Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations Mike Lewis on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Computer Crashes 1
- Thread starter emilyo
- Start date
-
1
- #2
ski
Technical User
- Oct 11, 2000
- 2,467
Possible causes:
-Everything not completely seated on the motherboard.
Reseat everything.
-Overheating
Check the system and CPU's temps either in BIOS or with temperature monitoring software.
If the system temp gets over 45 deg. C, then make sure the computer's fans are running, the vents are open, the computer is not located in an enclosed space or near a heat source, and there is no internal dust build up.
If those are ok, then remove the computer's cover, and run an external fan. If this fixes things, then install additional case fans. Recommended locations are lower front and upper rear of the case.
If the CPU gets over 60 deg. C, then make sure there is thermal compound between it and the heat sink. If that's ok, then replace the compound with Arctic Silver3.
If no luck, then install a higher capacity heat sink fan.
If still no luck, then replace the heatsink with a more efficient unit.
-Overtaxed or bad power supply
Swap it out with a different(preferably higher wattage) unit.
-Bad memory
Remove and reinsert the memory a few times, try it in different slots, do not use any optimal settings for the memory in BIOS, run Memtest-86, and swap it out with known good memory.
Also, do not mix parity and non-parity memory.
-Bad video card.
Swap it out with a known good card.
-Bad MB.
Swap it out with a known good MB.
-IRQ conflict with a network card.
If no problems show up for the NIC in Device Manager, then remove it from DM, shut down, uninstall the card, and restart.
-Viruses and spyware.
-Kazaa.
-Everything not completely seated on the motherboard.
Reseat everything.
-Overheating
Check the system and CPU's temps either in BIOS or with temperature monitoring software.
If the system temp gets over 45 deg. C, then make sure the computer's fans are running, the vents are open, the computer is not located in an enclosed space or near a heat source, and there is no internal dust build up.
If those are ok, then remove the computer's cover, and run an external fan. If this fixes things, then install additional case fans. Recommended locations are lower front and upper rear of the case.
If the CPU gets over 60 deg. C, then make sure there is thermal compound between it and the heat sink. If that's ok, then replace the compound with Arctic Silver3.
If no luck, then install a higher capacity heat sink fan.
If still no luck, then replace the heatsink with a more efficient unit.
-Overtaxed or bad power supply
Swap it out with a different(preferably higher wattage) unit.
-Bad memory
Remove and reinsert the memory a few times, try it in different slots, do not use any optimal settings for the memory in BIOS, run Memtest-86, and swap it out with known good memory.
Also, do not mix parity and non-parity memory.
-Bad video card.
Swap it out with a known good card.
-Bad MB.
Swap it out with a known good MB.
-IRQ conflict with a network card.
If no problems show up for the NIC in Device Manager, then remove it from DM, shut down, uninstall the card, and restart.
-Viruses and spyware.
-Kazaa.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question