Author Topic: All browsers and random games crash (Read 40458 times)

Shane · « **Reply #25 on:** February 03, 2014, 03:22:35 pm »

Youtube videos use flash, which uses the video card for performance (Hardware Acceleration). Steam games (All games) use the video card. And when in safe mode the video card drivers are not loaded.

So far the common factor is the video card/drivers.

One test for youtube and flash would be to turn off the hardware acceleration
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/help01.html

Shane

timscape · « **Reply #26 on:** February 03, 2014, 06:10:19 pm »

My Steam problems were a mod conflict in Skyrim. Not related to the core problem, I don't think. I solved it and Skyrim runs great now.

I deactivated hardware acceleration....and I'm waiting for a crash. Nothing yet. I'm about to hit YouTube hard.

Still this is the pattern: I make a fix, it is fine for a time, then it comes back, as if something is reinstalled.

We'll see. Tonight, so far, I am sailing fine.

Thank you.

timscape · « **Reply #27 on:** February 04, 2014, 04:48:42 pm »

Browsers, Flash ads crashing all over the place tonight, including here. Hardware accel off.

Now Steam crashing, too. Something is affecting everything.

BTW, I've also reseated my RAM and cards. I'm going to fool around with the sound settings and driver

Just in....
I went into Safe Mode with Networking. All was well. Then, I re-enabled the Flash plugin in Chrome. Flash crashed.

So I reverted to a Restore save from yesterday, and everything is working fine. What loaded in the last 24 hours?

Shane · « **Reply #28 on:** February 04, 2014, 06:32:21 pm »

What about temps? How is the heat on the cpu and card during all this? After all when gaming and videos the video card will heat up and if it gets hot things will crash. Same for the CPU. Heat is one thing I dont think we checked all the way.

You need to see what the temps are at the times of the crashes.

Shane

timscape · « **Reply #29 on:** February 05, 2014, 03:54:19 am »

I monitor temps all the time. They rarely go above 40 degrees C.

Shane · « **Reply #30 on:** February 05, 2014, 09:39:49 am »

Damn, was hoping it was that LOL

Ok, now we have to start looking at hardware. Had drive has no bad sectors and memory tested good.

So before we say motherboard lets verify if it is the MB or the video card with 1 simple test.

Do you have a different video card you can try?

By trying another video card, if the problem goes away we know it is the video card. If the problem stays it is the MB.

The MB itself also can heatup, I know some of the chips that have heat sinks can get too hot. I notice all the crashes only seem to happen when the system is under more of a load. Granted playing videos isnt much of a load, but any game would be.

It is always possible it is the CPU as well, but normally when it is the CPU we get a total system crash. MB we normally get a system crash as well, and heck even with any type of hardware we can get a total system crash. But depending at what part is bad then the game or program using that part of the hardware would be the only one to crash since Windows wasnt using it.

Did that make any sense at all? LOL

Shane

timscape · « **Reply #31 on:** February 05, 2014, 10:25:54 am »

Makes perfect sense. Just last week, I installed a new video card, and I've had this crashing thing for a lot longer than that. So I think we can rule out the video card.

I use a nice utility called Core Temp to monitor my, um, core temp. http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ Always low readings.

My motherboard is a Gigabyte. Maybe they have an update and diagnostic tool of some kind.

Turns out, I'm not alone: http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/361282-all-browsers-crashing-randomly

Somebody found a fix:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/439021/both-firefox-and-ie-crash-upon-launch-even-in-safe-mode/

Shane · « **Reply #32 on:** February 05, 2014, 12:02:01 pm »

Unless you got infected again then yes. But when you did the fresh install did you make sure to delete the partitions first in the setup? This way the file system and MBR are destoried getting rid of any MBR virus.

TDSSkiller is one tool I use and the other is malwarebytes anti rootkit and then combofix. Those 3 normally get the job done.

So after the fresh install everything worked, did you somehow get your self infected again? If not then it is a hardware problem, if somehow you did then it is a virus problem. But even with a virus I have never seen it crash a game. Normally the rootkits that TDSSkiller look for are ones that hijack the network and dns and redirect your search results to bull crap pages to make money from ads. TDSS rootkit use to have a side effect where in the device manager the hard drives or the cd rom drives didnt show up at all. When ever I see that I know it was the TDSS rootkit.

Shane

timscape · « **Reply #33 on:** February 05, 2014, 12:21:48 pm »

Interesting stuff.

I already forgot I did a clean install, lol. Yes, partitions went first. I have no idea whether I'm infected. AVG, MalwarebytesPro, and Glary Utilities all scan clean.

The fact that I crashed in Safe Mode is kind of freaky. I was hoping it was RAM, but two memtests say no.

The game was crashing because I had conflicting mods. I don't think it has anything to do with this issue.

