Win7 PC locks up periodically. Will more RAM help?

[luger]

Desktop: Dell XPS 8300, Windows 7 SP1, Core i5 2300, 6GB RAM, 1TB HDD, AMD Radeon HD 6450 (also, onboard Intel graphics).

Symptoms:

- very long wake from hibernation (much longer than turning on from power off), long wake from sleep - sometimes never wakes and just hangs

- OS often switches Color Scheme to Windows Basic due to slow performance

- periodic lockups; seem to minimize these by powering off at the end of each day and starting fresh

In terms of usage, I run a typical array of background services along with a few apps, the most resource hungry is Chrome with maybe 10 windows and ~30 tabs open.

This is my first Win7 system. Previously I ran XP and that was far more stable - sure, apps would crash, but it was self-contained and didn't lock up the entire system.

Anyway, I'm wondering if more RAM would help relieve some of these symptoms as I'm typically at 90% or more on memory usage.

 

[silicon]

if you provide your system specs then you have a better chance of being helped. And maybe you need more ram...also check you have enough room on your hard d rive.

 

[luger]

if you provide your system specs then you have a better chance of being helped. And maybe you need more ram...also check you have enough room on your hard d rive.

Thanks, updated specs. Not sure if there is additional spec info that would be helpful here?

Yes, there is sufficient free space on the hard drive, and in particular, on the operating system partition: 65GB partition with 22GB free space.

 

[silicon]

Have you checked for a firmware update that may address this issue?

 

[mvbighead]

Lockups will almost never be cured by more RAM. Lock ups are generally due to actual problems, not resource limits.

I'd run memtest and see if you might have a bad stick of RAM. Run a disk scan as well to check for bad sectors, etc.

 

[Morbus]

It may be the HDD that's crapping out, or it may be the motherboard. That long wake up after hibernation is sometimes seen before a motherboard dies. I've personally seen that symptom a few times.

 

[piasabird]

How did you get 6GB of RAM? What configuration is it in and what type? You have enough RAM but the RAM could be bad or not work together. Might work better without hibernation. After a while you can develop bad or corrupted files. Dell has never been famous for using the highest quality power supplies either. A bad power supply could be a sign the cause of many problems including corrupted files.

Blowing the dust out might help. It can cause overheating.

 

[MongGrel]

You bought a Dell, live with it I guess.

*shrug*

 

[goobee]

Did you buy this machine new or is it a refurb? Dell business gets off lease machines back from companies and off loads them as "refurbished".

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Based on my history of smashing my head into a wall, my checklist would go this way:

1) Do I have at least 25GB of free space on C: drive?
1a) Delete things until I do.
2) Boot from LiveCD and run memtest, then virus scan.
2a) If memtest fails, replace RAM.
2b) If virus scan fails, reformat C drive and reinstall.
3) Run any manufacturer-provided tests. (Dell used to distribute Hardware Test CDs that would check for all sorts of hardware issues.)
4) Scan HDD for bad blocks. Clone to backup just in case.
4a) If bad blocks, replace HDD. Reinstall OS.
5) If all that fails, do a low level format of C drive and reinstall Windows.
6) If none of that works, it's probably your RAM, even if it passed memtest.
7) If that doesn't work, it's your power supply or motherboard.
8) It's almost never a defective CPU.
9) You have now replaced all the parts in your computer.

 

[mfenn]

You bought a Dell, live with it I guess.

*shrug*

If you can't come up with a helpful reply, why post a response at all?

Anyway, OP can you describe what you mean by "lock up"?

- Do you get any sort of error message or blue screen?
- Do the mouse cursor and keyboard lights still respond (Caps Lock, etc.)?
- Can you switch windows?
- Is the HDD activity light constant on, flickering, or off?

 

[luger]

Lockups will almost never be cured by more RAM. Lock ups are generally due to actual problems, not resource limits.

I'd run memtest and see if you might have a bad stick of RAM. Run a disk scan as well to check for bad sectors, etc.

Thanks, it's helpful to know that the problems are not likely the result of insufficient memory.

Ran memtest from a USB stick. Let it run for 2 hours. After 2 passes, no errors and I exited.



I also ran Dell's PC Diagnostics tool. Everything - CPU, drives, onboard video, video card - checks out OK.

Ran Avast quick scan - all good.

Ran Seagates's SeaTools SMART Check and Short Drive Self Test. No problems.

