System freezes

[burgerd]

Hello all,
I am working on setting up a machine to use as a Personal Video recorder. I thought I had it running but it would just freeze every time I use it after about 15 minutes. I think I have narrowed the problem down to the critical updates from MS for Windows XP. Has anyone had any similar problems? I reinstalled the machine with just the SP1 that came on the disk and it runs stable for days. If I apply all the updates it begins to freeze up again. Here are the system specs:

AMD Duron 1300
Gigabyte Micro-ATX system board (older board with 2000 dated BIOS)
512MB RAM
Western Digital 30GB drive
eVGA GeForce 4 MX 440 w/ TV out
3Com 3C905B NIC
52x32x52 LiteOn CD-RW
Hauppauge PVR-250
Windows XP w/ SP1

I've not had a similar problem, but I think I have a simple fix for ya.

Just install the updates one at a time. After each update, run the machine like you normally would. When your machine crashes, uninstall the update you just installed. Run it again, if it doesn't crash, then you know which update is causing the problem.

Just because M$ says it's "Critical" doesn't necessarily mean it is. I mean, they say IE 6 is "Critical"!

[paul9]

it may also beworth the effort to disable the screensaver, and check your power management settings in both windows and the bios.

[burgerd]

Evilrick,
That was exactly what I was going to try next.

Paul9,
I already investigated those settings. I have disabled them all and I am still having problems. The system even locks up while I am using it so I don't think that is the problem.

Thank you both for the input.

[paul9]

if all else fails, then check your mobo makers site and look into a bios update.

[burgerd]

That is the unfortunate part... The board is so old that it is no longer listed on the manufacturer's site...

If I cannot resolve it any other way I may have to pop the $70 for another Micro-ATX board.

Thanks.

[burgerd]

So here is an interesting twist... I ran Memtest86 3.0 (It boots off its own disc eliminating Windows from the picture) for about four hours without a problem. Then I started playing around with the options menu in the program and the machine froze! I am really stumped on this one...

[SeanC]

I would say hardware, either CPU, RAM or mobo somewhere. Not sure where though.

Sean

[burgerd]

OK. I replaced the system board in the machine with an MSI KM2M Combo-L. I plugged in my CPU, video card, RAM, hard drive, CD ROM, and Capture card. I installed Windows XP Home without a hitch. Got all the Windows updates without a hitch. The problem happened when I went to install the drivers for my Hauppage PVR-250 drivers. It blue-screened during the driver load. I messed around with removing and readding the drivers and finally got the driver properly removed using the Hauppage provided tool and got it reinstalled. During the reboot after installing the driver, I noticed that the HDD LED was not coming on. I shutdown the machine after Windows loaded and reversed the LED. The system would not boot after that. It would start to post but would never display the memory total. The only way for it to boot is to remove one of the DIMMS or to enable quick boot in the BIOS. Unfortunately, Windows hangs after asking me about being improperly shutdown. Either DIMM works fine to get thorugh POST. I just can't complete the POST with both in the system.

I am getting rather fed up with this machine. The RAM functions fine in another machines. I tried removing the CD/RW and the capture card but it still would not boot. If anyone has any suggestions they are welcome here.

Thanks.