Blue Screen of Death

[rols]

Need some help with PC issue please

When running Ensign multiple tick charts, TWS and Bracket Trader I am getting the dreaded blue screen sometimes after half an hour of running sometimes after 2 or 3 hours.

Message says something about system memory dump.

Pretty certain it's not a virus (have checked) or lack of memory - have 2 Gigs DDRAM

Am running Dell 2.66Gig with 2 monitors

Any ideas please?

BTW I have used Macs since 1984 and PCs are another world to me.

Thanks

 

[dcraig1]

Run a proper memory test with memtest86 - it's free.

Check your CPU temperature. Over 60C and you might get problems. Overheating could be due to a failed cooler fan or improperly fitted CPU cooler.

Could be other things, but these are easy to start with.

 

[Lightning McQueen]

Not being a professional you understand, just an amateur in these things I would take a stab in the dark here and suggest that maybe the machine maybe getting a tad hot, they do tend to run a while before they cook and freeze or blue screen, maybe run the thing with the case off and check all the fans are running ok, if its full of crud, clean it out (switched off of course)

Did that help...no!...oh dear lets prey a pc pro comes along shortly and fixes your predicament soon

Edit: I see dcraig1 pipped me to the post, the excellent suggestion of re-seating the cpu cooler (with a fresh coating of arctic silver) has worked for me in the past on a tempermental pc.

Lightning

 

[rols]

Thanks for the quick response.

I had no idea that dust could cause a PC to blue screen.

When I upgraded the memory a few days ago I noticed there was quite a lot of dust inside
but thought better of giving it a quick once over with the Dyson.

I found this

http://www.pcworld.com/video/id,502-page,1-bid,4/video.html

So I'm off to PC world to get some cleaning supplies.

If this doesn't work then I'll try memtest.

If that doesn't work then it's the dustbin and I'll buy another machine.

Here's hoping...

 

[peto]

until the pc pro comes along......... have you installed extra memory recently? Last time I had a similar problem it was due to my new memory being of a different batch to the old.

 

[WinstonSmith]

If that doesn't work then it's the dustbin and I'll buy another machine.

Suggest you ask you your question at http://forums.majorgeeks.com before doing anything so drastic! There are plenty of software things to look at before you start throwing out hardware.

 

[MarkB]

HI Rols,

download and run this app, http://sp2004.fre3.com/download.htm
it will put your cpu and ram through its paces. This will show if your system is stable or not. excellent program have been using it recently myself. As was mentioned earlier, dust build up especially in the heatsink fins can cause the cpu to run several degrees hotter than it should and cause instability.
Hope this helps.

 

[rols]

HI Rols,

download and run this app, http://sp2004.fre3.com/download.htm
it will put your cpu and ram through its paces. This will show if your system is stable or not. excellent program have been using it recently myself. As was mentioned earlier, dust build up especially in the heatsink fins can cause the cpu to run several degrees hotter than it should and cause instability.
Hope this helps.

Went to PC W orld to buy some compressed air. They don't sell it anymore even though their video suggests using it! The guy suggested I did use my Dyson with the plastic attachment. Trouble is have to wait untill the Mrs. goes out. If she sees me using the hoover...


I've got the above software running - there is a big green 'GO'. What's supposed to happen - will it tell me what to do?

 

[dcraig1]

Went to PC W orld to buy some compressed air. They don't sell it anymore even though their video suggests using it! The guy suggested I did use my Dyson with the plastic attachment. Trouble is have to wait untill the Mrs. goes out. If she sees me using the hoover...


I've got the above software running - there is a big green 'GO'. What's supposed to happen - will it tell me what to do?

I'd suggest that using a vacuum cleaner can be a bad idea. They can build up static charge and electronics and static discharge don't get on very well.

 

[rols]

I'd suggest that using a vacuum cleaner can be a bad idea. They can build up static charge and electronics and static discharge don't get on very well.

There's tons of dust in there. How should I remove it?

 

[Crap Buddist]

I like it.......

There's tons of dust in there. How should I remove it?

hmm, might be a tad silly or start a new craze, take the unit to your local garage, pump your cars tyres up and blow the dust out of your hardware using the compressed air for your tyres.

Steady she goes though, you dont want to blow all the circuits out over the forecourts.

I think its a goer, if approached with caution .

LOL. Well it should work. \oh, just in case, dont put in through the carwash.

Good luck rols.

Real solutions for today's problems.

 

[rols]

hmm, might be a tad silly or start a new craze, take the unit to your local garage, pump your cars tyres up and blow the dust out of your hardware using the compressed air for your tyres.

Steady she goes though, you dont want to blow all the circuits out over the forecourts.

I think its a goer, if approached with caution .

Hmmm. Could end in tears.

