Re:

[n/a]

Hi, LeeAnne, and welcome.



Sounds like a video driver problem to me. Are you running the latest drivers for your card? If so, you might try re-installing them. If you need help with that, let us know.



http://www2.mmind.net/bskarky/bb1cc.jpg" border=0>

        --Bear

[scuzzy]

LeeAnne,



I don't have an immediate answer to this problem, but check back periodically. Eventually, one of the resident experts will be here with a possible solution.



Sometimes, though, the only solution to something like this is to start clean. In other words, reformat and reinstall. However, it's a not a good idea to reinstall on top of Windows without first reformatting. One of our moderators, Carol, had a similar problem which she finally resolved by reformatting.



It might be helpful if you tell us the brand of your computer. Is it a Quantex? Also, did you install any programs right before your heartaches began? One more thing, close out any open programs (IE5, MS Office, games, etc.) and press Alt-Ctrl-Del. This will pull up your task manager. Let us know *all* the programs that pull up on the menu. These are all running in the background, and the source of your problems might be in there. Last thing - are you using an anti-virus program? If so, which one, and is it updated?



http://www.poasters.com/images/scuzzy.gif" border=0> (The real Scuzzy)

[BostonLee]

Hi Bear, thanks for the info.  I'll check 3dfx.com for the latest drivers.  Although I'm not sure how the video drivers would be making the system freeze up like that anything is worth a shot.  It was doing it before I installed the 3dfx card.  I've upgraded the bios as well and that didn't help.  What do you think the chances are of it being a bum motherboard or hard drive?

Thanks, LeeAnne

[scuzzy]

One other thing, LeeAnne, what version of Windows are you running? Is it the original that came with the computer, or did you upgrade?



http://www.poasters.com/images/scuzzy.gif" border=0> (The real Scuzzy)

[n/a]

If the same problems were happening before you installed the new video card, that would seem to rule out the video driver.



The symptoms are much the same as I once had that were caused by a video card.



Are you showing any conflicts in Device Manager under the Performance tab for any of your hardware? Have you checked for multiple installations of your hardware?



Scuzzy's hunch seems to be a Windows problem, and the AntiVirus question is also apt. Always listen to Scuzzy. Well, about computers anyway.









http://www2.mmind.net/bskarky/bb1cc.jpg" border=0>

        --Bear

[Joanie]

Hi LeeAnne,



Glad to see you here in the Forum. The guys are on the ball today and I am sure they will find a solution to your what I think may be a video problem.



They will work with you until their hats float to help you resolve the problem.  



Hurry Back,



Joanie



http://www.poasters.com/images/rahrahsm.gif  " border=0>

[BostonLee]

OK, Prob's definite before new card install.

It IS a Quantex (bought in July 00) and in task manager I have the following:

explorer

sysdoc32 (it's not there now but was before I crashed and had to come back in and do it again)

realplay

ticicon

3dfxman

nprotect (I've disabled Norton Utilities on Start up)

printman

qwdlls



I thought of reformatting, but stupid Quantex didn't give me a win98 disk, it's somewhere on a partition on my hd and I have NO CLUE about finding that sucker!  I don't really know about partitions,etc.



I looked at the performance tab under device manager and it says "your system is set for optimal performance" or something like that.



All suggestions appreciated!

L



 

[BostonLee]

Oh, it's Win 98 and I've uninstalled the McAfee antivirus.



 

[BlueIce]

LeeAnne



It might be a good idea to look in safe mode to make sure that there are no doubled items in the device manager maybe the old video card drivers are still in and messing with you or even 15 monitor listings -At anyrate would remove all the doubled up items in each listing cdrom,display,monitor....ect

after removing doubles reboot into normal windows





Work like you don't need money,

Love like you've never been hurt,

And dance like no one is watching

[n/a]

Hey, BlueIce, welcome and good advice. Love that signature too.







http://www2.mmind.net/bskarky/bb1cc.jpg" border=0>

        --Bear

[QQQ]

Hi LeeAnn,



In addition to everything everyone else asked and suggested, I am going to bother you with more questions.



