Windows 2000 Pro

Need some help. I have a Gateway E-3400 (667mhz cpu/128mb mem) running Windows 2000 Pro. The system keeps locking up. It seems to lock up when 3 applications are started. I started word then excel and when I tried to run powerpoint it initiates the startup of the application and then the hard drive locks up. I can't cntrl alt del nor can I power it off with the power button. I have to unplug it to power it down. My questions is could a bad memory dinn be causing this? Perhaps it is hitting a corrupted page of memory and causing the lockup? If anyone has had this happen or has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.

Could either be the memory or it could also be the OS. Check the memory first. You should also check to make sure that your processer is properly ventilated and your power supply is working properly too.

hmmm yeah it could be the memory....

ok.. here's what u do.. how much RAM do u have?
if u think your RAM is not big enough and u cant afford to buy another stick at the moment, increase your paging file (also know as the Virtual Memory) and by default the Paging File of Win2K Pro is very small.. try increasing it.. and see what happens.. if the problem is fixed.. then good.. if not.. then come back and tell us.

I have 128mb of memory installed. I already bumped the paging size up. I took the 128 and multiplied that by 3, which came out to 384 and made that the min and max. It was still acting the same.

Do you have access to a SIMM Tester (with the DIMM expansion socket?) If so, test your DIMM stick(s) to see if it/they are working properly. Sometimes Windows doesn't catch that there is a bad block in the RAM. You may also want to look to see if it uses one 128M stick, or more than one stick. If you recently upgraded the system, (using two or more sticks) they may not be compatible RAM. If all else fails, you can also try replacing the RAM with a known good stick. If it doesn't give you problems, then it's the RAM. If it does, it is probably something else (though you may want to test the RAM you pulled in a different box, as well.) Hope this helps.

PS, I almost got to work at HP. Wish I would have gotten the contract. Oh well.

Happy Hacking

If may be bad mem.......however...try this. right click on the toolbar and choose properties. click on the advanced tab at the top.in the menu box that appears put a check in the box beside "display administative tools" now click on the start--programs--administative tools ---services. Now at the menu at the top look for startup type. In that whole column below that feild you have two type of services automatic and manual. Right click on all of the manual services and disable them. reboot the system. If the problom is solved(I think it will be) you can enable them one by one until the problem reappears.When and if it does(sometimes its just the loading order) the last service enabled is the offending service. now enable all the others and keep that one disabled. It could also be an automatic service(disableing those can cause the system to halt and not startup again(and it CAN be one of those causing the problem.I do not know how knowlegable you are but you want to stay away from disabeling OS automatic services and contentrate on disableing autmomatic services from programs.If you screw up(write this step down)
reboot the system and (I think? anyway it tells you on the bootup screen how to load it)) hit the spacebar to load the last known good configuration and it will clear up the screw-up
I realize this is alot of trail and error but sometimes its the only way to track down a problem like this.. If this works...well... Your Welcome. If it doesn't is still handy to know

hmmm.. what CPU do you have?

Larryjs -- how do you disable manual services? They aren't started! Also your description of how to access the services snap in is waaaaay off - put a check in which box on what menu? Try right clicking the my computer icon on the desktop and selecting "manage", from here (the microsoft management console - mmc) you can access the services, event viewer, logical disk manager and a whole host of other administrative tools.

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I do not know how knowlegable you are

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But *we* know how knowledgable you are ^_^

HPgeno -- It is kinda hard to say, but your machine machine locking up like that without bluescreening could indicate a hardware fault, try some of the diagnostic tools available here - http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0...0.html?tag=dir

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Originally posted by petemcevoy
"Larryjs -- how do you disable manual services?(I TOLD YOU HOW read the ****ing post) They aren't started!(Boy you are a REAL dipshit!look at your own machine if your running win2000) Also your description of how to access the services snap in is waaaaay off - put a check in which box on what menu? Try right clicking the my computer icon on the desktop and selecting "manage", from here (the microsoft management console - mmc)( I wanted him to be able to access all of the admin tools and this is the best way) you can access the services, event viewer, logical disk manager and a whole host of other administrative tools." MAN YOU are one STUPID ****. Whats your I.Q. ....10? You are a total ****ing moron.I wanted him to disable all manaul services that were already you snot nosed faggot.And my instructions on how to access the services are exactly right you DUMB ****. Why don't you just go and blow your ****ing head off.Its the only way to cure that disease you have ***DOWNS SYNDROME****
Oh ...and I ADMIRE your lame ass response. GO DOWNLOAD SOME DIAGNOSTIC PROGRAM... how original!!!!! Are you sure you don't work for Dell Tech Support? Its the perfect job for a dipshit like you.



But *we* know how knowledgable you are ^_^ I know alot more than you apparently because you sure look like an ASS right now

HPgeno -- It is kinda hard to say, but your machine machine locking up like that without bluescreening could indicate a hardware fault, try some of the diagnostic tools available here (HOW ORIGINAL OH.. bye the way those programs you are pointing him to are for beginnersand they don't tell you ****!!) If you want a low level diag go here. http://www.tufftest.com I will even give you a serial# for it) http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0...0.html?tag=dir

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:flip:

it may also be that something is messed up in your os. if this is the case, you can try reinstalling... or you can upgrade to XP (which locks up less then 2000 and you never have to reboot) or change over to linux.

