Random Crashes - Help!

[Footlong]

I just got a new computer and am experiencing frequent lockups.

I have the following specifications:
P3 700e
256 MB PC133 RAM
ABIT BE6-II
Creative Annihilator 2

Please respond with any suggestions that you have.

 

[Henry Kuo]

Are you overclocking? Do you have enough cooling for the system? Sounds like a heat problem to me. A good way (kinda stupid, but good for testing) is to open up the case, and run it under good ventilation, and see if the problem persists.

 

[ChOdah]

I am not overclocking at all. The CPU is running at 40 degrees C. I don't think that is very hot...

 

[Footlong]

Hm... accidentally posted from a different comptuer on another login name, but that was me who posted as Chodah.

 

[Henry Kuo]

is it a newly installed system?

 

[Footlong]

Yeah, I just received it a few days ago from GamePC. They installed the mobo, CPU, RAM, HD, DVD, floppy....
All I put in was the video card, network card, and sound card...

Sometimes it will crash right when Windows boots up, sometimes Windows doesn't boot at all. It will basically crash anytime I try to run a game like Quake3.

 

[Henry Kuo]

Maybe a IRQ conflict or so? Go to control panel, system, and see if there is any conflict?

 

[Footlong]

I looked in there and there are devices assigned to the same IRQ but Windows does not report any conflicts...

 

[Henry Kuo]

hmm, i would suggest this. pull out all the cards. leave only the cpu, ram, and video card. install windows, and see if there is lockups. then start putting in cards one by one. that way you can pinpoint what's wrong.

 

[bluezebra1098]

Footlong you got to separate the hardware sharing an IRQ.
Just because windows says there is no conflict..well just don't believe it.
Try the sound card in PCI slot 5 unless something else is already there.

 

[Footlong]

How do I separate the IRQs?
I looked in the manual and I think I have the devices in PCI slots where they don't have to share an IRQ.

In Windows I still have quite a few things sharing IRQ 10 and 11 though.