Computer crashing on betfair

mocata

Kernel Faults are used for errors in the core system, as opposed to user errors, which can be related to someone's windows profile. Might be worth downloading something called memtest and run it, altho TBH, ur straying into an area where u would be better off leaving it into a techy shop.

valor

Yeah someone on the computer forum suggested running Memtest. You have to boot it from a USB Key or something and I'm not quite sure how to do it etc

*if* its a problem with RAM, surely it will be giving me errors or crashes at other times also?

Hitman Actual

valor wrote: »

Yeah someone on the computer forum suggested running Memtest. You have to boot it from a USB Key or something and I'm not quite sure how to do it etc

*if* its a problem with RAM, surely it will be giving me errors or crashes at other times also?

Not necessarily; I had a memory problem once and the PC would only crash when running really intensive games (Stalker, iirc). Running Memtest is something I forgot, definitely test your PC with that. Rather than a USB key, it's easier to use on a CDROM. On the Memtest webpage, find the ISO image download, and burn that to a CDROM using whatever burning application you have (Nero?). Then place it in your CD drive, go to the BIOS and set the boot options to CD drive, and save and restart. It will run automatically from there.

I already have a Memtest CD somewhere if you want it.

mocata

Like Len said, memtest aint that hard to use, so worth a try to eliminate RAM as a possibility. You will soon approach a point though where ur wasting more time than it is worth. I have ran betfair poker on some pretty low spec machines with onboard gfx with no probs i can remember.

valor

lenny_leonard wrote: »

Not necessarily; I had a memory problem once and the PC would only crash when running really intensive games (Stalker, iirc). Running Memtest is something I forgot, definitely test your PC with that. Rather than a USB key, it's easier to use on a CDROM. On the Memtest webpage, find the ISO image download, and burn that to a CDROM using whatever burning application you have (Nero?). Then place it in your CD drive, go to the BIOS and set the boot options to CD drive, and save and restart. It will run automatically from there.

I already have a Memtest CD somewhere if you want it.

thanks, where are you based?
I dont have any blank cd's but I do have a memory key, any reason not to use the memory key if I can figure out how to boot off it?

valor

In the faq on how to use it from a floppy disk it just says

Run from USB Flash drive

FIXME

Anybody have any idea how I do it? its a .exe file, do I just put that on the floppy disk and boot from it or what?

mocata

U need to make ur USB drive bootable, ie put the files on it to allow you to run the fixme.exe

This tells ye how

http://www.weethet.nl/english/hardware_bootfromusbstick.php

People were suggesting cd-images cos they have all the things needed to do this in the iso file u download.

On the upside, if ur poker career ever goes tits-up, u are already probably a better computer repair man than 40% of pc world staff!

Hitman Actual

PM sent.

I've no idea how to use the USB key for this, but mocata's link looks good, so best of luck. It might not be a memory problem anyway, but it's definitely worth testing to rule it out.

ocallagh

what screen resolution you running betfair under? Try setting it to a standard 1024X768 screen resolution and running betfair.

valor

1920 x whatever

Wow I just tried 1024, its SO BIG

Why do you think that would matter niall?

strewelpeter

Only don't try it right now...their poxy site has crashed again.

CourierCollie

strewelpeter wrote: »

Only don't try it right now...their poxy site has crashed again.

Same here, 'Attempting Connection to Server...

mewso

First of all if you have Service Pack 1 (click start, right-click on computer and select properties. At the top it should say what version of Vista and it should say Service Pack 1 if it is) installed then you have the latest Direct X. It's not updated that often so it's highly unlikely to be the issue. You could try giving the program a higher priority. Ctlr+Alt+Delete and select Task Manager. Go to applications and right-click on Bet Fair poker and select Go to Process. Right-Click on the process and set priority to High or something and see how it goes. Not the best solution if it works but it might help.

I'd also get on to Betfair if it's the only program thats causing this problem. If it uses Direct X it may be Direct X 9 which is not as good on Vista as XP.

Also it might be worth knowing what kind of graphic enhancements betfair uses in Direct X. For example Anti-Aliasing might cause your video card to struggle so you could possibly force the system not to use it. I don't have an nVidia card so I'm not sure how this can be set but with a ATI card it's normally in the advanced video settings where you can tell it override an application and not use Anti-Aliasing etc.

ocallagh

valor wrote: »

1920 x whatever

Wow I just tried 1024, its SO BIG

Why do you think that would matter niall?

I have an NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 and I've had various programs crash my OS in the way you describe. Running WIndows Media Player with Direct X 9 at 1600X1200 on an external monitor will crash, however at 1024 X 768 it's fine.

It's unlikely as this problem is normally specific to NVIDIA and external monitors, however it's easy to rule out by checking

NickyOD

You most likely didn't get your machine with Service pack 1 installed. Have you installed that as well as all your other windows updates?

After two months if your machine is ONLY crashing when running bet-fair then there is nothing physically wrong with your machine and probably not a video card problem but another application running that's causing the crash. antivirus Software and spyware scanners are often the culprit because people go overboard with them. I've seen Norton crash Vista a lot.

I would disable your anti-virus and all your other add-on software while running betfair and see if it makes a difference. If it does then one by one re-enable them until you find the culprit.

The Al Lad

Sorel Mittzi hacked into computer's imo

Hitman Actual

NickyOD wrote: »

You most likely didn't get your machine with Service pack 1 installed. Have you installed that as well as all your other windows updates?

After two months if your machine is ONLY crashing when running bet-fair then there is nothing physically wrong with your machine and probably not a video card problem but another application running that's causing the crash. antivirus Software and spyware scanners are often the culprit because people go overboard with them. I've seen Norton crash Vista a lot.

I would disable your anti-virus and all your other add-on software while running betfair and see if it makes a difference. If it does then one by one re-enable them until you find the culprit.

You don't need anti-virus or spyware S/W running in the background anyway. Just do a scan once a week and you'll be fine. In fact, you should have loads of background tasks/services turned off. People tend to have far too much crap running in the background.

NickyOD

lenny_leonard wrote: »

You don't need anti-virus or spyware S/W running in the background anyway. Just do a scan once a week and you'll be fine. In fact, you should have loads of background tasks/services turned off. People tend to have far too much crap running in the background.

yeah totally. I have always just used AVG free and done the security at the router level. Never any problems. So many people with Symantec, Adaware, Spybot etc. etc etc all running at once giving their PCs a ****ing stroke!

Hitman Actual

NickyOD wrote: »

yeah totally. I have always just used AVG free and done the security at the router level. Never any problems.

Same as. I do keep the Windows Firewall on as well though. Surprisingly effective for a Microsoft app!

mewso

Yep AVG and Windows Firewall FTW.