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Larryjs -- how do you disable manual services?(I TOLD YOU HOW read the ****ing post) They aren't started!(Boy you are a REAL dipshit!look at your own machine if your running win2000) Also your description of how to access the services snap in is waaaaay off - put a check in which box on what menu? Try right clicking the my computer icon on the desktop and selecting "manage", from here (the microsoft management console - mmc)( I wanted him to be able to access all of the admin tools and this is the best way) you can access the services, event viewer, logical disk manager and a whole host of other administrative tools." MAN YOU are one STUPID ****. Whats your I.Q. ....10? You are a total ****ing moron.I wanted him to disable all manaul services that were already you snot nosed faggot.And my instructions on how to access the services are exactly right you DUMB ****. Why don't you just go and blow your ****ing head off.Its the only way to cure that disease you have ***DOWNS SYNDROME****

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Thats a beautifully crafted retort larryjs, its unfortunate for you that you're still wrong, and i'm still right :-)

Check check check :


- check memory refresh rate, try something slower. Low end PCs are furnished with shitty SIMMs (like I have) have will cause crash when trying to "push to the limits".

- check cooling.

- check BIOS update

- check if things are better with lower CPU frenquency.

- test & try other SIMMs, with friends SIMMs.

Just work around the problem, you will finish by finding the answer.

A+ hantiz.

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Originally posted by larryjs
If may be bad mem.......however...try this. right click on the toolbar and choose properties. click on the advanced tab at the top.in the menu box that appears put a check in the box beside "display administative tools"

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This is the default in my installation of Win2k Pro...

HPgeno: I solved this problem by rebooting with the Win2k Pro CD in and installing the OS again (w/o formatting the drive). Then reapply any and all service packs, and you should be set.

Is this problem specific to Office, or to Windows in general? In your example, you cite three Office apps, so I just want to make sure it's not an MS Office only problem.

An addendum to my previous post:

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larryjs spouted:
I know alot more than you apparently because you sure look like an ASS right now

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Untrue, what pete said is accurate, you can get there by right-clicking My Computer and clicking Manage. Your method also works, but you're wrong in saying that he's incorrect about how to do it. You get quick access to a lot more through the MMC, and you can accomplish the task through there easily.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with Occam's razor, but it definitely applies to computers, with a slight change in verbiage.
Occam put forth the idea that if you had two theories, each regarding a specific subject (gravity), that were both equally true at the given point, that you would keep the simpler of the two.

It applies very well to instructions given out regarding computers. ;)

Anyhow, the truth of the matter is that both work, and there was no need to write a poorly written and obviously not well thought out post like you did larryjs. It's really not worth getting all that worked up over.

Another good post by chsh, he is right from the begining till the end.

Here some other advice for the Win2k box.

I had probs with an old Office in Win2K (it sometimes didn't started office products). Upgrading to a newer version of Office resolved the prob.

This sounds like a memory stick problem. Changing the swap file size won't fix it as the problem occurs in the RAM long before swapping occurs.

If it doesn't lock up when first booted but does after the system has been turned on for awhile then you need to check the processor cooling. If debris gets between the processor and the heat sink when the heat sink/fan the cooling efficiency drops dramatically.

One last thing to try is defragging your hard drive, an extremely fragmented hard drive will crash the system when asked to do a lot of swapping. I don't know why but I have seen it happen on my busy servers.

Stuart

Thats a beautifully crafted retort larryjs, its unfortunate for you

that you're still wrong, and i'm still right :-) [/QUOTE]

RIGHT? what are you right about? When I said disable a manual service Don't you think I meant one that was already STARTED?
Some services can cause certain .dll files not to be released . This causes memory conflicts which can lock a system up. And yes MANUAL services can be disabled. simply right click and choose "stop" As for the way I told him to access the admin tools thats the best way...I'm sorry pete if your're too stupid to follow directions....I feel sorry for your help desk boys

Manual services aren't started unless another service needs them, if you start disabling servies willy nilly you'll find yourself with more problems than you started with - your advice was bad and wrong.
Don't try to tell me your method of accessing the admin tools was superior either, tha mmc is widely accepted as the defacto means of administering your windows boxen.

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Originally posted by petemcevoy
Manual services aren't started unless another service needs them, if you start disabling servies willy nilly you'll find yourself with more problems than you started with - your advice was bad and wrong.
Don't try to tell me your method of accessing the admin tools was superior either, tha mmc is widely accepted as the defacto means of administering your windows boxen.

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Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!. It can't cause any trouble that a reboot will not solve(using last known good configuration)It can ,however track down a problem. MOST(and don't misquote me *******)manual services can be stopped without a problem. Hell....you can even stop some of the automatic ones without a problem( and don't misquote me here either I said SOME). I told him how to recover if he hosed it. You're just an *******.

Don't get so excited larry
In your first post to this thread you told the guy to disable *all* manual services, you've now changed your tune. Your advice wasn't as bad as i first made it out to be, but i still think a machine locking up like that would be_more_likely_to be hardware rather than software problems.

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Originally posted by petemcevoy
Don't get so excited larry
In your first post to this thread you told the guy to disable *all* manual services, you've now changed your tune. Your advice wasn't as bad as i first made it out to be, but i still think a machine locking up like that would be_more_likely_to be hardware rather than software problems.

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I agree it is probally a hardware issue. Would it not be wise to exhaust all software possiblities first?If it is a hardware issue(more precisly a memory problem) then the daigs you posted are incomplete and here is why. If you boot with any kind of msdos disk ,the program that test memory is limited by its own memory location.(it cannot test it) This link
www.tufftest.com contains a diag that has its own OS. It is able to relocate itself in memory and test its prior memory location. Like I said I will even give out a serial# (yes even to you pete)