[Paul B]

Turns out the luck I've had with my Acer D150 netbook isn't going to bextended to the M3800 desktop I bought Jan this year.

Basically over the last few days its started just resetting itself what seems like randomly. I haven't installed any new software and Virus/Malware searches reveal nothing. If I take a look at the Win7 reliability graph it looks like a set of stairs in the downwards direction for the last two days.

There have been some windows updates and Adobe updates I suppose but I've got a feeling its hardware related. It doesn't seem to be linked to it being overly stressed either, the other day the system monitors showed it was working at around 50% capacity and it reset, this morning I turned it on, signed in and it reset?

It is under warranty (but given it was bought from ebuyer and I'm talking to a man in a far away place they don't believe me at the minute [and charge me for the privelege of doing so]).

Annoyingly I can't backup the last few weeks photos etc. as it just borks. Any suggestions on what to do? Wth other Win OS you could notice it slowing down and then do a fresh install, this doesn't seem to be displaying those symptoms at all in terms of performance.

Any likely hardware culprits?

[slackline]

Power Supply Unit is worth checking (if you've another spare swap it over), Bubba mentioned RAM too (take them out one at a time).

Software updates shouldn't cause resets, unless they're unofficial/cracked software which might be infected.

[Paul B]

Power Supply Unit is worth checking (if you've another spare swap it over), Bubba mentioned RAM too (take them out one at a time).

Software updates shouldn't cause resets, unless they're unofficial/cracked software which might be infected.

I'm pretty sure opening the case will void warranty. With the RAM, its been fine up until now which has included running Fluent for weeks on end. LR3, CS5, Color Efexy all together etc.

I can hear the fan so it isn't that.

[stevej]

You can usually change it from resetting on an error to bluescreening instead through bios settings. This'll give you error codes that I suspect will point towards ram issues if you google them.

Would def. check ram before psu etc. It's really easy to check the ram, just whip one of them out, see what happens. If it still crashes put it back and whip the other one out. If it's still well in warranty then do the bios thing first so you can get a bit closer to finding the issue.

[Paul B]

There's a clear warranty seal so I can't be whipping anything out of it. I'll try the BIOS thing the next time my backup attempt fails.

[slackline]

Thought you tweeted that it was out of warranty based on manufacturing date?

Besides which that sucks, how else could you for example install another internal HD, add more RAM, use the spare PCI slots if simply opening the casing voids the warranty.

Computers tend to have at least two fans in them, one on the CPU to keep it cool, and one within the PSU to keep it cool.  Sometimes there are additional fans to aid air-flow in and out of the casing (I've one on the top of mine that sucks air out of the case).

[nai]

Have you checked the Event Logs for error messages?

[Adam Lincoln]

I bought the same machine a few weeks after you. Hoping mine doesn't go tits up too.

[GCW]

Are you getting any error beeps on start up?

[Paul B]

Are you getting any error beeps on start up?

No

Thought you tweeted that it was out of warranty based on manufacturing date?

Thats just their shit records and adds a delay into things, proof of purchase shows its valid but I've had to email it to them and they won't talk about anything else until its approved, on the next business day which is obviously Mon. Not good timing with uni work really.

Sticking a headtorch in every available grill the fans all appear to be turning but I've dragged it out from next to the Xbox to see if additional air flow helps the backup complete.

Have you checked the Event Logs for error messages?

Just on the reliability chart, it just shows "Windows was not properly shutdown"...

[Paul B]

In order to comply with the T&C I need to eliminate the possibility of it being software related, I'm guessing a fresh re-installation of the OS will do this?

Kind of defeats the point of keeping system images. Live and learn. Also off the back of this I'm tempted to get some NAS. Currently my 500gb external isn't enough to cover a system image and then the D:... any clues? Do they need a lot of configuration? Bubba suggested an ICYBOX but I see Netgear to one for a lot cheaper (49.99 + drives).

[nai]

Can you roll the OS back to a point just prior to the last batch of updates rather than do a complete install?

Or give this stuff a go if you can get the machine to stay up long enough. 

http://www.techspot.com/downloads/4716-malwarebytes-anti-malware.html

I had problems with mine a while back, my McAfee AV, Spybot or adware couldn't find anything.  Installed this, it found some badness, dealt with it and it's been fine since.  Worth the small subscription fee IMO.

Failing that the machine will probably have come with a recovery disc which will return it to it's original out-of-the-box state.

[Paul B]

No recovery disks per se, Current (ish) system image and recovery DVD to use it...

I've got a Win 7 disk which is what I used initially to remove vista 32 bit and put on Win 7 X64. I've pulled it out from next to the xbox and it seems to be better so far, its backing up as I type. Maybe its just the Xbox heating things up down there. I'll wait and see.

[lagerstarfish]

Try one of them "Umbongo" discs and see how it all works - no need to install anything, just change the thing that booting happens from.

I mean Ubuntu, obviously. Get your 'puter to boot from the CD player thing and see how it works - this will also let you copy/backup files to somewhere safe.

£47 advice fee.

