Some months ago I was having abrupt

[Odyssey]

Some months ago I was having abrupt blue screen terminations on computer number three (a slotone PIII 550 with 384MB, W2k) that I initially diagosed as CPU overheating. Took the cover off the computer and the problems went away which I thought confirmed my diagnosis.

Subsequently an electrical storm fried the power supply in that computer and the ps was replaced.

Either because it is now warming a bit or of something related to the new power supply?, it is now playing up again. After running for awhile (one or two hours or more) it BSOD's (faster if stressing the CPU with Sandra).

The fan on the heatsink is definitely coming on when it boots up and continues to run (strongly to my eye) even after BSOD'ing. Is there a possiblity that it is running too slow and letting the CPU overheat?

I have disassembled the Slot 1 board, heatsink and fan and cleaned it thoroughly (including the mobo and power supply with compressed air), replaced the thermal paste, but no joy!

The BSOD error code is:

Stop: 0x0000000A (0x00000014, 0x00000002, 0x000000000, 0x80432527) IRQL_NOT_LESS-OR-EQUAL
****ADDRESS 80432527 base@80400000, DateStamp 3ad7ad60 - ntoskrnl.exe

(The address 80432527 seems to vary from one occasion to another). Can't find anything on Google about it.

Also when it boots up, it gives an error message &quot;<process has already exited> has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program. Error log created.&quot; This makes me wonder if it is in fact a heat problem or something else.

I d/l'd MotherBoardMonitor to see if it would report the temperature, but either I can't get it to work or the BIOS doesn't support it. Only shows the CPU speed and nothing else.

I am stumped at this stage. Any ideas? TIA

 

[smah]

See if any of this helps

http://aumha.org/win5/kbestop.php#0x0a

 

[bcastner]

It may be a heat issue, but 0x0A errors are clearly hardware related and the source, if I had to make a guess, is likely your video board drivers. But it is some hardware device and driver issue.

Microsoft has a semi-useful checklist for these errors:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314063

These errors can be a genuine p.i.a. to diagnose. Begin by suspecting any new hardware devices added in the last year, with a critical eye on video and USB devices.

 

[Odyssey]

While there may well be hardware issues as this sys is several years old and will take these on next, I am now swinging back to heat as the first matter to tackle. I took the cover off again and trained a big floor standing fan right on the side of the case. It sat there and ran Sandra's Burn-in stress test like a champ for several hours!

Switched the fan off and it BSOD's within minutes.

The question now is why? Entire system is clean as a whistle. Have just replaced the heatsink paste (or added as I don't think there was any before). Have added another case fan (though it is not a barn burner in air flow). The power supply fan runs well. The heatsink fan appears to run properly and constantly.

Why is there a heat problem under these circumstances and what do I do now? TIA

 

[smah]

Other componenets besides the processor. If not the processor, the next most likely would be ram and video card. Have you added (or untied) any cables in the case that could now be blocking airflow?

 

[Odyssey]

Smah, good thought but no changes.

The case cover is the traditional upside down U which slides onto the frame from the rear. It needs a fan blowing right on the processor/heat sink, but I cannot figure out how to do it with the cover on.

With the cover off, I can mount another fan onto the frame and probably can bring enough fresh air to solve the prob. Is there any reason not to run it with the cover off if this will solve the heat prob?

Also might a dodgy ram module be the culprit instead of the CPU?

 

[smah]

I really should proofread myself..

The first sentence of my last post was meant to be: Other components besides the processor can overheat.

If you can borrow some more ram and/or swap out what you have it would certainly be worth a shot.

 

[BadBigBen]

Hola,

Smah got it pinpointed, at least I think so, DO check your RAM... had similiar probs way back... RAM stick overheating and locking up my system and a BSOD once in awhile...

Ben

 

[Odyssey]

Ok to run with cover off if it solves the BSOD prob?

 

[BadBigBen]

Hi there,

if you got animals or children in the house I wouldn't run it without the case cover...

the slight radio interference is hardly noticable... I run my PC days on end without cover...

BEN

PS. this will cover the symptoms but not cure the problem...

 

[Odyssey]

Ben, thanks for yours. Had intended to ask in previous post for guidance on best proggie for ram testing?

 

[BadBigBen]

Odyssey, I used AMI-Diag (aswell as SiSoft Sandra, MemTest86, Linuxes Memtest and MS own Memorytester for WinXP)... but they told me then that my RAM was good (which it wasn't)... in the end I went and bought me a good stick of Infineon (NameBrand) RAM to test (I had the option to return it for a refund or exchange) and lord and behold it didn't crash anymore since...

Ben

PS. I am not saying that that is your problem but worth checking into...

PSS. try to get a hold of another GFX card and try it aswell... the gfx processor could be heating up aswell and cause you probs...

 

[ceh4702]

If an electrical storm can take a power supply how do you not know the MB or other hardware didnt get zapped too?

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[Odyssey]

CEH, Good question and I would be the last to know, but the problem was exactly the same before the storm as after, so I am assuming that no new probs other than the ps were a result.