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01/21/2006 01:18:10 PM · #1 |
I bought a great computer (spec-wise) about a year ago. I frequently defrag, run virus checks (Norton), clean up the spyware, clear the cache, etc., etc., etc. But for some reason, I have been plagued with "the blue screen of death," as some people refer to it as. The computer will freeze and then the screen turns blue with a bunch of technical information (mostly RAM code). Why does that happen?????? Is there anything I can do to prevent it? I know there's got to be a few computer technicians on DP...just looking for some advice. It's SO frustrating that I've seriously contemplated buying a Mac...of all the Mac users I know, I haven't met anyone (yet) that suffers from computer meltdowns after only a year.
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01/21/2006 01:19:06 PM · #2 |
Macs rock....
That's all I got to say about that.
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01/21/2006 01:21:33 PM · #3 |
I've had my computer hardly a year and have suffered from many blue screens of death as well. Lots of meltdowns and lost information and the like. So, I'm up for advice as well.
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01/21/2006 01:23:42 PM · #4 |
A blue screen of death can be caused by a lot of things. Can you copy dow the FIRST line of the BSOD message you are getting?
Also, are you getting them when doing something in particular?
Most often, BSOD issues are caused by faulty hardware drivers. Have you added any aftermarket hardware to your computer?
~Terry
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01/21/2006 01:27:35 PM · #5 |
I have 3 macs and one pc, I use the macs 90% of the time and the pc 10%, 2 of the macs run 24/7 and the uptime is around 2 years on the G5 and about 6 months on the mac mini.
the pc gives me bluescreens, and other bull about every other time I turn it on.
so just get a mac.. it's woth the switch... no more problems, just a computer that works :)
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01/21/2006 01:34:27 PM · #6 |
| I haven't had a blue screen since I went with XP Pro. I still have the old machine running W 98 networked and occasionally it has the "blues." but all it is used for is file backups and archival stuff. |
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01/21/2006 01:34:55 PM · #7 |
I also own a mac and a PC....my mac has been running for about 5 months without ever being turned off. I've never had problem's with my mac...ever, still runs just like the day I bought it.
My pc doesn't give me trouble very often, but I turn it off every night and only use it maybe once or twice a week...the only reason I have it is for programs that I can't get for the mac, and to chat on yahoo messenger, lol.
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01/21/2006 01:40:07 PM · #8 |
as ClubJuggle said, it is most often a hardware/driver issue. This happens a lot at my school.
This also happened a lot to my sisters laptop. I narrowed it down to the battery (maybe heat?).
It really could be a host of things. Can you call the company you bought it from? |
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01/21/2006 01:43:56 PM · #9 |
I have had my current PC with XP system over two years. It is on 24 / 7. Runs two printers, card readers, external Iomega Zip drive, external Maxtor HD, DSL w/ wirless router, etc. etc.
Never had a BSOD. Just be careful what you load, assure you keep software and drivers up to date and
get rid of Norton. Almost every person I know who has consistent problems runs Norton. I might be wrong but I have sovled many of them by having them dump Norton and go with another virus software. I use McAfee.
Message edited by author 2006-01-21 13:45:17. |
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01/21/2006 01:46:35 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:
Macs rock....
That's all I got to say about that. |
i concur haha |
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01/21/2006 01:50:33 PM · #11 |
Good info. I'll look into getting rid of Norton and writing down the code that pops up when the screen appears.
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01/21/2006 01:52:41 PM · #12 |
The blue screen usually appears when the RAM is faulty. I had two RAMs in my old pc, and one of them got corrupted, and I was haunted by the blue screen untill I removed the faulty RAM. Also, have your power supply checked. Faulty supply can also sometimes destroy other components when it is not giving out the correct voltage.
I don't think there is anything wrong with Windows, or Mac, or any other OS or type of machine. If you have everything correctly installed by a professional, it all works fine. I now have a AMD machine with XP, and it is usually on for 2-3 days at a stretch without any trouble. |
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01/21/2006 02:01:32 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:
Macs rock....
That's all I got to say about that. |
Yep
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01/21/2006 02:02:42 PM · #14 |
I think it's most often bad hardware (e.g., memory), or bad drivers (e.g., especially a videocard driver).
