System lockups caused by computer case??!!!

[alfhead]

Recently, my computer has been locking up pretty frequently at random times. The problems started about a couple of weeks after installing my new shuttle ak31 mobo. The first two weeks, the system ran flawlessly. Right before leaving for thanksgiving break however, my system would randomly freeze, and nothing but a cold reboot would get it unfrozen. these are my specs:

AMD TBird B (10*100) @ 1000
Shuttle AK31a rev.3 mobo
256 meg Crucial 2100 DDR ECC/Registered
250 watt enhance PSU
ATI All in Wonder Radeon
Promise Ultra 100 ide card
3com ethernet adapter
IBM deskstar 75 gxp 45 gig
Maxtor 16 gig, 5400 rpm

I'm running windows XP pro, which was originally installed when I had a MSI K7t turbo mobo. When I installed the AK31, I didn't bother doing a format and reinstall-- everything just worked fine. After the freezes started, I reinstalled WinXP twice, by doing the repair installation option under setup (no format, just a lazy install over the old one). Time to time, my system would freeze even outside of windows, but this has happened only twice. Lockups have also occurred during the repair installations of WinXP, but successive retries of the installation got it installed.

some questions:
Since my computer was running without a single lockup for two weeks, doesn't this mean that my combination of hardware is pretty much ok? Could problems pop up in the hardware after such a time period of smooth running? Is my PSU too puny? What do you guys think, is this a problem with my hardware or software? Would a format and reinstallation of winxp be a good idea?

[EDIT] read 2nd post, please! [/EDIT]

 

[alfhead]

Ok, so I've been able to reproduce a system lockup, so it isn't so random anymore. Incredibly, it seems as though my case is the culprit, somehow. Whenever I take off the side panel to my case, I get a lockup. The same thing happens when I put the panel back on. I have a fong kai 603 case. Perhaps somehow the metal of the case is coming into contact with a part of the mobo, causing a short or something whenever I put on the metal side panel?

 

[Splork]

I highly doubt that the case would be the cause of your problems. You should throughly investigate whether or not the mobo touches the side of the case. You should also look at cooling. Are you sure you have enough fans going? And, do you have sufficient air flow going through the case.

I know this is a pain in the a$$ but an option that always worked well for me was to basically take apart my computer and then rebuild it starting from scratch. Formating the HDD, etc. Just some options, but again I've never heard of a case cause your puter to reboot unless it's too hot.

-sp

 

[stingbandel]

I personally don't think the case has anything to do with it. Could it be the power supply?




Darno

 

[alfhead]

I'm about 90% sure that my case is somehow causing these problems. It definitely is not temperature, since my temps idel around 42 deg celsius, and when I cause a lockup on my system by putting on or taking off the side panel to my computer case, the lockup occurs at the exact same time that the metal on the side panel comes into contact with the metal parts of the rest of the case. I'm using metal standoffs for the mobo, so that further supports my suspicion. So, what should I do in order to stop these shorts?

 

[virge147]

its most likely the psu

 

[alfhead]

ok, I just took out my motherboard and covered all the mounting holes with electrical tape. I just tried to lock up my computer by taking off the side panel, and nothing happened! no lockup! so, just as long as my computer doesn't lockup again in the near future, I'm gonna say that the metal standoffs were the problem! just incredible.. to think that of all the other things that could have been causing problems, the standoffs were the culprits.. who knows, maybe my measly 250 watt psu could give me some problems, but I'd like to think not. Although it isn't very powerful, I have faith in that little ah heck! Twice, I thought that the psu was the cause of a broken system, but it always turned out to be something else! first, it was a dead mobo, and now the metal standoffs.. apparently, this psu has got more moxie than I always assumed it did..