How Often Does Your System Crash/Reboot?

[spookyx]

128 megs is hardly enough for XP even 256 is barely enough. I would try running Linux.
it has almost all the same tools as windoze.

[Jel]

Originally Posted by wicked1

try downloading this for java fix

Windows XP Java Download

As for random crashing/resets do you usually geta blue screen with memory dumps coming up on the screen ?.

is it a brand name PC or a custom built unit ?.

I have a few ideas I'd like to run past you that may help.

regards,

Wicked1

"Windows XP SP2 users: if you encounter an error, look at the top of this page for a yellow bar that reads "This site might require the following ActiveX control: 'Java Plug-in 1.5.0_02' from 'Sun Microsystems, Inc.'. Click here to install..." Click the yellow bar and choose "Install ActiveX Control..." to allow installation to proceed.

We encountered an issue while trying to automatically install Java™ software onto your machine. As a result, Java software was not installed properly."

So I go to manual installation, 'error, incorrect patch fix, this program was not installed'

[Jel]

Originally Posted by plateman

possible cpu going bad maybe or mb drivers wrong, try alt - control - delete and look at the cpu useage and see if any programs are eating up the cpu or what are your spces. XP will run barely on the min. requirements I've found, better have atleast 256 of ram and 600 cpu..

Haven't put my higher memory in yet, but I've got an 850 Mhz cpu.

With 3 ie windows, outlook express, my html editor and ftp client open I show 22 - 40% cpu usage

PF usage is 236MB - what exactly is that?

Totals
Handles 8263
Threads 374
Processes 34

Physical memory (K)
Total 130544
Available 24208
System Cache 41012

Commit Charge (K)
Total 241924
Limit 314640
Peak 244360

Kernel Memory (K)
Total 24396
Paged 20428
Nonpaged 3968

[Jel]

Processes:

iexplore.exe username
msimn.exe username
coreftp.exe username
iexplore.exe username
zclientm.exe username
svchost.exe system
lexpps.exe system (printer)
spoolsv.exe system printer I think?
lexbces.exe system (printer)
explorer.exe username
beauty.exe username (html editor)
taskmgr.exe username
svchost.exe local service
wscntfy.exe username
svchost.exe netork service
svchost.exe system
lxbvbmon.exe username
registryrepairpro username
msmsgs.exe username
svchost.exe network service
svchost.exe system
ctfmon.exe username
lsass.exe system
services.exe system
winlogon.exe system
csrss.exe system
smss.exe system
lxbvbmgr.exe username
qttask.exe username
motivesb.exe username
cfd.exe username
alg.exe local service
system system
system idle process system

Are the current processes. Asise from ie and msimn which I believe is outlook, and my printer, ftp and html editor, I don't really know what any of those other processes relate to.

[Toby]

iexplore.exe - MSIE
msimn.exe - Outlook Express
coreftp.exe - Core FTP
zclientm.exe - Microsoft Gaming Zone
lexpps.exe - Lexmark printer
spoolsv.exe - Windows print spooler
lexbces.exe - Lexmark printer
explorer.exe - Windows Desktop
beauty.exe - HTML editor
taskmgr.exe - Windows Task Manager
wscntfy.exe - Windows Security Center
lxbvbmon.exe - Lexmark printer
registryrepairpro.exe - Registry Repair Pro
msmsgs.exe - MSN Messenger
ctfmon.exe - Microsoft Office component
lsass.exe - Windows security
services.exe - Windows services manager
winlogon.exe - Windows login manager
csrss.exe - Windows graphics manager
smss.exe - Windows session manager
lxbvbmgr.exe - Lexmark printer
qttask.exe - QuickTime Tray Icon
motivesb.exe - AT&T online support utility
cfd.exe - AT&T online support utility
alg.exe - Windows Internet connection sharing and firewall

svchost.exe - Windows application launcher, no easy way to tell what app it has launched.

[Jel]

Thanks Toby,
I can close down the AT & T and quicktime processes then I guess.
Off to buy some RAM now

[amber438]

Jel
With an 850 cpu it's still gonna be a bit sluggish, honestly.
Try to upgrade to a min of 1.8 if they still exist and make sure all chipset drivers are up to date (if your mobo can take it).

I reboot very infrequently, maybe only when I install something and my system is very heavily modded.

[Mr. Blue]

Originally Posted by amber438

Jel
With an 850 cpu it's still gonna be a bit sluggish, honestly.
Try to upgrade to a min of 1.8 if they still exist and make sure all chipset drivers are up to date (if your mobo can take it).

I reboot very infrequently, maybe only when I install something and my system is very heavily modded.

850 cpu is just not enough for win xp...the min. you should be running is 1.3ghz and even that isn't ideal. If you can't afford an upgrade right now, shut off some services that aren't needed in xp to make it run a little better.

