So who likes a good challenge? Step inside

[JMJ88]

So I recently upgraded my system with a CPU, PSU, and video card.

Specs:
A64 3700+
K8V deluxe Bios 1009
Audigy 2
Connect3D X800XT PE
Thermaltake Silent Purepower 480W PSU
Some HD's, some CD DVD burners
WinXP Pro SP1/SP2 (read on)

Before I changed out these 3 things, I had a 3200+, Antec 380W PSU (Sonata case), and an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. Before changing things over, the system was absolutely ROCK SOLID, even with Cool 'n Quiet running. Never had an issue or reboot.

Now to the problems. I was having video lockups, but I traced that to the Catalyst 5.1 drivers. Went back to 4.12 and solved that problem. I have monitored voltage rails and they are pretty solid, well within the 5% limit (usually way under 2%), even under a full gaming load. Monitored this with the Asusprobe software with recording turned on. I was getting random reboots and just couldn't figure it out. They always happened while in Windows with the system not doing much (No gaming, at most a download going or it even doing nothing), and with CNQ enabled. I started to think it was CNQ so I disabled it. That apparently seemed to solve my problems. All this while running XP PRO SP1.

Sunday I formatted and did a clean install and went to SP2. No CNQ enabled. Tonight while copying a file from my wireless laptop to this system I had a reboot. I am not certain if it happened at the exact moment I put in my USB key into the system. I just saw the monitor go dark, and I moved the mouse but nothing happened. When the monitor said something like "Powering down", I knew it was a reboot. Sure enough, up came the bios screen and all was well.

Facts I can tell you:
1. System not overclocked at all. Nothing is OC'd.
2. Verified RAM settings, all good and at specs. Ran memtest for 1 hour, no errors.
3. Heat a non issue. XP-90 heatsink, never goes over 42C under full load.
4. Ran CPU Burn for 1 hour, no errors.
5. Never rebooted during any game play (woohoo!)
6. Eventviewer shows NOTHING. Nada. zip. zilch. damnit! Checked around time of reboot, no errors.
7. Don't even get a bluescreen, just a reboot. Have "automatic restart" disabled under startup and recovery.

EDIT: Forgot to add, I have DEP DISABLED.

So, anyone got any ideas as to how to trace this down? It has me baffled and web searches have pretty much led me to nowhere.

Thanks for anything you can do to help me track this one down!

 

[daniel49]

dunno you sound pretty thorough to me. You just may have to wait till it gives you more clues.
Guess thats why they say don't fix it if it ain't broken..you went from a rock solid system to one with a boogieman.

always seemed to me if you upgraded one piece of hardware/ software at a time when possible made it easier to run things down also.
not much help I know sorry about that.
gl

 

[moonsite]

My USB port gives me troubled sometimes. I run winxp pro sp1. It locked up on me a few times when I just plug in a 2.5" usb drive enclosure. I don't know why that is though. Just a thought.

 

[Slikkster]

Check Doctor Watson:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson\drwtsn32.log


This assumes XP is on your C: drive. Otherwise, amend letter in path above.

This log file is cumulative, and is appended to for each dump. Most recent crash/dump will be at the bottom of the log file.

 

[JMJ88]

Originally posted by: Slikkster
Check Doctor Watson:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson\drwtsn32.log


This assumes XP is on your C: drive. Otherwise, amend letter in path above.

This log file is cumulative, and is appended to for each dump. Most recent crash/dump will be at the bottom of the log file.

Thanks for that one, I forgot about Dr. Watson. However, the last thing dated in there is from 2/21/05.

I think where I'll go from here is run it for at least a month and see if I have anymore reboots. I actually went into the bios and set the ram voltage at 2.6V from the "auto" setting. 2.6V is the spec for my Crucial ram. I also updated the CPU driver in windows, got the latest one from AMD. I think that tends to affect the CNQ more than anything, and since i'm not running it, I probably won't notice any difference.