Finally figured out the problem...

[EndobioticChaos]

...and you'll never guess what it was. Last Saturday my comp suddenly, for no apparent reason, started locking up in UT. Okay I thought, no problem... I'll just replace my DirectX files and video drivers and it'll be alright. Nope. Still locked up. Okay, must be the game files then. (btw, at this point I'm playing UT from the same game files in both Win98 and WinXP) So I reinstall UT. No dice. Hmm... probably some problem with it running in Win98. I completely remove the UT files and registry entries, and install it to both HD partitions, so both OSes are using their own set of game files. STILL no luck. It can't be a hardware conflict since I'm using the exact same hardware I've been using for weeks with no problems. But now things go from bad to worse... now the lockups start happening for no apparent reason just in the OSes... yes, even in XP! No BSODs, no error messages, just lockups! Finally it gets to the point where I can't even boot up in Win98. Finally after testing numerous pieces of hardware, I test my friend's vid card, to see if it's my vid card making the problem. I go into safe mode (since I can't boot in normally...) and uninstall my vid card. Pop in his, boot up, and yippee! it boots up! Still no color at this point, since drivers aren't installed yet... Okay, so I install the drivers. Restart... It starts up, ahh, there's my colors and resolution back again. And now it locks up again while starting the startup programs, just like before!! What gives?? Nope, it wasn't the vid card... but you can't guess what it was, can you?

[amdkt7]

You big tease!
Give us the answer.

Was is bugs in you computer shorting out the chipset?

I know, it must have been somthing stupid!

[mickwish]

Power prob, EC? Power socket not providing correct current?

Am I even close??

You big tease!

And, yes I agree with the amd man! C'mon, EC, put us out of our misery? You didn't even post all youyr specs, so play fair!

edit: and he's not even online anymore now!!!

[EndobioticChaos]

Fine fine, I'll be fair. Here's the specs

Mobo: Epox 8KHA+
CPU: Duron 1.0Ghz @ 1.173Ghz
HSF: Volcano 5
PSU: Enlight 300w
HDD: Maxtor 40gig @ 7200 & WD 10gig @5400
DVD: Lite-On 16x
Vid: Radeon 64MB DDR VIVO
Floppy: Old generic floppy
RAM: Crucial 256MB PC2100
OSes: Win98SE; WinXP; Mandrake8.1
Keyboard: old Compaq keyboard with some special buttons
Pointing device: Logitech optical trackball, (first model)
Monitor: generic 17"

can't think of any other specs that might be important here...

Edit: Wahoo! Just noticed this is my 500th post!! One more for "senior member"
Edit #2: Just thought I should mention, neither of you is right, not even close.

[VERT]

Well I figured it could be your soundcard as I have heard of similar problems, but since you haven't listed that in you specs it cant be that.

[amdkt7]

your over clocked. sometimes the hardware can't take it anymore, did you set it back down? Was all your fans running? Air flow ok?

[mickwish]

Hmm, must be hardware issue as both OSes suffered it, so that rules out software (and he didn't post scads of software stuff in the specs, so that's a clue!).

Doesn't just shutdown, so can't be a true power issue, as would just blank out - like if he keep putting his foot on power cord or monitor cord (heard of that before)..

.. along that vein, would removing keybord suddenly produce lockup? Sure it would (from key entry view), but mouse would still move I think...

..so. here's another stab - where are your feet during lockups - do ya plant yer great big clodhoppers on the keyboard cable and yank it out?

Am I getting closer yet?? Something to do with human interaction and hardware??

Or pet interaction - does yer cat / dog tug on the keyboard cable or something?

Got me puzzled I must say. Yer seem a bit smug, as if no-one's gonna get it, so must be a trick to it.

Oh, well, as long as you eventually let us know I suppose

edit...and he's offline again! Must've been another lockup ..LOL

[Thud]

OK, I'll take a stab at it. I have two guesses:

1) It's something related to your overclock. Possibly a heat related issue. Also, most OS's and many programs (or games) don't install cleanly on an overclocked machine.

