# Issues with desktop



## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

I have a HP h8-1020 with Intel i7-2600S processor running at 2.8GHz with 8 gb installed RAM, 1 tb hd and a ATI Radeon HD 6950 video card with 2mb on board memory. Running Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. This computer is about 4 months old. Now I am having issues with it stopping in the middle of programs I am running, could be Outlook, Explorer, Adobe Photoshop or Premier with a message that the program has encountered a problem and windows is trying to find a solution and it never does just end up closing the program at that point. These occurrences are strictly random in nature. Like I can be editing video in Premier and go an hour before it happens the again it will occur withing 5 to 10 minutes of starting. Also Outlook and Explorer at 64 bit versions so it is happening regardless of 32 vs 64 bit. I am wondering if one of the memory sticks is going bad, though the Windows Memory Diagnostic program tells me all is well, and when it tries to access something at that point it just gives me that dialogue box. I should add that I have occasionally gotten the "blue screen" that Windows has shut down to prevent damage to the computer. Would appreciate any feedback here before I haul this thing back to BB. I am also running ZoneAlarm as my security software and it is giving me a clean bill.


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

Have you looked at the logs through Event Viewer? There should be some information recorded when the error occurs.


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

Yes and I am not really sure what I am looking at. There is definately a log of each event, a lot of hex data and other call information that I do not understand.


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

I had a similar issue and removed memory sticks, one at a time until the bad one showed itself. As with you, all diagnostics checked good.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

Reseat the memory sticks and / or shuffle them around.


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

dennisj00 said:


> Reseat the memory sticks and / or shuffle them around.


That's a good suggestion. I will give that a try since there is only 2.


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

While you have the case open, do a light vacuum and remove dust and such. PCs can freeze due to overheating also.


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## jerry downing (Mar 7, 2004)

Check for stuck fans as well.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Also, what is the Stop Error code when you get the BSOD?

- Merg


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

dmspen said:


> While you have the case open, do a light vacuum and remove dust and such. PCs can freeze due to overheating also.


Happened to me a couple months ago on this six-year-old desktop. Vacuuming the filters solved the problem.


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

Thanks for all the further suggestions. The computer is less then 4 months old so no dust or dirt in the case. We are in the window for component failure after initial burn in of the memory simms, so my money is on one of them having a bad sector. I am going, this coming weekend, take both out and replace them in the other slot to see what happens. If I still continue to get the errors that its back to Best Buy with it so the Geeks can replace the simms.
Merg, next time it happens I will look to see if there is a code along with the words.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

BSOD codes you should find in Event Log/System.


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

I have been looking around in the event manager and can't find the BSOD stop codes. There is a lot of stuff in there from information to critical errors. If I get the BSOD again at least I know what to be looking for on the screen before I restart the system. Also I have swapped the simms so lets see what happens.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

"seern" said:


> I have been looking around in the event manager and can't find the BSOD stop codes. There is a lot of stuff in there from information to critical errors. If I get the BSOD again at least I know what to be looking for on the screen before I restart the system. Also I have swapped the simms so lets see what happens.


Swapping the memory won't necessarily fix the issue. What you really want to do is pull all but one chip out and see if the issue persists. If it does, replace that with another chip and see if the issue returns. If it does, then the issue is most likely not with the memory.

- Merg


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Hi
From here How To Find Bsod Error Messages For use in troubleshooting system crashes
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic74712.html

As well as BlueScreenView from here. http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html

Plenty of help for software and hardware at http://www.bleepingcomputer.com forums.

Pop over, register and ask for help in the proper forum. Win95/98, 2000/Server, XP through Windows 7


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

Well, I have been running the memory intensive simulation that was causing most of the issues and so far since swapping the memory simms not problems. I may be wrong but since the sim is a 32 bit application it is only using 4 gigs of the 8 I have. So if, big IF, it was alway going to the same simm slot then I may be OK. I will check out the sites that were recommended as information places. Thanks everyone for the assistance and all have a great holiday.

