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Twisted

Joined: 03 Nov 2003 Posts: 2332 Location: Sitting in a black leather armchair
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:57 am Post subject: Computer Techies Needed |
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Ok, got my computer, all set up and lovely, but....
Every so often, it chugs massively..I mean taking a minute real time to respond to a click.
Now, I've checked as much as I can...Drivers are all updated, CPU isn't being crushed, Over a gig memory is free, network isn't being touched, aI have Watchdog, Anti-virus and Firewall active, all the processes are ones I recognise although Firefox is gobbling 50,000 K + and takes an age to load.
DirectX is up, Windows XP running and it's only intermittent.
Any ideas? _________________ Semper Eadem, not Merda Taurorum |
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I-KP

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 3770 Location: Iddheim
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:41 am Post subject: |
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A few things to try out:
- CPU/GPU overheating. Check the temps (I think all mobos these day of onboard thermal sensors).
- Download Process Exporer and see if it is a software issue. You will have to keep it running so you can look at it the next time your machine borks.
- Check the setting on your RAM in the BIOS. Look up the modules you have on the net to find out what their Safe and Optimum settings are first.
* If the settings are good, and you have dual modules, try: reseating them both / taking one out / taking the other out.
* Run a full memtest program. This will take hours but should point out if something is wobbly. _________________ Elements of the past and future combining to make something not quite as good as either. |
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Twisted

Joined: 03 Nov 2003 Posts: 2332 Location: Sitting in a black leather armchair
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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Temps low 40's: Supercooler going, but will look into the others. Ta.
It seems to happen only at certain times, and then for a brief period of time. _________________ Semper Eadem, not Merda Taurorum |
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Twisted

Joined: 03 Nov 2003 Posts: 2332 Location: Sitting in a black leather armchair
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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Still happening. Process explorer isn't showing anything. The thing I'm most confused about is that it's only intermittent. Played TF2 for a good hour on full before there was a sudden glitch and slow down to turtle speed. _________________ Semper Eadem, not Merda Taurorum |
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I-KP

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 3770 Location: Iddheim
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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Did you check the RAM settings in the BIOS (to the manufacturer standard - not factory default)? Reseat, try without one module for a while then without the other? _________________ Elements of the past and future combining to make something not quite as good as either. |
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dave
Joined: 05 Oct 2003 Posts: 820 Location: Niflheim
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject: Re: Computer Techies Needed |
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Twisted wrote: | Every so often, it chugs massively..I mean taking a minute real time to respond to a click. |
Eek! That's seriously bad; makes me wonder whether it's to do with paging; or whether you have a service trying to do something every so often...
Twisted wrote: | Now, I've checked as much as I can...Drivers are all updated, CPU isn't being crushed, Over a gig memory is free, network isn't being touched, |
Is this whilst the problem is happening or outside it? You may want to switch on the perf monitors Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Performance while you're doing something relatively lightweight to catch this.
When it's happening is the disk light going mad? Does caps lock/scroll lock/num lock work fine? Can you Ctrl-Alt-Delete (this is performed through an interrupt; so lots of things that lock up the system won't lock this up)
Twisted wrote: | aI have Watchdog, Anti-virus and Firewall active, |
Which flavour of the above? Please don't say Symantec!
Twisted wrote: | all the processes are ones I recognise although Firefox is gobbling 50,000 K + and takes an age to load. |
That's Firefox being firefox, 50M ain't much any more!
Have you tried doing a HijackThisDump and checking all the started programs (hint: you don't need many).
Check in the registry under key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and see whats started (you should only have your AV or other security stuff started) |
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SteveBurge

Joined: 09 Oct 2003 Posts: 307 Location: Radishland
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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Quick question - if you're playing mp3's, do they still play ok? I remember getting massive lag on-screen once, butmp3's etc. were fine. It turned out to be the GFX card overheating, so I had to move some cards around so it had a bit more space around it.
Steve |
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I-KP

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 3770 Location: Iddheim
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:40 pm Post subject: Re: Computer Techies Needed |
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dave wrote: | Check in the registry under key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and see whats started (you should only have your AV or other security stuff started) | You might have gfx card gubbins, printer stuff, any other custom input device profilers (e.g. programmable joysticks) in there as well. _________________ Elements of the past and future combining to make something not quite as good as either. |
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Twisted

Joined: 03 Nov 2003 Posts: 2332 Location: Sitting in a black leather armchair
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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Checked the RAM BIOS, nothing.
Pagefile is 3 Gigs kept safe from the main store.
This is before and during. I've had Performance/Process Manager watching whilst it's happened and they only jumped slightly.
HD buzzes away like normal and then gives a loud chug before it releases a burst of processor speed back to me. Locks work fine, CAD doesn't, mouse and rollovers still work.
Scotty the Internet Watchdog, AVG and PC Tools Spyware Doctor. All work in tandem fine on my old machine.
Like I'd let bloody Norton near my machine.
The strange thing is that both Safari and Exploder boot faster the FF by a long way. It actually seems that opening a program and especially altering the front display causes the most problems.
Saying that, I've been running since 8pm and only had one slow down point.
Scotty lets me see what Startups and Current programs are running.
When the glitch hits, it's like there's a total stop to all major processes, Network, Internet, Window movement, CAD all stop but mouse movement/rollover continues (though rollovers are at a much slower rate), as well as MP3's.
It also buffers mouse clicks during it, but not CAD's.
It glitched so badly earlier that it knocked out Explorer and Dr. Watson, but left Firefox and Safari standing. _________________ Semper Eadem, not Merda Taurorum |
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I-KP

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 3770 Location: Iddheim
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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Have you tried turning your RAM timings down in the BIOS? _________________ Elements of the past and future combining to make something not quite as good as either. |
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dave
Joined: 05 Oct 2003 Posts: 820 Location: Niflheim
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Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:05 pm Post subject: Re: Computer Techies Needed |
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I-KP wrote: | dave wrote: | Check in the registry under key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and see whats started (you should only have your AV or other security stuff started) | You might have gfx card gubbins, printer stuff, any other custom input device profilers (e.g. programmable joysticks) in there as well. |
Most of that gubbins ain't actually need. For example, the Nvidia control panel is just that: a control panel. The actual driver stuff is loaded elsewhere. Same with most printer drivers. I don't know about the programmable joysticks (being a joystick hater mesen).
It's more junk in the process table taking up memory and a wee bit of CPU. |
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El_Cid
Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 38
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Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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Have you tried booting in safe mode and running chkdsk ?(file table corruption/bad sectors etc.) |
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Twisted

Joined: 03 Nov 2003 Posts: 2332 Location: Sitting in a black leather armchair
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Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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BOOM....and it's back to the laptop...
Won't even enter setup now, just hangs on the Motherboard screen.
Someone hates me. _________________ Semper Eadem, not Merda Taurorum |
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El_Cid
Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 38
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Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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Reset the bios (pull the cmos battery/toggle switch)
pull all but one stick of memory (rinse and repeat) |
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Twisted

Joined: 03 Nov 2003 Posts: 2332 Location: Sitting in a black leather armchair
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Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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Hrrmm...we have boot...ta for that; will keep you updated. _________________ Semper Eadem, not Merda Taurorum |
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