Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

I'm not in the slightest technically minded on how pc's work behind the scene's!! let get that out the way first...

But, I was hoping some knowledgable persons out there may be able to advise me what has/is going wrong and if I need to rebuild my pc (is it really that bad??)

Every now and then (for the last 3 or 4 weeks)(This has NEVER happen until recently - and the PC is approx 10 mnths pld) the above appears.....

It details an 'Error Signature' and provides ' Technical Data'......

As below:

Error sig

BCCODE : a7 BCPI : 00000280 BCP2 : E2c21280 BCP3 : 85B2D5F9

BCP4 : 85B2D5F9 OSVer : 5_1_2600 SP : 1_0 Product 256_1


Tech data

C:\WINDOWS\Minidump\MINI062104-01.dmp
C:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\TEMP\WER2tmp.dir001\sysd ata.xml


Phew.... that took some typing!!!!

I have uptodate AV & Firewall (Mcafee) and also router firewall.......

..........mmmmmmmmhhhhhhhhhh

I was going to say I have not made any significant changes to coincide with this, but I have swapped from a BT voyager USB modem to a NETGEAR modem/router/firewall...

Could this be the problem.............

Hope you guys can shed some light on things, it is annoying!!!!

Thanks in advance!!

Phil

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

If that was a true BSOD you missed the important bit: the code at the beginning, something like "IRQ_NOT_LESS_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO" or "UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP" - that's the important bit.

Obvious causes:

Overheating - try running with the case cover off.

Driver conflict.

RAM problems.


I'm assuming you are NOT overclocking.


M

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

Hi,

thanks for reply.............

Correct I'm not Overclocking!! and never have!!

I'm running a 2.083 Ghz AMD with 1048RAM..... never had probs with over heating.....

Got an Extra Fan on rear (that's 2 plus the psu fans)
Got a fan on side panel...

..... edited to say.... got RAM sinks aswell.......... had them on for Months aswell......

I missed the 'Actual words on the SOD'..... the details shown were those given by windows after it had recovered from ' a serious problem'....

I'll try and hit the pause/break key a bit quicker when it next happens ... and post the results!!

Cheers

Phil

angrynorth

Could be worse

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

You make that sound like it's a Bad Thing...


Turn off autoreboot: System Properties->Advanced->Startup and recovery, and untick the "Reboot automatically" box. Now when it BSODs it will stay on the BSOD. The important thing is: is it always the same?


M

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

No, not at all......!!

Just wanted to make things clear....... meaning that i have not put any extra strain on the hardware/ncrease the potential for over heating.......

If I knew how to do it I would give it a go.........

........... but my system runs fast enough for me at the mo........!!

Cheers, i'll try your suggestion and hope i can catch it"!""""!!!!!!!!!

Phil

cong

i had the same proplem with my xp but usually it says it has just recovered but then after awhile it just crashed, most likely you had a virus and when mcaffe deleted the virus deleted somthing else aswel! or you tried using the registry to delete a virus and deleted somthing important, go into safe mode and reload the windows onto a old savepoint just before you installed mcaffe or a sytem restore point far back as possible

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

Don't know what was happening, but yesterday when I switched on after coming home from work......


beep beeep beeeep beeeep


then nowt...

this happened 3 or 4 times.... then when I switched it on the next time.... it worked....????

It worked fine for the rest of last night....

Went to it this evening and same again............ nowt just the 5 beeps....

Checked trouble shooting in the motherboard manual...and it says that the fan is not spinning up......... but it is.....

says to check/replace/reseat the heatsink/fan.....

WTF!!!

what happened here then????

Has the CPU given up the ghost???

Fancied a faster cpu...... but I wanted to do it outta choice... LOL

I spose i'll get a friends cpu and change over to see if it's that..... only thing is.....

I got one of those aero coolers... looks like a stack of crakers with a fan on the side..... i didn't fit it and can't see how to release it.... have to show a friend or summit....

lucky I just got a laptop....

bl**dy computers!!!

any suggestions anyone???

Got a LANPARTY mb KT400a me thinks......

Got a AMD Athlon 2.083 ghz.... what is the fastest i could go for???

I think the above is the XP2800 or xp2700 can't remember (sure someone ca tell me....

Can I jumo to a xp3200?? and what is the GHZ figure..... for comparison??

Many thanks

Phil................

DuncanG

I had a problem with BSODs recently. I found that the motherboard had bowed beneath the memory DIMMs so that the middle contacts apparently weren't making a good connection. Fixed by inserting rubber blocks (bits cut off an eraser) between the m'board and metalwork.

Could be any number of reasons for a BSOD though.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

youve probably added some software your pc doesnt like, itll be easier and quicker just to format the pc and put everything back on than spend hours trying to solve your problem, plus your pc will run better with a fresh install

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

I can't get passed the 5 beeps, which happen within the first 5 secs of the power being switched on......


can't even boot i SAFE..... nowt on the screen.......

is there any button to hold down while booting or summut??


aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggghhhh


phil

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

No, the CPU hasn't died - if it had you would get nothing at all.

Is it definitely five beeps and then silence, or five beeps then you get bored and reset it?

What power supply do you have? I also need the power ratings from the side, but only the total power, 3.3V, 5V and 12V current ratings, adn the combined 3.3 + 5V output.

Yes, you could run a 3200+ (actually runs at 2200MHz), but don't yet.

