Computer acting weirdly...

[Lily]

Since the beginning of March our computer, Mio, has been acting weirdly. It started with the mouse pointer freezing on the screen, you could however use the mouse since it didn't freeze. After a couple of days the screen went down into energy save mode, the only way to solve it was pushing the reset button. We did a fast reformat after calling the Tech at Fujitsu-Siemens, but sadly we are still having problems with freezings every single day.
We're doing a complete reformat in August, since my nephew is going to spend three weeks with us in July/August. I just wonder if there's something else I can do? I cannot figure out what's wrong with this darn thing?

By the way, we've tried the screen with our old Fujitsu-Siemens computer without any hassle. And we've also made sure that all of the cables between the hard drive and the components are working.

[CharlieChomper]

Do you by any chance happen to know what hardware you have in that system (this includes not just the "main" components such as the video card and processor, but also things like the motherboard, the brand of RAM, power supply and specs, etc.)?

Since you did a reformat (albeit a quick one--I'm assuming Fujitsu-Siemens had a tool or something to allow that or did you just do a system restore or use a "repair" option?) and that didn't appear to help matters and just to rule out the possibility of a hardware issue, one thing to try might be to download and burn (making sure the CD is burned so that it's bootable) a bootable CD form of another operating system, such as Linux that has a variant that runs off the CD only (one of the better maintained distros in this area would be
Knoppix). It won't install anything onto the hard drive when you run the CD nor does it install Linux, since again, it runs completely off the CD. You should not have to order it as you can just download it to make your own CD.

The reason I mention this method is more because different operating systems handle hardware a bit differently and if the computer behaves in a similar fashion in the bootable CD, it could mean a hardware problem versus Windows misbehaving. Similarily, most Linux distros run through a "checklist" when they boot that will also provide an error message if there's a problem somewhere with the hardware (and it will tell you what the problem is).

On a similar note, to check the system RAM (since that can also cause freezing problems), an excellent tool to use would be Memtest (I'm including a link for an updated form of it). The variant you'll need, as you don't have a floppy drive most likely (most computers built within the past four years tend not to have them anymore) and in case you do happen to have a USB "thumb" drive lying out, would be the USB key download. The pre-compiled "binaries" are aimed more toward those of us who run other operating systems off the hard drive (such as Linux or BSD, amongst others). An alternate link to make a bootable CD of it can be found here (the version I'd recommend would be the one to make a bootable CD as opposed to trying to run it off Windows--the reason being that it provides you with a much more accurate and thorough set of readings as well as allows the utility to do its job without worry about memory being allocated to running an operating system that likewise needs to be tested at the same time. Typically, among the worst things you can do with utilities which test hardware is run them through an operating system and ideally, they should be run in a bootable format so that no system resources are being allocated toward just the running of an operating system or allow for it to create any sort of interference or "false" or inaccurate readings).

[Lily]

Do you by any chance happen to know what hardware you have in that system (this includes not just the "main" components such as the video card and processor, but also things like the motherboard, the brand of RAM, power supply and specs, etc.)?

