test ya skills with this all time weirdest situation

[daveqb]

ok here it is ....

after getting DSL on my newly installed home network (2xPC)
and sorting out the MTU value problem i am having the weirdest experience, spooky like.

several things.
ICS suddenly stopped, i pinged the value that was working (1454) & it didnt, so lowered it, go it to respond on 1420.

made the reg change & re-booted, ICS didnt work, strange,
pinged the value again (1420) didnt work ?!?!
got 1400 to work , made the change re-booted for changes to take effect & guess what ??

ICS doesnt work.
so this continued til 60 worked, but i guess its too functionally low.

so set it to 1454 again & gave up.

that was this morning,
i have a direct account (for the meantime) so used that today,
then system restarted itself, AFTER a boot up & before the desktop was even up.

then later after another re-boot it restarted as soon as i clicked an icon on the desktop ?!?!

then get this, the ICS worked later tonight !?!?!?
nothing had been changed!

YET... the MTU value it is set at (1454) wont ping ?!??!

BUT... not the ICS is working , i cant share files or printer?!?!

noticed it was disabled in the properties for my LAN card. So ticked it & clicked OK
windows says, "this will disable File & Printer sharing ....."
WTF?!?!

went to one of my HDD that has the hand to show sharing. click on its sharing properties , it was ticked, up ticked it & then ticked it straight away, clicked OK..... Win was setting the new permissions (new??) but just got in a loop there.

tried a different LAN card, cant share files, cant share Internet connection

does any of this make sense ??

am i missing something plain and simply??

2 points, one just came to mind now

1) the case was second hand & only had it for not any longer then 2 months. ever since i have had it , it has had trouble shutting down, it would start up again, then if i hold in the Power button to shut down , it would accasionally have to continue to hold it til i hear the fans stop for it to NOT start again as i let go of the button
could this apparent fault set up be corupting my data?

2) i have two LAN cards in, but only put them in in the last few weeks, & have had only one during that time too.


thanx for any responses

 

[Adul]

what os are u running.

 

[daveqb]

XP Pro

AHHHHH!! its getting worse & worse, just to get this post up, it has re-booted while in the middle of typing this 3 times now.
i hope i get this post up.

i tried installing some extra file sharing software off the control panel last night , but not long after the XP CD went in , it -re-booted, it just keeps re-booting all the time now, havent been able to look any further at other problems because........it re-boots !!!


i better post this quick before my screen is gone .....

 

[Transition]

Solution:
format c:\

XP + Networking = hit or miss

 

[BD231]

XP + Networking = hit or miss

Sorry brotha, the man is right. Once you start screwing with network settings to get optimal performance there really is no turning back.

 

[daveqb]

yeah i realise a format in ievitable but dont want to do it with the same problem to re-occur.

the random re-boots.

i am really thinking its the second hand case, but dont wanna buy a new one to find its not.

has anyone heard of a fault wired case causing this kinda problem ???

its always had trouble shutting down, (would turn back on again) since i have had it.


hey guess what it hasnt re-booted in the last 20 minutes !!

 

[BD231]

XP tends to not turn the computer off at shutdown sometimes, it's happend on every computer I've seen with WinXP. You can do a system restore to a point before you installed any broadband, that worked for me when I tried to "tweak", i.e. fubar the computer. It's best to be happy with the extra bandwith then go through the headaches of tweaking.

 

[daveqb]

nah man i havent tweaked anything

i put in 1454 as the MTU in the reg, simply to enable Internet Connection Sharing , otherwise it wouldnt share, its a known problem withh PPPoE (forgotten the MS link)

could a faulty wired case cause this random shutting down?
Also, could random shut downs, whatever the reason corupt my data so as to make it act inconsistantly ??


thanx

 

[BD231]

Well random shutdowns usualy come from a bad PSU and or overclocking, I dont see how your internet connection is making your computer turn off unless your getting hacked due to no firewall. Best thing to do if you want to share internet connection is to get a cable/dsl router. There pretty cheap at compusa. If you dont want to do that then I guess you'll just have to try the re-install like Transition said. No matter what you change in the reg, your always taking the risk of messing something up.

