W2K Freezes after upgrade

[Jolin]

Recently my computer simply stopped working, as in not even bios would start. I unplugged everything and still it would not start, so I just upgraded my cpu, memory, and MB. I got those installed and then found out I needed to reformat my WINNT partition and reinstall windows so it would work with the new chipset; I did that.

Now it is really wierd, it just stops, freezes, whatever right after startup (keyboard and mouse stop responding). Sometimes it freezes even before I log in or maybe it waits a while. This is from a fresh install of W2K. I thought maybe it was something with SP4, so I uninstalled that, and then tried SP3, and then updated my BIOS. I also ran a check of my memory and it passed, and checked my cpu temperature is around 35 C and video is about 40 C. Still it is freezeing every time in normal mode.

However, I can start it in Safe Mode and it is completely stable, and boot with DOS and such.

System:
Athlon XP 2800
512mb dd400
aopen w/ nforce2
8gb HD partitioned
GFX 5900
cd-rw/dvd

PS my bios says I have a 2200 instead of a 2800, and about 500mhz undervalue.

 

[n7Epsilon]

Hi,
Since you've already swapped you motherboard, CPU and RAM, and the problem persists, then the possibility of them being the problem is remote....
There are 2 possibilities for this problem...

1. Bad PSU (Power Supply Unit), this culprit has always been the reason for unexplained freezing and crashing, try using another PSU (known-to-be-working) in your computer, if the freezing is gone, then there's your problem....

2. Bad Hard Disk Drive, your hard drive might have developed bad sectors (due to physical shock, power surges, power out...etc.) causing Windows to hang or not respond when the Hard Drive is unable to read important System-level files from it...

- If you have the original Windows 2k CD and can at least boot with it (after you've already ruled-out the PSU possibility), boot with it and when the blue generic Welcome to Setup screen appears, press R to enter the recovery console, then logon to your Windows installation, then at the command prompt, type: CHKDSK /P /R and press ENTER...
NOTE: Repeat this for all partitions on the hard drive and then try to re-install, this WILL take a while....

3. Final possibility: If you've ruled out both previous possibilities, then you may have downloaded a virus that has corrupted the BIOS chip on your motherboard, if such is the case, then download a fresh BIOS flash from your MB Manufacturer's website and put on a floppy, and use it to update the BIOS with a fresh uncorrupted copy..

Hope any of the above helps...

 

[Jolin]

Well, I changed the MB, chip, and ram for a different reason. The PS and HD are origional.

1. I find it odd if its the PS since I can run it fine in safe mode and other apps. I don't have any spare ones to test that out though.

2. I've done the chkdsk a few times. Again, I figure if it can't read the HD it wouldn't work in safe mode.

3. I have re-formated and reinstalled 2x and also upgraded my bios and the same exact problem reoccurs.

I have wondered if there is a conflict of some kind with one of the MB drivers. It has a lot of integrated stuff. Is it possible for, say, an audio driver to freeze the whole system?

Thanks for your reply.

 

[n7Epsilon]

Hi,
Since you can startup in safe mode, then it might be a software problem, try disabling all of your

startup programs...here's how:
1. Click on Start > Run
2. Type "msconfig" (without the quotes) and press ENTER
3. When it opens up, it will be displaying the "General" tab...
4. Select "Diagnostic Startup" and click on "Ok"
5. It will ask for a reboot, click on "Restart" and it will reboot, after opening it will tell you that

it has started Windows in a "diagnostic mode"
6. If your system remains stable in this environment (i.e: no freezing), then you will have to post a

HiJack This! log, some of your startup services may have to be disabled...
7. Download the latest version of HiJack This! from here:
www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html
8. IMPORTANT - Create a separate folder for HiJack This!, like C:\HJT or something and copy the file

there...(this is important because the program needs to create backups for anything it fixes, so that if

you break anything using the program, you can re-run it and restore what you removed using it)
9. Run HiJack This!, it click on "Scan", DO NOT FIX ANYTHING YET!! (Most of the stuff is actually

needed by your system to properly start !!) it will change to a "Save Log" button, save the log to a text

file and post its entire contents here and wait for someone to analyze it for you since I'm not yet

competent enough to engage in that....