I have a Dell Precision 650, dual processor machine running two screens that runs for weeks with heavy use and many many processes running concurrently without rebooting. What usually makes me reboot is a software update or installation. Over the years I've learned that good hardware = reliability. Which is one reason Macs appear to be more reliable. Apple has more control over configuration and production, and is generally charging a premium, so they don't have to cut corners and put in something cheap, like cheap memory.
Now to try to be helpful:
You can search the web for the Stop number on the blue screen and find a fair amount of information on it. You can also run PC hardware diagnostics from your Mfr or 3rd party.
If you right click "My computer", select "Manage", then look under System Tools, then Event Viewer, you might see some errors that are suggestive of a hardware or driver problem.
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01/21/2006 02:25:38 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by ignite:
The blue screen usually appears when the RAM is faulty. |
That is not consistent with my experience. I find that other hardware drivers cause problems much more frequently (video cards seem to be particularly troublesome). I rarely encounter faulty memory, though it will cause blue screens when it exists.
~Terry
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01/21/2006 02:31:34 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by ClubJuggle:
Originally posted by ignite:
The blue screen usually appears when the RAM is faulty. |
That is not consistent with my experience. I find that other hardware drivers cause problems much more frequently (video cards seem to be particularly troublesome). I rarely encounter faulty memory, though it will cause blue screens when it exists.
~Terry |
Agreed. I work in a tech support office and see BSODs every day. Hardware/Software mismatch seems to be the biggest culprit. |
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01/21/2006 02:34:14 PM · #17 |
I'm no expert, but from my experiences with Windows, I don't have many problems. I've had a few blue screens, some of which I know happened after I did something to the computer that was screwy. I run Norton at high levels of security and have never had an issue with it at all. Just my $.02
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01/21/2006 04:00:03 PM · #18 |
I've encountered BSOD for two reasons;
Faulty graphics card / driver
Faulty soundcard or driver (external soundcard interface) |
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01/21/2006 04:17:11 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:
Macs rock....
That's all I got to say about that. |
WHAT HE SAID.... lol
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01/21/2006 10:05:36 PM · #20 |
BSOD? That brings back memories -- I haven't seen one of them in 4 or 5 years. That was when I went to the trouble of building my current PC, making sure to focus on compatible quality hardware.
BSODs are mainly hardware related (some aren't, but most are). Narrowing down what hardware is causing the trouble can be a fun challenge, but there are a few things to start with that won't cost anything but a bit of your time.
First take a survey of your current hardware and check for known issues. I would start with the motherboard and work my way out (chipset, processor, memory, power supply and then add-ons such as graphics, sound and network). To look for known incompatibilities do online searches for the various hardware and get to know the problems people have had with them. Check the motherboard manufacturers website and look for the list of approved hardware (such as memory and video). It's sad but true that there are many hardware makers, but only a few of them consistently make quality parts -- and it makes matters even worse when the so called 'perfomance' brands push the envelope of speed at the cost of quality. Memory and video cards are the worst at this.
Next is to make certain you have the latest drivers for every piece of hardware in your system, again starting from the motherboard and working your way out.
After this, the testing is likely to start costing a bit. The least expensive thing to do next is to get a can of compressed air and clean the system out. If the BSODs started recently (as in when it started turning cold and the heaters starting kicking on) the problem may well be heat related. Hardware (especially if it's pushing the performance envelope) doesn't like getting hot, and falls apart when it does. Either install motherboard monitor (if it supports your chipset) or reboot into the BIOS after running for a while (if your BIOS has hardware temperature monitoring) and check the temp. It shouldn't have much problem up to 150F, but at or above that problems can start showing up. If your system is hot, cool it down. Move it away from heater vents and such -- there are a host of sites devoted to cooling, everything from fans to water-cooling to oil baths that range it price from nearly free 'do it yourself' mods to complete cooling systems that will cost more than the system did. Fortunately making sure your case has enough airflow is usually enough.
The only thing left after this is to strip it down to the bare components, motherboard, memory, processor and video and start testing and adding parts until you find the faulty one.
One more thing to note, the power supply is vital -- so make sure you have a good one. If it's a performance system a quality 400W power supply is going to be minimum. Even then you will need to look over the specs for the motherboard and components to see just what kind of power is needed. Some systems need a power supply with more power on the 5V line, while others use more power on the 12V line. Make sure the power supply matches the needs of the system -- and once again, the motherboard manufacturer should have a list of test and approved power supplies or at the very least give you an idea of what size power supply the system will need.
