuicyde]

Try changing your video overlay settings.

um how do I go about doing that

[jagabo]

Try changing your video overlay settings.

um how do I go about doing that :oops:

Control Panel -> Display -> Settings -> Advanced

From there it varies by graphics card and driver. Just look for overlay settings. If it's enabled try disabling it, or vice versa. The optimal setting is enabled but you can often solve problems by disabling overlay, then coming back and re-enabling it.

[Uzisuicyde]

Thought that's where it should be, I didn't have ati control panel installed.

But alas still no joy

[Uzisuicyde]

I ran Motherboard monitor and it says my CPU is 29 C and my case is 127 C. Is that too high for the case?

Pentium 4. 2.66Ghz
1024Mb Ram
ATI Radeon 9800 pro
imedia 5116 SE http://support.packardbell.com/uk/item/?m=home&sn=026625020216

thnx

[jagabo]

There is no way your case could be 127 C.

[Uzisuicyde]

True it would be toasting, it's not warm at all. strange

[jagabo]

Try running a program like CPUBurn:

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/redelm/

Watch how the temperatures change while it's running. And see if the computer crashes.

[Nelson37]

Since you have given no feedback on my earlier suggestions, I will waste no more time until that happens.

PC troubleshooting is a step-by-step process. You can guess all day long and sooner or later you will arrive at the solution by pure dumb luck. You have already formatted your hard drive for no good reason.

There is also something wrong with your temperature sensor, or the software/wetware that interprets it. 127C is not possible for any extended time.

If you are willing to follow a series of precise steps to arrive at a definite solution, then this could be done. If you are looking for a quick fix with the limited information so far available, keep reading guesses.

[Uzisuicyde]

My apologies Nelson.

These are a list of what I have played on my partners PC that have run without fault, but on my PC they hang.

2 movies using Xvid-Final 1.0.3 @ 23 fps
1 movie using Xvid 1.1 Beta @ 23 fps
1 movie using Xvid 1.1 Final @ 25 fps
A WMV file.
Trailers streamed from Gamespot.
Xvid ISO Mpeg 4 @ 25 fps


Playing fine on my PC:

Xvid ISO Mpeg 4 @ 23 fps
Xvid 1.2 SMP @ 23 fps

Codec information from Gspot.

I have ran chkdsk and defragged with no sign of fault.

Thanks for your help.

[Tr0nc3k]

Hi,

I have a very similar problem (recently changed the MB and CPU, the graphic card stayed the same). The system is stable with games, applications (tested with memtest86, prime95) but it hangs after 10-60 minutes of video playback (usually XviD/DivX movies).

The CPU temp are normal (around 50C for Intel Core2Duo) so I have no idea what's going on.

Did you resolve your problem Uzisuicyde?

[Uzisuicyde]

Hi Tr0nc3k,

I haven't found a solution to the problem I was having, but I have now managed to watch the files that were causing hang's.

I have no idea how or why, but I know for sure it will start again as there is nothing I have done to resolve the issue.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

[Tr0nc3k]

Ah, thats too bad.

If you find something out, let us know. I will do the same.

[Uzisuicyde]

As I anticipated it has happened again with a WMV file played off a DVD that I have watched before without a problem.

[Nelson37]

Ah, now some useful information.

The correct playback on the other PC virtually eliminates problems with the file.

The correct playback, multiple times, on YOUR PC virtually eliminates codec or program issues.

These factors, along with the intermittent nature of the problem, points strongly to a hardware issue. Problem software behavior is usually pretty consistent, problem hardware behavior is much more random.

You have stated it plays games fine, and only locks up with movies. Has it EVER, even ONCE, locked up doing any other function, at any time?

What sort of relative usage rates is the PC subject to? Meaning, do you spend several hours a day viewing movies, a few minutes playing games, and nothing else? If the lockup were of a random nature, with an even distribution of time in different usages, we would expect to see lockups during other activity. However, if the great majority of time usage is viewing movies, and lockups are fairly uncommon, then a lockup occurring ONLY during movie viewing would not be unusual, and would not indicate a connection.

Those temperature indications are troublesome. Are you still getting those very high case readings? Can you completely disconnect and/or disable the case temp sensor? This in itself could be the problem. Is there any sort of variable fan speed control, and can this be also disabled to set fans to constant high speed? This may cause annoying noise but is necessary as a troubleshooting step to determine if heat is the issue.

Do you have multiple memory sticks? Remove them all and leave just one in the PC. Use and rotate individual sticks. Testing period must be several hours, and/or until a lockup occurs. Testing period would be defined by exceeding the longest period you have had with NO lockups, you want to go way over this time period before deciding the current chip is absolutely good. Continue with single chips, same testing.

Video card and Power supply also suspect. Card because issue seems video related and PSU because they cause all sorts of wierd things, and are cheap and easy to replace. Do you have access to another video card, and PSU?

If I had to guess right now it would be heat, fans, shorting temp sensor, bad memory stick, or flaky card. First four can be eliminated with no additional expense.

Have you ever simply let the PC run, for an extended period? 24 hours or more?

[Uzisuicyde]

First of all your help is very much appreciated Nelson.

I can answer some of your questions straight off the bat but of course I do have some testing to do so will be back in touch with those results.

You have stated it plays games fine, and only locks up with movies. Has it EVER, even ONCE, locked up doing any other function, at any time?

Once it did lock up while I was viewing a page on Eurogamer, I'm not sure if it had video streaming on the page at that time though.

