win2k locking up randomly...

[bmacd]

I used to have a lot of probs with this computer...but then things seemed to die down after i did some spring cleaning and HD swapping. Anyway...i run the same programs all day...Kazaa Lite, AVG, Trillian, Coolmon and Internet explorer. For no apparent reason at all (that i can tell), my computer will lockup. I've had this box for some time now...and i used to think it was my cable modem (gives me LOTS of trouble when connected via USB), but here's my rig:

Compaq 700 mhz duron
512 mb memory
(2) Maxtor 80 gigs (with a WD 120 sometimes hooked in)
SB Live
Voodoo 3 3000
Hollywood +
3 com ethernet card
diamond supra 56k modem
toshiba PCX2000 cable modem

If there are any programs out there that can report any faults or anything to even give me the slightest idea of what causes this, that'd be cool. I run the same programs all the time, and it'd be too hard for me to individually isolate the program seeing as random as the lockups are.

thanks

-=bmacd=-

 

[mgpaulus]

open up a command prompt and run %WINNT%\system32\verifier.exe.
select "create custom settings". Then "select individual settings from a full list". Then select all items, and reboot.
Your system will be slow coming up and sluggish, but this should find any problems fairly quickly, and it should spit out a
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) with info on an exit code and a module. You should then be able to do either
a search on microsoft KnowledgeBase, google or google groups for the error code or the module name to see
if others have seen the same problem, or whether there is a newer version.

HTH.

 

[bmacd]

And what am i looking for? I opened verifier back up and it shows all the drivers that loaded. I never get a BSOD when my comp locks up...it just freezes. I also have Win2k Advanced Server that is an option to install, but i'll be using the same programs on that too, so...it'd be nice to know what's causing the freeze.

BTW...is there any way to export the info from verifier?

thanks again

-=bmacd=-

 

[mgpaulus]

Don't know how to export.

Since your system doesn't BSOD, then I would make a guess that you don't have a software problem. Which makes me
wonder if you don't have a hardware issue. Biggest enemy right now during summer would be heat.

So.... Can you go on down to your local Radio Shack and get an indoor/outdoor thermometer? Put the outdoor
probe somewhere deep in the top middle of your case (heat rises, and you want to try to capture the hottest
temps inside). I am going to go out on a limb and think that maybe with the extra drives you are pumping too much
heat into your case. Then your Duron get's too hot and locks up.

Solution: Get a better HS/F for that Duron, and see if there is some way you can put an extra fan in your case. If you
are running a stock Compaq system, then it probably is set up for quiet operation, which may not be the same as cool
operation.

Just my $0.02, and HTH.

 

[bmacd]

i'm running an extra fan as well as a replaced heat sink fan (one of those turbo-cyclone jobs). I dunno what else to say.

-=bmacd=-

 

[AShadeOfClear]

Did you dislocate the heatsink while you were cleaning your system? That happened to me once - caused inexplicable lockups that were the result of overheating. Also, you could have touched your RAM modules by accident. Do a test of your system memory: memtest86.

 

[bmacd]

my memory is fine...as is my heatsink fan. I really don't think this is heat related.

-=bmacd=-