System build - recommend me the details.

[X-Warrior]

I'll not be fiddling with settings for a while now.

Windows boot is turning bad on me. Tonight I tried to boot... The following will happen at different boots, sometimes several at a time: BSOD at startup. Disk check. Explorer crash. Other programs crash. Settings can't be found. C: file system corrupt (oh dear...).
System restore failed of course. But for some reason after that failure Windows will boot without much problems again. Apart from wanting to do a checkdisk before actually starting. I'll let that one run next time if it keeps asking. For now it's approaching bedtime and I'm glad at least it's working. With some minor quirks in the start menu though (text in command line is invisible and it can't find some .dll). Tomorrow I'll just have to see...

Btw, first BSOD at startup was last Saturday, but it was a single happening.

I'm seriously hoping this was the last I've seen of it. But I fear there will be more...

[Gilly]

All that comes to mind just now is:

Check the SSD firmware version

Check the memory timings/ voltage.

[X-Warrior]

Haven't fiddled with any memory stuff. Surely stock settings should be good?

SSD firmware version, yes, it does seem like a harddisk issue.


I've let checkdisk do its job this time and everything seems fine, except for the .dll it can't find when I open the start menu for the first time. And command text being invisible, probably as a result of not finding that .dll...
Possibly, hopefully, it was a single incident causing a BSOD which triggered more malfunctions, which have been mostly fixed now.

Maybe if I use the DVD I can do a Windows restore. But I think I'll install the Intel toolbox in any case, just to check the SSD.

[X-Warrior]

I've just done a system restore again. This time there was no complaint and it worked until the end.

And... the system's been restored. Apparently :roll:

Only OpenOffice installation has been removed. I'll get it back when I need it (my next website update) ;)


Interestingly, after the restore my sound card couldn't be found. After having the plug pulled for a while, and disabling the onboard sound in the BIOS, it was back. I've had the no-card problem when I first wanted to install it. Then I went into the case, unplugged the power cable and replugged and tried again. Maybe just unplugging from the wall would've done the job already.
In any case, I'm starting to think the issues I was having were sound card related. It may have caused the first BSOD, which eventually escalated into a complete mess.

Yes... let's hope it was just that. And that disabling the onboard sound, which I just plain forgot until now, solves the problems permanently.

[Gilly]

Maybe the SPD settings for the memory require a higher voltage than the board is giving it, this is something you need to check. Maybe the CPU is undervolted.

Is the BIOS for the motherboard up to date? Sounds like data corruption or some sort of error within something. It points to a dodgy storage medium IMO though.

[X-Warrior]

If indeed the storage medium is dodgy, then problems will return undoubtedly. For now I intend to sit it out for at least a week before I start fiddling, tweaking, or even activate Windows.


By the way, where do I check the voltage stuff? I'm not really up to date with all those terms I'm afraid...

[X-Warrior]

Update: windows just crashed again. As I was reading a forum. Nothing special running. Just Steam and the usual. I had just ignored the activation prompt.
I've seen this crash screen before... it's blank with a certain colour (some greenish I believe it was), but not even, a bit crude.

Reboot went well enough, but at dxdiag it's complaining about C:WindowsSysWOW64dciman32.dll... aaaaand it's 0 bytes. Corrupted obviously.
Makes me wonder, was this before the system restore point, or did the most recent crash corrupt it?

Let's see if I can restore the file this time...


edit: seems like there are more files going at 0 bytes. Something's very very wrong. I'll try a full windows reinstall later on. See if that helps. As well as those voltage things, if I can/know how to.

[Paradigm Shifter]

Have you got a normal HDD you can use to see if it's the SSD?

[X-Warrior]

Writing this from a fresh Windows install.

Even the Windows Setup managed to crash before actually starting.

Then I rebooted into the previous installation to find my sound card inactive. Again.

Backed up some things I forgot and did windows setup again. This time it worked.

Then I installed the video drivers. No problem.
Then I installed the sound card drivers. Sound card not found.

So now the X-Fi lies somewhere behind me, disconnected from the pc. Onboard sound enabled. Let's see how things hold out without that annoying thing. If it has managed to just lose it while everything was running, it can definately make things messy I think.