Call the @lagerstarfish advice line for more details at £5.99 per minute 

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

[underground]

Paul, also get your ass on the sale of goods act - the retailer has to honour your contract of sale, the statutory one is the 1 year that all manufacturers so generously give us - but FAK the limit is ages on a product remaining 'fit for purpose' - i.e. if you can reasonably expect a computer to work, and keep computing, or longer than 11 months in your case then they got to sort it out - but you have to get ebuyer to sort it. The other issue is about goods of 'merchantable quality' - i.e if something is so shit they shouldn't be selling it in the first place based on what they say it is and the price point etc (this is digression as your PC did obviously work for a bit)

I think the difference is thus: up to a year, they have to prove you wrong - i.e. test the PC, then say you're full of shit. After 1 year, you have to prove it's faulty. Summat like that. They should be taking the PC back and sorting it if it's faulty.

Also this 1 year warranty based on date of manufacture?If they sold you a PC with a 1 year warranty, and it's sealed etc., the warranty is a year from the purchase date.... don't let these cunts rob you!

IF you end up where they offer you a refund / replacement and you have to return, I'd suggest keeping the hard drive anyway as they only shred them (legal issues with data) so you may as well, and at least have a chance of recovery of pics if you don't get to do it before.

[Paul B]

Thanks for the help,

They will honour the warranty I just have to do some hoop jumping to show when I bought it and this being a call center a million miles away isn't a quick procedure. They do have some slightly cvntish ways of asking things mind you. A week or so ago the SD card reader started playing up and when I said this (wasn't going to bother with the hassle but if its going back anyway...) they tried about 5 different ways to get me to say I'd physically damaged it 

Having said all of that, I've dragged the box out (to get the serial number) so its no longer near the Xbox, I then started a Fluent sim, two HD movies and LR3 exporting stuff for shits and giggles and it hasn't flinched yet. Looking into the machine there's nothing on one side but everything else has been near the Xbox so I'm wondering if its a simple overheating issue and my own fault? 

I don't think there's a definitive way to tell apart from 'wait and see', I will however be looking into a NAS to make life easier in the future. Cramming media backups and a system image onto a paltry 500gb portable drive isn't going to last.

[GCW]

How much stuff do you need to back up?

[Paul B]

How much stuff do you need to back up?

The desktop has 750Gb in it. It would certainly be a start to have full backup capacity. Beyond that I have a TB or so of university related stuff that I'll have to archive at some point.

[GCW]

Sounds like an investment in safe storage may well be a good idea.

SOunds like you've a good case to get it fixed on warranty, just make sure you're backed up first!

[Paul B]

Sounds like an investment in safe storage may well be a good idea.

Whether or not it ever makes it to the top of the financial priorities list is another thing 

[Paul B]

I bought the same machine a few weeks after you. Hoping mine doesn't go tits up too.

I hope you've got a good backup system Adam, its truly gone tits up this morning so it wasn't just a heat thing.
Attempting a system restore from an image but I'm not hopeful. Standard repair failed. Still sounding like dodgy RAM?

[slackline]

Still sounding like dodgy RAM?

If you don't want to risk voiding warranty and opening up the box to check this then try Lagers suggestion of a Live CD/DVD.

Not sure if Ubuntu comes with it, but Knoppix certainly comes with a program called memtest86 for checking RAM.  It'll likely take a while to run though.

[dave]

Paul, also get your ass on the sale of goods act - the retailer has to honour your contract of sale, the statutory one is the 1 year that all manufacturers so generously give us - but FAK the limit is ages on a product remaining 'fit for purpose' - i.e. if you can reasonably expect a computer to work, and keep computing, or longer than 11 months in your case then they got to sort it out - but you have to get ebuyer to sort it. The other issue is about goods of 'merchantable quality' - i.e if something is so shit they shouldn't be selling it in the first place based on what they say it is and the price point etc (this is digression as your PC did obviously work for a bit)

I think the difference is thus: up to a year, they have to prove you wrong - i.e. test the PC, then say you're full of shit. After 1 year, you have to prove it's faulty. Summat like that. They should be taking the PC back and sorting it if it's faulty.

Also this 1 year warranty based on date of manufacture?If they sold you a PC with a 1 year warranty, and it's sealed etc., the warranty is a year from the purchase date.... don't let these cunts rob you!

IF you end up where they offer you a refund / replacement and you have to return, I'd suggest keeping the hard drive anyway as they only shred them (legal issues with data) so you may as well, and at least have a chance of recovery of pics if you don't get to do it before.

UG talks sense. A one year warranty is pretty worthless anyway as its less than what the Sale Of Goods acts give you anyway, so don't worry about busting your warranty sticker. If i were you i'd phone consumerdirect in the morning and get your rights straight. They know their stuff and are very helpful.

[Paul B]

I left a system restore from a previous image running whilst at work/uni today. That's completed and the PC looks just as it did on Fri (minus a few days worth of files).

The main glaring omission is however a lack of network adapter. There's none in device manager and there's no hardware undetected. Could this be the culprit? I'll try an Ubuntu live CD later as I'm sure I have one kicking about.

(thanks for all the help so far)

[Jim]

How can you void warranty by opening the box? You can't void it by upgrading the hard drive or ram etc...
Personally, I've lost count of the number of electrical items I have fixed just by simply taking the covers off and cleaning all the dust of the pcb's/wires etc... with some compressed air and a smallish soft paintbrush.
this is what I would do first, then it is either a virus that has serioulsy fuct you over or sounds like motherboard failure to me