You said this was pretty much happening from day 1 -- does your tower feel hot to the touch in the area of the power supply?  Is the system in a spacious area, or cramped into one of those computer desks?  Heat can cause the problems you are describing, as can a dust build up in the fans/ vents.  If your sys *is* running warm, others here can give you information regarding power supplies which are known to have problems.  If you have to replace your power supply pcpowerandcooling.com is a good place to go.



If your sys is not running warm, than I don't have much to contribute except for the fact that my sys is doing the same thing.  It started after I installed a dl manager.  Even though I uninstalled it and cleaned it from the registry, I still have the problem.  



From what Scuzzy, et. al. diagnosed, I am long overdue for a complete reformatting.  Oh, the joys!!!



Microsoft will definitely give you a hard time, but if you explain that the mfr is no longer in business you *might* be able to get them to send you a copy of a Win98 cd.  You will need to have your invoice in hand when you call.  Also, when you call their customer service, you may have to speak to someone in the OEM department, rather than the general customer service.  If you cannot elicit their cooperation (and they are TOUGH!!!), you may have to demand to speak to a supervisor.



Above all else, be polite.  This is not to say you have to accept the first "no" you hear, but you will get further with manners and persisitence than you will otherwise.



 

[donn]

Hi LeeAnn,



I had some very similar problems (mouse sticking-slow clock) and sys would hang (not crash). It turned out to be a bad ribbon cable. Just another possible(?)  donn



 

[n/a]

Hi, Donn, and welcome. Man, another good suggestion too.



It's really a pleasure seeing new people jumping in to offer help, especially after a long and otherwise brutal day. Thank you.



http://www2.mmind.net/bskarky/bb1cc.jpg" border=0>

        --Bear

[BostonLee]

HI to all that have replied!  I'm going to contact MSoft today and see what I can squeeze out of them.  It took me a million tries to keep my system running this morning, such a pain!

It's not running hot, the fan keeps things quite cool - and I suppose I could pick up a new ribbon cable, they can't be that much.  How would I know what type I need, or is a hard drive ribbon cable a hard drive ribbon cable?



It's a 20 gig HD, what do I need to know about partitions when it comes time to reformat and reinstall?

Thanks

LeeANne

[scuzzy]

Hi again LeeAnne,



If you reach the point where you feel you need to reformat, you can get some helpful advice in our Tips and Tricks Forum. I poasted tips on using FDisk, which explains partitioning.



As for reinstalling Windows, that could be a problem with your Quantex, since Quantex didn't do a good job of providing needed drivers. Odds are that you were not provided all the drivers you need for your computer. It wasn't such a big problem before, since you had the option of downloading the drivers from Quantex. Unfortunately, that's no longer possible.



You can most likely FDisk your hard drive, reformat, then reinstall Windows without too much of a problem. However, certain things may not work until you find the right drivers. That, or you may find yourself having to buy new components, such as modem, sound card, video card, etc.



If Carol is lurking, she may tell you some of what she went through when she reformatted and reinstalled Windows on her Quantex. Remember, too, that she was able to download the drivers she needed from Quantex.



http://www.poasters.com/images/scuzzy.gif" border=0> (The real Scuzzy)

[QQQ]

Hi LeeAnn,



Before you reformat your hdd, please list the components from your invoice so that we can identify them and try to find the lastest drivers for you.



 

[Carol]

Hi LeeAnne

I have an 800 Quantex bought in the beginning of June and in August I had to reformat and reinstall windows.  Unfortunately that was the easy part.  After that was done I found out that most of my drivers were not on the driver cd.  I had to download most of them from the Quantex site.  Some weren't even on the Quantex site. I had to go to the manufacturers site. When I did finally try to start installing drivers it would freeze up everytime before I could get anywhere.  Ended up turning off all the power management and still haven't bothered to turn it back on.  That finally let me install the drivers.  It was a long hard process,  but now the computer it better than it was when it was new.  This of course was all done with the great help and advice I received here.  I am pretty much a newbie so I really struggled to get it working.  I just wasn't willing to give up on it.  I wish I could be more help.