A friend of mine was telling me today that he hoovered his keyboard and inadvertantly sucked half the letters off.

That intel 24" IMAC is looking more tempting by the minute.
BTW any MAC folks out there NB this new software for intel based Macs

http://www.parallels.com/en/products/workstation/mac/

It's cheap but superb (seen it in action - you can run windows and MAC OS at the same time)

 

[Crap Buddist]

Last one for the conservatives, hair dryer running on cold settings ? Has the mrs got one? maybe channel down the blower to a finer jet , er somehow if need be... .

I took my casing off, and my daughter who is just about to complete a computing course said. NO. ! dont touch any of that, static, n all that.. but i must admit i have in the past used the hoover with a brush on and carefully winkled it out... luckily survived.


Or get or make some good old fashioned bellows perhaps....... ..

 

[rols]

Last one for the conservatives, hair dryer running on cold settings ? Has the mrs got one? maybe channel down the blower to a finer jet , er somehow if need be... .

I took my casing off, and my daughter who is just about to complete a computing course said. NO. ! dont touch any of that, static, n all that.. but i must admit i have in the past used the hoover with a brush on and carefully winkled it out... luckily survived.


Or get or make some good old fashioned bellows perhaps....... ..

Thanks. A combo of hair dryer and Dyson sounds good.

 

[rols]

Thanks. A combo of hair dryer and Dyson sounds good.

On Sunday evening I did the above and started trading following morning.

All was fine until 3:20pm when I had just submitted an order and blue screen returned.

Approx three minutes later rebooted and found my stop or TP hadn't gone in.

In fact the market had reversed twice and I was looking at 2 times the TP I had expected.

It happened again this morning, also to my benefit but I would prefer to trade looking at a chart instead of a blue screen.

There again this could be a new strategy. "The Blue Screen."

Enter a trade without stops or TP then crash your PC. Go away and have a nice cup of tea then reboot and take profits.

Seriously:

Would anybody know that if the problem might be due to my second monitor being powered by a USB 2.00 VGA adapter?

thanx

 

[Lightning McQueen]

Well, thats easy to find out unplug the usb, run the pc and see how long it lasts before dieing. have you tried dcraigs's suggestion of re-seating the cpu cooler yet.(post 2) Also take out the ram that you recently installed (ref peto's post 5)

No pc pro on the horizon yet so if our efforts dont help.....PC World beckons methinks.

 

[rols]

Well, thats easy to find out unplug the usb, run the pc and see how long it lasts before dieing. have you tried dcraigs's suggestion of re-seating the cpu cooler yet.(post 2) Also take out the ram that you recently installed (ref peto's post 5)

No pc pro on the horizon yet so if our efforts dont help.....PC World beckons methinks.

Good idea - I mean just running the one monitor.

As for a visit to PC world, to paraphrase Stephen Fry

"I would rather have my testicles wired up to electrodes..."

 

[Lightning McQueen]

Good idea - I mean just running the one monitor.

As for a visit to PC world, to paraphrase Stephen Fry

"I would rather have my testicles wired up to electrodes..."

I do like pc world, we have a large store recently opened, which is a nice as I live in the back of beyond with no large specialist pc shops to speak of, as long as I dont have to talk to the staff of course. I feel like a fox in a chicken coup. They do a nice range of the latest macs you know:cheesy:

 

[rols]

I do like pc world, we have a large store recently opened, which is a nice as I live in the back of beyond with no large specialist pc shops to speak of, as long as I dont have to talk to the staff of course. I feel like a fox in a chicken coup. They do a nice range of the latest macs you know:cheesy:

I bought a PC laptop for the Mrs there a couple of years back.

Big mistake.

The most agressive sales people I have ever encountered.

The sort of people you would have to physically assault to shut up and get the message.

I later discovered that PC World survives on selling extras people don't need. You know, but what if you were to accidentally drop your new laptop in a vat of boiling oil sir, or what if it went wrong when you got it home? etc

All I wanted to do take the box and go. Instead they wouldn't let me and tried to sell insurance, extras I didn't want or need.

After about 35 minutes of politely and repeatedly saying we just wanted the Vaio and nothing else my wife walked out and as I was about to follow her the guy relented and actually let me pay for it.

Never again.

 

[MarkB]

Hi rols,

the drop down menu at the top has 4 choices. 1 Large FFt's, 2 Small FFT's, 3 Blend and 4

Custom. You are probably best starting on 3. Click start and just let it run. The longer the better. If it will run for several hours without the green "GO" turning red and giving you an error message, the chances are that your memory and processor are ok. If you can, run it overnight.
I would definately clear out all the dust, prefferably with compressed air of some sort, especially if there is as much as you say there is. Make sure the heatsink fins are totally clear. I have attached a document for one of the previous incarnations of this program that should help you out.
Good luck.

MarkB