Possibly upgrading my PC - Dual core useful for GPL?

[Asbjeurn Tverberg]

I guess Nicky's suggestion is the only way I can find out if it is the software that causes the problems. I'm not sure if I have a restore point, so I probably won't be able to use that method. I'm 100 % sure that I haven't touched any of the internals in the computer since I (or my cousin) built it, so if it is some hardware issue, it must have developed slowly, or there must have been some other, more serious, factor that caused it, like a lightning or something. Then I'm afraid I need a new computer.

[b_1_rd]

May be worth checking inside for dust then.  If its over heating the graphics/video card it will shut off.  Worth a look, and blow it out with an air duster, then try re-seating the card perhaps.

[Asbjeurn Tverberg]

That might be a solution, Steve! I'll keep an eye on the temp meters next time I'm on the computer, and see how the temperature develops.

[Asbjeurn Tverberg]

The temperature stayed pretty stable on 47-48 degrees Celsius on the GPU, and about 37 degrees Celsius on the CPU. No sign of overheating, then, but still it blacked out. Seems like I need to do some uninstall/reinstall to see if that helps.

[Asbjeurn Tverberg]

Uninstalled some of the programs last night, and the computer seemed to behave normally. I then fired up GPL, and managed one and a half lap around Silverstone before another screenfreeze.  I might uninstall the rest tonight.

[FullMetalGasket]

Are you able to monitor the Motherboard/Chipset temperature?
A few years ago the Chipset Fan on one of my old pc's died. It would run normal windows quite happily if nothing was happening within windows, but as soon as you started running stuff it overheated and the pc would either crash or reset.

Temps on restart would be about 60odd Degrees C when checked from within the BIOS, Once I managed to get the PC monitoring window up when it crashed and it had hit 110 degrees! 
Amazingly that machine now works perfectly after removing copious quantitys of dust and fitting a new heatsink 

May be worth a check for you 

[Asbjeurn Tverberg]

The temperature stayed pretty stable on 47-48 degrees Celsius on the GPU, and about 37 degrees Celsius on the CPU. No sign of overheating, then, but still it blacked out.

Ddin't check the motherboard, though, but I did open the cover on the PC to check the internals for dust. Didn't see any. Now the motherboard holds 30 degrees.

[kinghiro]

This sound like a nightmare. To me it sound like the software fucked up something. I ve never had any luck with sysrtem restore , but then again I only tried that once. Good old "format c:\" ,plenty of time , good mood and coffee...maybe movie in the background etc and by the end of the day the pc is good as new. Then it s fun to put in the shit so you find out what make the problem and again removing software doesn t help and you do the Format c:\ again. Remember to keep smiling. at least now you know what caused it ..I used two months once.. big all the time ( some bundle that came with the MB fucked up something)

[Asbjeurn Tverberg]

Yeah, I had the same experience last night, King. I uninstalled all the software bundled with the camera, in plain desperation, but that didn't help either, so I'm very afraid that the only solution is to reinstall the whole computer. I even tried to download new BIOS, but all I got was some bin-files and a program file that seemingly did nothing. I'll take a new look tonight and see if there was something about the download I misunderstood.

[NickyIckx]

 

I even tried to download new BIOS, but all I got was some bin-files and a program file that seemingly did nothing.

at least a sort of flash-programm is needed to update BIOS......

  hope you do know  ; if the flashing of the BIOS chip does fail , you are in deep trouble.

Isnt there any auto/update routine for your BIOS at the motherboards factory webside ?

back to ya Windows trouble ; have you ever tried to start Windows via hitting F8 key while booting and select `last known working Windows `  ?


good luck

[Asbjeurn Tverberg]

hope you do know  ; if the flashing of the BIOS chip does fail , you are in deep trouble.

Thanks for the warning. Now I am in deep trouble. I found out what the point was with the bin-file I downloaded. :shy: Yes, there is a BIOS update program on my PC, and I used that to update it. All seemed to work out fine, until the verification of the flashing. Then it stopped. When I restarted the computer, it just stopped before loading the OS, so now I have a computer I can't start. What to do now?

[NickyIckx]

When I restarted the computer, it just stopped before loading the OS, so now I have a computer I can't start.

doesnt sound that bad 
looks like you can still  open all the BIOS settings , right ?
To me that would simply mean , that there is a readable BIOS chip .

( if a BIOS chip is coruppted e.c. by wrong flashing , mostly it results in a black screen , no BIOS information no nothing .. ) .

- try to go into BIOS and choose something like default/save settings. hit F10 key and say yes.

- if that doesnt work  , have a look inside BIOS to see if your HDD is been recognized , as well ya CD/DVD drive . if not try to detect manualy .

if above loacal drives are detected correct , but still OS wont start : make sure inside BIOS the CD drive is set to first boot device , put in your Windows CD , restart and keep pushing F8 key while boot procedure ; chosse repair Windows option .


hope one of that will help , if not , post here  maybe I can dig out more outa my memory 

[Asbjeurn Tverberg]

When I start the computer it says: "Warning: System boot fail. Your system last boot fail or POST interrupted. Please enter setup to load default and reboot again. Hit Del to enter setup."

I hit Del, and then it says "Entering setup....." and nothing more happens.

[NickyIckx]

 
so it stops starting to load BIOS information .( cause there arent anymore after flashing failed )
Thats too bad !

- there is a way to create a bootable CD including basic DOS stuff , CD driver stuff etc. and BIOS flash-programm and needed BIOS files .......

Via that kind of CD it should be possible to rewrite the BIOS chip on your motherboard.

I will have a look , if I saved something like that on my HDDs....
meanwhile you can google around : search for `BIOS flashing via Boot CD ` or equal ...

  another way is to buy a new BIOS chip for your motherboard or sent your whole motherboard to a company serving BIOS repair/update...
( mostly is sort of wasted money , as motherboards arent that expensive  , well depends )

will keep you updated
 ;)stay strong


EDIT :  Have you tried clear cmos ? or removing the battery for short  period of time ?

EDIT 2 : how did you flashed the BIOS , via Windows ? or via Floppy/CD  ?

EDIT 3 : what kind of motherboard is it ? does it have dual BIOS ? if so refer to the manual how to save reset BIOS

[Asbjeurn Tverberg]

EDIT :  Have you tried clear cmos ? or removing the battery for short  period of time ?

How do I clear CMOS? Haven't tried the battery trick.

EDIT 2 : how did you flashed the BIOS , via Windows ? or via Floppy/CD  ?

I flashed it via Windows. The flashing went by seemingly OK, but the process stopped during verification.

EDIT 3 : what kind of motherboard is it ? does it have dual BIOS ? if so refer to the manual how to save reset BIOS

Asus M2N-E. Don't think it has a dual BIOS. The manual doesn't mention it anyway, but I discovered another thing: It should be possible to recover the BIOS via the support CD. I will try that. Thanks for putting me on track of a solution, Nicky!

Edit: Ain't that just my luck! Looked through the stuff that corresponds with my PC. I've got all the CD's to the other hardware, and not for the motherboard! Can't understand were I've put it. Probably in the bin.