What sort of relative usage rates is the PC subject to? Meaning, do you spend several hours a day viewing movies, a few minutes playing games, and nothing else? If the lockup were of a random nature, with an even distribution of time in different usages, we would expect to see lockups during other activity. However, if the great majority of time usage is viewing movies, and lockups are fairly uncommon, then a lockup occurring ONLY during movie viewing would not be unusual, and would not indicate a connection.

My PC is on permenantly. I never switch it off except for these hangs. I use my PC mainly for playing games (2-3hrs per day) and watching movies and TV episodes (2-3 hrs per day) and as I stated I have never had a problem during a game.

Those temperature indications are troublesome. Are you still getting those very high case readings? Can you completely disconnect and/or disable the case temp sensor? This in itself could be the problem. Is there any sort of variable fan speed control, and can this be also disabled to set fans to constant high speed? This may cause annoying noise but is necessary as a troubleshooting step to determine if heat is the issue.

I am still getting these high case readings, checked with 2 different programs so far, although case never feels hot. I am unsure about disconnecting/disabling the sensor, I will look into that. My PSU is the only piece of hardware with variable speed control and I shall try running the fan at full speed. Also PSU is barely a month old and is 550W.

I will get back to you on your other suggestions.
Thanks again.

[Nelson37]

Red flag, Red flag, Bells, Alarms, Whistles, Rockets being fired!!!!!!!

The PSU is only a month old? Did this problem occur ONLY AFTER the PSU was replaced? If so, how soon after? Why was the PSU replaced?

Typical troubleshooting procedure is to thoroughly detail ANY and ALL changes of ANY KIND between the time period when all was well, and the time when malfunctions begin to occur. My fault for not emphasizing this, but then you should have mentioned it.

Have ANY OTHER changes, of ANY KIND, software or hardware, happened to the PC in between the good functioning period and the current malfunction state?

[Uzisuicyde]

Sorry, my sense of time isn't the best. Just checked receipt of purchase for PSU it is nearly 2 months since I purchased it and I didn't have any probs with movies after installing. My reason for purchasing was that my case was getting hot to the touch especially the area where the old PSU sat.

I also better mention that the new PSU doesn't actually fit perfectly where the old PSU was as it is slightly bigger so the screw holes don't line up. It isn't screwed down at all but is just resting on the shelf where the old PSU sat. I also can't fit my top DVD/CD writer as the cables from the new PSU are in the way, so just left that out and run only the bottom one.

I did buy a Viewsonic 19" TFT Monitor very recently and it is since purchasing that that these hang ups have been occurring. I just didn't see how that could affect the movie hangs so failed to mention it. I am running the monitor at 1440 x 900 resolution when using the net and playing movies, could this be a factor?

[Nelson37]

Is that resolution different from what you used before? This should not be an issue, but it does use the video card differently. ANY difference whatsoever from the original working condition should be eliminated whenever possible. Try putting the resolution back to what was used before. The monitor itself should not be an issue, though I would isolate the power input away from the PC power input. Both on a low-wattage battery backup?

If the old power supply was seriously overheating, this could be major problem. Excessive heat can be damaging, also defective power supply could damage other components. If you imagine a car engine that has severely overheated, or been feed bad gas for some time, you get the idea. Quite possible that flaky power caused damage which is just now showing up. Or excessive heat from the PS fan not running could do the same thing.

This basically opens up Pandora's box. EVERY SINGLE COMPONENT in the PC that has been exposed to excessive heat (if the case was hot to the touch, they ALL were), and/or to flaky power, is now suspect. ALL of them. Your PC is now akin to a car that has been in a serious accident. Nothing in it is KNOWN to be good. Even the new PS is suspect as this problem started to occur AFTER it was installed. And Hell Yes they can go bad after working correctly for a few weeks.

It is also possible that a video driver file has become corrupted and all the hardware is fine.
The fact that the lockup ONLY occurs when playing video is relatively good news.

1. Put the original monitor and/or the original resolution back. Both if possible. Test for extended period. The driver may simply not like the new resolution. Quite possible, fingers crossed for this one.

2. If possible, return the PS and get a replacement. Installation is OK as long as the metal box is not touching any mobo components. A good bump causing it to fall against the mobo would be a VERY bad thing, would be best to secure it in some way. Maybe some Zip ties?

3. Remove and re-install any drivers for the new monitor and the video card. If at all possible, exchange the video card for ANYTHING else, borrow one, if available use the mobo video with the existing card REMOVED and UNINSTALLED. Beg, Borrow, or Steal another video card for testing. This is extremely important, video card is a probable source of the issue and after #1 and #2 is the last thing before we start looking at major, expensive components.

Swapping the RAM chips as I described earlier and removing that temp sensor are also important, as these changes are CTF. (Cheap to Free). On the temperature, check for that high reading and open the case and determine if the actual temp is anywhere close to 127C. Hold your hand over various components checking for hot spots. It should be obvious.

If all that is done with no joy, we are left with mobo and CPU, which when considering replacement we must evaluate upgrade choices, this gets rapidly more expensive but may be more cost effective.

[Uzisuicyde]

I have decided, since my old radeon 9800 pro ain't making the grade with the latest games, to upgrade my mobo to a PCi model, get an Athlon 64 3500 Processor and a Nvidia 7900GS 512mb GFX card tomorrow. If that doesn't stop these hang ups then I give up on PC's and go back to consoles.

Thanks for all your help, especially Nelson.

Cheers.