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Unread 7 Jun 2005, 14:18   #1
Nadar
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Various problems with PC.

Got some problems with my PC and I really can't figure out what the problem is.

1. Sometimes when I use a lot of programs (like mirc, msn, 3x IE, winamp + running a game) my screen starts to 'flicker'. Don't know what to call it, but it looks like different parts goes missing on my screen. Could it be a memory problem? I do have 1024 mb ram, so I would have thought that should be enough to run all that at once. Ideas?

2. Sometimes my computer decides to reboot itself without any warning at all. I also got 2 HD's on my computer and sometimes the secondary one reboots (PC doesn't reboot, only that HD). Could it be that my PC dont get enough power? The powerinput is a 350W. Or could it be that my PC is getting over-heated? It usually only happens when it's been on a couple of days. The room it is stationed in is kinda small too, so at nights when the door is closed it might get hot.

3. Sometimes when I play music the volume suddenly gets turned down and then up again and then down again and so it continues. Works nice enough after a reboot, but I'd really like to get a solution without having to reboot all the time.

Trust me, I've tried a lot of things, but nothing seems to work

Thanks.
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Unread 7 Jun 2005, 16:14   #2
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Re: Various problems with PC.

Firstly, I would love to thrust you

Have you updated the driver on your sound card? Maybe worth doing. I dont think you should have a power problem with the HDs. Heat is probably your best bet. Try getting an air conditioning card.
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Unread 7 Jun 2005, 16:17   #3
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Re: Various problems with PC.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nadar
Got some problems with my PC and I really can't figure out what the problem is.

1. Sometimes when I use a lot of programs (like mirc, msn, 3x IE, winamp + running a game) my screen starts to 'flicker'. Don't know what to call it, but it looks like different parts goes missing on my screen. Could it be a memory problem? I do have 1024 mb ram, so I would have thought that should be enough to run all that at once. Ideas?

2. Sometimes my computer decides to reboot itself without any warning at all. I also got 2 HD's on my computer and sometimes the secondary one reboots (PC doesn't reboot, only that HD). Could it be that my PC dont get enough power? The powerinput is a 350W. Or could it be that my PC is getting over-heated? It usually only happens when it's been on a couple of days. The room it is stationed in is kinda small too, so at nights when the door is closed it might get hot.

3. Sometimes when I play music the volume suddenly gets turned down and then up again and then down again and so it continues. Works nice enough after a reboot, but I'd really like to get a solution without having to reboot all the time.

Thrust me, I've tried a lot of things, but nothing seems to work

Thanks.
The first problem could be your videocard running out of memory as well, but I'm not sure if that's a major problem. I've never had it before so no experience there.

As for the sudden reboots, esp. if you're running a lot of hardware, your PSU could be overloaded or simply old, my old 300 watt PSU couldn't take it anymore a while back and started randomly rebooting the computer and such, before it burned out. The new replacement PSU (350 watt, but I've also replaced the videocard at the same time) didn't have any problems.

As for the music... Sounds like a broken soundcard, except that that shouldn't fix itself with a reboot, perhaps a (multitude of) virus(es)?
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Unread 7 Jun 2005, 17:01   #4
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Re: Various problems with PC.

My soundcard is actually integrated in the motherboard. I do have a 5.1 soundcard that should match my speakers better, but I cant figure the settings of it (Don't ask me why, should be easy enough really).
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Unread 7 Jun 2005, 23:00   #5
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Arrow Re: Various problems with PC.

The HDD could power-down into standby mode? Check System Settings, Energy Options, to see if your harddisks are allowed to go into suspend mode (also check BIOS).
Sometimes this happens. Your secondary HDD doesn't get used much, and after an hour it powers down, until it's needed again (maybe by the OS, so you don't necessarily need user interaction for that).
Your system freezes for a moment.


Probably best to check your HDDs temperature using a SMART monitor tool (there will be plenty out there). I know AIDA32 (system information tool, freeware) does the job.
Also have a look at "Helexis DriveHealth" (Shareware).
Or check out O&O DriveLED (commercial).

I'm using all of them...



You have done the obvious anti-spyware / anti-adware / antivirus / checkdisk / defrag / windows update combo?
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Unread 8 Jun 2005, 00:32   #6
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Re: Various problems with PC.

Yes at having done the combo.

The HD that 'reboots' now and then is quite old though. 7 years old infact.
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Unread 8 Jun 2005, 09:14   #7
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Re: Various problems with PC.

By volume being turned down, do you mean that the music stops momentarily or that the actual volume control is turned down? .. Music taking breaks most usually means the machine is doing something heavy, which in my experience implies malware.

Rebooting computers are most usually caused by either 1.Badly written malware or 2. Wrong/badly written device drivers... Barring that, some of your hardware might just be plain old singing on it's last verse.
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Unread 8 Jun 2005, 09:25   #8
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Re: Various problems with PC.

I would put money on this being related to the PSU.
Random reboots, HD spindowns, and other "electrical problems" such as your soundcard problem usually point to unstable voltages due to the PSU being overloaded, dying or both.

