Pesky PC - random shutdowns *shakes fist* - wha'gwan?

[editor]

And just to be clear, the keyboard was a new one - not the one that was plugged into the broken PC?

I've tried 3 different keyboards.

I've been using my Lenovo laptop with the regular keyboard and my Android laptop plugged into the same connection ever since with no problem. No reboots or anything odd - and the Lenovo is using the same components (mouse/kybd/monitor).

The problems haven't been the same for each machine anyway, so I really think it is just bad luck.

 

[Sunray]

It's unfortunate it's a dell, I've my old even now 1/2 decent mb sitting in a drawer.

Quad core Q6600 overclocked at 3.2ghz with 4gb ram

It won't fit in a dell case.

 

[gentlegreen]

Cases don't cost much though ...

 

[editor]

After several Twitter mentasms from me I finally got the company to call me and after further foot stamping strop-outs, they've agreed to replace the entire machine by Thursday. It looks like they'd screwed something up with the overclocking.

 

[gentlegreen]

overclocking.

Oh I see ...

*taps nose knowingly*

 

[two sheds]

Oh I see ...

*taps nose knowingly*

Yes overclocking was what I first thought of, too.

 

[editor]

Oh I see ...

*taps nose knowingly*

Overclocking is hardly a high risk activity these days.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

as proven by the companys' screw up ;-)

 

[editor]

I am officially cursed. Second PC has been working fine for three days although the SD card slot doesn't work neither does the built in HD reader, but now it's completely booked again.

It won't boot up reporting blue screen error 0xC000021A.

Angry isn't the word.

 

[editor]

It's got as far as running the (guffaw) Automatic Repair screen which fancies about for a while before eventually working its way back to a blue screen.

All USB peripherals are disconnected.

As my tax deadline looms ever closer so does my rage!

*edit - it's finally booted up!

 

[editor]

...but lost all the programs I've installed

 

[editor]

OK. This is weird. The program files are still there except there seems to be no .exe. files in the folders.

Searching via Windows doesn't find them either so it's like Windows has just deleted all .exe. files when it ran the 'last known configuration'.

 

[Quartz]

Are you sure it's deleted them and some malware hasn't moved them or hidden them?

 

[editor]

Are you sure it's deleted them and some malware hasn't moved them or hidden them?

Apparently it's "refreshed" itself.

Refreshing your PC reinstalls Windows and keeps your personal files, settings, and the apps that came with your PC and apps that you installed from Windows Store. Resetting your PC reinstalls Windows but deletes your files, settings, and apps—except for the apps that came with your PC.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/restore-refresh-reset-pc

I am so fucked off with this machine.

 

[Ted Striker]

That's a pretty common malware MO.

Edit - just seen your response, so ignore me!

 

[editor]

The machine has been protected by Kaspersky from day one. I think it's time I just got a refund on this and bought my PC somewhere else.

 

[gentlegreen]

We get that at work quite a lot.
Windows tells you it needs to repair itself when it doesn't.

 

[editor]

We get that at work quite a lot.
Windows tells you it needs to repair itself when it doesn't.

You lose every single program you've installed?

 

[gentlegreen]

You lose every single program you've installed?

In our case strips it back to where you can't even log on ("enterprise" version of windoze) and get something working in a hurry.

 

[elbows]

If it were me I would probably start to consider the possibility of some kind of power supply issue causing data corruption. Its not on the most likely list, but I have seen it a few times in my life, usually when something else on the same electrical circuit is causing a problem. Not all devices will be affected so the fact that laptops etc havent got corrupted doesn't completely rule out this possibility.

However as it isnt that likely I would probably get a new computer from another source, and then make a complete clone backup of the hard drive. Then if that computer also went wrong I'd be able to restore it to a good state, after exploring and eliminating the root cause of the problem.

 

[two sheds]

I'd also consider taking a printout of your accounts if you can, and using them to complete your tax return on line somewhere.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

ah well, 4 days 6 hours and 13 minutes to HMRC fines deadline, I'll lend you a fairly old dell Xp laptop to file if you need it before then.

 

[Quartz]

The machine has been protected by Kaspersky from day one. I think it's time I just got a refund on this and bought my PC somewhere else.

Sounds like a plan. Hie thee to Dell or HP or Novatech or Ebuyer. Or you could build one yourself. I just built myself this one and really it was just a case of plugging everything in. The physical build took less than an hour total, and that included dismounting and remounting the motherboard after forgetting to fit the cooler backplate. The only real difficulty I had was that neither the case nor the board came with a speaker so I had to take the piezo-electric speaker out of one of my other PCs.

 

[Quartz]

ah well, 4 days 6 hours and 13 minutes to HMRC fines deadline

And their online payment option takes 3 banking days...

 

[editor]

ah well, 4 days 6 hours and 13 minutes to HMRC fines deadline, I'll lend you a fairly old dell Xp laptop to file if you need it before then.

Thanks for the offer - appreciated - but I've got my old laptop and my Android tablet so once I've stopped shouting at my machine I'll try and get something done on one of those.

 

[gentlegreen]

Or you could build one yourself. I just built myself this one and really it was just a case of plugging everything in. The physical build took less than an hour total, and that included dismounting and remounting the motherboard after forgetting to fit the cooler backplate. The only real difficulty I had was that neither the case nor the board came with a speaker so I had to take the piezo-electric speaker out of one of my other PCs.

That's one supercool cooler !

A shame to close the lid on it.

 

[editor]

If it were me I would probably start to consider the possibility of some kind of power supply issue causing data corruption.

I really can't see it being that at all: it's running through a surge protected socket that has been running other peripherals - monitors, printer and my laptop -without any kind of incident for years on end.

There's been no flickering, reboots or other such weirdness.

 

[Quartz]

That's one supercool cooler !

It is, isn't it? And it works a treat.

A shame to close the lid on it.

View attachment 28188

Actually it's necessary! The whole thing sits vertically so closing the lid means that air can flow from below, through the cooler, and out the top (where that big circular hole is and where a fan used to be). Fortunately, the case has a window.

I really can't see it being that at all: it's running through a surge protected socket that has been running other peripherals - monitors, printer and my laptop -without any kind of incident for years on end.

Hmm...

 

[editor]

Hmm...

If there was a power supply problem so big that it was causing brand new computers to corrupt, there would have to be other manifestations of that problem elsewhere, surely? Both laptops (Android/Thinkpad) have run off the same supply with no problem, and I'm sure that if there big surges, the monitors would have reflected something too).

 

[Quartz]

If there was a power supply problem so big that it was causing brand new computers to corrupt, there would have to be other manifestations of that problem elsewhere, surely? Both laptops (Android/Thinkpad) have run off the same supply with no problem,

Actually, that's not a reasonable conclusion, because your Android and Thinkpad may well have better quality PSUs, especially if your PC has come from a white-box builder, and your PC likely consumes vastly more power anyway so will be more sensitive.

and I'm sure that if there big surges, the monitors would have reflected something too).

Surges aren't the only problem you can have with power. You can have brownouts - voltage drops - or a noisy power signal. I'm sure there are other issues but I'm not an electrician so I'll let those that are give you chapter and verse - I just know that there can be problems. The best protection is an inline UPS. You also need to be aware of what else is on the circuit from the fusebox in. Things like a fridge or a freezer on the same circuit can be bad news.