Windows xp acting strangely

[gaurav_indian]

Guys my windows xp is giving me headache now.First of all it hangs everytime i run it for the first time everyday or after a gap of 5-6 hours.Then it hangs randomly after restarting sometimes during using internet,sometimes when i am listening music,or working.I am fed up with this problem.Dont know whether its a hardware problem or software.And i have formatted and reinstalled XP many times.I have tested windows xp without some softwares which i use normally except(motherboard,gfx card,lan card,audio).And i tested it for 2 days each but still the problem exists.

Here is my system config :-

Windows XP Prof with SP2
intel 945 motherboard
Pentium D 3.0ghz
1 gb ddr2 ram
80 gb seagate hdd
nvidia 6600 gt xfx 256 mb

now the software which i normally use

Autodesk Maya 8.5 Personal Learning Edition
Winamp 5.5
Western Digital Backup Software for my external hard disk
Adobe Photoshop

I only install these softwares firstly i thought its becoz of Maya.But then i tried reinstalling the window without maya but it hanged again.Today i installed Maya after installing a fresh windows xp but to my surprise it kept hanging.And i had to reinstall it again.And now i am not using Maya.Window xp hangs and then a beep sound comes from the CPU.Any solution guys?

And i am sure when i will run my system tomorrow it will hang again first time at desktop.
I have checked my HDD and RAM with testing tools and they are working fine.And my system for the first time worked well for the last 3 days and i had maya on that also.But it started acting like those old bad 20 days yesterday.And i am clueless.Help me guys.

[Darvus]

First of all, I want to thank you for posting your system stats and being so clear on the problem. It really does help! :)

Ok, begin with your power supply. Test, or better yet, replace it. If you're power supply is going bad, you're killing your other components. Trust me, I've experienced problems with a power supply that tested as "working" using a standard tester, but a more detailed tester (with an LCD display) showed me that one specific line wasn't working right, so although it technically worked, it was causing all kinds of problems and actually fried a couple components before I caught it. NOT FUN!!!!

[hughv]

There might be some info in event viewer.
Open Control Panel/Admin Tools/Event viewer.
Look under System and Application for red entries.

[gaurav_indian]

First of all, I want to thank you for posting your system stats and being so clear on the problem. It really does help! :)

Ok, begin with your power supply. Test, or better yet, replace it. If you're power supply is going bad, you're killing your other components. Trust me, I've experienced problems with a power supply that tested as "working" using a standard tester, but a more detailed tester (with an LCD display) showed me that one specific line wasn't working right, so although it technically worked, it was causing all kinds of problems and actually fried a couple components before I caught it. NOT FUN!!!!

Thanx for replying.It hanged again at startup for the first time today(as mentioned in my first post).And now its working fine,dont know for how long.:(

I want to ask if its becoz of power supply then why didnt it hang in the last 3-4 days?Actually i am totally confused dont know whats the cause of the problem.Software or hardware grrr.I think i should change my power supply first i hope it helps.I have formatted and reinstalled windows xp thousands times.:@ I cant concentrate on my work.Damn.
And how can i test my power supply?

[gaurav_indian]

There might be some info in event viewer.
Open Control Panel/Admin Tools/Event viewer.
Look under System and Application for red entries.

Yeah i check it everytime.But it doesnt show anything.:(

[dos_centavos]

Are there any messages in the BIOS log? You might want to access the BIOS and check for messages there.

[gaurav_indian]

Are there any messages in the BIOS log? You might want to access the BIOS and check for messages there.

Sorry but i dont know how to check the BIOS log.Can u tell me?

[Darvus]

If Windows isn't logging any problems, then it's not likely a Windows problem. Although you can buy testers with LCD screens that will tell you, they tend to run the same as a new power supply. If you won't be using it a lot, then I wouldn't bother. You might be able to bring it to a local store and have someone just test it there, but it might be better to replace it outright. That's your call, but I'm almost certain it's a power supply problem.

[gaurav_indian]

If Windows isn't logging any problems, then it's not likely a Windows problem. Although you can buy testers with LCD screens that will tell you, they tend to run the same as a new power supply. If you won't be using it a lot, then I wouldn't bother. You might be able to bring it to a local store and have someone just test it there, but it might be better to replace it outright. That's your call, but I'm almost certain it's a power supply problem.