It might be worth downloading speedfan and check your voltages. They should be within +/-5% of the stated value (eg. 12V should be no lower than 11.4V and no higher than 12.6V). While you're at it you can check your temperatures with that tool.

Even if the voltages look OK, I still think this sounds PSU related.
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Unread 8 Jun 2005, 11:51   #9
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Re: Various problems with PC.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hyfe
By volume being turned down, do you mean that the music stops momentarily or that the actual volume control is turned down? .. Music taking breaks most usually means the machine is doing something heavy, which in my experience implies malware.
No, music doesn't stop, it just get turned down. And it's not the button that get turned down if that's what you meant. It's the sound, it just become lower. And it doesn't necessarily happen when my PC is doing something heavy.
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Unread 9 Jun 2005, 22:33   #10
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Re: Various problems with PC.

1) this is most likely your CPU and GPU having trouble handling some much as once- buy an X2!

2)Megla offers some sound advice

3)and megla offers more sound advice

Also, what OS? If it is before 2000, perhaps it could be due to a memory leak, unlikely though. Tried increasing your page file?

If you have a P4 more than 6 months old, it is most likely heat- these are notorious for being unstable due to the poor energy efficiency-which usually leads to system insatbilities like you are describing. Perhaps an aftermarket cooling solution?
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Unread 10 Jun 2005, 00:24   #11
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Arrow Re: Various problems with PC.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thermodynamics
1) this is most likely your CPU and GPU having trouble handling some much as once- buy an X2!
I doubt that...
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Unread 10 Jun 2005, 01:00   #12
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Re: Various problems with PC.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thermodynamics
1) this is most likely your CPU and GPU having trouble handling some much as once- buy an X2!

2)Megla offers some sound advice

3)and megla offers more sound advice

Also, what OS? If it is before 2000, perhaps it could be due to a memory leak, unlikely though. Tried increasing your page file?

If you have a P4 more than 6 months old, it is most likely heat- these are notorious for being unstable due to the poor energy efficiency-which usually leads to system insatbilities like you are describing. Perhaps an aftermarket cooling solution?
WINXP

Actually, I got a Celeron 2,6ghz :/ Guess it goes under same cat. as P4(?).
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Unread 10 Jun 2005, 02:09   #13
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Re: Various problems with PC.

Pagefile, lol.

It sounds like a PSU issue, so many things are. It explains the HDD spinning down, the sound-card possibly though that's an odd one. Decent 400 and 450w PSUs aren't that expensive, and if it doesn't end up being that you can probably offload it to a mate who needs one without much trouble (or Mr Ebay to the rescue).

Heat issues on a P4 would, I imagine, manifest themselves as temporary 'pauses' of operation or outright lockups as opposed to 'weird' behaviour, though I guess that's just made up right here on the spot.

Buy a new PSU and see what happens, then report back.
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Unread 10 Jun 2005, 10:41   #14
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Re: Various problems with PC.

HDD spindown...
Either a powersaving setting, the HDD dying, or a power problem.
HDD's are on 12V I believe as is the processor, so why it doesn't reboot/BSOD before stopping the HDD I don't know.

Random reboots...
Either a virus, hardware problem or a power problem. Since most hardware probs other than power cause a BSOD before rebooting, I'd say a power problem.

The sound volume goes down...
- No sliders changing whatsoever - No mallware/Trojan
- No breaks/sudden stops in music - No heavy CPU/HDD load - no mallware/virus

Other things than software having influence on volume:
- Output voltage from sound ports on MOBO - possible PSU problems
- Speakers - volume buttons on speakers are often weak components that fail after time

I'd say a PSU problem too. I believe the sound output is 5V, and the CPU 12V. So the 5V dropping might not incurr a reboot. Still weird as the 5V line on PSU's is usually overpowered, but with a dying PSU you never know.
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Unread 10 Jun 2005, 13:48   #15
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Re: Various problems with PC.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pablissimo
Heat issues on a P4 would, I imagine, manifest themselves as temporary 'pauses' of operation or outright lockups as opposed to 'weird' behaviour, though I guess that's just made up right here on the spot.

Buy a new PSU and see what happens, then report back.
The PC actually does lockup now and then so I have to reboot it manually with the power-switch.

The theory about the 'bad' PSU is the one I believe in atm. But I cba buying a new one now I think as I'm gonna move in 2 months and will buy a complete new PC then. At least I'll buy a 450W next time
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Unread 10 Jun 2005, 13:51   #16
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Re: Various problems with PC.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Structural Integrity
The sound volume goes down...
- No sliders changing whatsoever - No mallware/Trojan
- No breaks/sudden stops in music - No heavy CPU/HDD load - no mallware/virus
You know, I'm not TOO sure if it's a program-problem(winamp) or a more general problem. Can't say I remember that other sounds on my computer gets turned down. But usually the only sound that comes from my PC is when I am playing music with winamp. Suddenly it's VERY low, so I turn up the volume-button and suddenly the sound is back again to scare the shit out of me since I had turned the volume-button up a bit
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