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OK, very random problem guys, desperately need help! About a fortnight ago, my comp began to freeze at completely random times, sometimes whilst totally idle. This is a total freeze even the clock stops, no BSOD or restart. I did the usual virus and spyware etc checks using NOD32, a-squared, avg, f-secure, ad-aware, mcafee, symantec corp, spybot. Not a thing found. The restarts got more frequent, until it freezes when i try to start the comp. So i thought hardware... i got Hiren 9.1 and ran every diagnostic thing on there, the memory ones for at least 6 hours each. Not a thing. i rewrote the MBR, no help. I decided id do a clean install, so i went to back up my data by putting the HD in my parents comp to copy across the important info. However when i loaded it up, their's crashed! Now the same problem affects theirs too, i feel well guilty, but still to this second, no virus etc is found! what gives???
Freezing up usually relates to software issues.
When you said " I did the usual virus and spyware etc checks using NOD32, a-squared, avg, f-secure, ad-aware, mcafee, symantec corp, spybot." Are NOD32, avg, Mcafee and symantec all installed programs on your pc right now?
Microsoft, where quality is job 1.1. ~Author Unknown
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no mcafee is on Hiren. symantec is installed but no the real-time scanning, only NOD32 is doing that. though i disabled it so i could stick a trial of f-secure on to see if that found anything, alas it didnt. currently, only NOD32 runs real-time or in taskbar for that matter.
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There is your problem. You can only have one anti virus installed on one PC.
If you have more then one and the other one or ones are disabled they are still running regardless if you manually disable them. That makes your operating system unstable.
You can however have more then one spyware program like Adaware SE or Spybot S&D.Choose which AV you want then uninstall the rest.
Microsoft, where quality is job 1.1. ~Author Unknown
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that cant be it though. as i said in my orignal post, whatever i have, its been passed onto someone elses computer by me putting my HD in theirs. i didnt install anythign on theirs.
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I should think the most likely reason the problem arose on the other machine is that you disturbed something - maybe a nearby connection is a bit loose. The symptoms given can be due to all sorts of things so I wouldn't assume that the same problem has transferred itself between machines. It could also just be coincidence.
On your machine, as the clock stopped there is a remote possibility that the CMOS battery is an issue (as well as the conflicting virus checkers suggested elsewhere).
Maybe disabling various background programs will help show where the problem lies.
DerekW
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no i checked everything with the other computer. connections all fine. it has exactly the same symptoms as mine. maybe worse!
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Well, if you feel you must stick to your idea that it was transferred then it can only be virus or malware. About the only thing I haven't noticed on your list is HijackThis. You can try it and run the log on this auto analyzer:
http://www.hijackthis.de/I'm out of ideas on that front. Other things that cause similar symptoms are overheating (blocked fans/heat sinks/vents) and bad RAM edge connectors. The latter can be cleaned with a pencil eraser.
Just for info, one of the reasons I have difficulty with a virus or malware being transferred is that when you put the HD into the other machine as an extra drive, everything on it would have been seen as just data. Even if there was a "nasty" on there I can't see how it could have been "activated" unless you clicked on an exe file (or similar) which was viral.
DerekW
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this is why im so confused! how could it be transferred if no exe was opened! i just dont know what to try next, ive scanned scanned scanned!! ive cleaned all connections, and removed any dust, heatsink is clean as a whistle. highest ive seen CPU temp is 48...
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... so many possibilities (hardware or software). Maybe temporarily knocking out non-essentials in msconfig would prove something if it is a software problem.
DerekW
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well i ran everything in the Hiren and UBCD boot disks and nothing came up as far as hardware. ive stopped everything but windows starting up. and taken off all the non-microsoft services i can. i just dunno what else to do!! :s
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Do you have a defrag set to run? Any services that you're not used to seeing?
Any communications software that will dial out?
If you have Teatimer running, turn that off.
Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness
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have O&O defrag, but have had it for a good year now... no schedueled scans though.
services all seem normal
no communications software, i just connect to net through ethernet.
spybots teatimer not turned on..
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How about Google Desktop?
Google Mail?
A Yahoo Toolbar?
Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness
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I suspect a bad hd controller.
Try moving your data to another drive.
You may have to use a Linux release as it may access the drive differently allowing you to get your data off the drive.
Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness
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What I would do is D/L Avast Free to desktop. Then COMPLETELY remove ALL the AV's you have listed. Install Avast and do a bootscan and move all the infections to the chest. Then if things run better you can re-install your preference AV and disable Avast.
Firewalls, if you are using more than one firewall turn the others OFF. That will also cause problems with more than one.
Try this free on-line scan http://www.spywareinfo.com/xscan.php
and remove all it finds.Also, if you have an XP Pro disc, you could try a repair install http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/X...
or
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...
Hopefully my advice will help you...Please post back with your results....thanks
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seawatch
i dont think its a bad HD controller as the problem spread to another computer by puttin the harddrive in it... exactly the same symptoms too.XpUser4Real
only have one firewall. neither of the scans found anything wrong. have already tried a repair install, and also tried the Sfc.exe method
thanks both for your help!! sorry for delay, have been away...
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The had controller is mounted on the hard drive itself. Or least the interface is.
Where your hard drive goes, it goes with all the attending problems, if they are caused by it in the first place.
Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness
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ok, but would the problem stay, even when the HD has been taken out? in either mine or the others...
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If it's a controller problem or an access problem then yes.
The green board on the bottom of the hard drive controls how the hard drive is accessed.
If that board ahas a bad component it will manifest itself no matter what computer you put the drive in.
Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness
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yes but what i mean is, could that cause the computer to have all the problems even after the harddrive is removed. i have four HDs, 2 sata 2 ide. my windows is run off of one of the satas. i put one of my ide's in the other computer and now both are screwed. even though both no longer have the HD in.
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Sure seems to point o a had controller.
You may have top reset the bios in each computer to get the proper config back.
Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness
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ok, reset the bios in other computer. but still got same symptoms sadly.
however.... my step-dad got another case with a motherboard with the same socket CPU in, transfered everything else over minus the cd-drives, and booted it up off his C drive, and it works!! no problems whatsoever...
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Fine, thx for popping back to let us know. Something of a mystery then - possibly it was overheating.
DerekW
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still dont know what that means though, only that i guess it eliminates software problems. still, how could the motherboard get screwed? especially on two comps...
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Not totally sure where we stand right now. Are both computers OK or just the one?
Never underestimate some wicked coincidence, these can appear to defy logic.
DerekW
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neither computer is ok.
my stepdad simply transfered his C:\ HD +graphics card to another motherboard+cd-drive and it booted up fine with the C:\ HD .
both original computers are still on the fritz
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Oooer. Two mobo's gone pop then (or so it seems). Beats me. Kinda makes you wonder if there isn't some short or other on the original HD you transferred but if so it's a new one on me...
Have you checked both boards for capacitors with bulging tops, or leaking? I know that has been an issue in the past but I haven't heard it mentioned on more recent boards.
DerekW
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yep fully checked the capacitors on both. the one board is only 7 months old anyway!
update::
my step-dad spoke to someone who claimed to have exactly the same problems. a techie they paid to fix it also tried moving data by moving harddrives, also infecting another computer. result? new motherboards in both...what gives? how can something be contagious and fry motherboards just like that?
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I still think there may be a problem on the board on the hard drive.
It is the only thing common to all the computers.
A virus would not fry a mb.
Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness
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but that harddrive hasnt been in any computer since the second got infected. its just been lying on my desk.
both comps have had the cmos wiped and still dont work, what else could be done if that was the problem?
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The only possible way a virus could kill a mobo is if it flashed the BIOS. All things are possible but it's practically unheard of.
DerekW
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maybe this could be moved to another part of the forum where someone else might have an idea...? im at my wits end now!
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There's no move feature on here and duplicate posts often get deleted unless they are well down the page (whatever that means). As it's a total mystery I guess the XP forum would be the best place if you repost sometime. A reword and a new title might help it stay.
Tarnish on RAM edge connectors can cause all sorts of weird things especially when mobo's get disturbed. It's a long shot but there's no harm cleaning the edge connectors with a pencil eraser. I suppose the test might have missed it as the problem is intermittent.
DerekW
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I would buy a NEW power supply. Good quality one in the 450-500 watt range.
MSI K8N Neo
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ @ 2.21ghz
1GB DDR 3200
nVidia 128mb FX 5200
WD 120gb SE
NEC ND-3500AG DVD R/RW
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