Win XP will be the death of me!

[lhatkins]

Windows XP is actually a very good operating system, at least for desktop use anyway. I wouldn't personaly recomend linux for home use unless you're very geeky. I have Linux on my laptop however.

Windows is very good for those people who don't want to know how a pc or software works. Windows does everything for you so you don't have to think about it.
I'm as gulty as the next person here, I've been bought up with Windows and it kind of stuck, quite hard to change over to Linux, learning all the new terms etc, its quite funny really I was having this conversation in the pub on Saturday night. It got really interesting, he start of with "I don't know why people bother with linux", 3 pints and an hours later I think I got my point across, hehe

 

[amazingtrade]

Yeah I totaly understand the point on linux, and I said I use it myself, its just for a main home operating system Windows is just so much easier to live with.

 

[lhatkins]

That's the one. It's very nicely finished (although the leads are far too long in my machine, which is as small as a full ATX machine can possibly be (Coolermaster ATC500)) and cleared up the random crashes I was getting with the FSP.

I got it for £53 inc vat from planetmicro, but they're rather dodgy in some of their trading practices, so I don't recommend them.

No problem, Microdirect have it for £43.90+ vat. nicely.

 

[lhatkins]

Yeah I totaly understand the point on linux, and I said I use it myself, its just for a main home operating system Windows is just so much easier to live with.

Yep agree, its eaiser to live with, because its been the main stream OS for so long and everyone is used to it.

Linux has come a long way in just a couple of years, I remember installing Mandrake 9.1 and it was a real handfull to get anything working, now its a completely different story. I remember plugging in my usb pen into my Fedora machine and thinking, I'll need to install some drivers or mount it know, when just then a window poped up with the files on, I couldn't beleive it!

 

[lhatkins]

Ok, I'm bringing this one up again, as my new psu has arrived.

Installation wasn't too much of a problem but the back panel of my case wouldn't fit the switch in, so I had to remove the plastic cover of the back of my case, not a real problem, but they could have positioned the switch on the psu better.

But still getting Bsods and corrupt registries, this hasn't solved my problem, I've not reinstalled windows yet, I might add, but I was hoping for an instant fix.

Any more ideas on how to fix XP?

 

[Tenson]

I guess its a VIA chipset? They are known for having bad USB support, even under Linux and basically riddled with problems. If you can get a proper AMD chipset (do they make them still?) you will be much better off.

That or send it back and go Intel. The CPU's may not be too different now but the mobo chipset's Intel make are miles more stable in my experience.

How the hell did you get your 1Ghz P3 to run at 60c? I have had 2 and never seen them top 43c!

And yeah.. you know I hate XP even more than AMD's!

 

[michaelab]

To be fair the thread title is a little misleading as the problems you seem to be experiencing appear to have not a lot to do with Windows XP and everything to do with some hardware issues on your self built PC. I imagine that you'd probably have similar issues with any other OS.

Michael.

 

[I-S]

lhatkins - that's very frustrating. I feel bad about that having suggested the PSU as a potential culprit.

Download a program called Speedfan and load it up on your machine. Run it and go to the S.M.A.R.T tab. Select your hard disk from the drop down tab. At the bottom there are two bars, Fitness and Performance. See what they say, and if there are any warning points in the list of SMART data.

 

[MattC]

wireless under linux

Lee,

the only real problem with Linux is its lack of wireless hardware support, thanks to compaines not releasing thier driver source code.

I recently setup a DLink DWL-122 wireless usb adapter under linux for a colleague, with no problem at all, using the helpful instructions here

cheers
Matt

 

[lhatkins]

I think the 1ghz chip was getting old, it was about 50c to start with but I guess after 3 years they start to break down? don't know probably the heat sink was full of fluff as well which doesn't help.

Well I have 4 friends who have the same baord and setup as me but don't have a problem, I thought it was memory, but after running a memory burn in test it past fine, I can't figure out what the heck is going on.

Yes its a via chipset, I was worried about this but Asus only do Via or Nvidia but the nvidia boards are expensive, I do admit to being a bit of a cheapskate.

Yes I read somewhere that XP ships with a dodgy usb device driver, so I've disabled the usb in the bios to stop XP seeing them, to see if that would help.

Nothing is working, I just don't get it, I've tried 2 diffenent XP disc too to make sure it wasn't a duff disk.

What more can I do, I could return it, all the bits came from the same place, but what can I tell them, XP will not install on it? Looks like I'm out of pocket whatever I do, nobodies fault, but I'm totally fed up with it.

