Please help.

[cnjmorris]

I have spent DAYS working on my pc... I should say PC's because I have taken all the best parts from 2 systems and put them together. Still I am having problems.

The computer randomly reboots. It also will not even boot up except in safe mode with the latest nvidia drivers.

Is there a good software that will tell me what is happening, especially when it reboots. When I log into safe mode after a reboot it tells me that problem was caused by my graphics card not being able to do some draw.. dunno.

I have a 128mb GeForce 4 ti 4800SE by gainward.

ANY advice would be appreciated. The card seems cool so I don't think it is overheating.

 

[cnjmorris]

The card is behaving so poorly that scrolling down web pages makes the thing do a wiper type effect. The problem is I don't have other cards to test and the card was working just fine a few days ago when the only problem was random reboots.

There has to be software that can detect these problems... and tell me what needs fixing.

 

[mechBgon]

Could you post complete system specs including the brand & model of the power supply? Also, did you install the nVidia motherboard-driver package yet?

 

[cnjmorris]

ABIT KR7A-133 Motherboard
AMD XP 1900 CPU
2x 512MB crucial Memory chips, both pc 2100
128MB Gainward GeForce 4 Ti 4800SE
80 GB, 7200 Maxtor HD
120 GB, 7200 Western Digital HD
Samsung 32x24x16 CDRW
The power supply is a 350W Antec.

The board isn't an nForce... so I didn't know I was supposed to install any motherboard package of any kind.

 

[mechBgon]

Ooops, my bad on the nForce thing Yeah, you would use VIA 4-in-1 mobo drivers from here. If you had not installed some version of them already, then install them in Safe Mode, reboot, and then you might want to start in Safe Mode again and install your nVidia video drivers.

Is there a good software that will tell me what is happening, especially when it reboots.

Windows' own Event Viewer might be able to shed some light on it. Control Panel > (WinXP: Performance & Maintenance) > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer.

Back in the day, ABit and other companies were sold some bad capacitors and it might be good to just look over the capacitors for bulging or leaking. Their ends should be flat like a soup can and no corrosion or fluid leakage (duh).

Worms can cause reboots too, although I can't see them faking it as a video-card issue Still... has the system been protected non-stop by a hardware or software firewall, before it was connected to your modem? If you have a router, that would suffice (as long as there aren't any worm-toting computers on your side of the router).

 

[cnjmorris]

Thanks for the input. okay, I have done some more testing.

When I install the latest drivers from NVidia my computer will only boot up in safe mode. When I install the original drivers, same thing. The card is showing up in my system hardware list, but in dxdiag and in hardware programs I have tried it is not showing up .. I am passing 2d tests because the default VGA driver but it tells me no 3d device found.

Any advice? Could this be anything other than a bad card? =(

 

[mechBgon]

Did you install the VIA 4-in-1 motherboard driver package somewhere along the line? Also, what's your DirectX version, 9.0C?

 

[cnjmorris]

Yup, installed the latest 4-in-1, and I do have dx 9.0c

 

[mechBgon]

If you have another nVidia-based card you could try in there, I suppose you already would've, but that would be the next thing to try. Or the opposite... test the card in another computer.

 

[cnjmorris]

Yeah, I was trying to avoid that considering I now have 1 working computer and really don't want to take anything out of it or put anything in.... but I guess I have no choice.

Looking like the card is bad. Anyone know off hand what a Gainward GeForce 4 ti4700SE 8x Golden Sample has for a warranty? =) I bought it April,03 so if the warranty is 2 years or more I am still covered.

 

[imported_darkstar]

Hi there, sorry to hear about the probs you are having.
Is viewing a web page still having the "wipers effect" for you? Have you tried upping the hardware acceleration slider in Display properties>Settings Tab>Advanced>Troubleshooting Tab.
As for the reboots could be ram? got any spare DIMMS to play round with?

 

[cnjmorris]

Ic actually was the memory. Everything pointed to the graphics.

When I installed the graphics drivers windows wouldn't boot except in safe mode. I assumed of course that it was the graphics card. In reality it was the fact that the memory could not keep up with the graphics card when I had the drivers loaded.

I tried the card in another machine and it worked so I was wondering. I then swapped the ram and windows booted faster than I can remember it ever doing. So... now I have 512mb of ram and my pc is super fast. go figure. it could still be a motherboard problem with that RAM.. who knows.... regardless... this is great because now I can upgrade my pc this month and not have ot buy a graphics card.

I don't play doom 3 type games, when I do I turn settings down and don't even play with sound... so my needs are modest =)