Oddest problem I've encountered in nearly 2 decades of computing.

[Syndicate]

Alright folks, let's see if anyone else has some luck with this issue. I am at wit's end.

Hardware:
EVGA 650i Ultra 775 MB
Core 2 Duo E6420, AC 7 Pro Heatsink/Fan
2GB OCZ XTC PC6400
500GB Seagate 7200.11 SATA
Sony DVD+/-RW SATA
USB Card Reader
XFX 8800GS 384MB PCI-E
Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU, Sonata III Case

Software:
Windows XP SP2 & SP3
Minimal drivers

Problem:
Fresh installation of windows, install NVIDIA MB drivers, install Firefox (v2 and v3 tried). Open up 5 or 6 tabs in Firefox...leave for 2-3 days. Slowly, Firefox becomes nonoperational and unresponsive to things like closing tabs, minimizing the window, all links on a page, scrolling etc. My quick launch bar suddenly stops allowing icons to move around. Strange. Literally, I cannot drag an icon to a different position on the quick launch bar. I can pick it up and place it but it does not actually move.

Fixes:
Opening a new window (not tab) of Firefox and then closing it allows me to make a few operations or clicks within the Firefox window that was dieing before it stops working again. Restarting Firefox lets me work in Firefox for a good 10-15 minutes before the problem creeps up again. Restarting the PC sends me back to 1-2 days of normal operations.

Notes:
Seems like a memory leak doesn't it? Looking at task manager, no programs (including Firefox) are using an abnormal amount of memory or CPU. I have reinstalled Windows, trying different things, at least 8 times. This includes using different XP discs and versions. I have also of course tried installing all the correct drivers. I have replaced or exchanged with a similar part ALL of the hardware listed except the PSU and HDD. EVERYTHING else has been exchanged or removed in an attempt to see if it was the problem. What the heck is with the quick launch bar?

I am certain other problems exist as well but this is the point I haven't passed. The system passes a 48 hour loop of Prime 95 / Orthos / Memtest86 with flying colors.

1 Cookie for the winner. HELP!

Update: tried replacing the CPU with a Q6600 - didn't fix it. SP2 has already been tried as a few of you noted SP3 might be the problem.

 

[Dillybob]

Have you tried backing up and installing windows again?
Have you run your antivirus/antispyware and/or other security programs in a full scan?

Don't think that it can't be the hard drive. Have you run checkdisk? Have you looked at the drive for physical damage?

PS: Do you mean a physical cookie, or something stored on my pc? 'cause I have enough of those as it is. ^_^

 

[superunknown98]

Use IE instead? Honestly it doesn not sound like a hardware problem. If it only happens in firefox and no other programs then maybe an email to mozilla would be best. In the mean time, use IE or opera or anything else.

 

[Cutthroat]

Are you using Firefox 3.0?

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: Dillybob
Have you tried backing up and installing windows again?
Have you run your antivirus/antispyware and/or other security programs in a full scan?

Don't think that it can't be the hard drive. Have you run checkdisk? Have you looked at the drive for physical damage?

PS: Do you mean a physical cookie, or something stored on my pc? 'cause I have enough of those as it is. ^_^

As stated; I've reinstalled windows about 8 times (fresh, format, install). Which would nuke any viri, but yes, I ran multiple scans as well.

Seatools found no problem with the drive, even with a long scan.

I will happily have any form of cookie desired delivered.

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: Cutthroat
Are you using Firefox 3.0?

I've tried FFX 2 and multiple revisions of 3. Firefox just seems to make it happen faster, I don't think its an actual issue with FFX.

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: superunknown98
Use IE instead? Honestly it doesn not sound like a hardware problem. If it only happens in firefox and no other programs then maybe an email to mozilla would be best. In the mean time, use IE or opera or anything else.

That really doesn't fix the problem, there are other issues such as crashes I have noticed; FFX just seems to make other issues apparent. I don't believe it is directly related to FFX.

 

[Cutthroat]

Just a shot in the dark. Do you have Nvidia's NAM installed? I had weird problems with it when I used an Nvidia 680i.

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: Cutthroat
Just a shot in the dark. Do you have Nvidia's NAM installed? I had weird problems with it when I used an Nvidia 680i.

Negative

 

[Pantlegz]

my 780i has a major issues with the integrated NIC's and will basically do what you're describing over time, and it's REALLY bad when I OC both the CPU and GPU it will litteraly die after about an hour. If you can try another NIC to see if it works any better.

 

[O2Deprived]

Do you have the most up to date Nvidia drivers? I am leaning towards thinking it's SP3's doing. I've had issue with it myself.

 

[Dillybob]

If you're having crashes, it could be a variety of things. Does it only crash when running FFX? What kind of crash (blue-screen, restart, black-screen)?

If it crashes when running other programs, then it could be RAM....but you've replaced that.....and tested it.

Is there any way you could try a different CPU? If all else fails, reinstall windows WITHOUT going up to SP3. See if that makes a difference. If it still doesn't work, try an NIC CARD.

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: Pantlegz1
my 780i has a major issues with the integrated NIC's and will basically do what you're describing over time, and it's REALLY bad when I OC both the CPU and GPU it will litteraly die after about an hour. If you can try another NIC to see if it works any better.

I feel like that would be a more widely reported problem; no overclocking and I've already replaced the motherboard once.

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: O2Deprived
Do you have the most up to date Nvidia drivers? I am leaning towards thinking it's SP3's doing. I've had issue with it myself.

