Computer tripping out....heeeelp plz

Guest

recently whenever i try to play games on the computer...whether it be n64 roms which worked fine a week ago or ut2k3 my computer starts the games and then freezes and the monitor goes into power saving mode.....the coomputer is still on but nothing happens i have to restart via the button.....also if i am playing music while trying to play a game there is a loud obnoxious clicking coming from the speakers

i have installed new drivers for my vid card and installed directx 9 recently and thought they might be the problem but i went back to my old setting that i was using b4 when everything worked and it still happens......it only happens when i play games it seems.....ive had many bittorrent downloads running, music playing, websites open, and it works fine.....not until i try to play a game does it freeze

i have tried reinstalling the games after installing new drivers and what not and no luck...

i have xp pro
amd 2400+
geforce4 ti4200 128mb newest detonator drivers
512 ddr ram

i really dont know anything else to do except reinstall xp......which is a pain in the ass

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2003 6:37 pm

what sound card?

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2003 6:54 pm

Yup sounds like a sound card issue.

Guest

mad dog 5.1.....have had it for a couple months and it has worked fine....its a yr old card so im not sure the specifics

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2003 7:58 pm

What software or hardware have you changed in the last few weeks?

Guest

i havent changed any hardware.....the only software that i have changed is what i did almost a month ago tycho the ut2k3 optiminzation that you had on the site......i got new vid card drivers....which i recently restored to the latest nvidia detonators hoping that would fix it and i also upgraded to dx9 from 8.....

other then that i have changed any drivers or anything.......installed some programs but nothing that should have any effect on the games.....

Guest

its just not making any sense......no matter what else non-gaming i try i cannot get it to freeze.....it only freezes during games....but the really weird thing is that n64 roms were working fine for almost a week......then all the sudden the computer freezes instantly and nothing that i know of has changed.....i played the same game using the same emulator........

this is somewhat like the problem i had before i upgraded where my power supply was bad and thus any game that i played would shut the pc off and it wouldnt turn on for like 5 hours later.....but this time the power seems fine b/c when it freezes the pc is still running like it is getting problems......hopefully it is jus a windows problem and not a hardware...

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2003 10:16 pm

Did you have problems once you went from Dx 8 to 9?

Guest

bf1942 no longer worked.....i would get some error regarding direct x....but no problems like what i am having now....

Guest

just another question about reinstalling windows.....(b/c that is the only thing that i can think of).....i have 3 hard drives and xp is on my c......usually when i format i unplug the other two drives just to be careful but is it necessary?....or can i just be careful and make sure to format the correct drive and still leave the other two hooked up?

ps......will reinstalling/formatting solve the problem?

thanks for all the help

UO Staff Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 524 Location: Atlanta

Stinger - I can help.
You don't need to unplug the other drives. To reformat and reinstall, just put the XP Boot CD in your primary optical drive and then choose to reformat and reinstall. It should fix your issue, however, you'll lose any drivers, software, etc, on your primary drive.
Hope it helps!

Guest

thanks for the help guys....i have reformatted b4 but like i said i was alwasy paranoid so i would unplug all the drtives but i dont want to do that if it is not necessary and i have already backed up everything on that drive.....i jus hope that a reformat will help

thanks again

Guest

AAARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!!!

alright well after all the hassle of reinstalling windows i load up a game (madden 2004) this time and the freaking computer does the same damn thing!!!!!

i was afraid it was going to be a hardware thing!!!! any ideas what the hell is wrong with my computer? and why it only trips out when i play a game....

oh btw i disbaled the sound card thinkin that may be the problem but no luck.....same thing happened....

i have an

ecs mobo (cheap yes i know i freakin hope its not this)
amd athlon xp 2400+ (purchased the same time i got the mobo like april 03)
512 crucial 2100 ddr ram
3 hd's ... 1 13gb 1 80gb 1 30 gb
win xp pro
gainward geforce4 ti4200 128mb with the latest detonator drivers
350 watt power

and the thing that i dont understand is that this all happened out of the blue....i didnt install new hardware risking a short of something....i didnt install any out of the ordinary programs......

the only thing i did different was leave my pc on for multiple days downloading.........

someone plz heeelp

Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2003 9:05 am

Well I do detect a possible problem. ECS motherboards are crap and have had problems with Windows OS's. Just ask pvtGrinner about that. I would try and update the Bios on the motherboard and uninstall and remove the sound card and see what happens then.

Guest

flashed the bios....which was the same version as the one i had but i did it anyway.....and after i did that the windows loading screen would come up then it would go away like the computer was going to start at deaktop but instead the monitor goes into hibernation mode or like it is not plugged into anything......the same thing that happens what i play a game....all the while the computer is still running.....

tried 5 times and it still wont boot up to windows normally.....i am in safe mode now....which obviously works....

also i took out the sound card prior to flashing the bios and tried a game and the same thing happens....

i suppose i am going to have to reinstall windows yet again just to get my computer to boot up normally!!!...

grrrrrrrr....

any other ideas?.....and is there some type of warrenty if this is a bad mobo......i have looked at ecs' website but information is misleading and nonexistent....

i purchased the mobo at fry's as a combo deal in april of 03

thanks for all the help