Random crashes on desktop

I have an older desktop that I put Vista on because I wanted a better OS before XP was fazed out. I know a bit, meaning very little, about PC's. I play some DDO and listen to iTunes more than anything else, except homework (full-time college student). It is an older motherboard, apparently, but was recently replaced. During gaming, the computer will reboot and enter DOS. It has happened while listening to iTunes, but not as often. Vista will not go into "sleep" mode w/o having to be rebooted w/ the disc. If more info required, I can give it. Just be specific and leading.

Thanks for any feedback!

What are the system specs? Brand, model, processor, RAM, etc...

Use Speecy if you don't know already.

Are you getting BSOD's? If so:

Download BlueScreenView
No installation required.
Double click on BlueScreenView.exe file to run the program.
When scanning is done, go Edit>Select All.
Go File>Save Selected Items, and save the report as BSOD.txt.
Open BSOD.txt in Notepad, copy all content, and paste it into your next reply.

What anti-virus program and firewall do you use?

Edited by keyboardNinja, 04 April 2010 - 01:34 PM.

Hi, Ninja! My pc is a custom build. The specs are:

OS: MS Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit SP2
Proc: Intel Pentium 4
RAM: 2.00 GB DDR@199 MHz
MB: ASUSTek Comp. INC. P4V8X-X
Graphics: Acer Screen
512 Mb GeForce 7600 GS (PNY)
HD: 160 WD WDC WD1600BB-22RDA0 ATA Device (IDE)
Optics: Atapi DVD RW
Lite-On CD RW
Audio: SB Audigy

Norton Internet Security
Advanced System Optimizer

I also did the bluescreen audit and it found nothing. I mean it gave no reports of crashes. I may not have done it properly. So, let me know if that tells you anything or nothing.

If you need more, let me know and I will do my best to supply them.

Thanks, again!

Okay, no BSOD's....if it said 0 crashes and there was nothing there, then that means you haven't had BSOD's (I assume you know that infamous blue screen when you see it).

When you said this:

During gaming, the computer will reboot and enter DOS.

I wasn't sure what exactly you meant....and I still don't. I know it wasn't a BSOD cause there are no dumps. Well, on second thought...let's check and make sure memory dumps are turned on.

Type the following into your Start Menu and hit Enter:

sysdm.cpl

Under the Advanced tab > Startup and Recovery > Settings

Be sure your settings look like this:


If they don't, first let me know which ones were different, then change them to what you see in the picture and click OK.

Do you notice the computer getting hot when it "crashes"? (you can feel the fan blowing hotter than normal air) Gaming on a PC like that would be sketchy at best. Having Vista doesn't help, as I'm sure you've figured out by now.

If you could define what you mean by "crash", I would be better able to help you. If it just plain turns off and reboots with no blue screen of death (BSOD), it could be related to overheating. Please give a clear description of what exactly you are doing when it happens and what exactly happens (does it go blank, green, curse at you, what?).

Like I said, Vista isn't the best at performance...Norton is working against you as well here. XP would likely run much better.

I use the term crash for when the computer stops its task and reboots. I would be playing Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO) and the computer reboots. It doesn't seem to matter what is occurring in the game. It has also done this when doing other tasks (i.e., iTunes), but generally it occurs when playing DDO. I will try the start menu option and see what I find and report back. When I was looking around in Vista, it said my performance rating is a 3.8.
Another thing: should I update to Windows 7? I don't want to go back to XP. As much trouble that Vista may have been and may always be, it does give the user better options than XP. Especially when they stop updating XP.

Could you explain how Norton is causing an issue? I like it and can't understand how it is an issue. I know what I like and what works are not what matters.

Thanks, Ninja!

Updating to Windows 7 is certainly an option, as it is MUCH better than Vista. If you decide to move to 7, be sure you do a clean install and not an in-place upgrade.

Norton is simply a resource hog. Anybody you ask can tell you this. It eats performance. If you want to find a lighter AV program, post a new topic in the AntiVirus, Firewall and Privacy Products and Protection Methods sub-forum with your situation and questions.

You did not answer my question about overheating. Overheating can often cause random reboots/crashes. Does the computer get hot or is it very warm after it crashes?

Sorry about not answering the overheating question. I must have missed it. It doesn't seem to be. It is a desktop and has an opening on the top where another drive would be but is not there. So air flow is not an issue. However, if it is running hard and unable to stay cool, then that could be the problem. As I said, I usually am playing online or using iTunes. Those may 'push' the system beyond their capabilities. If I'm using Office or just perusing the internet, it doesn't shutdown.

Thanks, again!

Ok. Did the settings change. It was not set as you had shown. It was set to restart. And it was not set for kernal memory dump. It is now.

Thanks.

Okay, if you get any blue screens now, be sure to do the Bluescreenview log and post the contents back here.

Ehh...with a Pentium 4 (single core...probably less than 2GHz), 2.00 GB DDR@199 MHz (slooowww RAM...half speed of DDR2), Norton AV (resource hog), and Vista (well, I don't have to explain that one)...it doesn't surprise me that you are having performance issues. Like you said, I think you are just pushing it beyond it's capabilities.

Download and run Speecy. It will report temperatures to you, among other things.

But yeah, your system is just not up to par for Vista...much less GAMING on Vista. It would run XP, or even Windows 7, much better. Or you could just get a new computer (what I would do, personally).

I'm pretty sure the random rebooting is directly related to the system just not being able to handle anything more than word processing and browsing. Anything more "hard-core" than that...with specs like that....just doesn't work. Sorry.

Thanks, Ninja! I appreciate the info. It might be time for a new PC.

Yes, it appears this one is on its way out...

Glad I could help.

Upgrade to SP3, then upgrade all your drivers.

Upgrade to SP3, then upgrade all your drivers.

There are only 2 service packs for Vista...

And bshane06 already has SP2, as you can see in the specs posted earlier.

The hardware just can't handle the software that's on it (Vista, Norton, games, etc...).

Hi, again! Umm... Ninja, I have gotten a BSOD. This is the report that I found. Please tell me that it is not the death knoll for my computer. I don't have time to mess with it, yet.

Dump File : Mini040810-01.dmp
Crash Time : 4/8/2010 12:18:53 AM
Bug Check String : KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
Bug Check Code : 0x1000008e
Parameter 1 : 0xc0000006
Parameter 2 : 0x8deb83f4
Parameter 3 : 0xb8269834
Parameter 4 : 0x00000000
Caused By Driver : BHDrvx86.sys
Caused By Address : BHDrvx86.sys+153f4
File Description :
Product Name :
Company :
File Version :
Processor : 32-bit
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\minidump\Mini040810-01.dmp
Processors Count : 2
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 6002
==================================================

Thanks!

That file (BHDrvx86.sys) belongs to Norton (told you it was trouble ). If you uninstalled Norton and went with a lighter (and better!) AV product like Avast!, you likely would end your crashing problem.

If you choose to uninstall Norton, be sure to download and run the Norton Removal Tool. If you do not use the Norton Removal tool, parts of the program will be left on your hard drive only to cause headaches in the future.