Computer Restarts when asleep?!?

[moosebanna]

Well it has been a while since computer issues hit me, but alas Microsoft has found me once again. Computer runs Windows XP and has done so with no issues until last weekend.

Every day when I wake up my computer has either restarted (at the login screen) or hanging in a nowhere state. When windows starts back up I get a message that the system has experienced a severe error blah blah and of course it has no idea where from.

Windows help screen comes up and says if I want to be a volunteer and something about driver pool problems, basically not admittiing to their crap software. I have tried to get info by looking at the dump files, but I have no idea how to use Microsoft Debugging tools properly (not a programmer). Help anyone? It would be nice to pinpoint the issue.

I can only attribute the problem to the recent windows updates I got a few days earlier. A bunch of dumb recommened updates and directx9.0a, which of course "cannot" be uninstalled. Logically, I tired sytem restore. All 4 times failed, saying it could not restore. I manually removed the recommended updates from add/remove programs. But I am still left with Directx9. I have a feeling I will wake up tomorrow again to see same crap. Does anybody have any idea what to do, besides format. If someone could help read these dump files or know if the new directx does this crap, please let me know. Thanks.

Machine is Epox 8KHA+ with Athlon XP 1700+, 120 WD 8MB, 80 GB WD, GeForceTi4200 8x AGP, 768 DDR Ram.

~Moose

 

[enddogg]

I was getting a lot of similar errors ... however mine seemed to be more severe ... anyway I finally figured out I had a bad memory module. Not sure if that is your problem or not but worth a try.

 

[TheCorm]

My PC used to reboot every few days....often typically when I was trying to do something on it like type a document....but havem't experienced it since changing to XP.

Have you check the system log to see if anything helpful (or more likely some gibberish) is mentioned in there?

Jamie

 

[moosebanna]

enddogg so you took out a stick of your RAM? How did u know that was the problem?


Jamie, as for the log files. I am not sure where they are exactly. I looked at Event Viewer in Administrative Tools, nothing helpful there. In the windows directory there is a Logfiles folder, only thing in it is a folder named "Watchdog" with .wdl extensions. Not sure what those are, but I did find it interestering using notepad to view them they all had the following errors:


Watchdog Event Log File
//

LogType: Watchdog
Created: 2003-05-15 06:15:46
TimeZone: 300 - Eastern Standard Time
WindowsVersion: XP
EventType: 0xEA - Thread Stuck in Device Driver

//
// The driver for the display device got stuck in an infinite loop. This
// usually indicates a problem with the device itself or with the device
// driver programming the hardware incorrectly. Please check with your
// display device vendor for any driver updates.

EaRecovery: 1
ShutdownCount: 97
Shutdown: 0
EventFlag: 1
EventCount: 1
BreakCount: 1
BugcheckTriggered: 1
DebuggerNotPresent: 1
DriverName: nv4_disp
DeviceClass: Display
DeviceDescription: NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X
HardwareID: PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0281&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_A1
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
DriverFixedFileInfo: FEEF04BD 00010000 0006000E 000A1133 0006000E 000A1133 0000003F 00000008 00040004 00000003 00000004 00000000 00000000
DriverCompanyName: NVIDIA Corporation
DriverFileDescription: NVIDIA Compatible Windows 2000 Display driver, Version 44.03
DriverFileVersion: 6.14.10.4403
DriverInternalName: nv4_disp.dll
DriverLegalCopyright: (C) NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved.
DriverOriginalFilename: nv4_disp.dll
DriverProductName: NVIDIA Compatible Windows 2000 Display driver, Version 44.03
DriverProductVersion: 6.14.10.4403


I did just install the newest drivers for my video card, thinking it might have been a driver issue (along with via4in1 updates and sound blaster live drivers). I don't think they are the problem, because I put those drivers yesterday to troubleshoot.

 

[enddogg]

By default windows XP and 2K reboot if any major system errors occur. Windows XP was constantly rebooting on me although it occurred more often while I was using the PC it did sometimes occur while I was away from my PC. At first I didn't suspect a RAM issue because linux ran fine but when I tried to format and reinstall linux ... the linux install bonked. I knew at that point I had a hardware issue and after replacing the HD and NIC ... I tried my luck on the RAM and found 1 of my 2 - 256MB sticks bad. Hope this helps.

 

[moosebanna]

Hmm, is there any other way to tell if you memory module is bad?

My computer just restarted and I got this error from windows:

"A device driver installed on your system caused the problem, but we cannot determine the precise cause. " Only if I knew what driver it is!!

 

[moosebanna]

Well enddogg I took your advice after it restarted now twice in 30 minutes with same device driver error, I am going to test RAM. Since I have two sticks of RAM I guess I will test one by one. See if system stays up or not. If not gonna format and start XP all over. DAMN Windows updates always ruin stuff!