I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave

Jim Thompson wrote:

I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?


Could be the memory on the graphics card :-(

Did you try with another browser such as gasp the IE that usually
comes with PCs?

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!


Sounds like my laptop last year...The cooling fan was not blowing and
the thermal pads were ineffective due to age. I rewired the fan to
switched 5V and removed the thermal pad from both the CPU and the
GPU, replacing these with thermal grease.

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:29:17 -0500, "Lord Garth"
wrote:


"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!


Sounds like my laptop last year...The cooling fan was not blowing and
the thermal pads were ineffective due to age. I rewired the fan to
switched 5V and removed the thermal pad from both the CPU and the
GPU, replacing these with thermal grease.


Hmmmm! That's worth checking. I've had another PC with a fan that
ran "on occasion" ;-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave

"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:29:17 -0500, "Lord Garth"
wrote:


"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!


Sounds like my laptop last year...The cooling fan was not blowing and
the thermal pads were ineffective due to age. I rewired the fan to
switched 5V and removed the thermal pad from both the CPU and the
GPU, replacing these with thermal grease.


Hmmmm! That's worth checking. I've had another PC with a fan that
ran "on occasion" ;-)


I used my finger nail to scratch off the greatest portion of the thermal
pads.
Then I mounted the brush on my Dremel to get the last bits. I blew the
debris
out then wiped the ICs with acetone before applying the thermal grease.

Good luck with your repair!

Jim Thompson wrote:
I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!

...Jim Thompson
Bad cooling on the processor chip and/or video card.
try SPEEDFAN (use google to get it), to show temperatures
inside.

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:01:39 -0500, "Lord Garth"
wrote:


"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:29:17 -0500, "Lord Garth"
wrote:


"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!


Sounds like my laptop last year...The cooling fan was not blowing and
the thermal pads were ineffective due to age. I rewired the fan to
switched 5V and removed the thermal pad from both the CPU and the
GPU, replacing these with thermal grease.


Hmmmm! That's worth checking. I've had another PC with a fan that
ran "on occasion" ;-)


I used my finger nail to scratch off the greatest portion of the thermal
pads.
Then I mounted the brush on my Dremel to get the last bits. I blew the
debris
out then wiped the ICs with acetone before applying the thermal grease.

Good luck with your repair!



One time I used a small wire brush on a Dremel and all the wires
started to fly off.
Wires flew everywhere...
I painfully learned that these wires can poke skin with very little
force.
The wire diameter is probably like a mosquito proboscis.

I had to swept my carpet with a magnet and then vacuum.
D from BC

Jim Thompson wrote:

I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!


See if there is an updated video driver.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:41:18 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:

I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!


See if there is an updated video driver.

Also possibly a hardware issue with the video card.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

"D from BC" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:01:39 -0500, "Lord Garth"
wrote:


"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:29:17 -0500, "Lord Garth"
wrote:


"Jim Thompson" wrote
in
message ...
I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!


Sounds like my laptop last year...The cooling fan was not blowing and
the thermal pads were ineffective due to age. I rewired the fan to
switched 5V and removed the thermal pad from both the CPU and the
GPU, replacing these with thermal grease.


Hmmmm! That's worth checking. I've had another PC with a fan that
ran "on occasion" ;-)


I used my finger nail to scratch off the greatest portion of the thermal
pads.
Then I mounted the brush on my Dremel to get the last bits. I blew the
debris
out then wiped the ICs with acetone before applying the thermal grease.

Good luck with your repair!



One time I used a small wire brush on a Dremel and all the wires
started to fly off.
Wires flew everywhere...
I painfully learned that these wires can poke skin with very little
force.
The wire diameter is probably like a mosquito proboscis.

I had to swept my carpet with a magnet and then vacuum.
D from BC

Oh yes, never use that wire wheel without eye protection!
My Dremel kit has a conic fiber brush much like what we
would use to remove flux.

"Lord Garth" wrote in message
...

"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:29:17 -0500, "Lord Garth"
wrote:


"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
I'm getting a crash that almost always is instigated while surfing a
graphically busy page (using Firefox), though other programs have
(rarely) caused it to fail.

It manifests itself as frozen raggedy looking video, OR a full POR
like you pressed the reset button.

What do you think... bad power supply or bad memory?

Thanks!


Sounds like my laptop last year...The cooling fan was not blowing and
the thermal pads were ineffective due to age. I rewired the fan to
switched 5V and removed the thermal pad from both the CPU and the
GPU, replacing these with thermal grease.


Hmmmm! That's worth checking. I've had another PC with a fan that
ran "on occasion" ;-)


I used my finger nail to scratch off the greatest portion of the thermal
pads.
Then I mounted the brush on my Dremel to get the last bits. I blew the
debris
out then wiped the ICs with acetone before applying the thermal grease.

All the thermal pads I've encountered on CPUs so far dissolved fairly easily
with cellulose thinners - which leaves the surfaces absolutely pristine
ready for silver loaded heat transfer paste., any kind of wire brush or
abrasive is probably a very bad idea!