PC Crashing to Desktop

[roadman]

Ok, this is a puzzler for me.

The desktop is running on Windows XP. It's been in and out of the shop for close to 2 weeks. The shop I bring it to cannot get the desktop to crash at all.

It started crashing to the desktop when our son was playing a game on it(either freezing or crashing) or whenever I would play a video on youtube. The longest it ever stayed up without crashing on the net was about an hour. The first time in the shop, the guy said, start unplugging things at home from your computer. It could be your printer, your wireless mouse/keyboard and that is the only things we have that are plugged in. So, took the computer home, unplugged the printer. Still kept crashing. Unplugged the wireless mouse and keyboard. Still kept crashing. I would go find a song on youtube, played half a Who song and crashed. I even tried unplugging the speakers. It started crashing every few minutes on the internet.

I took the PC back before Xmas and got a call yesterday. They challenged me to come to and crash the computer to get a blue screen.

Any thoughts? Ideas. It's really puzzling why the PC shop can't get the PC to crash, yet we can when we bring it home.

[daflyboys]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

Are you using a router that maybe isn't secure? Just a hunch, but maybe it's someone who can access your service, but I'm no expert.

[roadman]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

Thanks for the suggestion, but the PC is hard wired, the rest of the house is wireless.

[Graphik]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

When all else fails, I usually do a system restore back to some point before the issues occur. Just remember to back up any important files you may wanna hold on to. If you do a system restore and your problems persist, you can at least narrow down to it being a hardware vs software problem. If your computer refuses to system restore, then it can very well be a virus causing you problems.


Also, try using system restore in safe mode so no other programs interfere.

[Graphik]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

One last thing, if you are having problems playing videos or video games or it crashes via the internet loading pics then the problem could be your video card. I had one overheat on me one time and I had problems with anything video, picture or internet related as the video card basically was burned out and crashed upon viewing any of the above. Yet, it still worked for anything else. Plus, if I left the PC off for some time and let the video card cool off or whatever, the vid card would work fine for about an hour than back to crashing.

Hope any of this helps

[roadman]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

Thanks Graphik for those helpful suggestions.

I'm thinking if it was the video card, it would crash at the PC store, too. I'll mention it to them, though, for sure. I know they updated drivers for it.

[mvb34]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

Could be a memory stick. Why can't go into the event logs surely they could see something in there..

[Mo]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

Actually had something very similar, computer would keep crashing. Did a complete system restore and the problem still persisted. The only time it didnt crash was in safe mode.

As a last resort I decided to check the memory sticks, first I remove one stick from its slot. Still Crashed. Next I moved the same stick to a different slot, boom no more crashes.

May not help you, but figure I would post it and see if it helps you.

[Pared]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

Can you reproduce the crash on a certain site?

From what you've mentioned I would think it's the network card. See if you can get a cheap USB wireless adapter and use that for a little bit.

[Graphik]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

Thanks Graphik for those helpful suggestions.

I'm thinking if it was the video card, it would crash at the PC store, too. I'll mention it to them, though, for sure. I know they updated drivers for it.

Yea but even when my video card was burnt out it still worked. It was anything video or resource heavy that would crash the PC. Meaning, I could use anything on the pc besides trying to play a game or watch vids via Windows or internet. The internet worked fine until I ran into a page that had lots of graphics, pics or videos. Then I would get either a crazy, pixellated garble on my screen that didn't go away till I hard reset, a blue screen which signaled death or the inevitable crash back to the desktop.

I still remember how it happened. I was running through Indigo Prophecy one day. Made it to one of those botton timing sequences...and boom, instant screen garble. Found out my card had overclocked or overheated and there is no fixing that.

[Graphik]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

I didn't know memory sticks were so gangsta. I know they sometimes stop your PC from booting up but they also cause crashing? Thats foul.

[alextazztop]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

start menu
run
type cmd
type eventvwr

right after computer crashes again, reboot and do this command and see what the latest error is.

[roadman]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

Thank you everyone, not much of an update here, but I'm going to take all these suggestions and try them out.

Picked up the PC at the PC Store. I tried to crash the PC at the store by going to YouTube, but it didn't crash.

So, he told me to have our youngest to play his League of Legends game until it crashes. Leave the PC alone for awhile and reboot the PC to Youtube and play a video. He said it could be the video card, but he couldn't see any buckles in the video card.

I will try all these suggestions if the PC doesn't work and once I get more ambitious, probably tomorrow.

Thanks for all the great suggestions, again, and I will report back here.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

I didn't know memory sticks were so gangsta. I know they sometimes stop your PC from booting up but they also cause crashing? Thats foul.

Oh yeah, a dying memory stick can crash a PC, especially a PC running Windows 7 since that operating system is so memory intensive. And if you let the problem go on for TOO LONG it can corrupt your OS and then not only would you have to replace the stick, but also re-install your OS.

[roadman]

Re: PC Crashing to Desktop

This is scary and interesting. I just don't know if the PC is fixed, yet.

There was only the original memory sticks in the PC. I took one out and put it back in. The tech at the PC store said he downloaded an updated sound driver.

Our son went on the net for 5 minutes today without crashing. I went to youtube and played the same rock song later in the afternoon. Played out the entire video for over 5 minutes and it didn't crash.

So, so far, so good. I'll keep you updated and thanks again.

Happy New Year.