[Tom37]

Not certain if this is supposed to go in this forum or the Vista forum but here goes.

Hello there, back in November 08 I purchased this computer: http://www.packardbell.co.uk/product...146601-46.html

I am an avid World of Warcraft player and this machine runs this game very smoothly. However, I have had problems since I first got this machine. When playing World of Warcraft it would randomly completely crash (the screen would fuzz all of my World of Warcraft in multiple odd colours) and I would have to hold the power button.
It has only really done this once a day however more recently the game has been just freezing for around 1minute, I would still be able to talk on Ventrilo etc but I would have no control over the system. Originally I assumed this was a graphics related issue, seeing as it is an onboard GFX card (one that is more than capable of running WoW however). I have made sure all of my GFX drivers and every other driver are up to date.
But I had been noticing that when I crashed like this, the HD light would stay on until it unfroze, which led me to believe it may be the hard drive. Upon browsing through system information etc I come across the event log. The freezes and I believe the complete system crash are all logged, and it is definetly them. Here is an example of one I had today at 12:37 whilst in Dalaran on WoW.

Log Name: System
Source: nvstor32
Date: 13/03/2009 12:37:03
Event ID: 5
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Tom-PC
Description:
A parity error was detected on \Device\RaidPort0.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="nvstor32" />
<EventID Qualifiers="49156">5</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-03-13T12:37:03.147Z" />
<EventRecordID>42167</EventRecordID>
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Tom-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>\Device\RaidPort0</Data>
<Binary>0F0018000100000000000000050004C007000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000050004C00000000000000000</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>

My log shows the exact same error everyday multiple times and I'm 99.9% sure they are the freezes.

It also shows this:

Log Name: System
Source: nvstor32
Date: 12/03/2009 22:48:02
Event ID: 129
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Tom-PC
Description:
Reset to device, \Device\RaidPort0, was issued.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="nvstor32" />
<EventID Qualifiers="32772">129</EventID>
<Level>3</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-03-12T22:48:02.086Z" />
<EventRecordID>41875</EventRecordID>
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Tom-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>\Device\RaidPort0</Data>
<Binary>0F00180001000000000000008100048004000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000810004800000000000000000</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>

These seem to happen once a day so I am assuming these are the actual computer crashes.

I am not really an expert on computers, BIOS etc however am really desperate to fix this, if the computer was of old age it wouldn't bother me so much but its not even half a year old and the specs on paper can run WoW with absolute ease (when running it my CPU usage is around 30% too).

If you need further information I will do my best to give it to you.

Thanks in advance,

Tom

[Tom37]

EDIT

The Windows device manager said that my GFX drivers were up to date, however I went on to the NVIDIA website and did the thing which scans my computer for hardware which isn't up to date and it came back with a driver.

It was released on March 3rd so maybe thats why.

Also, when I installed I had to restart, upon loading up I had this in event log

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Service Control Manager" Guid="{555908D1-A6D7-4695-8E1E-26931D2012F4}" EventSourceName="Service Control Manager" />
<EventID Qualifiers="49152">7026</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-03-13T14:45:48.000Z" />
<EventRecordID>42299</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Tom-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data Name="param1">i8042prt</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

this too

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-WMI" Guid="{1edeee53-0afe-4609-b846-d8c0b2075b1f}" EventSourceName="WinMgmt" />
<EventID Qualifiers="49152">10</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-03-13T14:45:48.000Z" />
<EventRecordID>16073</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" />
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>Tom-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data>//./root/CIMV2</Data>
<Data>SELECT * FROM __InstanceModificationEvent WITHIN 60 WHERE TargetInstance ISA "Win32_Processor" AND TargetInstance.LoadPercentage > 99</Data>
<Data>0x80041003</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Seems I get these every time I boot

May be minor but thought I'd add them.

[noics]

So, I was having the same problem (except mine was locking up every minute or so then would run good for a few seconds then lockup for a minute or so).

To eliminate Windows I installed Linux. I wasn't getting the same "a parity error was detected on device raidport0" error, but the computer was behaving exactly the same way.

Next I opened the case, (voided the warranty) and found that if I wiggled one of the sticks of RAM the PC would glitch (the screen would fuzz in multiple odd colours) out and lock up! (BTW, I don't recommend you do this with the power on, I'm pretty sure I got lucky). It seemed like the RAM had a flakey connection to the Motherboard so I swapped the two sticks. Now I can wiggle them both and the PC did not glitch.

So I booted back to Windows and the thing runs like a top with no "a parity error was detected on device raidport0" being reported in the event log. Booted to Linux and runs like a top there also.

Maybe you could try moving your RAM around to different slots and/or double check your Motherboard connections. (If you do this while the PC is on you may cause permanant/irreperable damage to your machine and possibly shock yourself, so you should probably unplug it first).

Anyway, hope this helps.

noicS