Ok i will give it a go.But i havent installed maya yet.And it has hanged twice only.Gonna install it within an hour.Is there any software that can tell whats causing my system to hang?

[Darvus]

Ok i will give it a go.But i havent installed maya yet.And it has hanged twice only.Gonna install it within an hour.Is there any software that can tell whats causing my system to hang?

Not if it's the power supply...

I seriously don't think it's a software problem.

[gaurav_indian]

Not if it's the power supply...

I seriously don't think it's a software problem.

I havent installed Autodesk Maya yet.And system is not hanging like it was earlier.Man i am worried now.I will install maya tonight.And then i guess it will start hanging again.:(Do u still think its becoz of power supply?Becoz system hasnt hanged even once today.

[Darvus]

Considering that Maya is a 3D rendering suite, that puts a lot of stress on the processor and graphics card. That means draining more power. If the power supply isn't putting out enough, it's going to cause problems.

There's no way for me to know for sure if it is, in fact, the power supply without being able to actually test it myself. This is simply an educated guess based on my experience as a computer hobbyist and professional technician.

The only reason I'm pushing the issue with any sense of urgency is because if it IS your power supply, then you're only causing further harm to your entire system by repeatedly attempting to do the same thing, hoping it fixes itself.

You can get a decent power supply for $30-$50 these days that should more than suffice. My only point is, why take the chance? It's not that expensive a part and you could be saving your computer from more costly repairs. I can't guarantee it'll fix your problem since, as I stated, I can't verify that the power supply is the real issue, but it's a pretty good gamble with the only potential loss being the cost of the part itself, which can usually be refunded if it's found to not be needed.

Now, my advice here is only that...the decision whether to take it is yours. If I'm right, problem solved. If I'm wrong, then we both learn something new and others can benefit from our experience.

Either way, let us know what you decide to do and what the results are (and by "us", I'm referring to the DaniWeb community).

In case we don't hear back from you before then, have a happy holiday!

[gaurav_indian]

Considering that Maya is a 3D rendering suite, that puts a lot of stress on the processor and graphics card. That means draining more power. If the power supply isn't putting out enough, it's going to cause problems.

There's no way for me to know for sure if it is, in fact, the power supply without being able to actually test it myself. This is simply an educated guess based on my experience as a computer hobbyist and professional technician.

The only reason I'm pushing the issue with any sense of urgency is because if it IS your power supply, then you're only causing further harm to your entire system by repeatedly attempting to do the same thing, hoping it fixes itself.

You can get a decent power supply for $30-$50 these days that should more than suffice. My only point is, why take the chance? It's not that expensive a part and you could be saving your computer from more costly repairs. I can't guarantee it'll fix your problem since, as I stated, I can't verify that the power supply is the real issue, but it's a pretty good gamble with the only potential loss being the cost of the part itself, which can usually be refunded if it's found to not be needed.

Now, my advice here is only that...the decision whether to take it is yours. If I'm right, problem solved. If I'm wrong, then we both learn something new and others can benefit from our experience.

Either way, let us know what you decide to do and what the results are (and by "us", I'm referring to the DaniWeb community).

In case we don't hear back from you before then, have a happy holiday!

I guess i forgot to mention in my first post that i have 220v power supply.Ok i will buy it within next 2 days and then tell u guys the status of my problem.Plz suggest how much power my cpu need i think 220v is low.Thanx.

[Darvus]

I guess i forgot to mention in my first post that i have 220v power supply.Ok i will buy it within next 2 days and then tell u guys the status of my problem.Plz suggest how much power my cpu need i think 220v is low.Thanx.

220V...or 220W? You may already know this, but for the benefit of those who don't: If you're outside the US, then yeah, you likely use the 220V. That's what they all use because that's the current strength coming through your wall jack. In the US, it's 110V (115V). There's a switch on almost all power supplies to let you change between them. This does not, however, tell you how powerful your power supply is. That number is listed in Watts on the side label (usually visible with the side panel of the PC open).

If you did mean 220W, by today's standards, is below minimum. ESPECIALLY when using 3D rendering hardware of any kind. Most power supplies today are at least 300W, but you'll usually find 350W+. Any of those should suit the purpose. I just installed a 500W ps in a new system I just built for a client. They don't need that much power since they're just running a Sempron 45W processor and no 3D card, but the price was right. I also liked the 120MM bottom-mounted fan (still internal, but attached to the bottom grill instead of the rear grill). The design provides better air-flow and, to my ears, muffles the sound of the fan somewhat.

