System Crashes

[rbridgeo]

I have tried many different programs flask mpeg, tmpgenc 2.58, divx, dvdx, dvd2avi, dvd2mpg and my system crashes everytime during conversion. I am trying to convert vob files to a VCD. I have download a lot of different codec's but nothing is helping me. I have read the FAQ and more. Can anyone please help me?


Ryan

[snowmoon]

Do you overclosk your system? Have the latest drivers? Crash any other time?

[rbridgeo]

My system never crashes anyother time. I have all the latest drivers as far as I know. I go to Microsoft update often. I am not overclocking.

Ryan

[snowmoon]

Sounds like the windows gremlins. Basicly at this point I would re-install from scratch, but that is not an option I would recommend to a newbie.

[pacoreguenga]

Check what processor and chipset are installed on your computer. It might be Intel or AMD with Intel, Via, Sis or another.
Write the info on paper.

Go to that manufacturer's website and download the appropiate chipset .inf files for your operating system.
Install them and reboot.
If that does not work, reinstall your System.
Hope you have a branded computer, so you can use your quick restore cd.
If not, you should know how to do it.

By the way... How much memory do you have installed? You need at last 128 Mb for proper mpeg encoding.

[rbridgeo]

I have 384 meg of ram. Do you mean the latest bios???

Ryan

[Greyhair]

I'd like more information about what you mean by "crash". Does it freeze, shutdown, BSOD or what? What happens? It could be any of hundred things and without more specific information it's virtually impossible to troubleshoot.

[rbridgeo]

Well it it does two different kinds of crashes. Sometimes it totally locks up on a gray screen and sometimes I can see the % of completion but it has stopped and mouse doesn't move. Control-alt-del doesn't do anthing. In both cases it totally freezes so I have to push reset.

Ryan

[Greyhair]

I've had similar type problems at various time. I ran across this:

http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=78

the other day and found it quite useful and informative to troubleshoot. This article refers specifically to infinite loop errors, but I think it pretty much applies to any/all hard freezes.

[rbridgeo]

I have changed the bios to fail-safe and it still doesn't work. It still crashes in dvd2avi and tmpgenc 2.58


Ryan
Please Help

[Greyhair]

Read that article carefully. There are about a gazillion reasons this could be happening. You just have to take it step by step to try and figure it out.

[VollyUK]

Hi all...particularly rbridgeo

I am having the EXACT same problem with the added 'bonus' that my system crashes completely on ocassions ie shuts down with no warning while converting avi's with TMPGENC.

I have a VIA chipset on a Azus A7V333 MB. Loads of RAM and HD space, fast processor.

Ive tried almost everything to resolve the problem and failed. Thing is the problem is intermittent (VERY intermittent)....The file (same file) can crash the system at any point during the conversion process so it aint the file!

This thing about the chipset is interesting though, I hadn't thought of the chipset because I dont have a problem running anything else only movie conversion programs. I suspected the codecs but I have all the up to date ones (NIMO SMR, etc)

I have the latest VIA drivers but I will read the article mentioned by Greyhair. (Thanks Greyhair)

I had the same chipset under WinME with no problems so I gues the VIA drivers for XP are perhaps not as good as they should be.....maybe.

On the occasions that TMGENC crashes and DOESNT shut my system down The error message in XP mentions 'crash in TMPGENC module MPG4DS32.AX' also module for a sound codec has also been reported (I dont remember the name). I tried deleting (and renaming) MPG4DS32.AX in order to try to reinstall it from another source, but windows puts it straight back again IMMEDIATELY!

If it is a chipset problem why would it only affect movie conversions?

I live in hope of a solution.

Many thanks for all responses.

VollyUK

[Nelson37]

For most people, video encoding is the longest running, most processor, memory, and hard-drive intensive thing they do. If you have any marginal hardware, this will be more likely to make it fail than anything else.

Also you are using multiple programs from unknown and sometimes unreliable sources, few if any of which were designed for XP

Standard practices - Scandisk and defrag, Scanreg /fix. Check all cooling fans. Try to convert a different file, your rip may be corrupt. Same file freezing in different spots could still be a bad file, try several, ideally at least two different sources as your DVD drive could be defective.

Eliminate all running programs except Explorer and Systray. Scan for viruses.

Reseating memory chips and hard drive cables is easy to do and takes seconds. Do NOT just check them, take them off and put them back on, solid.

Completely uninstall suspect programs and reload from fresh downloads. After uninstall, boot to command prompt and Delete all suspect program directories (and files if known, but be careful), run scanreg /fix, also delete suspect files from error msg. Reboot and re-install. Look for multiple versions of same program, eliminate.

Run an overnight diagnostic to confirm cooling and hardware stability.

Also, note that it took 5 posts to get any useful info, such as the actual program names that crash. Still don't know if any of standard diag procedures as outlined above have been followed, also did it ever work and if so exactly what changed in between.

[VollyUK]

Many Thanks for that nelson :

1 I never had any problem running TMPGENC with WinME installed on my machine. The hardware is identical since Ive installed XP. The install was a clean install, reformatting drives etc. The codecs I am using are the same as with WinME and installed from the same source

2 Done DFrag, Scandisk/Reg Fix

3 Reseated all hardware/cables

4 Havent yet tried uninstalling suspect programs and directories

5 Have done a virus check (Norton)

I have a CPU monitoring sware for temperature, fan etc, all seems OK.

I have tried diffent files - same errors.

I have now noticed that the problem has 'spread' to Winamp (V3) and also sometimes Windows Media Player....ie system shutdown no warning.

The only connection I can see is that the problem seems to be multimedia related. It leads me to believe that it is a codec compatibility problem between my codecs and XP. Thing is, I obviously need the codecs to play the file!

I tried removing all the codecs in an attempt to re-install them all, including the microsoft ones, but if you try to remove the Microsoft ones they immediately re-appear (without re-booting) if you go back and look in the codec list.....why is this.

Im still persevering....there must be a way!

VollyUK

[snowmoon]

The other corollation does not mean cusation.

Media related also means CPU, memory, and bus all active at the same time. My system started doing funny things a month ago only to find out that one memory stick appears to have gone bad! Point being is that mabye you should investigate your hardware if you are positive you have ehausted all chipset and software issues.

[JU5T1CE]

Hi all...particularly rbridgeo

I am having the EXACT same problem with the added 'bonus' that my system crashes completely on ocassions ie shuts down with no warning while converting avi's with TMPGENC.

I have a VIA chipset on a Azus A7V333 MB. Loads of RAM and HD space, fast processor.

<snip>

Many thanks for all responses.

VollyUK

Well, what you've described is EXACTLY the same problem as I'm having... or should I say HAD.

I read a recent article (can't remember where) which claimed that certain AGP graphics cards (my TI4600 included) can cause an ENORMOUS strain on the system.

It gave me a thought and two days ago I purchased a 550Watt Dual Fan Gold PSU.

Hasn't reset since.
Works like a dream, can do everything I was doing before this all started.
Well, before I filled my system up with high-tech crap.

=)

Give it a try... worked for me and I was tearing my hair out.
Everything I used... Premiere 6 - TMPGenc - DVD Workshop all reset during conversion - now it's A1