Blackjack

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to be out of the country for a few weeks and when I get back I'll investigate further. Cheers!

I should have said in my last post - the problems appear to be the same now regardless of which RAM module is installed.

Hello again! Well I got 1GB of RAM from Crucial and replaced the 512MB module with it. Then my problems multiplied, or grew in magnitude! First the system wouldn't boot up and an error message was saying boot disk failure. So I took the 1GB module out and returned the 512MB module and the system booted up again. Then I switched them back and with the 1GB module installed the system appeared to boot up ok. I was happily watching a video on YouTube and then things took a turn for the worse! Basically the system crashed and when it started to reboot the same error message as before, the boot system disk failure. I've since got the impression that if I leave it for a while switched off it will load Windows on the next attempt. However, Windows loads rediculously slowly and does not appear to run properly. For example, I have lost all wireless internet connectivity. A couple of times I've left Windows running, but idle and when I've gone back to the PC it has crashed and I've got the same error message about boot disk failure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! :eek:

Thanks Ken, If I don't add another post on this thread then the new RAM worked! Cheers :)

Hi, I ran the test that I mentioned and it showed some failures so I think I've located the problem. I've got two slots, each can take 1GB so will probably go the whole hog! I bought RAM before from Crucial for another PC. Are there any other suppliers to be recommended? Cheers,

Thanks for the advice. The 512MB RAM is one module. Would the Windows Memory Diagnostic at Microsoft Online Crash Analysis be a good tool to use as an alternative? :confused:

I just ran CHKDSK which executed without any apparent problem.

Hi there, The system is a Philips Freeline MT2000 that I bought about 5 years ago. It’s done very little in that time and I only use it for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, so even though it is dated I’m guessing it still runs well within its capabilities. It’s got Norton AntiViris 2009. It has a P4 530 3.0GHz processor, 512MB DDR, 160GB HDD (which is 80% unused and defragged). It has a ATI Radeon 9250 256B graphics card. Beyond that what would you like to know about the hardware specification? When I say the HDD light comes on continuously, I literally mean that, not the normal flickering. It stays on indefinitely. The system appears to run perfectly well initially that might indicate a loose connection. However, when it starts this annoying thing it’s like a consistent cycle that is best described as the whole system being responsive for 80% of the time and 20% unresponsive, or locked up, in this cycle that takes about 4 seconds to repeat. The system came with the wireless mouse and keyboard that I still use. The batteries are fine. When I type and then look back at what I’ve typed it appears that I’ve missed loads of letters and spaces out where I’ve made key strokes while the system with not responding. I could have not bothered proof reading this post then you would have seen! :) I have never changed the BIOS, in fact I don't know how to. The CD/DVD drives appear to work properly under normal circumstances. I did say when I started this thread that all the symptoms occur together, but that is not true. It is sometimes the case that the HDD light is on permanently with the non-responsive CD/DVD drives, the keyboard problem, but the audio and display (e.g. watching a video on YouTube) is unaffected. However, usually its all symptoms together! Finally, when the problem occurs and I shut Windows down the problem persists even until the moment the power goes off. The normal Windows shut-down sound is punctuated by the non responsive moment and the sound of the HDD being read from or written to stops as well for the moments the system is not responding. Maybe I need a new PC, but I hope not!

Please can anyone help me with this? At least half the time I use my PC and at varying periods of time after it has been switched on the following occurs. Basically the HDD light iluminates continuously and while it is on the one DVD drive will not open (in fact it does not even appear in ‘my computer’ while the other DVD drive opens and closes but will not read any disc. At the same time the functions of the computer start and stop at regular intervals. For example, the keyboard and mouse do not appear to opeate for about one out of every four seconds in a repeating cycle. Also the sound is lost at those moments as well as the display freezing, internet activity stops, it is as if the whole system just hangs every four seconds or so on a looping cycle. No information is lost, it frees up again for a few seconds and then repeats. When I restart the PC initially the problem is not there and sometimes my PC appears to ‘free’ itself and comes out of the cycle when it is left long enough. Any ideas please?

I have sorted it. I read another thread that mentioned 'Diagnose Connections Problems' in the Tools tab of Internet Explorer, so I tried it and that got the ethernet connection going. Still my wireless wouldn't work after running the same tool again for the wireless connection. After much time I came accross the data encription method in wireless network properties and changed it to TKIP (whatever that is!) and now my wireless is working as well. No mention of data encription options anywhere in the router setup, so hopefully someone else will benefit from this thread. Come on Plusnet, mention data encription in your trouble shooting guide. Thanks for your responses Snow and Kelly.

Hi everyone, I’m new to the forum and a complete novice to anything that goes on inside my computer! I’m proficient on Office software and using most Windows applications I come across, but when it comes to what’s going on inside the box or how to set the system up I’m guessing!. My biggest achievement with a computer was getting my mum to the same level as me before I left home many years ago J

I’ve just got wireless broadband. My PC detects the network. When I try to connect to the wireless network I enter the WAP key when prompted, but then nothing happens and the red cross remains on the wireless icon in the taskbar. I’ve also tried ethernet cable and the ‘limited or no connectivity’ warning appears and I can’t connect to the internet. I’ve double and triple checked the WAP key and, in any case, I’ve tried with another wireless PC and it works fine wirelessly with the router. I’ve also uninstalled my antivirus software as it was out of date and I wondered if it was stopping the internet connection. Still can’t connect. Please can someone help?