I went into event viewed armed with what I am reading and here is one of the critical events

The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x00000050 (0xfffff6bc5005ff50, 0x0000000000000000, 0xfffff80002ca9f61, 0x0000000000000005). A dump was saved in: C:\Windows\Minidump\121711-17830-01.dmp. Report Id: 121711-17830-01.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

"TBoneit" said:


> Hi
> From here How To Find Bsod Error Messages For use in troubleshooting system crashes
> http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic74712.html
> 
> ...


BleepingComputer is one of the best support sites out there for virus support.

- Merg


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

It just did it again when I was in Explorer and the stop code was 0x18. I guess I am going to have to take it to the Geeks to figure out what is going bad.


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

I have been doing more research on the stop codes and it is pointing even more to bad memory. Today was a crash with Explorer which is a 64 bit application while since I switched the simms my 32 but applications have not had a problem. Would love some feedback on whether I am moving in the right direction on this.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Make Linux CD (Ubuntu for example), boot your PC from the CD (no need to install the Linux), select from initial menu Memory test. I would use one DIMM for each own run; if all DIMMs would works OK in RAM slot#1 (or #0 if your MB name it), then install all 2/3/4/6 and run the test again. Give it 15 min at least, to make it run on thermal "plateau".


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

Thanks for that suggestion. I am getting ubuntu now and will do that test on each dimm in each slot.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Keep us informing ...


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

"seern" said:


> I have been doing more research on the stop codes and it is pointing even more to bad memory. Today was a crash with Explorer which is a 64 bit application while since I switched the simms my 32 but applications have not had a problem. Would love some feedback on whether I am moving in the right direction on this.


Yeah, you need to test each DIMM on its own. That's the only way to isolate the issue to a particular DIMM.

- Merg


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

Thanks Merg, I was planning to do that this coming weekend when I am off again. This HP has 2 slots so I just have to figure which is the primary slot then use it to do the test on each. Should not be to had. I feel the hardest part will be getting BestBuy to accept my testing of the dimms so I don't have to haul the whole thing into the store.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

These days, it's very easy to separate the OS and hardware for diagnostics.
You can use a live CD or USB flash to run a desktop Linux installation without doing any harm to your Windows setup.
If your hardware performs under Linux without problems, then you know you have a Windows software issue.

http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

Thanks Marlin Guy, that was my plan with the ubuntu disc that I burned. Boot from it and use it to test each of the dimms.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

For memory testing, consider using MemTest86+. You use a boot CD for it, but it is a very comprehensive memory test app.

- Merg


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

Thanks Merg, I will go find and dl it.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

seern said:


> Thanks Merg, I will go find and dl it.


It's on Ubuntu CD, you don't need to search for it.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

"seern" said:


> Thanks Merg, I will go find and dl it.


It's also on the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD), which has a lot of other good tools.

- Merg


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

I just remembered the HP desktop I have had an extensive system test that ran monthly or so. . . HP Care or something like that.

I lost it when I installed Win7. It might be worth a call to HP to see if you can download it. I didn't find it on the support website after a quick check.


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

The HP still has on-board software to test various functions but memory is not one of them. I am going to run ubuntu this weekend, and if it shows memory issues I will just replace it. Right now two 4 gig DDR3 dimms are going for about $45 on Newegg so its no biggie to replace both of them.


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## JcT21 (Nov 30, 2004)

i cant tell you anything that everyone else hasnt already. but i had the same problem. mine turned out to be a bad memory stick. i took out all the memory and replaced them one at a time until i found the bad one. newegg.com is a great place to buy computer parts. ive spent a small fortune there over the years


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

JcT21, I agree on Newegg. The last 2 computers that I had were built by me with parts purchased from them. This time around I just got lazy and bought this HP and wish I had taken the time to build it myself.


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## seern (Jan 13, 2007)

New, faster memory dimms are now installed and so far are functioning without any issues. Will take the next week or so to see if this has corrected my problems.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

I would run burning test [Mem86] for own confidence for 12 hours; 
waiting when something crashed during important build ... nay, bad idea.


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