When watching netflix instant streaming, computer restarts

[digitalbuda]

I searched around Netflix but haven't found a suitable answer. I don't think it's the processor because it's temp is hovering at around 40-45 celcius. Computer specs are 2.2Ghz, 1.5 gigs memory, nVidia 6600 (latest drivers).

Computer only restarts when watching Netflix instant streaming, doesn't restart when doing anything else.

Thanks

 

[DeathRayLoveMachine]

1) This doesn't really belong in Highly Technical.
2) Are you running XP?

 

[digitalbuda]

Oops sorry wrong category, but yea it's running on windows xp home.

 

[DeathRayLoveMachine]

Probably a driver issue. Make sure your mobo and audio drivers are updated and/or WHQL-certified. However the only real solution is to ditch XP for Vista or 7.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Could be a driver issue (which you'll have to weed out on your own), but it could also be a hardware issue. I've seen systems restart when they hit a bad memory block in a stick of RAM.... Typically RAM modules in PCs are not ECC RAM (error checking), so when they have a problem reading/writing to a block, they cause all kinds of havoc to the OS. You could also have a problem with your hard drive/file system to cause similar issues. When you play Netflix movies, the flash player uses your available RAM and page file (hard drive) to buffer the stream. Just like having a bad block in your RAM, you could have a bad section of your file system that's causing problems. Try running chkdisk and defragment your drive for kicks before going to bed just to rule half of those possibilities out. There are diagnostic RAM utilities out there that will test your memory...Dell used to have some, but I don't know what they offer for PCs...I'm more of a server guy these days and use throw-away hardware...when it breaks (rarely happens), I don't waste my time...I replace it. It sounds wasteful, but it gives me a reason to buy something new every 3-4 years.

 

[digitalbuda]

It could be a number of those issues, it's a pretty old system (some parts are 2003 parts) that i pulled out of the closet and put together for my sister cept for the video card, that was bought a week ago. Worse come to worse i have some other old parts that i saved that i can try to swap out, hopefully that'll do it. Maybe its the RAM since I mixed 2 different brands, i'll check into that and the chkdisk like you mentioned.

Thanks for the input guys

 

[airdata]

What kind of screen/tv is hooked up to it?

I would suspect high video card heat if output is going to a larger, high res screen.

 

[digitalbuda]

I think the video card can handle it. The monitor is a 19" flatscreen @ 1280x1024

 

[PsiStar]

This is just a stab ... but assuming that there is considerable buffering via the HDD, I will say that it is the HDD.

And this ought to be pretty easy to test out with even just the Windows tools ... chkdsk & whatever.

 

[digitalbuda]

Hey Scarpozzi

I think it was one of the RAM modules. I pulled out one of them, a Samsung brand, and now so far after 2 movies there hasn't been a restart. I hope that was the only culprit, it seems like it is. I also did a chkdsk before I pulled the memory stick but that came up clean, no errors or corrupt sectors were found.

Thanks guys