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Thread ID: 39841 2003-11-19 08:11:00 Help! the most horrible of problems... Stormwarden (388) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
193114 2003-11-19 08:11:00 Just recently (like, the past three days) my computer has begun to randomly reset.

It resets at any time - in windows, halfway through booting, in the bios setup screen.

The resets started off being fairly infrequent, but the frequency has increased and now I can't get into windows reliably.

Every non-essential component has been removed, overclocking has been turned off etc

This is a system I built myself from parts - it's had no problems at all up until now, oddly enough, my warranties on the parts are beginning to expire right this month.

Specs: (the relevant bits)
Leadtek K7ncr18D Nforce2 motherboard w/ athlon 1800
512MB of generic ddr 333 running at 266 to match fsb, dual channel.
Maxtor D740X 40GB hdd, and Gainward GF4MX440
Generic ICute 320W power supply

Recently the bios has been flashed for the mobo, but the whole machine has been running fine for at least a month after that, and before that for almost exactly a year. I first noticed the problem playing the NeverWinter Nights expansion, but now it seems completely random.

Before I pull my computer to pieces and start bugging friends to test the parts, is there ANYBODY who knows what might be causing this? Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I am happy to answer more questions if needed...

Sorry about the long post, but I wanted to get all of the usual questions about details out of the way...
Stormwarden (388)
193115 2003-11-19 08:15:00 Are you running win XP or 2000? stu140103 (137)
193116 2003-11-19 08:25:00 xp professional , sp1. But the machine resets anywhere, before or after windows has booted, even in the bios setup screen Stormwarden (388)
193117 2003-11-19 08:30:00 In this sort of situation, there could be a software or a hardware problem, and it's difficult to isolate the causes.
On the hardware side faulty RAM, heatsink seating or a wonky power supply can can be to blame.
Terry Porritt (14)
193118 2003-11-19 08:35:00 Stormwarden

Is XP fully patched? Perhaps it is the Blaster worm?

Oxie (Lyn)
Oxie (1318)
193119 2003-11-19 08:49:00 > Stormwarden
>
> Is XP fully patched? Perhaps it is the Blaster
> worm?
>
> Oxie (Lyn)

My thoughts exactly
Baldy (26)
193120 2003-11-19 09:37:00 Powersupply unit.

Get a new one.
metla (154)
193121 2003-11-19 10:35:00 $5 dollars on the power supply.
$2.50 on faulty ram (if you only have 1 stick)
.25 on the SIS bugging your computer
Barnabas (4562)
193122 2003-11-19 19:06:00 Whoa! thanks for the replies, sorry I couldn't get back until now

No, my XP isn't fully patched, mainly because it is not connected to the internet, But would the blaster worm affect my computer outside of windows like that?

I am going to try my ram & video card in a friends computer today to see what happens there. I am a little panicked because the warranty on my motherboard runs out tomorrow, and if for some reason it was the mobo that was stuffing up it might be difficult to make a claim.
Stormwarden (388)
193123 2003-11-19 20:49:00 Blaster would not affect the PC while in BIOS, neither would any OS software.

Its much more fundamental, such as RAM/PSU/Other hardware.
godfather (25)
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