=== Can you check out the Event log too, it will help in diagnosing the problem:
- Open the "Control Panel", double-click "Administrative Tools", click on "Event Viewer", and see both

the "System" and "Application" categories, and post any recent errors you see in that list here...
- It would be preferable to do this if you are able to reproduce the crash, then reboot in safe mode

and perform the above step...

- NOTE: The answer to your question is Yes... but that would only be proved by the following: Disable all your system sounds.. if your PC remains stable, then uninstall the sound driver and reboot, it could be a resource conflict between your integrated devices....

- Hope that helps...

 

[Jolin]

When I disabled everything with msconfig I guess it didn't crash and I could use my mouse, but nothing else worked. Here is the log HijackThis made:

Running processes:
C:\WINNT\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\services.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\SYMANT~1\SYMANT~1\DefWatch.exe
C:\WINNT\System32\svchost.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\SYMANT~1\SYMANT~1\Rtvscan.exe
C:\WINNT\System32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\regsvc.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\MSTask.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe
C:\WINNT\System32\WBEM\WinMgmt.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINNT\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Symantec_Client_Security\Symantec AntiVirus\vptray.exe
C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NvMixer\NvMixerTray.exe
C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zonealarm.exe
C:\HJT\HijackThis.exe

O3 - Toolbar: @msdxmLC.dll,[email protected],&Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINNT\System32\msdxm.ocx
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINNT\System32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Synchronization Manager] mobsync.exe /logon
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [vptray] C:\Program Files\Symantec_Client_Security\Symantec AntiVirus\vptray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMixerTray] C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NvMixer\NvMixerTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINNT\System32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nForce Tray Options] sstray.exe /r
O4 - Global Startup: ZoneAlarm.lnk = C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zonealarm.exe
O9 - Extra button: Related - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINNT\web\related.htm
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Show &Related Links - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINNT\web\related.htm
O16 - DPF: {17492023-C23A-453E-A040-C7C580BBF700} (Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool) - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34738&clcid=0x409


The system does not make any event exactly when it freezes. But I do see some service errors in there for various services;

eg:

"The System Event Notification service depends on the COM+ Event System service which failed to start because of the following error:
No attempts to start the service have been made since the last boot."

"The following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load:
ASPI32 "

"The server {1BE1F766-5536-11D1-B726-00C04FB926AF} did not register with DCOM within the required timeout. "

and from the apps

"The description for Event ID ( 1 ) in Source ( True Vector Engine ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. The following information is part of the event: The event log file is corrupt.."
Thanks,

 

[mimo2005]

your pc is infected by this
fix these 2
O9 - Extra button: Related - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINNT\web\related.htm
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Show &Related Links - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINNT\web\related.htm

 

[mimo2005]

one advice ,get adware se version 1.4 (NEW)
spybot search and destroy ,you need to scan your HD .
and to make sure that your machine clean ,try tds-3 ,look for it ,download and update and scan your machine ,you may find more things ,good luck

 

[Jolin]

Hmm, that didn't fix the problem. It still froze.

Thanks,

 

[n7Epsilon]

Hi,
Try this:
- 1. Uninstall ZoneAlarm
- 2. Click on Start > Run , type in: "services.msc" in the dialog box and click on Ok, a "Services" Window will appear.
- 3. In that window locate the "COM+ Event System" in the services list and double-click it, in the "StartUp type:" Drop-down list, it should be set to "Manual", also the dialog box should display that the service has started, if it is disabled or set to manual, try to set it to "Automatic", then reboot....

- Post here if the system still freezes:
- If it doesn't freeze, immediately perform a Repair Install of Windows 2000 and re-install ZoneAlarm....

NOTE: The ASPI32 error in the event log is directly related to your CD-RW drive, you can solve the problem by downloading the latest Adaptec ASPI32 driver from here (this is a minor error, not the reason for your problem)
http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/su...sess=no&language=English+US&prodkey=ASPI-4.70

 

[Jolin]

It still froze.

I don't know if it is my imagination, but it seems to freeze quicker if I use my mouse a lot; like trying to scroll/click in a browser or a program. But, if it's something like a virus scan (or adaware/Spybot:SD) where I don't use it, it can run for 30min or an hour without freezing.

Thanks,

 

[Jolin]

I have also ruled out the problem being one of the services or the audio.

