Still having crashing/freezing issues

[tjgoldstein]

Hi there,

A few days ago I posted about having problems with WoW freezing and crashing?

I have done the following:

Tried the Blizzard repair program - made things much, much worse.

Did a complete WoW re-install, not including the adds - result was that I could only log into characters for about 5 mins.

Have taken apart the computer and cleaned the whole inside so it pretty much sparkles and I have also seen the fans working first hand, they work perfectly.

The result of all this is that I can no longer get past the log in screen before the screen instantly pixilates and freezes... forcing me to restart the computer.

Everything else works perfectly apart from WoW.. soo, it has to be something in WoW that is sending it spastic.

I am at a loss as to what to do now? I have tried WoW Tech Support but apart from blaming my ingame UI, they were morons and still nothing from the WoW forums, and I really don't expect anything sensible from either of them.

I am extremely, extremely frustrated with this as, as I said earlier, everything else runs like a dream.. just WoW keeps stuffing up?

Any help would be brilliant and thank you to everyone for their earlier suggestions.

**UPDATE - interestingly enough, my computer has automatically restarted itself twice since posting this thread.. both times when I was trying to fill out the Blizzard Survey in response to my Tech Support query! Not sure if it is relevant or not but the computer is fine with everything else.. or at least it seems? ***

tj Goldstein

[Erinion]

As I said before, replace your RAM (its cheap and easy to do)

[Kalos]

As I said before, replace your RAM (its cheap and easy to do)
I'm with Erinion. You could test the ram first (Hint: The stickies are your freind on what program to use :grin: ) but it is fairly cheap to get ahold of new, faster memory, and you could use it as an excuse to upgrade to a larger total as well. It would appear that your system is unstable, not the game, as it is having symptoms outside of the game's operation. As for why you don't notice it everywhere, a bad ram sector only becomes known when it is depended on, and you increase the likelyhood of it being depended on for something when you're doing something heavily reliant and hungry for the ram, WoW being a prime example. If it fails the test, a designed memory hungry application, then it is defective without doubt.

[clevins]

yeah this is classic bad RAM symptoms. Google memtest, a good program that will extensively test your RAM. I ordered new RAM for my laptop awhile ago and it crashed in WOW only... when I ran memtest it failed there too... replaced the ram, all is fine.

[tjgoldstein]

ok, this is where I am getting confused. One forum says its my RAM, the other one says its my video card.

could it be both?

I just don't want to shell out money for hardware that won't fix the problem?

Thanks to everyone who is helping me, I appreciate the time and effort :)

[Erinion]

It could be your video card but as RAM is so cheap just go ahead and replace it.

Borrow another video card off a friend and try it in your machine if you want (it is always easier if you can borrow the same or similar card - trying an Nvidia card when you've got ATI drivers is always a pain in the backside)

[Kalos]

ok, this is where I am getting confused. One forum says its my RAM, the other one says its my video card.

could it be both?

I just don't want to shell out money for hardware that won't fix the problem?

Thanks to everyone who is helping me, I appreciate the time and effort :)
The problem is that the graphics card has ram on it as well, and if that has a bad sector on it, it produces the exact same error. HOWEVER, as it appeared to happen when you were filling it a form, when the graphics card was lodged in a low power 2D mode, that makes it extremely unlikely to be the graphics card; but the ram is being used 24/7. Thus that's your most likely culprit.

And we have already recommended you read through the stickies and find a program for testing memory (another big hint hint, someone has mentioned the proper name in this thread already). If you're not sure/don't have spare parts to substitute with, try using the memory tester we keep going on about to verify? If the memory test collapses and crashes during its run, you have a ram problem, no two ways about it. So run it. Then when it does fail, buy new ram.

[tjgoldstein]

Yah, I have downloaded that program a few days ago but will run it now. Memtest or whatever..lol.

Will post results when finished.

[tjgoldstein]

ok, just tried to run Memtest numerous times. Not working properly. As I have 2 gigs of RAM, it says I need to run two windows of Memtest at the same time.. wonderful in theory but not when it does'nt work.

I can only run one window of Memtest at a time, the other window is just full of fail. I don't mind running one test after the other but would the program just go through the same 1024 RAM each time?

Is there a better program than Memtest to test out my RAM?

Thankyou

[Erinion]

I think with memtest you have to remove RAM until you only have one stick in the machine. When that one has run, replace it with your second stick and run it again.

I may be mistaken.

Try: http://forum.canardpc.com/showthread.php?t=28864

And you do realise that you should run memtest before windows boots (you need to create a bootable CD with memtest on it)?

[tjgoldstein]

you're joking right?

Ok, this is now officially in the too hard basket for me.

How do you create a bootable cd with memtest on it

:: going insane - now thinking a whole new computer is hte answer and, in the end, cheaper option ::

[Kalos]

That is partly thew reason we told you to go for the cheap ram option. You're clearly in over your head in technical knowhow. And it would cost a grand total of $20 to get two gig of new, high quality ram rather than the cheap stuff you have now. Half the cost of most new computer games, and that's an upgrade at that.

Don't get so worked up, runningto a new PC when this thing could be easily fixed with an hour of patience and mere pocket change would be a bit of a waste of money.

Now, creating a version to run on boot. Do you have a floppy drive, a CD burner, or a spare USB stick? The CD is best, the floppy drive following, and the USB the most annoying. You simply put the file onto a floppy disk in the floppy drive or a CD in the CD drive or ect ect, and then restart the PC with it in.

If it continues as normal (the starting up process) and goes through to Windows instead of to Memtest, you'll have to change the boot device order. Sounds complicated, but don't start wailing. Wailing annoys me, hysterics can be left at the door please. If you get this problem, report back. It'd be simpler and easier for you not to get overwhelmed this way.

[Twoflower]

just open the pc and remove the ram till you only have one stick in it. Then run the test, replace ram, repeat.

incase you dont know, that is the ram :

http://www.hardwareoc.at/Luefter/Ram_Kuehler-Anleitung-07.jpg

just snap open the two litte white hatch thingies at the sides and pull the bar out.

ps : yes, turn your pc off while changing the Ram sticks.

[Kalos]

just open the pc and remove the ram till you only have one stick in it. Then run the test, replace ram, repeat.

incase you dont know, that is the ram :

http://www.hardwareoc.at/Luefter/Ram_Kuehler-Anleitung-07.jpg

just snap open the two litte white hatch thingies at the sides and pull the bar out.

ps : yes, turn your pc off while changing the Ram sticks.
While this will work better, it won't do if Windows is running. Else 40% of the ram will be in use or reserved, and thus pointless as the test won't be able to test that 40%, and that is a large percentage for a bad sector to hide in.