Help Me Fix My Computer

**Leixor** · 07-30-2006 05:43 AM

OK So I built this computer roughly 3.5 months ago. For the last 2.5 months or so I have been getting random blue screens all with different stop codes. The one that occurs most is
"Stop: 0x000000F4 One of the many processes or threads crucial to system operation has unexpectedly exited or been terminated. As a result, the system can no longer function"
I had recently come to suspect that it was a bad serial ata cable, as I have one that had lost its connector and was bare wired. I replaced that, well the problem is still here. I am completely clueless now, I've tried everything I can think of. There are no errors shown in event viewer. Now where it gets REALLY odd. This error and subsequent crash ONLY occurs on cold boot. Like if I would restart the PC right now it wouldn't crash. But if I turned it off for say 6 hours and then booted it, theres like a 1/4 chance it'd crash. It's not a heat issue as all my readings are well within range. I can play intense 3d games for many many hours, my power supply will complain and kick its fan up to max, but no crashes. One more thing, currently all speeds and timings are at stock, but a while back I did do some overclocking. There is always the possibility that I damaged something there. I feel really stupid asking this as I'm 3/4 of the way to a PC support/repair degree... The only two things that remain that I might think could cause it are the power supply, its not powerful enough for this system but even if I kick everything on and cause max power drain it doesn't crash. The other possibility is I damaged something whilst overclocking(seeming more and more likely >_<). It's not a horrible thing, I just don't do any mission critical tasks on the first boot of the day... Anyway if anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them!

Edit: Oh and in case you were wondering: All my software and drivers are up to date. I run Zonealarm firewall, Computer Associates Antivirus and Lavasoft Ad-aware

My system:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2
ASROCK 939-DUAL SATA2 motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 3700+ (stock heatsink/fan, Arctic Silver thermal paste)
1 GB Corsair Value Select PC3200 DDR400 RAM
ATI RADEON X850XT 256MB PCI Express (stock heatsink/fan replaced with ATI Silencer 5 Revision 2)
Maxtor 6 V080E0 80GB SATA 300Gb/s 7200 RPM HDD
LG All format CD/DVD writer
Thermaltake 430W Power supply (I seriously doubt it puts out 430W though)
Also my case is lighted and such, further sucking more precious wattage

**Kaniaz** · 07-30-2006 02:01 PM

I couldn't tell you. Whenever I experience STOP errors, I usually have just done something seriously wrong in real life (i.e. the PC is somehow overheating; something's loose from a socket, computer's feeling frumpy today). But I never get STOP errors anymore. Most usually, when I've just changed some susbtanial inside, they make a brief reapperance. If I get it wrong.

Even so, the error:

One of the many processes or threads crucial to system operation has unexpectedly exited or been terminated. As a result, the system can no longer function[/b]

Sounds weird. I mean, slightly wobbly RAM installations (for example) don't cause processes to randomly terminate. They just freeze up the whole computer or corrupt something. Which is synonymous with freezing anyway. Sounds more like an enormous software problem to me (although I wouldn't rule out checking all those connections and temperatures in your computer again, ever).

Maybe it would be worth trying installing another OS, such as any Linux flavour that catches your fancy (there's probably more distros than there are users) just to see if the problem goes away. Or you can reinstall Windows. That's pretty much the "catch all" in these kinds of situations. If something fails and you can't fix it, reinstall and cross your fingers.

All else failing, you could burn it.

**Leixor** · 07-30-2006 04:34 PM

Oh also I have run memtest86 to make sure the RAM is stable(it is). And just for the record, the first error it gave me after replacing the SATA cable was "Stop: 0x00000019 BAD_POOL_HEADER" I just googled my motherboards name and 0x000000F4. I found an interesting thread about there being a revision of this particular board that causes the SATA II port to be flaky and cause random crashes. I may try switching the jumper on the HD to SATA I mode and putting it on a SATA I port. I don't think the HDD is fast enough to notice a difference between 150Gb/s and 300 Gb/s... here's hopin
Edit:
Also temperature wise:
CPU: 38C Idle - 49C Load (Max operating temp is listed as 51C-71C)
GPU: 44C Idle - 53C Load (Used to run at 90C under load before the ATI silencer)
HDD 31C Idle - 32C Load (Not sure on the operating temp here, its right by a fan though, I'm 95% sure its fine)