 

[luger]

How did you get 6GB of RAM? What configuration is it in and what type? You have enough RAM but the RAM could be bad or not work together. Might work better without hibernation. After a while you can develop bad or corrupted files. Dell has never been famous for using the highest quality power supplies either. A bad power supply could be a sign the cause of many problems including corrupted files.

Blowing the dust out might help. It can cause overheating.

Prior to running memtest, I pulled out all the DIMMs. 2 x 1GB (Samsung) and 2 x 2GB (Nanya) totaling 6gb. I blew out the dust from inside the PC using compressed air, and used a vac to catch the dust floating around so it didn't all fall back on the components. I firmly seated all the DIMMs back in place.

 

[luger]

Did you buy this machine new or is it a refurb? Dell business gets off lease machines back from companies and off loads them as "refurbished".

Purchased used off Craigslist.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Purchased used off Craigslist.

...

This makes me a sad panda.

Did you scan for malware and HDD errors?

 

[MongGrel]

If you can't come up with a helpful reply, why post a response at all?

Anyway, OP can you describe what you mean by "lock up"?

- Do you get any sort of error message or blue screen?
- Do the mouse cursor and keyboard lights still respond (Caps Lock, etc.)?
- Can you switch windows?
- Is the HDD activity light constant on, flickering, or off?

Sorry for that, but bought one once, about 25 years ago.

Was not helpful I know, but more a warning.

Appologise for that one.

My bad sorry OP.

 

[KeithP]

Is it possible the CPU is over heating and throttling itself down to protect itself? You might check and see if all your fans are working. You might also consider removing the the CPU cooler, cleaning it and reapplying thermal compound.

-KeithP

 

[NewYorksFinest]

6GB :shocked:. That is DEFINITELY not a RAM problem.

 

[luger]

If you can't come up with a helpful reply, why post a response at all?

Anyway, OP can you describe what you mean by "lock up"?

- Do you get any sort of error message or blue screen?
- Do the mouse cursor and keyboard lights still respond (Caps Lock, etc.)?
- Can you switch windows?
- Is the HDD activity light constant on, flickering, or off?

The various windows on my displays are still up, no BSOD or error message.

But no response from mouse or keyboard - which raises the possibility of a USB problem I suppose.

Good question. I never checked the HDD light. Will do so next time it locks.

 

[mfenn]

The various windows on my displays are still up, no BSOD or error message.

But no response from mouse or keyboard - which raises the possibility of a USB problem I suppose.

Good question. I never checked the HDD light. Will do so next time it locks.

Basically, I was wondering if you were swapping so heavily that the computer appeared to be unresponsive. That fact that you can't move the mouse cursor or interact with the keyboard means that swapping isn't the problem.

Next time it happens, try pressing the power button and releasing it. If it goes through the normal shutdown procedure, then you'll know that you have a problem with the USB devices disconnecting. If it doesn't, then you probably do have a genuine lockup.

Bad memory or disk can cause the computer to lock in the way that you're describing though.

 

[luger]

Next time it happens, try pressing the power button and releasing it. If it goes through the normal shutdown procedure, then you'll know that you have a problem with the USB devices disconnecting. If it doesn't, then you probably do have a genuine lockup.

Quick press and release, as opposed to hold down until the PC shuts down, correct?

How does that relate to the USB devices like the keyboard or mouse?

 

[mfenn]

Quick press and release, as opposed to hold down until the PC shuts down, correct?

How does that relate to the USB devices like the keyboard or mouse?

Correct, press and release. You can test it while the computer is working normally if you want to practice with the timing.

The ACPI power button shutdown doesn't directly related to USB, which is the idea. The computer and OS has to be pretty much fully functional in order to process the shutdown request, but it doesn't rely on USB working at all. So this is a way to get a response out of the PC without involving USB, thus ruling it in or out.

 

[compcons]

Did you check the event viewer (both system and applications) for errors? Just scroll down and look for red ox's or apply a filter (which can take long time if the system is having issues so I usually just scroll and look). Some errors are easy to ignore (e.g. DCOM) but if its bad drivers or a HDD controller issue, you will see it.

 

[Blain]

Hard lock when nothing responds (programs, mouse cursor or keyboard entries), from my experience...
CPU or HD heating up, or possibly the HD going south.

 

[sm625]

Get a SSD. Even if its just a used intel X25-V 40GB off ebay for $23, it is worth the money. Partition your HDD, resize the OS partition, and find a way to fit it onto the SSD.