I'm running Win2k Pro, sp4+patches. I have an Epox 8kha+ mbd, Athlon XP.
My computer BSODs about once a day (though sometimes > 2 days) without any direct cause (almost always when I'm not at my computer). Most of the time it lists the NT kernal (ntoskrnl or whatever) though I've also seen tcip.sys. Frankly, given that the computer's usage pattern, I think those drivers just represent a random sampling what's running behind my back (i.e. mainly idling with some web browser auto updating of pages and perhaps local network stuff).
Up until about 2-3 months ago this computer was rock solid. I don't recall adding any hardware or device drivers immediately preceding this routine.
I do have god knows how many interesting services that run at startup (NAV, a Fax, Matrox Powerdesk, Proxomitron, etc.) though I don't seem to recall installing any immediately preceding these symptoms.
I ran memtest86 for hours and no errors.
I know that the epox8kha+'s suffered from the bad capacitor batch issue. So, I looked at the mobo and I can see one of the bazillion capacitors has a minor issue but frankly.
1) It's minor. It's a little brown on the top and it's not caked with crap - most of the top is still shiny (though this doesn't bode well for the future)
2) My previous experience with bad mobo's is that they're easy to spot. The crash through the OS straight to reboot and crash often.
So, hardware doesn't seem nutty but not a great bet either.
All in all if someone put a gun to my head, I'd say device driver or service but, as I've said above, that's just because it's the less silly choice.
Even as I write, I am conducting a test. I have always done backups by backing up my entire hard drive on spare hard drives. As it turns out I have a hard drive back up that predates the whole crashing issue. I have booted using this old hard drive and will run this computer for at least 3 days. If it doesn't reboot after that time I will conclude that I have some kind of service/device driver issue but, given the blue screens and the long up time between them, I can't imagine how I'm going to ferret that out.
If I go driver by driver, service by service I will be dead 100 years before I find the problem.
The fact is, I have spent a long time getting this machine the way I want it. So many apps - some probably no longer obtainable but necessary. I don't want to reinstall fresh. So, I have two thoughts for a hail-mary strategy
1) A new mobo. Besides an "update/repair" that comes with a new mobo deleting any number of drives due to the new mobo, unlike my current mobo, I wouldn't have my add-in extra HD IDE card (for fast copies in Ghost DOS mode), the sound card (a long story), or the network card. That's a lot of extra drivers.
2) Install an XP prof upgrade (over my win2k Pro). Same accidental fix with new driver theory (well sort of - at least a new kernal).
Anyway, it's just awful, the problems and my solutions, so I'm up for suggestions.
Thanks
www.envisionsystemsllc.com
EnVision Systems LLC
Providing custom solutions for industrial pattern recognition and image processing problems.
Andrew Diamond
4170 Pilon Point
San Diego, CA 92130
Phone: 858-509-3115
Fax: 858-509-3116
My computer BSODs about once a day (though sometimes > 2 days) without any direct cause (almost always when I'm not at my computer). Most of the time it lists the NT kernal (ntoskrnl or whatever) though I've also seen tcip.sys. Frankly, given that the computer's usage pattern, I think those drivers just represent a random sampling what's running behind my back (i.e. mainly idling with some web browser auto updating of pages and perhaps local network stuff).
Up until about 2-3 months ago this computer was rock solid. I don't recall adding any hardware or device drivers immediately preceding this routine.
I do have god knows how many interesting services that run at startup (NAV, a Fax, Matrox Powerdesk, Proxomitron, etc.) though I don't seem to recall installing any immediately preceding these symptoms.
I ran memtest86 for hours and no errors.
I know that the epox8kha+'s suffered from the bad capacitor batch issue. So, I looked at the mobo and I can see one of the bazillion capacitors has a minor issue but frankly.
1) It's minor. It's a little brown on the top and it's not caked with crap - most of the top is still shiny (though this doesn't bode well for the future)
2) My previous experience with bad mobo's is that they're easy to spot. The crash through the OS straight to reboot and crash often.
So, hardware doesn't seem nutty but not a great bet either.
All in all if someone put a gun to my head, I'd say device driver or service but, as I've said above, that's just because it's the less silly choice.
Even as I write, I am conducting a test. I have always done backups by backing up my entire hard drive on spare hard drives. As it turns out I have a hard drive back up that predates the whole crashing issue. I have booted using this old hard drive and will run this computer for at least 3 days. If it doesn't reboot after that time I will conclude that I have some kind of service/device driver issue but, given the blue screens and the long up time between them, I can't imagine how I'm going to ferret that out.
If I go driver by driver, service by service I will be dead 100 years before I find the problem.
The fact is, I have spent a long time getting this machine the way I want it. So many apps - some probably no longer obtainable but necessary. I don't want to reinstall fresh. So, I have two thoughts for a hail-mary strategy
1) A new mobo. Besides an "update/repair" that comes with a new mobo deleting any number of drives due to the new mobo, unlike my current mobo, I wouldn't have my add-in extra HD IDE card (for fast copies in Ghost DOS mode), the sound card (a long story), or the network card. That's a lot of extra drivers.
2) Install an XP prof upgrade (over my win2k Pro). Same accidental fix with new driver theory (well sort of - at least a new kernal).
Anyway, it's just awful, the problems and my solutions, so I'm up for suggestions.
Thanks
www.envisionsystemsllc.com
EnVision Systems LLC
Providing custom solutions for industrial pattern recognition and image processing problems.
Andrew Diamond
4170 Pilon Point
San Diego, CA 92130
Phone: 858-509-3115
Fax: 858-509-3116