 

[daveqb]

yeah i realise chaning/adding to the reg isnt always the best, but only way to ICS.

ADSL Routers here are AU$280 cheapest, going to about AU$380

so i cant afford that

but if its cheap there in the US and shipping isnt too much..... could help my sharing + security,

but that problem i think will be fixed with a re-install right now, as it is acting weird (ticking to file share, then clicking OK, then Windows says this action will UNINSTALL file sharing ???? + unticking & re-ticking sharing for a drive/folder, makes it set the permisson, but never stops setting the permission til i click cancel)

the acting weird i think has to do with the shutting down.

whats the cause?
my bet is the case because i had the PSU in another case before this one, no probs, that case i did have it in is now being used with the other computer on my home network, never a problem with shutting down etc & its on XP

the case has always had a 'staying off' problem, but now its getting worse with random restarts and never STAYING off.

the only way i can get it not to come back on again is quickly rush around the back & pull the plug before it decides to boot up again

am i right in assuming the CASE itself can do these turning on & off?
&
can that make the OS act weird like it is? corrupting the data stored on HDD?? (i imagine shutting down while operating would cause that, correct?)


thanx for the responses

 

[BD231]

am i right in assuming the CASE itself can do these turning on & off?

Not a chance, you have a defective peice of hardware, most likely motherboard, or your PSU is not strong enough. You can try updating the BIOS but internet connection software can't cause all the problems your having.

 

[daveqb]

hmmm not the case ya reckon ???

i got an Aopen 300W PSU

the Motherboard has been sturdy for bout 10 months now,

i have 1xCD-ROM 2xHDD 1xZip drive 1xFDD

plus two system fans, a 300w shouldnt have trouble with that i wouldnt reckon.


well its been on all morning now, after restarting a few times this morn, its been ok.

very erratic, theres no rhythm or reason to it.

so say i got my hands on a new case w/ PSU (possibly 400w) i will know for certain after trialing that , right ???

(seeing if i can convince him to let me return it if it doesnt solve the problem, he did sell me the second one)

 

[BD231]

Before anything I would do a re-install, and anything of the same nature was to happen after that then I would say it's one of your parts (motherboard or PSU). You dont need a 400watt PSU, I would go with a 330watt Antec True power, and you dont need a new case unless you really want one. Also, I noticed you have generic ram, make sure your cas settings arn't to aggressive, this can cause the exact problems you describe as well. Hope this helps, good luck.

Brian

 

[daveqb]

my board doesnt support overclocking at all.

the RAM i got now is actually Kingmax, (256 module) had that and some generic stuff, thats gone now (into my other system) & jusr left with the Kingmax.

been using this Module for close to a yr now, never a drama.

the cas settings are Auto.

i could swap the RAM around.

could RAM just suddenly go whacky?? without ever being O/Ced ???


well i managed to get a new big midi case, 4 bays, for $10
so will try that tonight when i get home.

if it doesnt solve it, at least i will able to turn it off only once & it will stay off with the power cable still in it.
(the old one never managed to do that)


thank

PS its a good one hey ? situation i mean

 

[Instagib]

<< Solution:
format c:\

XP + Networking = hit or miss >>

 

[PH0ENIX]

I'm not even going to try and rebut some of the things said here.

First off, of COURSE the case is a possibility - hasn't anyone ever had a shorted component before?
If the system hasn't behaved properly since the case changed then most likely either something is shorting or perhaps you connected something incorrectly.

The latter isn't very likely considering the kinds of problems you're having though.

If you've ever seen a system that has had something spilt in it, you'd see how many erratic problems can occur from a simple short.

If the case is worrying you that much, get a mainboard antistatic bag and build the system caseless just to test it.
If you can install components into a system then you can manage that.

I agree that the PSU is naturally a very likely culprit in this situation, so testing another would be a good plan.

Admittedly registry editing has it's risks, but taking a little care only requires marginally more intelligence than fingerpainting - you did only change the MTU value, right?
and that value is on a Microsoft knowledge-base article as being the one you need to change, right?