No matter what you get, you should be fine. Just make sure the size (most are the same standard size) and connections are correct. Honestly, I doubt you'll need to look far. Sounds like your system is pretty standard and a little older anyway. That being the case, you probably don't need any special connectors, so literally any standard-sized supply will do.

Good luck, and once again, happy holidays!

[gaurav_indian]

Well after working well for 2-3 days my system started hanging again.And my power supply is 450 watt.Here is the hijack log of my system :-

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 11:33:49 PM, on 12/29/2007
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wscntfy.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\Program Files\Intel Audio Studio\IntelAudioStudio.exe
C:\Program Files\DU Meter\DUMeter.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\WDBtnMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Maya2008\bin\maya.exe
C:\Program Files\Opera\Opera.exe
E:\D Drive Backup Dec 2007\desktop files\hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://in.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12e6o1ims/M=553801.11777277.12248478.6928804/D=inmess/S=95478241:NP/Y=IN/EXP=1198350418/A=5119235/R=0/SIG=148f48kp7/*http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylc=X3oDMTEwb2tubjcyBF9TAzk1NDc4MjQxBHNlYwNtc2dyBHNsawNpbnNpZGVy?qid=20071217210600AAUueH4
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SigmatelSysTrayApp] sttray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IntelAudioStudio] "C:\Program Files\Intel Audio Studio\IntelAudioStudio.exe" TRAY
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroFilterCheck] C:\WINDOWS\system32\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinampAgent] "C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKey] C:\WINDOWS\Twain_32\5600&5650\HotKey.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WD Button Manager] WDBtnMgr.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Yahoo! Pager] "C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe" -quiet
O4 - Startup: Adobe Gamma.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Synchronizer.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\AdobeCollabSync.exe
O4 - Global Startup: WD Backup Monitor.lnk = C:\Program Files\My Book\WD Backup\uBBMonitor.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{F8F9D04E-B66E-4CCB-9FC9-DBA1D260DCDA}: NameServer = blank
O23 - Service: Adobe LM Service - Adobe Systems - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe Systems Shared\Service\Adobelmsvc.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe

[Darvus]

I really don't see anything out of the ordinary. I see no reason to believe it's malware related. If, by chance, it's viral, it might not show there. Honestly, I still think you need to replace that power supply, which I'm assuming you have not yet done.

Yes, 450W is fine...but if it's failing for any reason, it would definitely cause the problems you're describing.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

[gaurav_indian]

I really don't see anything out of the ordinary. I see no reason to believe it's malware related. If, by chance, it's viral, it might not show there. Honestly, I still think you need to replace that power supply, which I'm assuming you have not yet done.

Yes, 450W is fine...but if it's failing for any reason, it would definitely cause the problems you're describing.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

If its becoz of power supply then why it didnt hang for 3 days?Thats why i am confused.I got my replaced hdd today and i have installed xp on that.Gonna check it for another 3 days and then i will go for another hardware change possibly power supply.:(And i have seen many people coming up with this problem on several forums.God knows whats the reason behind that.

[Darvus]

If its becoz of power supply then why it didnt hang for 3 days?Thats why i am confused.I got my replaced hdd today and i have installed xp on that.Gonna check it for another 3 days and then i will go for another hardware change possibly power supply.:(And i have seen many people coming up with this problem on several forums.God knows whats the reason behind that.

Ok, I'm going to assume that I simply don't know the whole story and that your replacing the hard drive was necessary for reasons not posted here.

I'd still like to know why you're hesitating on replacing something so relatively inexpensive when I've already explained why/how it could be causing problems like you described. Although I can't call this a "sure-fire" fix, I'd say it's a 75% chance or better. Why the hesitation? It's certainly easier and less troublesome to replace than a hard drive...

My advice and experience are only as useful as their application. I can apply my experience to the situation to give you advice on a likely solution, but if you don't want to take it, there's little more I can do.

