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Guest ba747heavy

Need to vent

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Guest ba747heavy

Argh......I just need to vent. Hope you don't mind....About a month and a half ago, I had to replace my GPU fan because it decided to die on me. It cost me $15 or so, and I was happy. Then it all started....My computer experienced BSODs, random lockups, etc etc. They started out as something infrequent, but they became more frequent. Because of the proximity in time to my GPU fan repair, naturally the Ti4600 got the blame(sorry baby, you do good work! ;)) As it turns out, it wasn't that at all.So then my FS9 install got the blame. It wasn't that either.So then I thought it was my RAM...I had a bad stick of RAM but the BSODs kept on happening.So then I thought to myself, 'maybe it is windows.' So I reboot into Linux(bless its sole) and BLAM, I get a message on the console saying 'A correctable error on CPU0 occured'. ARHHH! Reboot, same thing. Not good.So then my CPU got the blame. I took the XP1700 from my dads box and put it in my box. I put my XP2000 in my dads box, and started them both up. Sure enough, my box dies with a similar error and my dads keeps on going. So I replace the CPUs(I do like my XP2000, thank you ;))So then my mobo gets the blame...but I was like maybe I can test some other things out.So I download some maxtor HDD check util, and ran it on my two HDDs. My 80gig behemoth passed....but my 40gig FS Scenery/File backup HDD didn't pass. But this was on the 'quick test', so I ran the longer test and the thing passed? So I was like, 'OK, this is wierd'. So I went to bed for the night...then comes today. I was screwing around in the case, trying different combonations of HDD and PCI cards, when I unplugged my 40 gig HDD, and BLAM, it doesn't crash now!I run the antivirus test, and it doesn't crash. The video playing test works. I can't try the '650 mb America's Army install test', because that particular file is on my now dead HDD. However, the crash tests that always would crash my beast, don't crash it anymore.I am staring at my computer in disbelief. WHY WHY WHY! I never thought a HDD could cause so much trouble, in both W$ and linux. And whats worse, I REALLY need this HDD. I use it in a vitally improtant role in my computing....so I am very sad :(I am not yet certain I found the solution.....but it is looking good. I am hoping that the IDE cable is busted(that means I can keep my 40gig HDD :)). I would try my luck, but I am so worried that if I change anything I will be back in the same boat. AKA, 'up the creek without a paddle' ;)I just needed to vent my frusterations :-8I am done now :)

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Ah, Fred... Fred.... Fred....You know what they say; "Nice guys finish last":( ;)Good luck on getting your system back running :)Worlds best Oxymoron- Microsoft WorksTake care,Jason :-wave

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Guest tgabriel

Well, my man, I hope the solution has found itself to your front door. It is not often that a HDD will cause the problems you have encountered but they do from time to time. Mostly has to do with the way the swap file looks for its resources. When it (RAM) needs more space, it goes to the swap and when the swap needs to get more data in its chain, it knows to look where RAM got its data and in your case was the second HDD. Hopefully your cable is bad but probably not. The stong hint is that quick test on the 40 gig. That says a lot even though the comprehensive test passed. Good luck!!

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Hey Fred I hear ya!!!I had similar problems with a number of my drives. Turns out all I needed to do was replace the cables. Now, I tried the 'normal' cables at my local computer store. Those are useless in my opinion.I did some research and came across this company;http://www.ultracable.com/I bought the cables specific to my hard drives (Ultra ATA 133 MB/s) and wouldn't ya know it, problem gone. The cables are on the expensice side but are worth it. Whenever I build a new system I throw away the ones provided and buy from these guys.No if it turns out to be the drive, and you can afford to purchase a new one, use something Drive Image, or Ghost to make an exact copy of the drive. Its actually pretty simple. Or in some cases I have had to use the XCOPY DOS command to get my files across intact and in the same structure that it was on the original drive. Then I just remove the old failing drive and change the drive letter on the new drive to the old one.If you need any help feel free to ask!!

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Guest orenda635

I know how you feel. My mobo burned out only a year after I got it. This goes along with the lockups and such I got when I first had it installed. A poor install job by some computer guy who did not know what he was doing was to blame. I'm surprised his shop is still in business. A HDD problem can do that. My original mobo problems were partly due to the fact that the drive was looking for the old mobo. I had upgraded from a Tomatoboard Pentium2 to an ECS K7S5A Socket A. I still use a K7S5A and it works great. If the CPU is the heart of a computer, think of the HDD as it's brain. We all know that you can't live very long if your brain dead, with the possible exception of civil servants. lol

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Guest ba747heavy

Hey all,Thanks for the comments :) I have decided that it is the HDD :( No suprise really. I am backing up the files on my old HDD(while they are still salvageable), and I will be back to business as usual. *crosses fingers that this fixes the problem*

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