PC completely frozen - HELP !!

[VCDHunter]

Further to my previous post

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=175291&highlight=

I am still on the same PSU but have recently installed a USB keyboard in place of an old PS2 one and am now back to regular freezing. The PC completely freezes - only the mighty restart button resolves this. I still have the two side fans off but i am back to the same problem.

It can happen at anytime, during encoding, playing Urban Terror, surfing the web or during login to win2k - anytime. I have just arrived back from work to discover it had frozen 98% into a TMPGenc enc - been on for about 2 hrs.

I am right now gonna purchase a new PSU but I am still at a complete loss as to explain these random system lockups.

[The village idiot]

I didn't read the other post, but you might have a cooked processor. Once they cook, there is no fix. Keep track of the cpu temperatures and see if this is the problem. If it bails everytime it hits a certain temp, you need to replace the cpu. This could be caused by a heatsink that is not making a good contact with the cpu. Could be other things too, but it sounds like it only happens when your cpu is working hard. Other thing to check is your memory, though normally memory problems give you a crash not a lock-up.

[VCDHunter]

Could be other things too, but it sounds like it only happens when your cpu is working hard.

Also happens when I start the PC - during login - not just when CPU is working hard.

[RabidDog]

8) try running with some of your gadgets taken out or not powered up. EG creative soundcards can be a bit twitchy. Do a big long test and then move onto the next component. ALso 1gb of ram, could be one of these sticks playing up. Throttle everything back cpu speed, ram timings less aggressive. IF worse comes to worse (real bad) re-install windows it might be some sort of software driver clash. Scandisk your disk they fail or have bad sectors. uninstall some software you dont use. defrag .
Run with case sides off.

One way for your compter to freeze is to run it too hot!

could be a FRIDGE on the same power circuit or your sister turning on some electrical gadget (power spikes)

[BJ_M]

i bet memory .. but who knows ... some systems are just fubared ...

motherboard and all

[VCDHunter]

Lots of "Freezes" yesterday - often at boot up, the W2k login box appears and then the PC locks. Restart. Attempted some long (2hr) encodes yesterday - PC locks randomly at various points during encoding. Restart. I must have hit the restart switch at least 10 times that morning

This morning my new 420w PSU arrived. I took this opportunity to strip the machine, ensure everything was secured, clean and put it all back together with the new PSU.

Not one lock up since

TMPGenc has been encoding for 2hrs 8mins as I type and its looking good. Fingers crossed

[jgandara]

First:
+ Update firmware for your motherboard
+ Update your drivers
+ Check the temp of your CPU. There a re a few tools available out there
+ Check you memory. You can use either the complete test memory from BIOS
+ Check your HD for errors

Last resort: Reinstall windows.

I'm not sure the PSU is the problem, but who knows.

[VCDHunter]

First:
+ Update firmware for your motherboard
+ Update your drivers
+ Check the temp of your CPU. There a re a few tools available out there
+ Check you memory. You can use either the complete test memory from BIOS
+ Check your HD for errors

Last resort: Reinstall windows.

I'm not sure the PSU is the problem, but who knows.

done all the above bar firmware.
latest drivers, cpu temp is fine and I've run test after test on memory and HD.

The only thing I noticed when rebuilding the PC was the fan on the graphics card doesn't spin I will be looking into this asap.

other than that the machine is runnning fine at the moment with no sign of those pesky lockups