Solve : Strange Freezing?

1.	Solve : Strange Freezing?
Answer» Just recently my computer has had an outbreak of freezing, which occurs after the CPU (or something else) MAKES a weird noise, I usually have enough time to tell someone I am messaging that it is freezing before it does, then I must restart. (5 sec delay before the freeze occurs after the noise.) This only happens, it seems, during a PC game or during start-up. There were no viruses or problems found, I use Norton. I'm assuming it's overheating but it's never had that problem before so.. might be something else. I have, Windows XP AMD Athlon XP 2600+ NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 A7N8X-X Board 1gb ram The computer is somewhat old, over 5 years I'm sure, I've replaced the power supply once and added new ram once. Thanks for your help.I would suspect a bad video card, but I can't say for sure. Being five years old, the computer might just be going south in general. What brand of computer is this? Is Norton your only protection?Since you're actually hearing a strange noise. I'd actually suspect a failing fan, this could be the fan on the case or more likely the CPU or Video card. To troubleshoot an issue like this, assuming your computer is in a SAFE place open the case and work with the case off, see if you can see if any of the fans are not spinning or not spinning 100% of the time. If everything looks ok wait until you hear the noise and then look in the case and see if you see any fans not working or slowing down. With the case being open it may also not freeze. If it is a failing fan it will need to be replaced. If this is a Video card fan that is failing I'd recommend replacing the video card, their fans can be replaced but often a real pain. Quote from: CBMatt on April 26, 2007, 12:36:55 PM I would suspect a bad video card, but I can't say for sure. Being five years old, the computer might just be going south in general. What brand of computer is this? Is Norton your only protection? I'm sorry I forgot to mention, it is not a specific brand I bought it as a pre-built computer. Norton 2007, Windows Firewall, and the Ad-Aware type programs is the only protection. Thanks, I will try the fan suggestion, that reminds me that recently the fan on the video card starting making noise so I oiled it but perhaps it could still be having problems, it's hard to see while the computer is running. All of my fans are running fine when it's not having the problem, I'll look again next time I hear the noise. The only reason I don't keep the case off is because I have a fan on the side of the case which seems to help, and is working.Nathan's right, you should definitely look into the fans. As for protection...I don't think it has anything to do with your problem, but you could use BETTER protection. Many of us aren't too keen on Norton, as it isn't the most reliable. Usually, we SUGGEST AVG Free. You don't have to switch, but you might want to give AVG a try. And of course, you don't want to have two anti-virus programs running at once. Also, you might want to get a better firewall. There are plenty of free options like ZoneAlarm and Sygate. Again, like with anti-virus, you don't want to have two firewalls running at once.I've been sitting here next to the computer so I can take a quick glance when it does it again.. I know for a fact it's not the CPU fan or a case fan, so I'm still waiting to see if it is the video card fan... it won't freeze when I want it too. It's the classic Michigan J. Frog situation.Haha I left the side of the case off the last 2 hours as I played my PC games and it never froze once. (Where normally it wouldnt have lasted 5 minutes at a time.) I'm gonna assume, that it's safe to.. assume it is definately a failling fan or overheating now.. just gotta catch it in action to pinpoint the problem. Let's say it's just overheating in general.. what would be the best solution? (Or would that be leaving the side off forever..) I do clean the dust out regularly already.It certainly does sound like an overheating issue. Keeping the side panel off likely gave your components enough ventilation to not overheat. I can't say for sure if it's your video card fan that's giving you trouble, but with the given information, that'd be my guess. Can you borrow a video card to try out for a day or two to test this? I'd hate to tell you to get a new video card and have it not be the problem. There are programs that check your temperatures, but you'll have to wait for someone else to post the link because it's 3 AM and I can't think properly enough to remember. I know there's PC Wizard, but I believe it only checks your CPU and HDD, not video card.Since it seems to happen while gaming if I was a betting man I'd say it's your video card. But could just as easily be your CPU heatsink. Try the above suggestion made by Chris.Hi, I'm back. I am positive that neither the CPU or the video card fans show any sign of failing when this "noise" occurs, the noise itself seems to come from the harddrive. The best I can describe it, is like it's powering off and then on within 1 second except the lights and fans don't stop. It still has not caused any other errors.. just annoying freezing. =( I've kept the side of the case off (and it's done great) but just in the last 15 minutes it has frozen 6 times consecutively, usually during start-up after the first freeze that happened when I opened up a game. I just turned on a personal sized desk fan and pointed it towards the CPU.. Maybe it will stop for the moment. Edit: I'm gonna try the PC Wizard thing and re-post. It reads 41°C with the case side off. Monitoring Chip : Asus ASB100 Voltage CPU : 1.78 V Chassis Fan : 7180 rpm Processor Temperature : 41 °C Mainboard Temperature : 21 °C Hard Disk Temperature WDC WD1200BB-00DWA0 : 27 °C I should post them again when it's in the middle of the day huh?Run the manuf. HDD diagnostics on that drive just to be safe. What about the PSU ? ? ( I still think it's the vid card fan ) Quote from: patio on April 29, 2007, 01:52:53 AM Run the manuf. HDD diagnostics on that drive just to be safe. What about the PSU ? ? ( I still think it's the vid card fan ) A quick diagnostic test passed. How could I troubleshoot the PSU? I had it replaced a year ago or so.. I'm not sure how long PSU's are supposed to go for.If it cost less than 30 bucks chances are it's the PSU... Make and wattage ? ? Quote from: patio on April 29, 2007, 02:28:57 AM If it cost less than 30 bucks chances are it's the PSU... Make and wattage ? ? Orion XP400 350W I don't remember how much it cost, not a lot. That's a much cheaper fix than the video card.. I don't have another PSU to test with. lol btw as I was writing this the first time it froze without me ever opening a game since I turned it on.