Right.
(incidentally that cynicism was more aimed at the people telling you registry editing is terribly dangerous)

"Format c:" - we aren't talking a Win95 box here.
How about we suggest something a tad more productive?
If it's a hardware problem as it's seeming, then attacking the OS is not really the place to start, is it?

XP does have a couple of known issues on networks, but nothing unresolvable.
Imagine that - you install XP on your manager's PC "oh, the network doesn't work. that's ok it's just XP, lets forget about it."

:disgust:

 

[Andrew111]

If I'm not mistaken, you'll be better able to troubleshoot this problem if you disable automatic reboot on system failure. This way you will at least see a BSOD giving you details about what is causing the problem. Just go into Control Panel, System, Advanced. Click on Settings for the Startup and Recovery section, which is at the bottom of the advanced window. Go down to system failure, and uncheck automatic reboot.

 

[BD231]

(incidentally that cynicism was more aimed at the people telling you registry editing is terribly dangerous)

Woah there, calm down tiger. I never said reg edit it was TERRIBLY dangerous. I tried to edit my MTU value once and ended up not being able to connect to the internet at all. Why so much anger PH0ENIX?

 

[RanDum72]

I usually find WinXP networking (and Internet sharing) to be pretty reliable,much improved over Win98/ME. Just use the wizard. I don't even think you need to tinker with MTU settings and the like (they imrpove things under Win98/ME but not with WinXP). Just to be on the safe size, reformat and just use the wizrad to configure network/internet sharing settings. Don't mess around with the registry. If you can keep it up and running for days on end, then the problem is with your tinkering around with the registry and not the hardware. But in this case, messing with just MTU's in the won't really make your PC restart so this is more likely a hardware problem. A 300w PSU maybe cutting it too thin. Have you checked the voltages/temps just to make sure they're OK?. Bad memory, bad mobo, bad PSU, these can cause PC's to restart. But just start with the basics and do the reformat and go from there.

 

[daveqb]

thanx

<< PH0ENIX >>

for that.

i got the case now ($10 new but no power supply (w/ worth $46) )
so this will be the easiest way to start testing, just whack it in the new case.

like i said no PSU so if continues PSU will be my next look.
admittedly if it does continue i cant but help think that its still repercussions from the old system re-booting in mid operation
by that i mean i think the random shut downs (whatever casued them) has currupted my OS, dont ya think??
what leads me to this conclusion is the fact that when i tick file sharing & click OK , it asks "this will disable this feature ,are you sure u want to continue?"
like WHAT??
what else could that be? plus theres no way around it, tried file sharing a HDD individually, untick it, then tick it, click OK, but it just gets caught in a loop & have to click cancel (went had a shower, came back & it was still setting permissions)

so i think a re-format is needed (as much i like to find the cause rather then carpet bomb the situation)

if it continues with new case & format, PSU would be next on the agenda right ???

with replacing that i would have to look at the MoBo , right ??

then.......... throw it against a wall ?? :Q

yes i only played with the MTU value in the reg. have ran XPtweak before though, but i dont think i have ever manually changed the reg.
plus anyway i ran XPtweak awhile ago




<< Andrew111 >>

, thanx for that, i will do that & see if that will help the whole troubleshoooting.

now u mention it, i do recall seeing a flicker of a BSOD on same of the restarts, could this mean not a hardware issue ?!?!?!




<< RanDum72 >>

,
i have used the wizard & manually configured the LAN (do find you lose control of the settings when using Wizard, so not a fan of that)
i set the MTU value simply out of need. if i choose not to, then no more ICS, which basicly defeats the purpose of the home LAN i have.
the LAN wont run WITH ICS for one minute UNLESS i set the MTU value to 1454.
but thanx for that anyways.

anyone see a hole in my list and order on my objectives ??
keep the comments/suggestions coming

thanx all
off to put this in a new case (then probably invent new foul language when it re-boots again )

 

[RanDum72]

have used the wizard & manually configured the LAN (do find you lose control of the settings when using Wizard, so not a fan of that)

I have yet to lose a setting by using the wizard. BTW, you said the cheapest broadband routers are Aus$280.00? What brand are they? Over here in the U.S. you can get a decent one for US$50-75. I would recommend getting a router if you can (after confirming the absence/presence of other hardware problems).

