More WindowsXP Problems - Help me troubleshoot?

[Warik]

Well, for those of you familiar with my other WinXP troubles thread, the new hard drive did not resolve my problems. Just had another series of freezes/reboots and headaches. I think I may have found a possible cause though, but it sounds unlikely. Is it possible that my crashes are the result of the fact that I'm networking my WindowsXP desktop machine with my Windows 2k laptop?

I started suspecting this today when after FIVE consecutive reboots that didn't even allow me to get past the windows login screen, I unplugged my network cable from my laptop, rebooted, and got in fine. All the times I was having trouble installing WindowsXP, I had my laptop turned on and networked because I had just copied data to it for backup. This only seems odd to me because why would the network connection matter if my desktop drive were completely formatted and I was installing off of the XP CD, unless the setup program is able to detect network connections (which it very well might).

How plausible does this theory sound to you, my fellow computer people? Unfortunately, I have no way of testing this because the problems don't seem to have a pattern to them, but if I keep my laptop off and not networked for a month and have no more problems, then I could probably guess that everything is fine. What do you all think?

-Warik

 

[WODIN]

Xp does detect network settings. Is your Xp drive NTFS and your WIN 2k machine fat32 or are they both fat32?

 

[Warik]

XP is NTFS and Win2k is FAT32... but they used to both be FAT32.

Also, I don't think it's a network problem... because I just had another FUCKING REBOOT!

Fuck this! I'm UPGRADING back to Windows 2000 this weekend! I can't believe an OS can be so unstable.

-Warik

 

[Y_lifter]

Originally posted by Warik
I'm UPGRADING back to Windows 2000 this weekend! -Warik

Bwahahahah

I'll have to remember that line..

Upgrading back to Win2000......



XP will be stable in about a year, or 15 Service packs, whichever comes first

 

[TheProject]

Do you have 2 NICs in your desktop?

 

[JohnnyO]

Networking shouldn't cause this problem. My guess is a driver, either in the nic, or some bios problem on the motherboard.

You didn't by chance install Nero? or Roxio CD Creator?

 

[Burning_Inside]

win xp is real unstable..iw as running an athlon xp1800 with it on and id get random reboots everywhere. 512 ddr, and a nice asus mobo.

 

[Steroid_Virgin]

Yeah Im staying away from XP for a while...

Bring all your bios settings to the most conservative levels.. Check your mobo wepage for bios updates..
Check the HCL for your hard drive, maybe its running in some funny mode...

Comb through MS Tech-net and type in XP reboot.

 

[Steroid_Virgin]

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/compat.asp

will match you against the HCL

 

[JohnnyO]

I have absolutely no problems with XP at all, except when I installed Roxio. I had to reformat to get my computer to work after that. Roxio and Windows Media Player don't live together well at all -- I have to do all my burning with Windows Media Player. I have MS Office XP, Soundforge, Cubase, and Acid Pro on my computer, what software you have installed?

 

[PlateheadJim]

Well, for those of you familiar with my other WinXP troubles thread, the new hard drive did not resolve my problems. Just had another series of freezes/reboots and headaches. I think I may have found a possible cause though, but it sounds unlikely. Is it possible that my crashes are the result of the fact that I'm networking my WindowsXP desktop machine with my Windows 2k laptop?

I started suspecting this today when after FIVE consecutive reboots that didn't even allow me to get past the windows login screen, I unplugged my network cable from my laptop, rebooted, and got in fine. All the times I was having trouble installing WindowsXP, I had my laptop turned on and networked because I had just copied data to it for backup. This only seems odd to me because why would the network connection matter if my desktop drive were completely formatted and I was installing off of the XP CD, unless the setup program is able to detect network connections (which it very well might).

How plausible does this theory sound to you, my fellow computer people? Unfortunately, I have no way of testing this because the problems don't seem to have a pattern to them, but if I keep my laptop off and not networked for a month and have no more problems, then I could probably guess that everything is fine. What do you all think?

-Warik

Did you try giving it some HALO?

 

[Warik]

Do you have 2 NICs in your desktop?

Yes. I have one that connects my external ADSL to my desktop, and one that hooks my laptop to my desktop for internet connection sharing and basic file/printer sharing.

-Warik

 

[Warik]

I have absolutely no problems with XP at all, except when I installed Roxio. I had to reformat to get my computer to work after that. Roxio and Windows Media Player don't live together well at all -- I have to do all my burning with Windows Media Player. I have MS Office XP, Soundforge, Cubase, and Acid Pro on my computer, what software you have installed?

