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Well, I think I have narrowed the problem down but I am still stumped on what exactly to do.  My computer started resetting on it's own starting yesterday (sometimes while booting up it does a few restarts).  Apparently, there isn't anymore blue screen of death and it just auto restarts (found where to turn that off).  I first thought that the resetting might be because of a virus/adware so I tried to run those programs.  It would usually reset within a few minutes of running the scans (for some reason mainly when I'd turn the monitor off and walk away but while I was sitting down at the computer it wouldn't reset while running the scans).  Well, I think my memory went bad and so I replaced my new memory with the old ones I still have.  Seems to be working okay now but I got a blue screen right after it recognize the memory change saying bad_system_config_info.  Anyways, it seems to be up and running now but I have a feeling if I try to run a few programs at the same time it will dump on me again. 

I noticed when taking the memory out that the sticks are hot as hell.  Even now, I can feel the other memory that is hooked up and it seems abnormally hot (I know it is pretty bad for electrostatic discharge but not really caring right now).  I was thinking this was the problem.  I didn't think the memory sticks should be exposed to so much heat.  Anyways, if anyone has any better suggestions I would like to hear.  I literally beat the shit out of my computer today out of frustration.  No more front cover for it anymore...  I need a new computer but would like this one to last a little longer.  I also sprayed it down with compressed air to try and get all the dust out.

Anyone know if memory is supposed to run hot or does it usually get decently hot?  Why is my computer taking dumps every so often?

 

UPDATE : Looks like I have pinpointed it to possible memory problem due to the blue screen messages (PFN_LIST_CORRUPT and  IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL).

After switching to the original memory my computer has yet to crash.  Still need to test the bad memory to make sure this is the cause.



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Tried running the anti viruses in safe mode?



Libara said:
Tried running the anti viruses in safe mode?


Nope, haven't messed with safe mode much.  It seems to crash more while trying to start up.  It will almost get to the windows boot screen then reset.  So I have a feeling this might be a hardware issue more than adware/spyware.  I'll probably try shutting it down and running it in safe mode while trying to do some scans.  It could be a virus/spyware but that wouldn't make too much sense to me for a virus to cause your PC to constantly blue screen/ memory dump (even before logging into Windows).

I'm thinking my memory went bad or something possibly due to heat exposure over long period of time.  It just seems like the memory sticks are getting bombarded with heat.  Feeling the memory sticks right now and it feels almost hot enough to cook an egg on.



I can't say. Run memtest. Google it. It will test your memory for errors
Random Restarts could be many things, or essentially everything, Power Supply, VideoCard, Bad Memory, Bad Drivers.
When windows restarts. Does it give you a message (I forgot the actually wording) saying that it restarted on its own.

Heat shouldn't be an issue in memory ever, even overclocked because even then it doesn't draw many watts. But if it is getting hot it could be a problem. 

This is something I found to try not sure if its correct
Go in the System Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery and change
> the option to have the computer Automatically restart on system failure,
> configure it to halt on the BSOD then post the contents of the BSOD to
> your next post.
>



ishiki said:

I can't say. Run memtest. Google it. It will test your memory for errors
Random Restarts could be many things, or essentially everything, Power Supply, VideoCard, Bad Memory, Bad Drivers.
When windows restarts. Does it give you a message (I forgot the actually wording) saying that it restarted on its own.

Heat shouldn't be an issue in memory ever, even overclocked because even then it doesn't draw many watts. But if it is getting hot it could be a problem. 

This is something I found to try not sure if its correct
Go in the System Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery and change
> the option to have the computer Automatically restart on system failure,
> configure it to halt on the BSOD then post the contents of the BSOD to
> your next post.
>


I wrote a few down before I switched to the original memory

while I had my newer memory (ones I think went bad) I got

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT - read on some forum that it is probably bad memory since most of the posts were talking about bad memory

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL - read a little about this on microsoft site -  "The most common cause of this error is an incorrect or corrupted pointer that references an incorrect location in memory. A pointer is a variable used by a program to refer to a block of memory."

with the original memory put back in the only crash I was able to record said

BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO which is probably due to switching the memory in and out even though I said okay on the memory change right on boot up.

"This issue may occur if one or more of the random access memory (RAM) modules that are installed in your computer is damaged or if the RAM configuration is incompatible."

 

So basically it is looking like my newer memory went bad possibly due to prolonged heat exposure.  I'll keep trying to get all my scans complete just in case.  I'll also run memtest on all the memory sticks that I have to possibly pin point it to memory.   So far I have the computer running for almost an hour with no crashes on the original memory.  I should maybe ghetto rig a fan in the computer just to cool my memory since this computer seems to be designed poorly (e-machine).



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It will also do you good to ask on Tom's Hardware...



Sounds like a power supply going bad. Not knowing what you really have in your PC, you won't get any reasonable answers, though.



drkohler said:
Sounds like a power supply going bad. Not knowing what you really have in your PC, you won't get any reasonable answers, though.

That one is gradual, not boom 1 day good and later bad.

And I also had a PSU going bad in my old PC... it resulted in nothing but hangs under intensive tasks, not random reboots and such. Replaced it and all's good.



check your power source, check your heat, check for virus's.



Of Course That's Just My Opinion, I Could Be Wrong