Ok here is the latest update. This beggining to feel more of a tale of woe in a blog than a tech support query lol. I fell the more info I can give about the reboots and crashes the better as they are very random.
I got the memory changed. I no longer have any problems starting or restarting the PC (well not yet). I am typing this nin basic word that comes with windows XP. A lot of the later troubles are heppening as i type this. As i type this I am trying to install windos updates.
However a 2 new issues have emerged. I am getting ramdom reboots of windows and program crashes. Also windows does not recognise the second hard drive in my computer.
I removed the AGP card and the PCI cards. Disconnected all the IDE and floppy cables. Fitted the new memory. I double checked all the jumpers on the IDE devices.
I now only had the memory and the CPU connected. I reset CMOS and ran the bios set up utility.
I then added the floppy disk and checked I could load a boot floppy. I then connected the two hard drives (IDE 1) one by one. Each time checking they were being recognised in the bios. I then added the DVD player and DVD writer one by one (IDE 2). Each time checking they were recognised in the bios.
Both hard drives are identical 7,200 rpm 120GB maxtor hard drives. I ran maxtors powermax program. It is on a boot CD. I done a low level format of both drives and then doen a full check of each drive. No errors were reported. I then went back into bios and double checked everything. All IDE devices are being recognised correctly. The floppy is being recognised and is working.
I then installed windows from a boot cd. Windows loaded ok. I tried to have a check of things like device manager, control panel etc. Windows just rebooted itself when I clicked on the button to open device manager? When the PC rebooted I opened up My Computer and found the second hard drive was not listed. In my computer I could only see Local Disk (C), 3½ Floppy (A), DVD Drive (D), DVD-R Drive (E). I checked the size of the C drive and it is 120GB. Stupidly I did not check if device manager was recognising the second hard drive. I installed the latest motherboard drivers and loaded bios defaults to see if that would help. The second hard drive was still not being recognised in My Computer. I was still gettting random program crashes and PC reboots. Somtimes windows would just totally crash and I would have to do a forced reset. Other times windows would just reboot itself. It seemed to be when opening things up such as the start menu, device manager, word. Once a program or control panel etc was open it was stable. I had not installed any programs at this point. The only thing I had installed was Windows XP prof and the motherboard drivers. The only devices connected were the floppy, 2 hard drives, DVD player and DVD re-writer.
I thought it all may of been due to the windows installation not going in as it should of done. So I done another low level format of the C drive and fully checked both drives again. No reported errors. I installed windows again and immediately checked My computer. Again the second hard drive was still not listed? This time I wasn't so stupid and also checked what device manager was telling me about the second hard drive. Device manage can see both hard drives. As they are identical 120GB hard drives they are each named Maxtor 6Y120LO. System restore can only see the C drive also. I was still also getting random crashes and reboots. I either get a total crash (causing a forced reboot) where task manager will not open. I get a program crash and the windows explorer has encountered an error box pops up. I also occasionaly get the PC just reboting itself. It is never when you are doing the same thing though it is very random.
I then again ran the latest motherboard drivers. I know realise I have never said that the board is an ASRock P4VM8. I checked device manager the only thing with a ? or a ! is the USB 2 which the board manufacturer says to download from windows updates.
I installed my USB ADSL modem. ran sasser and blaster patches. I open up word and started typing all this. I turned on the windows firewall and and went to windows update. The first 2 updates installed ok. After rebooting I opened up word and carried on typing this. I went back to the windows update and got told there was 21 updates. Windows update stopped at installing update 10 stage. Seems it had crashed so I restarted windows. This time the 21 updates installed ok. After rebooting windows I went back to windows update. I was then told I needed to download service pack 2. when I clicked on install I immediately got the message that the download had failed. I closed Windows update and tried again. Again the same thing happened. The third time I tried it caused a crash and nothing in windows would respond. I had to do another forced reboot. When the PC was rebooting it suddenly rebooted itself at the welocome screen. It done it also on the second reboot but the third reboot it went into windows. However I got an error box with your system has recovered from a serious error. I opened up word to carry on typing this connected to the internet but when I clicked on the start menu the PC froze. Causing yet another forced reboot.
This time windows loaded first time but I still got your PC has recovered from a serious error box pup up. I again tried and failed to download service pack 2 from windows update? My Windows is legitimate. I am getting offered service pack 2 as an update. I click on download update. click on the I Accept button, get the preparing for download box and then get the following updates were not installed Windows service pack 2.
I saved what I had typed so far and decided to do a cold boot of the PC. I still got the your system has recovered from a serious error box pop up and service pack will still not download and install. I tried turning automatic updates on but thadid not start downloading any updates either.
So me questions are
Am I missing something very obvious?
Is the PC randomly crashing and rebooting down to windows installation or faulty hardware? I have now replaced the memory, fully checked both hard drives. The rebooting and crashes really are random. For example one time the PC rebooted itself when opening device manager but it has never done it since. One time the whole PC froze after clicking on the start button but it has never happened since. Another time the whole PC Just rebooted itself while I was in the middle of typing in all this up in Microsoft Word.
Why does Windows update sometimes crash and why will service pack 2 not download and install? In general Internet Explorer is working fine.
Is all this just down to a faulty Windows installation CD?
Could this be down to my processor? I know it is not down to overheating as when I done the memory test the PC was on for a full 24 hours wihout any problems.
Why is device manager recognising my second hard drive but system restore and My Computer not recognising them? Is it because in device manager both drives are listed with the same name (Maxtor 6Y120LO)?
Why do you think the PC is randomly crashing and rebooting?. It can sometimes be after 10 minutes or sometimes after 1 - 4 hours. It is never when you are doing or opening the same thing. It really is random.