Answer»

Just recently my computer has had an outbreak of freezing, which occurs after the CPU (or something else) MAKES a weird noise, I usually have enough time to tell someone I am messaging that it is freezing before it does, then I must restart. (5 sec delay before the freeze occurs after the noise.)

This only happens, it seems, during a PC game or during start-up.

There were no viruses or problems found, I use Norton. I'm assuming it's overheating but it's never had that problem before so.. might be something else.

I have,
Windows XP
AMD Athlon XP 2600+
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600
A7N8X-X Board
1gb ram

The computer is somewhat old, over 5 years I'm sure, I've replaced the power supply once and added new ram once.

Thanks for your help.I would suspect a bad video card, but I can't say for sure. Being five years old, the computer might just be going south in general. What brand of computer is this? Is Norton your only protection?Since you're actually hearing a strange noise. I'd actually suspect a failing fan, this could be the fan on the case or more likely the CPU or Video card. To troubleshoot an issue like this, assuming your computer is in a SAFE place open the case and work with the case off, see if you can see if any of the fans are not spinning or not spinning 100% of the time. If everything looks ok wait until you hear the noise and then look in the case and see if you see any fans not working or slowing down. With the case being open it may also not freeze.

If it is a failing fan it will need to be replaced. If this is a Video card fan that is failing I'd recommend replacing the video card, their fans can be replaced but often a real pain. Quote from: CBMatt on April 26, 2007, 12:36:55 PM

I would suspect a bad video card, but I can't say for sure. Being five years old, the computer might just be going south in general. What brand of computer is this? Is Norton your only protection?

I'm sorry I forgot to mention, it is not a specific brand I bought it as a pre-built computer. Norton 2007, Windows Firewall, and the Ad-Aware type programs is the only protection.

Thanks, I will try the fan suggestion, that reminds me that recently the fan on the video card starting making noise so I oiled it but perhaps it could still be having problems, it's hard to see while the computer is running. All of my fans are running fine when it's not having the problem, I'll look again next time I hear the noise.

