Computer freezes shortly after start up, but only once

[captainmurdock]

Hi, I've looked at a couple of previous threads in these forums but couldn't find one that acurately simulated my problem, so i thought i'd just jump in and try to start my own.

Please bare with me, Im no computer genius and havn't a clue what else to try to get the issue resolved. I have filled in some of my system spec, but only from looking at the device manager in windows, so if any more 'detailed' info is required I will do my best to provide it. I'll try to describe the problem...

1 - Turn on comp and all starts up fine, everything loads, no error messages. At this stage I can usually surf the net, or open and read documents without any trouble.

2 - If I start a game (World of Warcraft / C+C Generals) the computer will usually freeze within about 2 - 10 mins. (by freeze, I mean freeze. everything goes from working fine to complete standstill, not even mouse cursor moves, no keyboard, nothing) This 'freezeing' has also occured when i have opened and watched some video files.

3 - Once the computer has frozen, there is only one option, the reset button. But the curious thing is.... after i hit reset, and start the computer up again normally, no more freezing occurs.

4 - These facts seem to be 100% accurate. I have started my computer up fresh to post this, and it has not crashed (I have had comp running approx 40 - 60 mins), through all surfing, and working it has been fine. however, I can guarantee that the first time i start Command And Conquer, or login to World or Warcarft, the comp will freeze again. I can also guarantee that once I have reset it (following crash) the comp will not freeze, regardless of how long it is on, or how much 'work' it is doing. I have had this problem, behaving in this way, for 3 months now.

In all the time i have had the issue, the computer has NEVER frozen following the reset, however, starting up and restarting before freeze, does not prevent freeze. ONLY reset, ONCE frozen, will prevent the computer from further crashing.

Since I know diddly squat about how computers work, or indeed DONT work, I am some what anxious as to the relevance of the information I have provided. Any help anybody could offer me on this issue would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance, and best reagrds.

Captmurdock

 

[captainmurdock]

After posting this thread, I opened WoW, my computer froze within 3 seconds of the programme opening. had I gone into the programme staright from start up, it would usually last more like 5 or 6 mins.

Again, thanks in advance for any help you can provide

 

[Bobbye]

Possibilities: heat, not enough RAM, faulty driver.

However, if this only happened once, I wouldn't get to upset about it.

 

[captainmurdock]

Possibilities: heat, not enough RAM, faulty driver.

However, if this only happened once, I wouldn't get to upset about it.

Hi, thanks for your suggestions. I think you miss understood my post. It happens every time i start up a game or large video file. So... everytime i turn my computer on this 'freeze' occurs. Its only once i have hit reset AFTER the freeze, the problem does not return.

Sorry if im just being stupid.

 

[Bobbye]

"Computer Freeze's, shortly after start up, but only once."

Yes, I guess I did. Sorry. But since you relate the freezes to a game or large video file, it still points to the three possibilities I mentioned. We might be able to pin it down a bit by finding the corresponding Error in the Event Viewer, happening at the time of the freeze. Note the time on the computer clock when you get a freeze:

Follow this path:
Control Panel> Administrative Tools> Event Viewer> Click on System & Apps, one at a time on the left> look for Errors on the right> right click error> Properties> note description of error, Event# and Source.

There is a "copy" button below the up/down arrows. Click that, then go to any place that allows you to type (ie. notepad, wordpad, this board) and you can paste (use CTRL-V) the entire event details there. It makes for easy reporting of the event.

If you want to paste the Event here, you do not need to include the lines of code that follow the Description- but paste all else. You will be looking for Error that occurs at the time of the problem. Please ignore Warnings.

Please follow the copy instruction. There are three pieces of information in the Error which will help to pin it down.

 

[captainmurdock]

Hello again, thanks for your rapid response, and no worries about initial mis understanding. I probably could have made my description at least a little clearer! :S

I have carried out the advised task.

Please see the requested event log paste below, note the time - 19:50, the freeze acually occured at 19:59 or 20:00 but the event log showed nothing (warning or error) between 19:51 and 20:01, there were some 'information' events at 20:00:40. Since the clock read 20:01 AFTER restart the 'freezing' error must have occured before then, but this is the most recent error prior to freeze.

There were no recorded 'errors' in application event log, only two 'information' events.


Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7026
Date: 28/03/2008
Time: 19:50:11
User: N/A
Computer: LANGOR
Description:
The following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load:
atapi
PCIIde


I hope this information is of some use to you, and ultimately, of use to myself!

Again, thank you for your patience and timely response. Hope to hear from you soon.

If not, have a good weekend!

Regards,

 

[Bobbye]

Trip to the Device Manager to look for errors- either yellow triangle w/black exclamation mark or circle w/x or line through it:

Control Panel> System> Hardware tab> Device Manager> Look under IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers for error flags.

Do you have on-board video, audio or LAN that you have replaced with a separate card? If so make sure that the on-board devices are turned off in your BIOS. On-board audio and LAN tend to disable easily in the BIOS. Video often does not. More and more motherboards do not allow on-board video to be disabled in the BIOS.

You can right click on the bad device in Device Manager and select disable. This may l solve the problem. If you can't resolve it, check for driver update.

 

[captainmurdock]

Hi Bobbye, sorry for taking so long to get back to you.

I've tried your suggestions of checking the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers for error flags, and I couldnt find anything unusual. I checked for updated drivers and got that sorted.

I have fitted a sound card and so checked for on-board audio, that was all ok too, but again i did get an update for my sound card.

The fault is still apparent but since im considering getting a new hard drive, I'm considering i may be better off just formatting and starting again from sratch. Do you think this is likely to resolve the issue?

Your thoughts would be very much appreciated.

 

[Bobbye]

I am not big on reformatting! To me, that is a last ditch effort hen nothing else will fix an ongoing problem. But some users reformat "routinely"- I don't.

I am finding that the dual core processors occasionally 'get an attitude' and cause problems that are difficult to chase down. I'd rather see you do a memtest first, because going by the numbers, you have enough installed, but what you describe is so pointing to the memory.

This will take you through:
https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic62524.html

IF the memory is bad, then reformatting isn't going to do any good.

 

[tothd]

Having the same problem

Hello,

I do not know if anyone is reading this but I have the exact same problem as the topic starter.

Ever since I bought my PC in May 2008, it was behaving much like captainmurdock's computer. Once and only once after every first startup of the day, in about 10-30 minutes, it completely crashed. Screen frozen, no mouse movement, and also the last notes of sound were repeated in the speakers like an endless noise. After hitting reset, my computer rebooted, and it was working perfectly as long as I wanted, even when playing 3D games or watching movies. Every day when I sat down to my computer after work and started it up again, the same thing happened. I noticed that playing games makes the crash come sooner than just browsing the internet or something, so I got used to playing a DeathMatch in Unreal Tournament 2007 just to let it have its freeze and then start doing whatever I wanted without worrying about the crash.

Some remarks about my problem which may be different than in captainmurdock's case:
- the crash occurred even when not playing or watching movies, like in the middle of browsing, but as I said, video-intensive activities made it come sooner
- I am currently using Windows XP Pro, but this happened also under Vista
- after the freeze and resetting, I noticed some strange behavior during the startup: sometimes the whole computer paused for 2-3 seconds after going off and before actually turning on again; other times the windows loading screen (when the green bar is moving) was very odd: it paused and its colors got dimmer, after 10-20 seconds it booted up normally
- recently, and only recently, the crash happened either after several hours of using the computer (without gaming) or did not happen at all - this is the worst part of it all, since now I cannot "make" it crash and always have to worry about it

What I did so far was running a memory test which did not produce any errors, and I also tried to remove 1GB of the memory, but the same thing happened. I also looked at the event logs but could not find any clues, I might have missed something though.

Does anyone have any ideas why this strange crash could occur?

Any help would be much appreciated, and sorry for my English

 

[Bobbye]

tothd, it would be best if you began a new thread with your problem. Actually, no two problems are "exactly" alike and you may get lost here.

 

[tothd]

Thanks Bobbye, I think you are right.

What do you think, should I create the new topic here, under "Windows OS", or could you suggest a better place for it?

Thanks,

Denes

 

[Bobbye]

I think the Windows OS forum would be appropriate. Consider subject of "Unexplained, intermittent crashes".

You can copy this post to that, but it will start new thread for replies.

 

[tothd]

I have created the new thread titled "Unexplained, intermittent crashes".

Thank you,

Denes

 

[Bobbye]

Please see this for current thread: https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic116208.html