Machine Crashing with Win XP Problem

[moggy44]

I have a problem on this home built machine, that someone has asked me to check out.

Machine spec.
FIC AZ11EA MB
256meg SDRAM
1000mhz AMD
20 gig HD
ATI graphics
Speed Touch Broadband Modem
This was disconnected and uninstall for upgrade
and Diamond Supra 56k Modem fitted.

The initial problem on the Win2k installation which was when connected to 256k Broadband after a while IE would hang and you had to re-set machine.

I zapped the HD and reformatted to NTFS and installed Win XP Pro, the Diamond Modem was installed has I don’t have Broadband.
All was fine until you use the Dial-up and after the initial dial up noise from the Modem the machine would crash just as User Name/Password was being verified, every time,
The modem is not the problem as I used the one out of my machine.

Updated Bios to latest version also any other drivers for XP and is still the same.

Can anyone suggest what could be the problem or could it be the FIC Motherboard?

Thanks for any help
Regards John.M

 

[linney]

Can you pick up some specific error by checking the Event Viewer logs?

 

[bcastner]

Because the problem has persisted over two modems and two operating systems, it seems to me that you need to look at the things that were common to both settings.

As a good guess, I would suspect both Win2k and XP are having problems with marginal RAM.

Do a memory test. Here is a good freeware one:

http://public.planetmirror.com/pub/memtest86/

 

[moggy44]

Thanks for help but did not find problem until I replaced Motherboard.

The Event Viewer was showing errors but don't know what the codes mean.

The memory test program was very useful and will keep on disk for future use.

Tried GF4 Graphics card, ECC memory, but it was only when I replaced the MB with a Jetway V266 that cured the problem, I had a gut feeling it may be that as machine was performing strangely the ON/Off switch didn't work on startup it powered up when you put mains plug in also when shutting down it showed a message to switch machine off.

Thanks for help and a MB for £29 + VAT not bad.
Regards John.M

 

[linney]

Good news then.

For future reference about the Event Viewer.

To get further information about the error look in your Event viewer.

Look in the System or Application folder. You can get to the Event Viewer via right click My Computer icon and select Manage.

Any errors logged in the Event Viewer can be expanded by double clicking on the error line.

Take any event error I.D. number and search for it on this site.

http://www.eventid.net/events.asp

Also check any "Information" line that mentions "savedump" and you should find reference to "recovered from a bug check". This is the Stop Error that caused your problem.

You can also turn off "automatically restart after an error" so it will just halt at the fault and display the full Stop Error and blue screen.

Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties .
On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery .
Click to clear the Automatically restart check box under System failure , and then click OK . The error message on a blue screen should remain on the screen so you can record the error information.