Next job: clear CMOS. Power down and switch off at the mains, but leave plugged in. It is important that the motherboard is NOT receiving power. Press the power button once, then open up the case. Consult the manual to find the location of the Clear CMOS jumper, and then move it from pins 1+2 to pins 2+3. Leave there for thirty seconds, then move back. switch on and power up. If it still won't get past the beeping, get the m/b replaced or at least tested eleswhere. If it now POSTs, some more thoughts:

Did you try running with the case side off? Boot into BIOS (press "delete" and hold fro three seconds as soon as the first message appears on the monitor on boot) and then go to the diagnostics screen. Leave for fiteen minutes then report back the CPU temperature.

One quick and dirty possible fix: while you are in BIOS, raise the CPU voltage one notch (from say 1.75V to 1.775V) - won't hurt it, and may cure it. If it works, get back to me. Try the same for the RAM (2.5V to 2.6V, or 2.55 if BIOS allows).


M

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

cheers for reply....

yes.... tried it a few times to make sure how many beeps... and 5 it is... then it switches off...

I'll get you the power ratings in a mo......

tried running with the side off..!!

Also, if any use to you, I always keep an eye on the temp..... system temp was showing 29'C and cpu was showing 53'C... this was last night...... before tonites goings on

..........what does the clearing ~CMOS do??? does it take away the 'recent memeory'??? to allow it to boot?? almost like an ECU reset??? LOL

Update you in a mo....


Ta

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

Whooooooppeeeeeeeeee you did it.......


CMOS reset seems to have worked........

followed instructions......... ans hey presto...

had to reset time and date!!!!

What does that mean then???

oh by the way.....got the readings you were after...

hope the format holds

O/P Peak Max Colour Peak Watt O/P

+3.3 . 30A . 18 . 285 .5 sb . 30a . 2.5
+3 . 40 . 30 . 285 .GND
+12 . 20 . 16 . 240
-5 . 1 . . .5 .5
-12 . 1 . .5 . 12

Qtec PSU 550WP Dual Fan gold
Switching Power


Summore details if needed

CPU clock 166
Current DDr 266mhz

Overclocking
CPU 1.60/1
AGP 1.63
Dimm 2.67


CPU Fan Prot Disabled
CPU temp Prot Disabled

System temp 21
CPU temp 43 (just after boot up and after i had changed date and time)

+3.3 3.37
5 5.05
12 11.97
VBAT 3.31
5VSD 5.50/6


does this seem correct..........

First time i've been in the settings and was really looking for something....

I am a bit concerned on the DDR 266mhz...

I bought DDR 400mhz RAM......... coz that was the Best at the time....

I know it won't run that fast as I thoought the M/B was only 333mhz.....

Am i right to be concerned???

or am i just being thick ..... (as usual) LOL

If I go back upstairs and it hasn't shut down.... owe you a pint of your poison!!!


Phil

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

temp update............


system temp shows 25'C

CPU shows 48'C

It's been left on for a while now.....!!!!!!

I'll have to test it ( put it under pressure and convert some home camcorder video into DVD....)

that'll test it!!!!!!

cheers

thanks again .............. and goodnight...!!

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

Clearing CMOS resets all the BIOS settings to system defaults. The main thing it does which may be effecting your system is to set all the RAM settings to less agressive ones. It may also have set the CPU to a slower speed than is correct though, so that have to be checked: watch the screen as you boot, and you should see the speed flash up near the top of the screen after some other writing starting "AWARD BIOS version....."

At this stage, all you need to change is the clock (as you've done) and the boot order (so that it boots floppy disk, then hard drive 0, then CD-ROM) - leave the rest alone. Optimising the BIOS is something for people with a fair idea of what they are doing, and in any case won't make a lot of difference: provided the CPU speed is correct all the tweaking in the world will add about 5-10% to the overall performance.

The temps are fine - I'd only panic if they strayed over about 65oC. And that PSU is also fine, I use a similar one in one of my rigs.

OK, a note on speeds:

Your CPU runs the bus at 166MHz, but DDR speeds are always doubled, so it will be quoted at 333MHz everywhere except the BIOS, which in places will still say "Bus speed = 166". Your 400MHz RAM is actually only capable of 200MHz bus speed, but the same doubling is done.

Next question: what motherboard have you got? If it have an nVidia chipset it should be set so that the RAM and CPU run at the same bus speed or performance will suffer greatly. If it is a VIA chipset, then you can run the CPU at 166 and the RAM at 200MHz with no problems.


M

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

My Motherboard is a Lanparty KT400a - if that means anything to you??

It glows in the dark and has 4 IDE channels (mainly got it cos of the 4 channels) LOL

I can get a more detailed description when I get back to the Ranch!!

Cheers

Phil

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

Your motherboard is based on the VIA KT400 chipset then, which means you can (in theory) run the CPU at 166, and the RAM at 200. Somewhere in BIOS (read the manual) there will be a setting something like "CPU:RAM:AGP:PCI ratio", with values like "5:5:2:1". Well, you need 5:6:2:1, provide it lists in that order. If it runs "RAM:CPU:AGP:PCI" then you need 6:5:2:1. This is because the various speeds are:

CPU = 166MHz
RAM = 200MHz
AGP = 66MHz
PCI = 33MHz

Once you've done this, you need to go to the RAM section and set the RAM setting to the lowest setting - something like "slow", or "normal", and reboot. Try that. If it works, you can try advancing the RAM timings a notch at a time, with extensive testing at each, or just leave it as it is.


M

Leg@cy

iTrader: (2)

Meridian,

Thanks for your help and the latest advice......

Seeing as it is working fine now.......... I think I'll NOT play with it....... (I didn't play with it in the first place, by the way).

I checked the Bios and the 'Genie Bios' (as it is decribed...) and all the settings are set to auto.

The system seems to have recognised the RAM as 400mhz (coz it says it in the detail)

However much I would like to 'tinker' with it..... my sensible head says..NO!!

I would like to understand how to do it............ some research me thinks!!!

Phil