[wicked1]

i think the min memory spec for Xp is listed as 256 MB I have a PIII 933 with 192 MB ram running XP Pro and when it boots up there is about 30 mb free after the os is running and nothing else

i'm sure your pc is running outta ram and the virtual ram just cannot keep up with system demands

[Jel]

OK thanks guys, that explains the constant crashing then. Any ideas on why java runtime and flash are fucked up? I read that there was a conflict in a very small percentage of cases with flash and WMP, looks like I was just one of the unlucky ones? Although - it worked fine for a while and suddenly every time a flash banner appeared on a page I got an error message telling me flash has caused a problem and IE needs to shut down. Completely out of the blue, no software/hardware installs, no upgrades of WMP (I'm still on WMP 9, it refuses to upgrade lol).

[Head Boy]

I haven't had a system failure or forced reboot for six or seven years. I never enable active-x, in fact I even removed some of the modules. I'm also still using old computers that I bought from the tip for $10 or less. Why should I buy a faster computer and install XP plus all the stuff to make it safe, together with all the stuff that replaces the functions they removed, when I can get more work done with 98SE.

Don't you think it odd that Microsoft had to buy an outside company to install security products when they could have just written an OS that works securely.

[SlickRick]

my xp machine has never crashed in the 3 years ive had it.

[plateman]

Ok jel a 850 cpu will run xp and if you have at least 256 meg of ram you should be ok xp will load with as little as 64 megs of ram.. but will be about worthless and what XP pro do you have ??

if you have the free XP that was hacked you couldnt do the sp 1 and java would work with it at that time I know I have no java on my machine...

Ok all XP users should run there machines with windows set to run on performance if they are lacking cpu and ram - XP in it self uses a lot more resources than any other win OS So to change this go control panel - system - advanced - performance - settings and tick the radio button to set to run on performance and your machine will be faster all around and I run the 3 XP boxes all this way, my main PC is althon 2200 with a gig of DDR and dont miss the heavy XP graghic BS that it has... try it and you will see that it will work better..

[digifan]

Mine is an oldie and crashes often... but it works and this is what counts

[Mr. Blue]

Originally Posted by plateman

Ok jel a 850 cpu will run xp and if you have at least 256 meg of ram you should be ok xp will load with as little as 64 megs of ram.. but will be about worthless and what XP pro do you have ??

if you have the free XP that was hacked you couldnt do the sp 1 and java would work with it at that time I know I have no java on my machine...

Ok all XP users should run there machines with windows set to run on performance if they are lacking cpu and ram - XP in it self uses a lot more resources than any other win OS So to change this go control panel - system - advanced - performance - settings and tick the radio button to set to run on performance and your machine will be faster all around and I run the 3 XP boxes all this way, my main PC is althon 2200 with a gig of DDR and dont miss the heavy XP graghic BS that it has... try it and you will see that it will work better..

Windows 2000 runs much leaner than xp and has most of the features...On one old box that's what I use and it runs perfectly without crashing. You can strip xp down to a win2k level, but why not just use 2k instead (on a slow comp that is)

[SlickRick]

my old shit box 486 - 75 crashed 50+++ times a day lol
but that was win 98 what do you expect

[Jel]

OK I'll give that a whirl plateman, this is XP Pro with SP2 btw.

[RawAlex]

Jel, considering that you can get a new PC for barely over beer money, I would highly recommend getting yourself a newer box. A place like, example, misco.co.uk or other would be able to help you out. You are looking at maybe 350-500 VAT in.

For what you will pay to keep your current computer passibly happy, you can have something that is somewhat more up to date.

The issues you are seeing are almost certainly related to disagreements between XP and the P3 motherboard you have. Your problem is sort of twofold - you are using more ram than you have (so it is swapping to disk) and many P3 boards are notorious for having bus issues. Because you are putting such a load on that side of the system, reboots, failures, and such as just par for the course.

My XP systems here pretty much get rebooted about once a week just to keep the cobwebs out. My laptop is only on when I need it.

Alex

[mudsnake]

From what I can see you defintely need to shut down some of the processes, switch them to manul, their probally is some program conflicts..which would not suprise me..max out your memory if you can.. I ran a 733mhz for 3 yrs..448mb ram and 64 mb video card and never had any problems with crashes..this site can help with some mods you can do to help http://www.speedguide.net
do a google search for list of processes that run in xp...I use to have link but site is down right now..but speed guide is good place to start...Good luck

[wicked1]

I would be on the lookout for a new pc myself, I cannot say how much they cost where you live but most countries have some type of lease or payment scheme for computers these days.

We often get offers to buy a pc for $7 AUD a week.

Several years ago I bought a laptop on finance and sold my desktop then put the money earned from the desktop sale towards paying off the laptop and paid off the remainder over time.

once you step away from trying to save outdated technology you will realise the ability to work faster than before and more reliably was well worth the outlay.
I too was stubborn and did not want to upgrade but was glad I did

If you have an old hard drive as well you may be facing data loss shortly as well


remember this is a business and time is money

Wicked1