Problem with PC - what could it be?

[Platypus]

It's happened before.

Not sure why it should happen though - I don't really keep up to date on the systems engineering side of things nowadays

Great link, thanks.

Case closed.

[NickFitz]

Er, now I'm baffled.

Updated the video drivers (thinking, how could bad drivers manifest as a memory error but what the hey).

Runs tests, with Crucial memory, as before. No errors. Repeat several times.

Switch memory back to Acer's memory (cheapo Chinese rubbish). Run tests. No errors.

So I come back to this: how could bad drivers manifest as a memory error ?

It's happened before.

Not sure why it should happen though - I don't really keep up to date on the systems engineering side of things nowadays

[Platypus]

Er, now I'm baffled.

Updated the video drivers (thinking, how could bad drivers manifest as a memory error but what the hey).

Runs tests, with Crucial memory, as before. No errors. Repeat several times.

Switch memory back to Acer's memory (cheapo Chinese rubbish). Run tests. No errors.

So I come back to this: how could bad drivers manifest as a memory error ?

[ferret]

Anyway it's not blue-screening now, but the Burn In test is still reporting memory errors (previously the tests caused the BSOD).

If it is reporting memory errors then try another memory checking util and send it back and ask for a complete replacement. Preferably and upgrade as they have been wasting your time. It is not worth the hassle of having an unreliable machine.

[skelm]

Stupid answer: I didn't try it as I assumed a hardware fault.

Better answer: I'll try that !

Keep us posted.

[Platypus]

Stupid question I know but what happens when you boot info safe mode?

Stupid answer: I didn't try it as I assumed a hardware fault.

Better answer: I'll try that !

[skelm]

Stupid question I know but what happens when you boot info safe mode?

[Platypus]

Have you plugged any external drives or anything into the machine? If so remove them and see what happens with the machine as it came to start with.

If it is BSODing then what is the error code? Have you tried searching for it?

BSOD is usually a driver error somewhere.

Is it Vista or XP? If Vista get rid of it and install XP

Forgot to say, my guess is video drivers - have you tried to update these? Onboard or separate graphics card?

The machine is "as new out the box" WinXP Pro. Nothing connected to it other than VGA screen, PS/2 mouse & keyboard. Video is on-board (Intel). Drivers are what came with the machine. I can't remember the error code now but I did look it up, the answer from M$ was along the lines of bios version *may* be incorrect try upgrading the bios. I checked. There is no bios upgrade available. Anyway it's not blue-screening now, but the Burn In test is still reporting memory errors (previously the tests caused the BSOD).

I didn't think about driver issues as it's "as new out the box". I'll look for newer drivers.

[ferret]

Have you plugged any external drives or anything into the machine? If so remove them and see what happens with the machine as it came to start with.

If it is BSODing then what is the error code? Have you tried searching for it?

BSOD is usually a driver error somewhere.

Is it Vista or XP? If Vista get rid of it and install XP

Forgot to say, my guess is video drivers - have you tried to update these? Onboard or separate graphics card?

[Platypus]

Some while ago I bought a new Acer desktop machine, mostly because it was cheap. When I got round to switching it on to configure etc, a problem came to light:

(1) Installing windows updates etc. the machine would just spontaneously reboot itself. When I unchecked "Restart on System Failure", the thing would blue screen.

(2) Downloaded some software called "Burn In Test" which thrashes a system, tests memory, video, hard drives etc looking for errors. Usually the system would blue screen after about 5 minutes of this.

(3) Replaced the memory with Crucial, same as above. Both Windows Memory Test (bootable CD) and MemTest86 reported no errors with either memory even after many hours of testing.

(4) Reluctantly sent back to Acer who replaced the mobo, it came back, same problem with Acer memory or Crucial.

(5) Sent back to Acer who changed the hard-drive and memory. Not quite the same problem now: although Windows Memory Test reports no memory problems, the Burn In Test does report memory errors - about 8 errors per 35bn operations. Fewer errors with the Crucial memory than the Acer, but errors nonetheless. No blue screens/reboot now.

So, what could the problem be? The processor? As the system doesn't any longer show any obvious symptoms, I'm doubting that sending back to Acer would result in anything other than a clean bill of health (they are numpties).

P.S. Before you berate me for buying Acer in the first place, be assured I won't be making that mistake again.