Carol





 

[BostonLee]

Hi Carol, thanks for the information.  That is probably what I'm going to have to do (reformat and reinstall that is!).  I probably should start w/a list of all the stuff on my system that needs a driver and make sure that I download updated drivers from the manufacturers before I start since the Quantex web site is gone now I can't look there.  Luckily I don't have a lot of stuff to back up and/or worry about losing.  Just my Quicken things and a couple saved games.

L

[Carol]

Hi LeeAnne,



Yes, make a list of everything you can.  I had my original sales receipt and I had printed out a system resource report when I first got the computer and it helped me with knowing everything I has in it.

I also had a mouse that did some sticking.  It still seemed to stick once in a while even after everything was done so I replaced my mouse with a Logitech and haven't had that problem since either.

The drivers were the hardest part for me to find.  But eventually I got the right ones. At least you have the advantage of getting yours before you do anything.  

Carol







 

[BostonLee]

Hi there, as a first step I've printed out Scuzzy's FDISK post from the Tips 'n Tricks forum.  Second step will be getting a Win98 disk from MSoft (wish me luck there) and my final step will be gathering all my info.  I know I have the printer and 3dfx Voodoo 4500 drivers since I added those.  Am I going to mess up the bios by doing this?



L



 

[scuzzy]

LeeAnne,



Using FDisk and reformatting will have no effect on your Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). You are on the right track by preparing ahead of time before beginning such a task. As for partitioning, please ask us if you don't understand what exactly that is, or why you'd do it. We'll be happy to explain.



BTW: FDisk is not a necessary step, unless you want to change partitions on your hard drive. Partitioning hard drives has some great advantages, but no disavantages that I'm familiar with. It's a great way of taking control of your hard drive, and a great way to organize and backup files. My only word of caution is for you to take the time to ensure that the partitions you create are large enough for their intended purpose. If you find after reinstalling everything that a partition is the wrong size (too small), then you'll have to install a program like Partition Magic (about $69) to resize the partition. Otherwise, you'll have to use FDisk again, followed by reformatting, followed by reinstalling everything. Yuch. If you're going to err on partition sizes, then err toward "too big", instead of "too small".



http://www.poasters.com/images/scuzzy.gif" border=0> (The real Scuzzy)

[Carol]

LeeAnne,

Listen to Scuzzy.  He gives very good advice and help.  His advice helped me through my Fdisk and reinstall.

Carol



 

[Joanie]

Hi LeAnne,



You go girl. It will be fixed before you know it and you will have excellent experience behind you.



Joanie



http://www.poasters.com/images/rahrahsm.gif  " border=0>

[BostonLee]

OK, this is what is on my sales slip:

(FYI, when I say I#, I mean "Item #") and I put the "inconsequentials" (SP?) in parenthesis.



I# CPU PFF7332GOC, PIII CU Mine 733Mhz/FC-PGA/133/FS



I# MBD-818D1M/1 - Biostar M6TWL 810E/SL1/S370/LM7



(heatsink)



I# PRD-128M1-2D, 128MB PC100SDRAM - 2DIMMS

I# FDD-257A836P, Panasonic 3.5"/1.44/No Bezel

I# HDD-20G, 20 Gig Hard drive

I# DVD-M14QWT-SQ1A, 12X DVD ROM/Groliers DVD

I# MDM-V56P/AT-S, 56K v.90 PCI Data/Fax Modem

(mid-tower case)

I# MBX-QW83-NMSC2K, WIN98SE/NAT K/INT M/COREL

(Quantex Tower Box)

(packing foam) - can you believe they list that?

I# SPK-ACS33, ACS33/70 Hz-18Hz 3pc speaker sys

(monitor)

(labor)

3 year warranty (gee that's a hoot, eh?)

I# CDR-RW140E/S-S, CDRW Drive

I# LAN-X2206/AL, PCI 10/100 Base-T w/o WOL Verl.



What will I need drivers for besides, monitor, printer, video card, and won't the Win 98 CD at least have basic drivers for the items in my computer?



