Crashing Problems

Hi,

so, ever since i had my computer, i've always had overheating issues and crashing problems related, no matter how many fans i've put in.

However, recently i got a new cooling system, new fans fitted etc and my computer seems to run steady 45 degrees. However, i'm still getting programs crashing randomly and computer restarts with the blue screen, however it disappears before i can even get a chance to read what it says.

I've just had new drivers etc reinstalled too so i'm all up to date. This is really affecting my gameplay as i can't even run GW and Vent sometimes without my computer crashing.

If theres any information i can give about my computer that i can give that may give people ideas of solutions to my problem as i do not think this is a heating issue anymore...

thanks for the help.

Dave

A "blue screen" of death is almost always a reflection of driver issues. You may have them all up to date, but that doesn't mean that some of them don't play well together. The fix for this problem is purely based on your individual setup. What kind of video card are you using? Do you have 2 video outputs on your computer? Is the video card's cooling fan working and efficient? Are you running XP or Vista? If Vista, you REALLY need to take a closer look at EVERY driver installed and make dam sure it is compatible with Vista.

"Blue screens" can also pop up if CPU settings are configured wrong in BIOS, did you by any chance adjust anything in the BIOS? Maybe, try to boost the CPU timing or something? These are very sensitive settings and some CPU's are VERY picky about them.

Without knowing any details about your system, I would say to try the following and see what happens:

1 - Restart your computer and go into your BIOS (usually by hitting DEL or F2 or something during startup). Find the setting that sets the BIOS to "Default" settings. This will automatically configure every setting in there to "working" settings.

2 - If you have 2 video cards (one removable and one built-in), take out the removable one and use the built-in... see how things work from there.

3 - Re-seating the CPU can sometimes alleviate a LOT of headaches. On rare occasions, they have been known to mis-seat and not fully contact all pins completely (make sure the locking lever is all the way down).

4 - Re-seat the RAM, just pull each stick out, then put it right back in.

Do each of those separately to see if it makes a difference, this way you can narrow down the problem. Post back your results and answers to my questions above, and I'll try to help you solve your issue.

You can also use

Start>Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Event Viewer

Application tab and System tab on the left.

Even though your BSOD is to fast, the system will record it in here, and should give you an idea to exactly what is crashing. Your looking for the Red Error signs in particular.

I would try this first before i start taking out the hardware, if you have no joy with the event viewer then by all means use the info on the post above

I should add though, on the BIOS point, if your not computer savvy and don't know what anything in the BIOS does, i strongly advise NOT going into it to mess with any settings.


There is also a command in windows that will stop the computer restarting on a BSOD so you can see the error in full, but its 3am for me and i cant for the life of myself remember where the setting is, maybe someone who reads this will know what i mean and post it.

I should have been more clear - my apologies. If you had changed anything in the BIOS, please go back in and set it back to default settings (if anything, to rule out some incorrect settings in BIOS). If you haven't messed with the BIOS, then probably best to leave it alone.

I'd have to agree that the problem is most likely the result of incorrect settings in the BIOS. This could be because they were set improperly in the first place, or noise spikes on the power line have been known to mess up the settings (they are held in a small bit of flash ram).
At any rate, the first thing to try would be to reset your BIOS. Check how to do this in the manual that came with the computer (or on the computer's or motherboard's manufacturers website.)
Generally speaking, the procedure usually involves unplugging the computer from the wall, opening it up, and then moving a small jumper from one set of pins to another and then back again.
If you can't find the exact procedure, it can also be done by unplugging the unit, opening it up, and removing the flat quarter-sized battery you find on the motherboard. Give it 5-10 minutes and reinstall the battery. Then power it back up and the BIOS should load it's default values.

I've not touched the BIOS or anything, i think this may be a driver issue as the few phrases i've managed to gather from the blue screen talked of constacting the manufacturer and something about drivers... i'll look into it.

I'll also have a check to see if i haven't knocked anything out of position at all since that may also have caused problems.

Thanks for the help so far i'll edit my post with comp specs soon into my OP.