Thanks,
Tim

Shane · « **Reply #34 on:** February 05, 2014, 12:24:44 pm »

Safe mode can still heat things up, and if it is hardware it will crash in safe mode as well.

AVG sucks lol Run the 3 tools I do just to double check things before we go digging into hardware.

Shane

timscape · « **Reply #35 on:** February 05, 2014, 12:50:39 pm »

Ok, will do.

Yeah, I don't normally even run an antivirus, just MB. I just downloaded AVG for quick scan. It's gone now.

Shane · « **Reply #36 on:** February 05, 2014, 01:12:35 pm »

http://www.av-comparatives.org/

I honestly just run Microsoft Security Essentials

Shane

timscape · « **Reply #37 on:** February 05, 2014, 03:07:11 pm »

TDSSKiller found nothing

Malwarebytes Rootkit stopped working halfway through, twice.

ComboFix deleted a folder and a dozen files called AutoCompletePro, as well as a few orphans

Shane · « **Reply #38 on:** February 05, 2014, 03:09:17 pm »

Now that is interesting.

After combofix and a reboot can malwarebytes finish its scan?

Shane

timscape · « **Reply #39 on:** February 05, 2014, 03:44:02 pm »

Just got home (I'm in Virginia). I'll let you know about the MB

...

Nope. Rebooted and ran MB three more times. It stopped working in different places.

.....

Having trouble posting here. Constant crashes.

Ran Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool and passed the CPU load and Temperature tests.

Now all my games are crashing. Has to be hardware.

--------

Games, browsers, everything is now crashing. Must be hardware.

Shane · « **Reply #40 on:** February 06, 2014, 03:22:31 pm »

Just to cover all bases, out your old video card back in.

Shane

timscape · « **Reply #41 on:** February 06, 2014, 04:21:30 pm »

Really? I took it out my old card because of the crashing. I've also tried numerous drivers. In fact, I also tested a third vid card I have. Got crashes with all of them.

Well, I have to take out my new card anyway to put in my new rig.

Willy2 · « **Reply #42 on:** February 07, 2014, 06:00:14 am »

I followed this conversation for a while and it seems now we're down to the memory. I had a similar problem. I had 2x 4 GB of memory. The 2 memory modules were OK but the hardware that controlled one of the 2 modules/banks stopped working properly in november last year. After removing one memory module the system was back to normal.

You have 8 GB of memory. But how many memory modules ? Remove (one by one) those memory modules. It gives you a clue which memory bank is faulty. Perhaps more than one memory bank hardware is faulty.

timscape · « **Reply #43 on:** February 07, 2014, 06:24:17 am »

Thanks for the advice. I have 4x2 GB. I did a memtest for each individual stick and got no errors. But, yeah, it seems to me it almost has to be a memory issue.

I'll take your advice and just remove them one by one and reboot and see what happens. Much appreciated.

Willy2 · « **Reply #44 on:** February 07, 2014, 07:39:47 am »

And please DO post a reply when you've solved your problem.

timscape · « **Reply #45 on:** February 07, 2014, 07:59:18 am »

Not sure I will solve the problem, but I'll post if I do. I will try your RAM idea when I get home tonight.

Also, if you Google this problem you'll see that a fair number of others have identical symptoms. Most find a solution, then the problem returns. And that is my experience, as well.

timscape · « **Reply #46 on:** February 14, 2014, 05:08:14 pm »

No solution. I now have an entirely new rig and loving it. I may go back to my old computer and try to find out what was causing the crashes, but I honestly don't want to spend hours of my life doing that.

There appear to be many others with a similar problem, so it is probably something pretty subtle.

Thank you very much for your time and help. Really amazing the service your provide here.

All the best,

Tim

Shane · « **Reply #47 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:08:20 pm »

It is differently a hardware problem on your old rig.

Either weak power supply, faulty CPU or bad motherboard. But without replacement parts to swap out to find out which one it is then you may never know for sure.

Honestly, if you tried a different power supply and the problem still happened I would say it is the motherboard for sure. The reason why I say that is I have seen plenty of times where a power supply is going bad and isnt giving out enough power and so hardware doesnt work like it should and things crash or lock up. I have also seen parts of a motherboard go bad. I had a laptop a few years back that blue screened on anything you tired. I tested memory and hard drive and couldnt find what was doing it.

I then got a hold of a hardware tester software that tested everything and I mean everything, things like DMA access on the motherboard and all kinds of different sections. While running that test EVERYTHING came out fine, then it got to the DMA test and sure enough it failed every time. DMA is on the motherboard and is used for direct memory access. And so I found the problem, it was the motherboard. But I would have never of known why the board was bad without that tester.

I still use a older version of the program after all these years, it is expensive to get the new one lol
QuickTech Pro PC Diagnostic Tools
http://www.uxd.com/qtpro.shtml

Shane