 

[n7Epsilon]

Hi,
Try unplugging the mouse and rebooting, if it doesn't freeze, it may be a problem with the mouse drivers. While navigating Windows 2000 without a mouse might be kind of a challenge, it is still possible....

- Open up the device manager by keyboard navigation
1. Press the Windows button the keyboard to open the Start Menu. If your keyboard doesn't have a Windows button press CTRL-ESC (press CTRL, then while holding it down, press ESC, then let go of both buttons)
2. Use your Up direction key to navigate to "Settings" in the Start Menu, then press Right, the Settings sub-menu should appear, use the direction keys to select "Control Panel" and press ENTER
3. The Control Panel should open, press TAB on the keyboard until you see a dotted box around the text below first icon inside (or if it already appears, skip this step)
4. Use the direction keys to navigate to "System", press ENTER...
5. Press TAB until the dotted box appears around "General", press right to reach "Hardware", then press TAB till the "Device Manager" button is selected, then press ENTER...
6. Press TAB till you see one of the items selected, then move downward to "Mice and pointing devices", expand it with the Right direction button, select your Mouse Driver and press DELETE on your keyboard, it will pop up telling you that it will uninstall the device from your system. Select Ok, then ENTER...
7. Reboot your computer without the mouse plugged in, if it doesn't freeze, plug the mouse in then reboot again...if it freezes then you have a resource conflict with the mouse driver or the driver is damaged...

-- Please post here if that helps....

 

[Jolin]

I uninstalled the mouse device and rebooted to normal mode without the mouse plugged in. It still froze.

I know the only time it doesn't freeze is when I boot into safe mode. Obveously there is something that it doesn't do that would have froze the computer in normal mode. What all is there different between normal and safe mode?

P.S. I probably have enough experience so you don't have to have *quite* so long explainations, if you don't want to write them that is.

Thanks,

 

[n7Epsilon]

Hi,
We've ruled out the mouse resource conflict now.........

- At what point EXACTLY does the computer freeze, at logon? after the desktop appears? after all the startup processes have started ?

- Note that the HiJack This! log you provided in the previous posts were run under the diagnostic mode (evident from the small number of services running..), if you could run HiJack This! when booting under normal mode just before it freezes, it could prove much more useful...

- Also, you have noted that in diagnostic mode, the mouse worked but nothing else, but was it STABLE (did it freeze) ? It is normal for you to not be able to run some programs in diagnostic mode like ZoneAlarm, since such programs require certain services to be active in memory and starting in diagnostic mode disables all but crucial system-level services, Since, you could run a HiJack This log, that proves that it might by capable of running some software...

- In that case, repeat the process to boot to the semi-safe (diagnostic mode) using "msconfig", then when it boots open the "Device Manager", (right-click My Computer > Hardware > Device Manager), and check to see if any of your hardware is showing yellow exclamation marks, or red warning signs etc... (also try to do it in safe mode, but I don't recommend this as this is more accurate under normal mode..)

- Also, try to do a ram test, the RAM may be the cause, do it just to rule out the possibility completely, even if it's stable under safe-mode, that still doesn't rule out the RAM, download MemTest86: www.memtest86.com

- If you have external peripherals (printer, scanner, webcam) please disconnect them all and uninstall their drivers if able, they maybe that cause of the freezing (just to minimize possibilities to reach the root of the problem) when Windows loads their drivers in normal mode, but it doesn't load them in safe-mode...

- NOTE: There is a HUGE difference between CHKDSK (quick, read-only scan, checks files and folder STRUCTURE, but not the data itself) and a CHKDSK /P /R (which forces Windows to search the entire drive for bad sectors)

 

[Jolin]

Hi,

-It's not very consistant. Every once in a while it will freeze right as the logon dialog apears (so I can't even log on), but usually it stays stable through the whole loading of everything, and if I don't do anything and just let it run it can stay un-froze for a long time (like 30min or more). But it will usually freeze fairly quickly once I start doing stuff, like going to a website, or checking setting, installing something, it doesn't apear to matter *what* I do.

-I think that HT log was made in normal mode.

-It froze in diagnostic mode when booted to normal mode. So, whatever is the problem exists in normal even with msconfig diagnostic.

-When I use msconfig diagnostic mode the device manager doesn't list anything.

-I have done a ram check, but with a different program.

-I don't have anything periferals.

-I have done CHKDSK /r (which I think does /p automatically)