random crashes

[jayskates]

Hey everyone,

I'm not sure what the problem is i'm having but i'm running a windows 7 beta right now (been planning to reinstall xp for a while now but havn't got around to it)

Anyways, my computer has started randomly crashing, and when it crashes the screen goes black without warning and the computer freezes up, it doesn't turn off and the only way to turn it off is by holding down the power button.

I am kind of scared to try completely wiping windows off and creating a new partition and installing xp again because i've heard there's some virus's out there that will kick in when you try to do that and then the computer will be useless.

The computer crashes at completely random times, and it sometimes will go a day or two without doing it and then start doing it every time it loads up windows.

I've also found that it doesn't crash while i'm in the bios setup so i'm assuming its a problem with windows?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks in advance.

Jay.

[AnnMarie]

I am kind of scared to try completely wiping windows off and creating a new partition and installing xp again because i've heard there's some virus's out there that will kick in when you try to do that and then the computer will be useless.

Hi Jay and welcome. I dont know where you heard that gem but I can assure you it's not correct.

I'm not sure what the problem is i'm having but i'm running a windows 7 beta right now (been planning to reinstall xp for a while now but havn't got around to it)

The Beta phase of any software release is to test for bugs, crashes, errors, inconsistencies and any other problems. What you are experiencing may well be a bug that was reported to Microsoft and fixed in the final release so for that reason, we dont help troubleshoot problem with beta software. Your best option is to reinstall XP as you planned.

[jayskates]

Hey AnnMarie,

Thanks a lot for the reply!

So even if it is a virus causing the crashing, there's no chance i will be unable to delete my current partition with windows 7 and create a new one for windows xp?

I'm just curious because i've heard of virus's that can embed themselves into your computers bios.... I could just be being overly paranoid haha.

I will go ahead with the install either later tonight or tomorrow and I will keep you updated on my status,

again, thanks a lot for the reply.

Jay.

[AnnMarie]

Jay, technically it's possible for a virus to infect the bios and in the past we have seen viruses such as Chernobyl that accomplished this with some degree of success on older machines but in reality, we havent see any such issues for several years. The possibility is so remote, it's not worth worrying about. There are no bucks in it for the malware coders so they dont bother. It's all about money these days.

[jayskates]

Hey Ann Marie,

I think my paranoia is true... !

I just tried to run the windows xp disc and after its done loading the files I get this...

"A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

SESSION5_INITIALIZATION_FAILED

if this is the first time you've seen this stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps.

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed. If this is a new installing, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as cashing or shadowing. If you need to use safe Mode to remove or disable components, retart your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup options, and then select Safe Mode.

Technical Information:

*** STOP: 0x00000071 (0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)"

I'm going to start doing some intense googling in hopes of finding a way to fix this (fingers REALLY crossed)

If you can offer any suggestions or help i'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again!

Jay.

[AnnMarie]

That error is nothing to do with an infected bios. Did you wipe the drive first? Please post the steps you performed to do the install and tell me what type of disk you are using (retail full installation CD or recovery disk)?

[jayskates]

Hey Anne Marie,

I'm sorry, my comment was posted prematurely do to panic, I think perhaps the CD I tried to install had bad files or something, a friend gave me his copy of xp with SP3, I am now installing my own copy with sp1 and it's going through the setup without a hitch,.

I will keep you posted.

Thanks a ton for the help!



Jay.

[AnnMarie]

Ok.

[jayskates]

Ok, I have run into a problem,

I know this disc works because I used it to install xp on this computer a few days ago.

I am getting a "copy error" telling me

"Setup cannot copy the file licwmi.ll" - update * this happened with quite a few files and I continued the setup without them. I am still in the setup but i'm unsure if windows will work when it's finished.

It's asking me to specify where the files are, and when I choose the disc drive it says they cannot be found?

Thanks again,

Jay.

[AnnMarie]

Jay are you using a legitimate Microsoft disk?

[jayskates]

Yeah, it's a dell disc that came with my desktop.

[AnnMarie]

And this machine is the Dell desktop?

[jayskates]

The machine i'm on is a dell but the laptop is a toshiba, I got it from a friend and I don't have the recovery disc from it. Windows run's though, I'm not sure how I can tell if there's anything wrong with it or not.

Thanks,

Jay.

[AnnMarie]

Jay I hope you know that the Dell license can only be used on one computer. I dont know whether or not the Dell disk can be used on non-Dell hardware. You will have to check in the Hardware Forum and see if anyone there has tried it. It would be much cleaner and easier to order Recovery Disks from Toshiba. They will charge a small fee but at least you will have them handy if they are needed again in the future.

[AnnMarie]

When you post in the Hardware Forum, ask what is the best software to use to test your RAM. That's another possible reason for the errors and would also account for the random crashes you were having.