System diagnosis

[Ancient Seagul]

Hi

Getting crash-to-desktop, socket errors, render errors, can't connect to mythic update server messages. It's a PC problem as able to play DAOC on my other machines.

By reading loads of posts across FH and VN, I've made a list of things that I need to check, but not being a PC or Windows expert, I need to know how / where to check these things. I think this would be very useful for the majority of players who want to sort their own probs out but don't know how.

Can someone explain what I need to do to check the following:

1. 3dmark graphicscard benchtest
2. Update DirectX to latest version
3. Updating BIOS
4. How to convert to NTFS from FAT32 in Windows XP. Is this a safe move ?
5. Checking interrupt conflicts on hardware devices
6. Resource conflicts
7. Checking if any motherboard connectors are disconnected
8. I/O device spamming interrupts
9. Checking overheating and power supply overloads

Thanks,
Seagul

 

[Moriath]

sounds pretty knackered .. tried a reinstall of windows .. sounds a good plan and reload the drivers for hardware then hope its a software problem and not a hardware one

 

[Flippant Desires]

Hi

Getting crash-to-desktop, socket errors, render errors, can't connect to mythic update server messages. It's a PC problem as able to play DAOC on my other machines.

By reading loads of posts across FH and VN, I've made a list of things that I need to check, but not being a PC or Windows expert, I need to know how / where to check these things. I think this would be very useful for the majority of players who want to sort their own probs out but don't know how.

Can someone explain what I need to do to check the following:

1. 3dmark graphicscard benchtest
2. Update DirectX to latest version
3. Updating BIOS
4. How to convert to NTFS from FAT32 in Windows XP. Is this a safe move ?
5. Checking interrupt conflicts on hardware devices
6. Resource conflicts
7. Checking if any motherboard connectors are disconnected
8. I/O device spamming interrupts
9. Checking overheating and power supply overloads

Thanks,
Seagul

Problems can be down to any number of factors...it's sometimes just quicker to format drive and start again.

1. 3dmark graphicscard benchtest - won't solve your problem
2. Update DirectX to latest version - windows update (via IE > Tools), or www.microsoft.com/directx
3. Updating BIOS - unless your mobo is old, don't bother, rarely fixes anything...but more likely to cause problems.
4. How to convert to NTFS from FAT32 in Windows XP. Is this a safe move ? - Win XP is NTFS by default i'm sure
5. Checking interrupt conflicts on hardware devices - Win XP handles this by default - only 'possible' way is to enter BIOS and clear CMOS settings
6. Resource conflicts - same as above.
7. Checking if any motherboard connectors are disconnected - unlikely to be your problem - but just check h/d, vid, sound/card connectors etc - are they properly seated, i.e. if you hear a satisfying 'click' that's probably been your problem all along.
8. I/O device spamming interrupts - Win XP again...
9. Checking overheating and power supply overloads - check your fans are working, not that rare for vid etc to crack-up.

 

[Flippant Desires]

Getting crash-to-desktop, socket errors, render errors, can't connect to mythic update server messages. It's a PC problem as able to play DAOC on my other machines.

Forgot to mention, if you can run daoc on other machines, then try copying your user.dat file (inside daoc folder) from one to the other. Fairly easy to do, user/dat stores screen rezz and keyboard settings, e.g. key mappings like F8, spacebar...

 

[Ancient Seagul]

Thanks)

If I wanted to wipe everything clean and re-install XP (and everything else) from scratch again (as if it were straight out the factory), is there a site that explains step by step what to do. I have no technical knowledge of DOS or pre-Windows / boot up processes, and I don't really know (a) how to wipe the hard drive, or (b) what items need to be re-loaded and in what order.

Thx again )

 

[Kalid]

Thanks)

If I wanted to wipe everything clean and re-install XP (and everything else) from scratch again (as if it were straight out the factory), is there a site that explains step by step what to do. I have no technical knowledge of DOS or pre-Windows / boot up processes, and I don't really know (a) how to wipe the hard drive, or (b) what items need to be re-loaded and in what order.

Thx again )

A page for you if you don't like to experiment a little

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Word of advice - do NOT have your network cable plugged in during the installation. When you're done installing and is ready to connect to internet to update/patch your system ENABLE the XP firewall first (there's a tutorial in the website about it too). go to windows update and patch your system, install antivirus and update it etc...

 

[Darzil]

To be honest, I'd recommend installing the anti-virus before going to Windows update. Then wait until the download from windows update has finished, and the install is starting, and switch off the anti-virus / disconnect from the internet at that point.

I've twice managed to get an infected machine between switching off the anti-virus at the start of the windows update download (when Microsoft tells you to), and the end of it !

Darzil