I have Nero on my machine, but keep in mind that I was getting freezes/reboots/blue screens of death AFTER formatting my HD and preparing to reinstall XP. I wasn't able to install XP until the XP installation stopped rebooting me 30 times by the grace of God. This leads me to think that it might be some kind of hardware problem... but then why the link to windows XP? I didn't have any trouble with XP a month ago, and I've never had trouble with Win2k..... grrrr

Some software I have is Nero, Musicmatch Jukebox, Trillian, Winamp, Office XP, Kazaa, and drivers for all of my stuff. But I'm still puzzled as to how it could be a software problem even when I had nothing on my hard drive.

-Warik

 

[Y_lifter]

OK , Now were stretching.........

Bad RAM ???

Have you opened her up and reseated the SIMM/DIMMS

Especially since you were running XP with no issues in the past.

 

[TheProject]

Yes. I have one that connects my external ADSL to my desktop, and one that hooks my laptop to my desktop for internet connection sharing and basic file/printer sharing.

-Warik

Bingo. You've hit the same problem I've got. If you pull your 2nd ethernet card, I bet you your lockups stop.

I think I may be repeating myself here, but I believe this is the result of an IRQ conflict.

I've never had any Windows system do well with 2 NICs.

I still have to go through my BIOS and jack with the settings on mine.

 

[Steroid_Virgin]

I have run a couple servers with dual nics for years, (running NT on a comaq server) and never had a problem.

Like I said switch the IRQ settings manually, (you can do that in device manager) & check your BIOS for updates.

& Check the HCL...

 

[Warik]

OK , Now were stretching.........

Bad RAM ???

Have you opened her up and reseated the SIMM/DIMMS

Especially since you were running XP with no issues in the past.

Nope... never touched the RAM.

Project,

I've never had a problem with 2 NICs on Windows 2000, so it's strange that this would take place on XP, especially since I didn't have a problem in the past and I just had the problem while having my cord unplugged from the laptop (though the card was still in the PC). I DO need to have the 2 NICs in there, so what can I do to resolve it? Whenever I look at IRQs in XP, everything is set to the same IRQ.

-Warik

-Warik

 

[TheProject]

I have run a couple servers with dual nics for years, (running NT on a comaq server) and never had a problem.

Like I said switch the IRQ settings manually, (you can do that in device manager) & check your BIOS for updates.

& Check the HCL...

I know, SV, I know, I just haven't done it yet.

Dual NICS, in my experience, has always been a pain in the ass.

 

[TheProject]

I've never had a problem with 2 NICs on Windows 2000, so it's strange that this would take place on XP, especially since I didn't have a problem in the past and I just had the problem while having my cord unplugged from the laptop (though the card was still in the PC). I DO need to have the 2 NICs in there, so what can I do to resolve it? Whenever I look at IRQs in XP, everything is set to the same IRQ.

I don't know the why on this one yet. I'd just be curious to see if it stops when you pull the 2nd NIC. I betcha it will.

As far as the same IRQ, yup, mine's doing the same thing. They all show IRQ 3, and device manager won't let me change it. I *believe* (but haven't tested) that if I change the BIOS setting from PnP OS to No that it should let me change the IRQ's via device manager.

 

[Y_lifter]

Originally posted by Warik
Nope... never touched the RAM.

I wasn't asking if you had touched them, I was sugguesting that you DO touch them.

It's far fetched, but the SIMMS/DIMMS do get loose from Heating/Cooling of the Motherboard and cause weird un-natural things...

 

[dude]

I'm not sure what the problem is but...

I just wanted to post that I really like XP. In my house we have 5 computers networked and we have had zero problems with XP. Just the other day I put in a network card and it installed the drivers for me without me having to look them up online.
EDIT:Forgot to add that I have XP Pro.

 

[takniteasy]

Check your BIOS on both machines for updates and put both on same file system. WINXP ideally works best under NTFS but will work under FAT32. That there could resove alot of your conflicts. Along with your IRQ settings as someone else has mentioned.

Good luck!

BTW, I use Pro version of XP and have never experienced a problem with it. Pro version is more user friendly in regards to networking.

 

[takniteasy]

Almost forgot. For your ADSL, why dont you use a router? That way you can network the computers together and both have internet access with out having 2 NICs in the desktop. And yes you can just unplug the laptop and plug it back in. That is how I have my boss' computers connected(laptops and desktops).