Friends Computer problem...

conuk · 26 Mar 2006 at 21:58

OK couple of weeks a go I put a new hard drive - extra memory and sound card into a friends computer.

His last drive `went up in smoke` and he turned it off...... hmmmm risked putting one of my drives in there and all was fine - so I said new drive... and the other bits he wanted added....

All fine for 2 weeks... then blue screen of death when he started windows... he mentioned popups etc ....

hmmm got it off him.... wouldnt start in safe mode.... next thing - format drive install again... same problem .. blue screen or freeze - few seconds after the xp (pro) loading screen - bar moves then freezes....

heres what ive tried so far :

took the extra memory out - tried his original and the new one - same either way in.

ran DFT on the drive - full test - no errors... its a maxtor.

tried to install windows 2000 - goes to a strange screen with blue lines on loading and freezes... strange.

Not sure what to try next - was thinking of putting a drive of my own in there... but dont really want that killing...

any suggestions ?

His motherboard ? or power supply...

the machine is an Emachines 960 - google dont find any such machine.

as always thanks in advance... oh all Bios - fans - health etc seem otherwise ok.

also - could it be some kind of virus ?? any DOS software that will check the hardware - like I said the drive seemed ok..

Paul11 · 26 Mar 2006 at 23:00

run some memory tests first..

if you have formated the drive, i wouldnt have thought that it was a virus.

conuk · 26 Mar 2006 at 23:41

Paulus said:
run some memory tests first..

if you have formated the drive, i wouldnt have thought that it was a virus.

I took out the memory I bought (crucial - matched to his machine from website...) - used his... same problem... put in crucial - quick formatted - installed win2k then - same problem...

which Dos software will check memory ?

is there one to check motherboard as well ?

Thanks for your reply.

- added : running Drive Fitness Test on the drive - full test -- would this definately eliminate the new drive (well 2 weeks old..)

Monstermunch · 27 Mar 2006 at 00:37

buy something other than a maxtor, they're currently the most unreliable on the market

ONESHOTKILL · 27 Mar 2006 at 00:41

i remeber when i bought a maxtor and soon as i finished installing xp and it would boot to a blue screen or it would freeze on the xp loading screen.bought a diffrent drive and no problems since

conuk · 27 Mar 2006 at 17:41

ONESHOTKILL said:
i remeber when i bought a maxtor and soon as i finished installing xp and it would boot to a blue screen or it would freeze on the xp loading screen.bought a diffrent drive and no problems since

well hes going to pick it up later... think dad wants to buy new Pc anyways... but i dont like not knowing what was wrong ....

seems strange that it passes `fitness` test - and always stopped at same point... even after trying my old Windows 2k....

BoomAM · 27 Mar 2006 at 20:33

Monstermunch said:
buy something other than a maxtor, they're currently the most unreliable on the market

No they're not.