Hardware Issue? Need Advice...

Mr E

Hi folks,

Over the last few months my desktop is really acting up. I'm getting random spontaneous reboots, BSODs, applications that suddenly stop working ("Windows has detected a problem with..."), and hardware randomly not working (graphics card, onboard sound) which a reboot will fix.

My gut feeling is busted memory (all BSOD errors seem to refer to memory issues), but I wanted advice/second opinions before I splashed out.

Its a 4 year old machine that I built myself (I don't need any kind of power - my PC is basically file storage/media streaming). I installed a new budget graphics card a few months ago (GeForce 6200) which seems to be working fine.

I've tried reinstalling vista, and the installer is not even starting properly (after copying files locally, the installer barfs with a blue screen and a "Hard Error with NTDLL.DLL" message).

Open to suggestions for helping me to troubleshoot this! (Before I chance my arm with new memory)

Thanks in advance...

Spear

Mr E wrote: »

Hi folks,

Over the last few months my desktop is really acting up. I'm getting random spontaneous reboots, BSODs, applications that suddenly stop working ("Windows has detected a problem with..."), and hardware randomly not working (graphics card, onboard sound) which a reboot will fix.

My gut feeling is busted memory (all BSOD errors seem to refer to memory issues), but I wanted advice/second opinions before I splashed out.

Its a 4 year old machine that I built myself (I don't need any kind of power - my PC is basically file storage/media streaming). I installed a new budget graphics card a few months ago (GeForce 6200) which seems to be working fine.

I've tried reinstalling vista, and the installer is not even starting properly (after copying files locally, the installer barfs with a blue screen and a "Hard Error with NTDLL.DLL" message).

Open to suggestions for helping me to troubleshoot this! (Before I chance my arm with new memory)

Thanks in advance...

Get yourself Memtest86+ and burn that to disc. Boot with it to test your memory. This should give you an answer regarding the memory at least.

Mr E

OK did as you suggested, and my memory came up clean - no errors.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and unseat/reseat all cards and cables and clear out any dust if any (long shot, but I don't know what else to do)

Lazarus2.0

I'd be thinking possibly hard drive errors . Have you run chkdsk ? Or pull the system drive and swap in another HD if you got one and see if Vista can instal on that .

Mr E

Yep I have a spare drive..... its a small 80gb one, but should serve as a good test.
I'll leave a thorough scandisk running overnight, and see what that turns up first.

the_syco

Mr E wrote: »

I'm getting random spontaneous reboots, BSODs, applications that suddenly stop working ("Windows has detected a problem with..."), and hardware randomly not working (graphics card, onboard sound) which a reboot will fix.

...

I've tried reinstalling vista, and the installer is not even starting properly (after copying files locally, the installer barfs with a blue screen and a "Hard Error with NTDLL.DLL" message).

I'd second the HDD comment. If you can't install an OS to it, it may be faulty.

=-=

In saying that, it may point to your motherboard. Recently, my mobo died but before it did, the floppy connection on the mobo died, then the network port died, then finally the SATA ports started playing up on me, and eventually stopped working, at which point I gave up.

When the network card was dying, I had to reboot to get it back working. That was fun: I was at a LAN party, playing games over the network, and the network card would last 5 minutes or less at a time :pac:

Thus having to reboot to get your hardware back sounds similar in that respect. BTW, my mobo died after about 3 years. Custom, like yourself.

Mr E

I believe its the hard drive now. When I reboot with a checkdisk, it did Step 1 (with a few "Index Repaired" messages), then got 10% through step 2 before an "Unknown Error Occured" and it prematurely ended.

Are there more powerful alternatives to checkdisk that I could try? Spinrite is ancient, but would it work? I'm going to try and backup as much as I can off the disk before I attempt anything else, but I think I'm on the right track now.

Gurgle

Mr E wrote: »

Its a 4 year old machine ... I've tried reinstalling vista.

I think I found your problem.

Try installing Win 2k (2k rather than XP because of Licensing & activation issues).

That will let you test all the hardware with a definitely compatible OS.

Mr E wrote: »

basically file storage/media streaming

Why cripple it with an unneccessary heavy OS in the first place?

Mr E

Because its an OS I paid for and it ran perfectly well up to about a month ago.

Doing some backups now, will try install vista on another HD later today.

Mr E

As much as I'd love to have come in here and say "Yippee.... its sorted!", its not.

I put in the new hard drive, and I'm still getting the "Hard Error with NTDLL.DLL" error message when installing Vista. So not memory, not hard drive. That just leaves the motherboard/cpu.

Gah... looks like I have to resign myself to getting a new machine now.

MunsterCycling

Have you flashed the bios lately?

MC

Spear

Mr E wrote: »

As much as I'd love to have come in here and say "Yippee.... its sorted!", its not.

I put in the new hard drive, and I'm still getting the "Hard Error with NTDLL.DLL" error message when installing Vista. So not memory, not hard drive. That just leaves the motherboard/cpu.

Gah... looks like I have to resign myself to getting a new machine now.

Have you tried swapping the drive cables as well? How's the interface between the CPU and heatsink?

Gurgle

Mr E wrote: »

Because its an OS I paid for and it ran perfectly well up to about a month ago.

Doing some backups now, will try install vista on another HD later today.

Seriously, try 2k or XP.
At worst its a couple of hours wasted installing it, and if theres no problem there you know its a compatibility issue with some of your hardware.

the_syco

Mr E wrote: »

I put in the new hard drive, and I'm still getting the "Hard Error with NTDLL.DLL" error message when installing Vista.

Same error, at the same place? I'd blame the Vista disc, then. Maybe scratched, or something.

Mr E

MunsterCycling wrote: »

Have you flashed the bios lately?

Nope, haven't touched it. I looked up the website for changes, and nothing much seems to have been done to it apart from "Added new CPUs". Nothing vista-specific...

Spear wrote: »

Have you tried swapping the drive cables as well? How's the interface between the CPU and heatsink?

Haven't checked. I haven't touched it (and its a thermal pad, not paste) so it should be OK.

Gurgle wrote: »

Seriously, try 2k or XP.
At worst its a couple of hours wasted installing it, and if theres no problem there you know its a compatibility issue with some of your hardware.

I got my hands on XP and it wouldn't install. Installer crapped out after loading the drivers (just before the "Welcome to Windows XP Setup" screen).

the_syco wrote: »

Same error, at the same place? I'd blame the Vista disc, then. Maybe scratched, or something.

I've tried 3 Vista disks... my own Home Premium, and I borrowed an MSDN CD from work and from a friend of mine.

Thinking back, this whole issue started back a few weeks after I installed my new GeForce 6200 graphics card. I got it to replace an older card that was corrupting the destop (glitches etc.) - it was still usable though. I'm going to put the old card back in. If the BSODs and random reboots stop, then I'll RMA the new card back where I got it (overclockers) and get a new one.

MunsterCycling

Try a flash of the BIOS, it won't hurt once you do it right but I think you have the knowledge and confidence to do that right.

MC

Mr E

Yep, I know how to do it. Worth a shot, MC. Cheers. I'll let you know how it goes.

MunsterCycling

Hope it fixes this, weird sometimes the BIOS can just get fried and not respond but hopefully a flash should restore it to full function

MC