I've always built my own systems, I've built loads for other people, but never come across any of these problems before, I built Dom's machine, he's not had a problem with it.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, or how to find out what is causing these problems.

I'll have a look for that hard drive program, I mean that would be the only original peice left, it is a IDE not SATA if that makes any difference, and its only 12 months old.

Thing is I ran a Linux Live cd, and it ran perfectly, I might try to install Linux and see if that gives me any problems, I'm convinced the problem lies with XP.

One other thing about the psu I'm a little disappointed with, its made my case temps rise by 4 or 5 deg c, which has put up my cpu temps, it does run really hot too.

I guess its a VIA chipset? They are known for having bad USB support, even under Linux and basically riddled with problems. If you can get a proper AMD chipset (do they make them still?) you will be much better off.

That or send it back and go Intel. The CPU's may not be too different now but the mobo chipset's Intel make are miles more stable in my experience.

How the hell did you get your 1Ghz P3 to run at 60c? I have had 2 and never seen them top 43c!

And yeah.. you know I hate XP even more than AMD's!

 

[lhatkins]

lhatkins - that's very frustrating. I feel bad about that having suggested the PSU as a potential culprit.

Download a program called Speedfan and load it up on your machine. Run it and go to the S.M.A.R.T tab. Select your hard disk from the drop down tab. At the bottom there are two bars, Fitness and Performance. See what they say, and if there are any warning points in the list of SMART data.

Nice one Isaac, got and installed the prog, the fittnes bar is at 50% now that's not good news is it? Don't tell me I have to buy a new hard disk, no no no no.
Don't feel bad about the psu, I was told by other people as well the same thing, so I though with so many people saying the same thing it was a worthwhile guess, and I also wanted a quieter psu too, so it'll work out in the end.

 

[lhatkins]

Lee,



I recently setup a DLink DWL-122 wireless usb adapter under linux for a colleague, with no problem at all, using the helpful instructions here

cheers
Matt

Suse 9.3 Picks the wireless up straight away no problem, but you have to buy this (I "borrowed" mine from work!) but I can't get Suse 9.2, FC3 or Mandrake 10.1 to see a wireless network no matter what I try, I take it you use a Realtek chipset? RT2500.

 

[I-S]

I have this with my new HDD. The fitness bar is 40-50% and the machine occasionally randomly resets itself followed by the hard disk spinning up again. My previous disk (which is still in the machine) shows 100% fitness and performance. I suspect it might be the cause of the issues I have. If your BSODs are things along the lines of IRQL_NOT_EQUAL_TO or similar then it might be a hard disk (or memory, but you already excluded that) issue.

 

[Tenson]

The fact the live *CD* works but putting XP on the hard disk doesn't, does point towards the hard disk doesn't it.

 

[lhatkins]

The fact the live *CD* works but putting XP on the hard disk doesn't, does point towards the hard disk doesn't it.

And the hard disk showing 50% health as well, I take it there is no way to revive the hard drive like a low level format or something, .

This is not turning out to be a cheap upgrade, I really wish I'd not bothered.

 

[Tenson]

Hard disks come with good warrantys so it shouldn't cost you ore than the postage. I know Western Digital drives have to go back to Germany but they are fast at getting them back and don't quibble.

 

[lhatkins]

Hard disks come with good warrantys so it shouldn't cost you ore than the postage. I know Western Digital drives have to go back to Germany but they are fast at getting them back and don't quibble.

I ran the seatools diag software last night, did a full scan, and it came back as passed, might email them and see if they can suggest a course of action, can't prove a fault though.

 

[Tenson]

Then break it lol! Run a power supply across random parts of the circuit board. But don't put it back in your machine to test if it is broken

 

[lhatkins]

Then break it lol! Run a power supply across random parts of the circuit board. But don't put it back in your machine to test if it is broken

You know I've been building pc for years, it never used to be so hit and miss, if something went wrong it used to be really easy to find the fault, now it just seems like guess work, I really appricate all the help/advice everyone is giving, but I would be a lot happier if I coudl 100% put it down to a faultly piece of hardware. A mate of mine did point out to me that my motherboard's bios might not 100% support my cpu, cos of the new "venice" core the 64's use, so keep the bios updated as soon as new ones come out, as the updates alway sasy "code for new cpu support" etc. Maybe my problem here is I'm mating a old (ish, if you call 3 months old) m/board to a new CPU and they're just not compatible, or the new venice core isn't stable, hum, maybe I should have gone for the older core, ya lives and learns!

 

[Tenson]

Surely if it was that, the live CD wouldn't work. Try installin Linux onto the hard disk.