2) One of those keys on your old keyboard was getting stuck down.

[VERT]

Well I figured it could be your soundcard as I have heard of similar problems, but since you haven't listed that in you specs it cant be that.

either that or since seeing that you have overclocked your CPU, I would asume you would have overclocked you graphics card too.
Perhaps your having hot weather at the moment and your system fans aren't cooling your system as well as they usually do. An overheating graphics card causes lockups in games.
But you have said it is not your video card, and this does not explain why your PC was not booting in W98. So I asume its your overclocked CPU.

[EndobioticChaos]

Okay, time to push it over to "senior member"

Sorry I forgot to mention the sound card, that's one of the compontents I tested that was NOT the problem. It's a Sound Blaster 16 PCI.

Okay, enough suspense.

It was the monitor. Yeah, you read right: it was the monitor!! Can you believe it?? It was the last thing I expected!!

Here I was, racking my brain for DAYS over what the problem could be, and it was the SOB monitor!!! ARGGHH!! Lol.

Weird huh?

[mickwish]

Nah, Vert, he said we'll never guess, and that would've been my first target. Something sneaky - maybe it's related to that post on antistatic fabric softener...


... I'll admit I'm groping here, trying for the psychological angle of why he's so sure we won't get it.

Is he still offline I wonder? The tease!

edit: slow dialup!

Thanks for the answer EC - what was the monitor doin' before that? Slowly dying? Thought they normally went fade, then pop.

[VERT]

It was the monitor. Yeah, you read right: it was the monitor!! Can you believe it?? It was the last thing I expected!!

how does a monitor crash a PC?!?!?!? perhaps something to do with the monitor voltage?

please explain

[EndobioticChaos]

what was the monitor doin' before that? Slowly dying? Thought they normally went fade, then pop.

Not this one. It was working just fine. Picture is still just fine. I'm guessing it's probably a short in the cable somewhere, which could potentially give bad feedback to the vid card. What finally tipped me off was the fact that it worked just fine in low res and low color, but the instant I tried high res and color it locked up. Also, I'd tested every other stinkin' piece of hardware already.

[VERT]

hmmm interesting, congrats on your senior status anyway

[Sohgin]

Are you using a new monitor to figure it out or are you just running in low-res? If you're just running in low-res then it could be the video card or maybe the AGP port or drivers.

[EndobioticChaos]

Yeah, I'm running my friend's (who, btw, is wrathlon here at TechIMO...) 21" monitor and it works just great so far. Don't worry, I'll do some more testing to make sure before I go and shell out the dough for a new monitor.

[amdkt7]

keep us posted, if it turns out to be anything other than the monitor.. I don't see how, unless it is plug and play screwing up. Perhaps try disabling "automatic detect plug and play monitors"...

[mickwish]

I'm with you, amd man. I think you might unwittingly be giving us a bum steer, EC, as I can't see how the monitor can cause a "lockup". Restart maybe if it affected vid card, freeze with no display if monitor itself has bad fit, but lockup??

Hope you are right, for your own sanity, but have my doubts. I think you'll be having more probs before long with friends monitor.

How's that for a grim prediction. But you can laugh at me if you are right, I don't mind!

Maybe should change my nick to Thomas!

[EndobioticChaos]

I think you'll be having more probs before long with friends monitor.

Man, I sure hope not. If it's not the monitor, it's gotta be the mobo, because there's nothing else left... At this point I'm fairly optimistic about this diagnosis though. Even though I am a true pessimist at heart.

Maybe should change my nick to Thomas!

Lol. I wonder if anyone else will even get this one?

[EndobioticChaos]

Well, much as I hate to say it, I guess you guys are all right about one thing... it's not the monitor after all. It was purely coincidence that it worked out like it did. It's gotta be something in the mobo. I've tested every other piece of hardware. Well, everything but the DVD and the floppy anyhow. Neither of those has the potential to cause this problem. But other than those, I literally tested everything from the keyboard to the CPU to the PSU... EPoX, here we come