If you do decide to finally replace it, and by chance it's NOT the problem, then I'll be happy to work with you on another solution. As I said, power supplies can be returned to the store for a refund with little trouble, so there's no risk involved. On the other hand, if you still insist on ignoring the power supply, that's your choice, but until that's replaced, my work on this thread is done.

I wish you good luck and truly hope to hear back from you soon. :)

[hughv]

You could settle this with a power supply tester, available at many stores-I got one online and I've seen them at Office Depot and Radio Shack for $10.00-$15.00.

[Darvus]

You could settle this with a power supply tester, available at many stores-I got one online and I've seen them at Office Depot and Radio Shack for $10.00-$15.00.

That's a good point, hughv, but I believe I covered this earlier...

...I've experienced problems with a power supply that tested as "working" using a standard tester...

The cheap ones simply don't give enough information unless you know how to use a voltmeter with it. Some of them will tell you what leads to test, but most people don't have a voltmeter (or multimeter) handy. If this is not the case, then I apologize. Please do test it for correct voltage on all levels. Otherwise, the better testers are about the same price as a new power supply.

[gaurav_indian]

@Darvus my hardware vendor said that power supply is ok.He checked it but not with voltmeter.
Also i am now getting

w32time(event id 17) and haspnt(eventid 3) errors in eventvwr and system is freezing again.

[Darvus]

@Darvus my hardware vendor said that power supply is ok.He checked it but not with voltmeter.
Also i am now getting

w32time(event id 17) and haspnt(eventid 3) errors in eventvwr and system is freezing again.

Ok, you had neglected to mention that earlier. I assume he knows what he's doing, but I don't know what kind of tester he used. If it was just a standard tester (usually has a green LED to indicate "working" and turns it on), then that only tells us the 12v line works. It doesn't tell us if the 3.3v or 5v lines work properly. If he's never come across a bad power supply like I did, he may not think to check the other lines. If that's the case, you need to get it re-checked with a voltmeter or a better tester. If he used one with an LCD readout, however, then we can assume it's ok.

I've not seen this kind of problem from a bad motherboard/processor or video card, but that's not to say it's impossible. Check the condition of each (processor notwithstanding...if that's bad, you'll never tell by just looking at it) and make sure there are no bulging or "leaking" parts. Capacitors (little plastic-covered tin cans sticking up from the board) have a tendency to do that over time...then all kinds of problems start happening. If everything looks fine, though, I'm kind of at a loss. I'll see what I can come up with on those errors, though. Might be a good clue!

[gaurav_indian]

Is this possible that it could be due to Lan card?

and do u know about these w32time and haspnt errors?

[Darvus]

Ok, the w32time event is, as I suspected, network related. I've gotten errors like that randomly when my internet was acting up. Other times, it didn't appear to have a cause, but it was usually an isolated incident, so following up to find a cause was pointless.

The other one, however, I can't seem to find anything about. Would you mind posting the entire error message here? Also, do a search for "haspnt" in Windows. Let us know where it's located to give us a better idea what it's from.

[gaurav_indian]

Here is the description of haspnt in the eventvwr

event id = 3

"The description for Event ID ( 3 ) in Source ( Haspnt ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: \Device\Hasp, 0xC0000034.."

[Darvus]

Ok, it seems the haspnt service has to do with a hardware key generally required for high-end development programs like Auto-CAD (also an Autodesk product). If you have to use one of these for Maya, this might be the source of that error.

I don't think either of these errors is necessarily directly related to the freezing issue. It's possible, but I don't see how. I'm not sure how to get rid of the haspnt errors other than reinstalling the utility that confirms presence of the dongle (key). My experience in this area is limited, at best, so you might have to ask someone more knowledgeable in a thread related to 3D programs.

As for the freezing, my original diagnosis stands unless we can get a proper voltage reading that says otherwise.

We'll get this fixed eventually! :p

[gaurav_indian]

my system has started freezing again,it has already freezed for more than 15 times within the last 2 hours.:( :(

[caperjack]

http://www.file.net/process/haspnt.sys.html

[gaurav_indian]

http://www.file.net/process/haspnt.sys.html

Yeah i have seen that link.But i dont know what to do next.Is this responsible for system freezin?

[caperjack]

Yeah i have seen that link.But i dont know what to do next.Is this responsible for system freezin?

i dought it ,but i think it has to do with this company's software, http://www.aladdin.com/ , from a link in the other link