Good luck
David
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01/22/2006 06:09:56 AM · #21 |
Why does that happen??????
-- It's what happens when you run windows. (Those who do run windows generally don't choose it, it comes with there computer) No body in there right mind would choose windows.
Is there anything I can do to prevent it?
--Don't run windows, The Mac software is now available to purchase for X86 machines, or go for a free Linux distro like Ubuntu. They are both just as easy (or as hard) as windows, they just have a small learning curve. |
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01/22/2006 06:22:43 AM · #22 |
Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:
Macs rock....
That's all I got to say about that. |
What he said. I had to work on a computer last night. The OS crashed on a friend's Presario and she was very worried about losing all of her work and images. I used my Mac to extract the files and burn them to a CD.
Message edited by author 2006-01-22 06:23:05.
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01/22/2006 06:35:04 AM · #23 |
David is the only one with a real answer. He is right but i think software can also cause problems or conflicts. You can search google for the error codes windows gives you and you can usualy find other people that have had this problem. Usualy your not the only one in the world with the same hardware or problems and they have already found a fix for it. I have the most problems with AMD based machines then i do intel. Mac should "be set free with AMD" then we will see some macs with stability problems.
A mac? is that really the answer? why do you have 2 macs AND a pc? because the mac cant do it all can it? so what your saying is this person needs a another completely different machine? macs are worthless and thats why you have the pc. Its only good for what you do on it, video or audio editing and thats it, everything else you do on the PC. Now tell me im wrong.
The reason why macs are stable is because there is no software for them. The reason windows has issues isnt because of the machine or the OS its all the other manufactures that do little to no testing before they release drivers or hardware. They just rush things out to the market and we buy the stuff up from walmart. There is alot more stuff available for a pc then there is for a mac and thats why there are conflicts. Mac is like a game deck its limited and thats why you have the PC because you NEED it.
Its like cameras, Nikon and Minolta dont have problems with their cameras like Canon, but the problem is no one has a Nikon or a Minolta. |
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01/22/2006 06:39:31 AM · #24 |
Originally posted by BowerR64:
macs are worthless and thats why you have the pc. Its only good for what you do on it, video or audio editing and thats it, everything else you do on the PC. Now tell me im wrong.
The reason why macs are stable is because there is no software for them. |
It seems evident you haven't a clue. Have you ever even seen a Mac?
No software. Right. (extreme sarcasm)
And BTW, you're wrong.
Message edited by author 2006-01-22 06:43:09.
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01/22/2006 06:43:21 AM · #25 |
PC is great for gaming and chatting on yahoo as Caleb says but you will have to re-install the damn thing once in a while.
I switched to MAC about 2 years ago or less and since I got Football manager 2005 (and 2006 now) for mac the PC has been as cold as ice and is not even plugged in, I used to use it for burning back up DVDs but my new G5 iMac has a DVD/RW so now I have told my 2 sons (twins aged 17) they can have it.. guess what they said...
Actually dad, we want your old iBook.
BSOD as said before by loads here is caused by driver issues or a newly added piece of hardware causing conflicts, changing some hardware i.e - sound card, modem card,... try to remember also not to put anything into the PCI slot next to the video AGP slot because that will cause all kinds of trouble too.
Another issue is with Nvidia Nforce 2/3 motherboards and Radeon based graphic cards, they dont get along very well. and also believe it or not the new SP2 for winXP is a pile of crap too, full of spyware and has caused my computor to fold shortly after a fresh instal, and with the fact that I have changed so many parts on my old PC now that when i reinstal XP and try to activate in online it refuses and I have to call them by telephone to activate it and have had countless arguments with them that IF they had made a decent OS in the first place then I would not have to reinstal after updating hardware etc etc etc..
God bless my MAC, my girlfriend is Japanese... no problem just change a simple setting, log out and then the whole system changes to Japanese...
Re-install, not familiar with this process but it dont need activating or drivers for this and that .. I was so lost with my Mac after I first switched but after about 1 month I was flying with it and now I can safely say I know Macs quite well and have a nice collection of software too, the prices are not so different.
Switch.
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