How can I check how my drive is currently partitioned?  Knowing Quantex they screwed that up too.



Tx, as usual

LeeAnne



PS - Noticed a new thing, my screen doesn't scroll anymore when I use the mouse wheel, it sort of flips instead of it being smooth.  And, it's not freezing up.  I wonder if I just get my mom's Win 98 disk that would work to do the reinstall.



Oh and finally, I have a sheet of paper that came w/the system titled "Why don't I have a Windows disk" and it goes on to tell me that there is a backup copy of it on my drive and it talks about the drive image icon.  I went that route already and there is something wrong w/the drive image progam.  (morons!)

[Carol]

Hi LeeAnne,



Some items are the same ones that I have on my system.  You will need the program that runs your DVD movies.  Mine is Cinemaster and I did have that on my hardware driver cd.

I have the same # for my lan card but it says something different next to it.  I had to put in drivers for that and I think those drivers were on the Quantex site.  You didn't say anything about a sound card, that was my worst nightmare.  Took forever to find the right drivers and get it working.  Stick with it.  These guys stuck with me for weeks helping me to get mine back up and running.

Carol



 

[BostonLee]

Ya know what is wierd, is my computer has NOT frozen up in about a week (knock on wood).  I know that this is just a temporary "mistake" on my computer's part, maybe it knows it's up for a reformat/reinstall.  This is what is in my systray now:

explorer

realplay

ticicon

Nprotect

Printray

Qwdlls



Now, compared to what was there when it *was* freezing up, what are the other things and could they have been causing the prob?  (see my other post w/that list)

Thanks

LeeAnne

[query]

Uninstall the drivers for the Voodoo card and remove it - do the problems disappear?

If so, you've got a conflict somewhere, which is what it sounds like.  



If you reinstall the video card, make sure to set the system for VGA only, disable the onboard video as indicated (jumper, or BIOS setting), and clear the CMOS.  Then reinstall the new card and try again.







 

[QQQ]

Hi LeeAnne,



Sorry it took so long for me to respond.  Thank you for poasting the list of components in your system.



In addition to re-instaling the dvd decoding sfw as Carol stated, you will also need to install drivers for your lan card, your cdrw and your modem.



LAN-X2206/AL, PCI 10/100 Base-T w/o WOL Verl

This is an Alpha lan card.  It does NOT have the Wake On Lan (WOL) feature.



MDM-V56P/AT-S, 56K v.90 PCI Data/Fax Modem

This is the Digitan 56k v.90 mdm.



CDR-RW140E/S-S, CDRW Drive

This is the Sony 32 x 8 x 4.  If you don't have a driver, one *will* be on the win cd.. If you can get one.







 

[BostonLee]

Hi, thanks for the tip, but it's been doing this since before I got the video card.  I only got the video card after I couldn't play System Shock II (no 3d card, no game).  It's probably good idea for me to disable the on board video anyway . . . how do I find out if it's a jumper setting or a bios setting?

Thanks

LeeAnne



 

[BostonLee]

PIII 733, 20 gig hd, 128 MB Ram, Intel 810 Chipset and I added a Voodoo 3D

card,  the problem? . . . It constantly freezes up on me, it doesn't matter

if I'm surfing, playing, or even doing nothing.  I can come back to the

computer and find it frozen, or wake up in the morning and find it frozen.

Ctrl-Alt-Del doesn't work, I get no response from keyboard or mouse and the

ONLY way to fix it is to shut down and restart.  I've got Norton Disk Doctor

on the computer and I've done everything all to no avail, it still happens.

It's pretty much happened since day 1.



One weird thing that I did notice was that my clock started to run slow

about a month ago and then the mouse started sticking, it would not move

where I wanted it and it was really aggravating BUT the computer was NOT

crashing, I left it like that for a couple weeks until the mouse started

driving me so batty that I had to restart, and you guessed it, the clock

runs right on time and the mouse works fine but it's crashing again.



Bizarre, eh?  Please respond either here or via email, at leeanne (at)

mindless (dot) com.

Thank you!!!!!!

LeeAnne