As listed; I've also installed a completely bare XP SP2 and still had the same issues.

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: Dillybob
If you're having crashes, it could be a variety of things. Does it only crash when running FFX? What kind of crash (blue-screen, restart, black-screen)?

If it crashes when running other programs, then it could be RAM....but you've replaced that.....and tested it.

Is there any way you could try a different CPU? If all else fails, reinstall windows WITHOUT going up to SP3. See if that makes a difference. If it still doesn't work, try an NIC CARD.

As listed; I've also installed a completely bare XP SP2 and still had the same issues.

Yes, I've swapped out the RAM for other sticks; same problem.

I just finished swapping out the CPU for a Q6600, no dice. I can try the NIC but that *seems* terribly unlikely considering two motherboards. Anything I suppose.

Crashes are oddball program crashes, not-responding; etc.

 

[superunknown98]

When you say you have replaced the RAM with a similar part, do you mean a different brand of memory? not just an RMA of the 2GB OCZ XTC PC6400 you have? I have had Memory run Memtest86+ for days and showing no errors, only to have the same memory cause errors during windows install. In fact I have never seen memtest find errors in any of the bad memory i've ever had. But Check the RAm voltage in the bios as well as the cpuy voltage. And maybe get some software to check the psu voltages as well. Also make sure the cpu is not over heating.

 

[techs]

I have had a problem in the past with a particular mobo that would lose the ability to make a new folder in the Save To box, so wacko problems do occur.
Have you tried a different Windows disk? Possibly some file on it is corrupted.

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: superunknown98
When you say you have replaced the RAM with a similar part, do you mean a different brand of memory? not just an RMA of the 2GB OCZ XTC PC6400 you have? I have had Memory run Memtest86+ for days and showing no errors, only to have the same memory cause errors during windows install. In fact I have never seen memtest find errors in any of the bad memory i've ever had. But Check the RAm voltage in the bios as well as the cpuy voltage. And maybe get some software to check the psu voltages as well. Also make sure the cpu is not over heating.

Yes, totally different memory (from a DELL). I've looked at the voltages and they seem clean, no big changes under load either. The CPU runs less than 30c at load. Thanks.

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: techs
I have had a problem in the past with a particular mobo that would lose the ability to make a new folder in the Save To box, so wacko problems do occur.
Have you tried a different Windows disk? Possibly some file on it is corrupted.

Totally different Windows disc (one I've used several times with no problems).

Thanks.

 

[Syndicate]

I've now swapped the hard drive and still the same problem; meaning the only thing the same is the PSU. There's virtually no way the PSU is causing this. I'm completely lost. It is virtually a new PC.

 

[faxon]

this is pretty off the wall, but did you try swapping your data transfer cables out for different ones? i have had some REALLY strange issues in the past that i attributed to a PATA cable i abused badly when routing it through my case, partially cutting through one of the lines on it. it still sent data more or less, but anything i moved via that cable during that time got minorly corrupted. took 2 weeks to figure out what it was. SATA cables arent much better off either, since they dont bend as well, and they are incased in thicker covering so you cant see what condition the cable inside is really in. also, check all your power connections while you are at it. it sounds sort of like the power going to your system might be messed up somehow, as if it were to low, but you are pratically only pulling 415 watts of power at peak load, which would lead me to believe it could be a bad connection on one of the primary lines you are currently using.

 

[Cutthroat]

Did you ever try a NIC card? When I read this I still think of trouble with Nvidia integrated NIC's that I've had in the past. It could have something to do with the crappy Forceware drivers too. A NIC card would be a cheap thing to test even if you had to buy one.

You would also need to turn off the integrated NIC's while testing a seperate card.

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: faxon
this is pretty off the wall, but did you try swapping your data transfer cables out for different ones? i have had some REALLY strange issues in the past that i attributed to a PATA cable i abused badly when routing it through my case, partially cutting through one of the lines on it. it still sent data more or less, but anything i moved via that cable during that time got minorly corrupted. took 2 weeks to figure out what it was. SATA cables arent much better off either, since they dont bend as well, and they are incased in thicker covering so you cant see what condition the cable inside is really in. also, check all your power connections while you are at it. it sounds sort of like the power going to your system might be messed up somehow, as if it were to low, but you are pratically only pulling 415 watts of power at peak load, which would lead me to believe it could be a bad connection on one of the primary lines you are currently using.

Swapped out the SATA cable when I swapped the drives. Thanks! PSU lines look clean...

 

[Syndicate]

Originally posted by: Cutthroat
Did you ever try a NIC card? When I read this I still think of trouble with Nvidia integrated NIC's that I've had in the past. It could have something to do with the crappy Forceware drivers too. A NIC card would be a cheap thing to test even if you had to buy one.

You would also need to turn off the integrated NIC's while testing a seperate card.

Haven't yet but I'll see if I have one somewhere.


New note: I left the system running idle on the desktop (nothing other than system tray stuff running) and after 3 days it was all hung up as mentioned in the first post. Couldn't click any quick launch icons or anything on the desktop to start an app. I hit ctrl-alt-delete to bring up the task manager, did nothing, closed the task manager and things were back to normal for a few clicks until it hung up again.

 

[robisbell]

okay. to clarify, what hardware has been changed out, and what is currently in the system at this time.
how was the PSU tested? did not see any post with any test results on it, nor on the ram nor cpu or gpu.