The only reason I don't keep the case off is because I have a fan on the side of the case which seems to help, and is working.Nathan's right, you should definitely look into the fans. As for protection...I don't think it has anything to do with your problem, but you could use BETTER protection. Many of us aren't too keen on Norton, as it isn't the most reliable. Usually, we SUGGEST AVG Free. You don't have to switch, but you might want to give AVG a try. And of course, you don't want to have two anti-virus programs running at once. Also, you might want to get a better firewall. There are plenty of free options like ZoneAlarm and Sygate. Again, like with anti-virus, you don't want to have two firewalls running at once.I've been sitting here next to the computer so I can take a quick glance when it does it again.. I know for a fact it's not the CPU fan or a case fan, so I'm still waiting to see if it is the video card fan... it won't freeze when I want it too. It's the classic Michigan J. Frog situation.Haha

I left the side of the case off the last 2 hours as I played my PC games and it never froze once. (Where normally it wouldnt have lasted 5 minutes at a time.) I'm gonna assume, that it's safe to.. assume it is definately a failling fan or overheating now.. just gotta catch it in action to pinpoint the problem. Let's say it's just overheating in general.. what would be the best solution? (Or would that be leaving the side off forever..)

I do clean the dust out regularly already.It certainly does sound like an overheating issue. Keeping the side panel off likely gave your components enough ventilation to not overheat. I can't say for sure if it's your video card fan that's giving you trouble, but with the given information, that'd be my guess. Can you borrow a video card to try out for a day or two to test this? I'd hate to tell you to get a new video card and have it not be the problem.

There are programs that check your temperatures, but you'll have to wait for someone else to post the link because it's 3 AM and I can't think properly enough to remember. I know there's PC Wizard, but I believe it only checks your CPU and HDD, not video card.Since it seems to happen while gaming if I was a betting man I'd say it's your video card. But could just as easily be your CPU heatsink. Try the above suggestion made by Chris.Hi, I'm back. I am positive that neither the CPU or the video card fans show any sign of failing when this "noise" occurs, the noise itself seems to come from the harddrive. The best I can describe it, is like it's powering off and then on within 1 second except the lights and fans don't stop.

It still has not caused any other errors.. just annoying freezing. =( I've kept the side of the case off (and it's done great) but just in the last 15 minutes it has frozen 6 times consecutively, usually during start-up after the first freeze that happened when I opened up a game.

I just turned on a personal sized desk fan and pointed it towards the CPU.. Maybe it will stop for the moment.

Edit: I'm gonna try the PC Wizard thing and re-post.

It reads 41°C with the case side off.

Monitoring Chip :   Asus ASB100
Voltage CPU :   1.78 V
Chassis Fan :   7180 rpm
Processor Temperature :   41 °C
Mainboard Temperature :   21 °C
Hard Disk Temperature WDC WD1200BB-00DWA0 :   27 °C

I should post them again when it's in the middle of the day huh?Run the manuf. HDD diagnostics on that drive just to be safe.

What about the PSU ? ?

( I still think it's the vid card fan ) Quote from: patio on April 29, 2007, 01:52:53 AM

Run the manuf. HDD diagnostics on that drive just to be safe.

What about the PSU ? ?

( I still think it's the vid card fan )

A quick diagnostic test passed.

How could I troubleshoot the PSU? I had it replaced a year ago or so.. I'm not sure how long PSU's are supposed to go for.If it cost less than 30 bucks chances are it's the PSU...

Make and wattage ? ? Quote from: patio on April 29, 2007, 02:28:57 AM

If it cost less than 30 bucks chances are it's the PSU...

Make and wattage ? ?

Orion XP400 350W

I don't remember how much it cost, not a lot.

That's a much cheaper fix than the video card.. I don't have another PSU to test with.

lol btw as I was writing this the first time it froze without me ever opening a game since I turned it on.

Solve : Strange Freezing?

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