 

[daveqb]

yeah AU$280 translates to US$140 after the exchange rate.

can ya get me one & post it over ?? ( ia m serious, but havent the cash right now)or better yet an online shop that ships int'l, like Crucial does.

havent investigatored that, i will find out what brand they are from where i deal with, be curious,

oh actually i got a price list here in excel of one of the places.......


well dont list it as a Router at this place, but cal it "internet sharing" 8-port, built in firewall, can sharing 1 connection among 253 users
sounds like a cable ADSL router to me, that one is Cnet, $270 & thats wholesale!!


WELL....... heres the result.....

i just booted up rightn ow from switching cases & must say this is a bastard of a case to work with , looks pretty , but nothing lined up, screw were so tight for the add-on cards i couldnt use the same screws to hold them in. Not that they al need it, so tight to get them in , TV Tuner card with its bulky plug holes , i had to bend the metal & jam it down to get it in,

anyway......drum roll..........

i changed the PCI location of my cards to help air flow mainly (been meanig to for awhile) & actually used the other LAN that didnt let me do anything before.

took forever to boot, thought it wasnt for a minute there.

so when it booted up it "found new hardware" did its stuff & then asked to set up new network, no worries,
went thru that.
tried my network places & could access the other PC YAY!!!
now fingers crossed......
openned IE, it hang DOH!
but wait , havent set the MTU value for this card & connection,
did that, re-booted (re-booted much smother too)
openned IE & magic ! ICS was working too!!! YAY!!!

even openning up Excel then was quicker then before, tried Word, faster then its ever been.

dunno, gremlin ??

the old case must have been causing some sort of fault with the current or something
reminds me too, that when i found & installed this Zip drive the HDD LED would never go off, finally found that if i leave the Zip Drive on Auto in the BIOS it would let the HDD LED operate normally,



done it then by habbit, but will test that too, to see if the case change made a difference to that


comment would be ummm interesting, as a very interesting solution (saying that it will probably all fall down tmw)


PS just noticed my Primary HDD has slipped back to U DMA Mode 2 ?!?!
but cant see any ATAPI errors in the event viewer relating to it ?!?

 

[RanDum72]

I think your mobo is the one thats getting weird........ Just leave it on for a while and see what happens. BTW, is Australia 220v? Do you use some sort of AVR or UPS?

As for the router, hey, if you're serious, just e-mail me, maybe we can work something out later

 

[daveqb]

when i have the cash i will take u up on that.

whats ya email?? or just PM me

well i got 2 BSOD just now, once during a re-boot (to change the settings for the Zip drive & yes with this case it doesnt matter hows its set, the HDD LED is uneffected ,so thats good)

the other for no apparent reason.

i still think my OS is corrupted, may need to re-install to give this case a far go.

the MoBo?? i do want to upgrade too (GA-VRXP) but need to buy DDR aswell, havent the cash right now (a bit short on funds at the moment if you havent guessed)

the BSOD said to run 'driver verifier' but how do i do that?? ran a search for it , nothing of the sort , both file search & help search.

the only thing i can think of was that i finally got the data cable for my Nokia 6210, installed the software for it around the same time this has happened, but removed it & also ran a system restore when this all started too, so never thought anything of it.

it doesnt say its XP compliant.

maybe its coz irreparable damage.

it didnt work either, wouldnt pick up the phone being on the cable (serial cable btw)

i am beginning to lean towards a re-install,
have my HDD partitioned just for this, only OS & apps on C:\
all important stuff stays on D:\

but still the case has improved something,
it does shut down now when told too.
& lights dont play tricks on me

i gotta go to bed, early start in the morn,
i am gonna leave it on, but probably be ok coz wont be messing with it.

i have the "Event Viewer" info on those errors (BSOD).
btw all system errors cat (102) event 1003

did a quick look up on that here
i will do that tmw