Time will tell if the installation is now stable without Creative...


I do have a normal HDD installed, but it serves mostly as a backup disk. I don't want to use it for a fresh install just yet. Not before I've backed everything up on a medium I haven't bought yet.

[X-Warrior]

Let's add a positive note. I've run the Windows 7 performance index:

Processor: 7.5
Memory: 7.5
Graphics: 7.8
Gaming graphics: 7.8
Primary Harddisk: 7.5

Base score: 7.5


Not too shabby :)

[packerfan]

Was reading engadget and noticed this, if you have to end up getting a new SSD and reformatting and whatnot maybe read this guide. Has some BIOS settings and Win7 install (drivers wise) things to do as well as optimization of 7 post install.

http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/3116/tweaktown_s_solid_state_drive_optimization_guide/index.html

[X-Warrior]

Hmmm... that's interesting. After the splash screen at boot the system reset... I've seen it before once or twice. Hasn't really affected much it seems.


I've checked the BIOS update options at Gigabyte. Seems I'll be needing a floppy drive for that. Guess what I didn't install in this pc. If I really need it I could rip it from the ol' rig pc though.

So far, I'd say day 1 has gone by without any real problems. And Dirt 2 runs like a charm as usual ;). Just some fps issues when all cars are drifting in the same corner on a night track...
Haven't noticed the promised Catalyst 10.1 issues yet (I've heard rumours it can cause black screens or somesuch).

I've decided not to install PSP X3 for the time being. It was one of the last things I installed before things turned bad. I just want to exclude it from the possibilities, should things turn nasty again. I'll install it when I need it again.


Here's the current plan:
Hold out for a couple of weeks. Install PSP X3 when no problems arise. If no further issues, attempt to reinstall sound card, and probably update the BIOS first. If I can be bothered that is. The onboard Azalia seems to do a fine enough job as it is. I should be taking some time for the Intel toolbox as well. Perhaps it can tell me something about the drive integrity. Maybe soon, like Saturday. Sooner if I run into trouble. For now I'd rather just enjoy some games.


I think I'll just keep updating this thread with any negative or positive things :)

P.S. I am liking Windows 7. So full of handy little things that add just that little bit to improve enjoyment :)

[Gilly]

you can usually update BIOS via USB these days, I can with my Asus, and it's quite old (P35 chipset)

[Paradigm Shifter]

Well, I'm having fun myself today... Windows 7 box won't boot - gets to a black screen with a cursor, then just sits there. :mad:

[X-Warrior]

you can usually update BIOS via USB these days, I can with my Asus, and it's quite old (P35 chipset)

Yes, I was actually surprised it wasn't mentioned as an available option. But it's no biggie to install a floppy drive.



PS, that sucks - I know the feeling now that I've gone through my share. Hope it turns out ok in the end.

[Paradigm Shifter]

My issue turned out to be Avast failing to find a required file then dying, making Windows stick in a 'load Avast, program crashes, load Avast' cycle. Uninstalled Avast... it's all fixed. Ran chkdsk to see if there was any problems with the HDD - I can only guess that Avast updated badly and killed itself, as everything else is fine. Now running ClamWin instead.

[X-Warrior]

No issues have arisen so far apparently. And it's been running almost all day today :)

I've been confident enough to activate Windows this time around when it asked - let's hope it's not a wasted activation. Maybe I should've waited until I reinstalled the X-Fi, but I'm getting more reluctant to do so, as installing it may result in some unwanted effects. Also, the onboard sound seems to handle things quite nicely. Just feels like such a waste to such an expensive card unused after only a few years.

I'll still wait another week or so before installing PSPX3, to ensure that everything runs well - previously trouble came after a week of use. It does have some nasty copy protection program after all. You never know... and I won't be needing it this week probably.

[Paradigm Shifter]

I tend to use the GIMP now. Not as user friendly, but no nasties. :)

[packerfan]

Gimp is nice, only downside is on larger images (especially if you want to make a collage) it can kinda chug on them.

[Paradigm Shifter]

Yeah, but I haven't asked it to do lots of processing with dozens of hundreds of high-MP images (yet)... not noticed any chugging bad enough to annoy me. I kind of expect it when it's running complex filters on a large file. :)