DISK DVD+RW-Rohlin/FSP:020000026
MB Intel 975X Bad Axe Sigmatel 9221D
Creative X-Soundblaster Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Edition
VGA Leadtek GF7950GX2 1GB PCIe nVIDIA GF7950GX2 1GMB Dual DVI-I HDTV
CPU C2D E6600 2,4G 775 SL9S8
Lüfter AVC F8025R12EB Version 02 80x80x25 1500 U/min
KK P4 775 AVC 115W AVC Nr. Z8U701W104
MEM Samsung 1GB DDR2 533 M378T2953CZ3-CD5
CBN Scaleo X Value / EMV Gehäuseblech silbern
EBG Godspeed Cardreader 11in1 GS-2005-CR28806 REV 5
CAB SATA Y-Powercable , angled 1x4 auf 2x 15 Pin, l=150mm
CAB Greatlink Ultra ATA100 / UDMA66 2LW/80pin/Steck.cod./44cm/Atxt
CAB Godspeed Dual USB 2.0 inst.connector 500 mm cable, EMI-chokes and arrays
CAB Compositecable RoHS L:1800 / Black
PSU Fortron Source FSP700-80GLN ATX12V2.0 aPFC 100-240V
LS Leistungsschild KEMA 200-240V 4A f. ATX PFC-PSU00-240V, WEEE
BEIL Support-Vouch/FSP:410001065
BEIL Flyer MusicBrigade info-paper -sw- 19x37cm
BEIL List of completeness Sweden (w/o speaker)
Quick Start Guide SCALEO X without Warranty Backsite
General Manual North Europe UK, SW, DK, NO, FI
MAN Peripherals Flyer-dk,sw,fi Chromedia Stand: 06/2005
MAN NORMAN AV V5.81 Rel.3 multilingual
MAN PC Monitor Flyer -d,uk,f- Version 07/06
BEIL Warranty für SCALEO Vers.10/06
Lizenz MPEG-2 /FS/FSP:505000411
Liz MediaC.05 -uk-/FSP:505000475
LIZ IEEE 1394 PC /FSP:505000672
LIZ Roll up Package für MCE 2005 -uk-
LIZ Works 8.5 swe /FSP:505000700
Lizenz Install Shi/FSP:506000003
LIZ FirstStepsMULI/FSP:506000045
LIZ Musikbrig. sw /FSP:506000089
LIZ NationalE. HCI/FSP:506000108
LIZ WinDVD 6channe/FSP:506000148
LIZ MUI Package sw/FSP:506000208
NAV Nord.3Ja.V5.81/FSP:506000218
LIZ Nero 6.6.1.3d /FSP:506000248
LIZ Creative_SB_X-FiHDA f.SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtr.Gamer Fatal1ty Professional Ed.
LIZ Presysprep Em./FSP:506000692
LIZ Adobe Photoshop Elem.+Prem.Elem. -sw
Lizenz MPEG-2
LIZ Norman Antivirus (for License Controlling)
APP Nero Express 6.6.1.3d CDRW-Softw. multilingual FSC Vers.
APP MS Works 8.5 -swe- 1*CD in Papiertüte+COA
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0. d,uk,f,it,nl,sp,sw CRC:0x51E87A5B
CD Norman Antivirus Ver.5.81 Rel.3 multi 3 Years
DR/Utility-DVD Version 12/2006 BF CRC:0x1D553B01
WinDVD5.0 B11.782 6channel multilingual
Patch I WinXP SP2 /FSP:595000131
Patch I 2.HDD250GB/FSP:595000140
Patch RecoveryProz/FSP:595000159
Patch I MCE Emeral/FSP:595000169
Patch I X10 Rem.Co/FSP:595000180
Info AM-CD PC /FSP:595A00001
Dummy WLAN 1705 /FSP:630P00002
Dummy WLAN USB HW/FSP:630P00009
Einbaukit Soundblaster X-Fi Fatality Champion Edition
Accessory-Kit Soundblaster X-Fi Fatal1ty Champion Edition
OZ ET AVC Backplate P209000023
OZ ADAP f. VGA Leadtek DVI-I to VGA RoHs
OZ Installations-CD f. Creative Soundblaster X-Fi HD-Audio
OZ I/O-Sh. for MB Intel 975X BadX /FSP:140000592
ADAP f. VGA Leadtek HDTV Component RoHS
OZ Netzteiladapter f. Intel 975X Bad Axe
220x360x0.025 /FSP:710000037
PE-Tüte für DT 900x950x0.030 f.Minitower
PACK Faltkarton Scaleo X
Klappdeckelschachtel Automatikboden 511x400x75
EPP Polster ScaleoX with Speaker 726x358x130
ET HD-Träger / Easy-Change Sach-nr.C26361-K520-C67/s.Atxt
ET Sicherungsband S20 (Inspected Seal)
ET EMV-Feder f. Dual USB RoHs GS-360-021
Airduct AVC für P4 775 AVC Nr. P113000013
LAB Seriennummer m/FSP:920000002
LAB Baugruppenlabel schwarz 12 Monate Garantie
LAB COA Media Center 2005 Microsoft
LAB Kartonaufkleber INTEL
Windows Vista Capable Logo for Desktop B1,7cm x H2,6cm
Carton-Label Vista Capable Sticker DK, FI, NO, SW, UK
LAB Device Intel ``Core2Duo`` Desktop-CPU
LAB VistaUP gr 150x110
Sammelkonfiguratio/FSP:920LABEL
NE Internettjänst: 36-månader Värdebevis value voucher / HCI
LIZENZ WIN_PE_2005/FSP:ARR_WIN_PE_05
GEMA-COUNT SYSTEM /FSP:GEMA_BASE-UNIT
GEMA-COUNT DVD-RW /FSP:GEMA_DVD-RW
RDVD MCE SWE R16 E/FSP:RDVDMCESWE016 CRC:0x52CBFC2C
DVD16x IDE anthrazit, HLDS GDR-8164B RoHS
DVD SuperMulti Burner, NEC AD-7170A 48x/32x/48x,16x18x8x18x6x8x8x12x
WLAN-Modul USB D1705
Package K324 bl /S26381-F258-V5
KB Slim RF blS/F/S26381-K324-V555-*-Z214
Lieferung besteht aus Fernbedienung OR23E und USB-Receiver
HDD Seagate ST3250824AS 250GB SATAII-300 Tonka 2 RoHs
cable ser. SATA poweradapter, bent 4 to15 Pin, l= 175mm
Powercable EU 1,8m grey
Greatlink 360mm one side angled latching SATA 150 7 pins


We used the Fujitsu-Siemens Operating System - Recovery CD/DVD for Windows XP Media Center Version 2005 with Update Rollup 2 for the reformat.

The main thing is that we do have a warranty on the computer, I just want to be sure that it's hardware related before we'll send it to the workshop for repair. Otherwise we'll have to pay for the whole thing and over here it's not cheap.

[CharlieChomper]

It sounds like you ran a recovery option versus an actual reformat of some sort.

My apologies for mentioning this again, but one of the best methods would be to try and rule out whether this is hardware-related or software would be to try some of the things I had mentioned in my earlier post. In the meantime, I have quite a bit of sorting to do with that list to categorize to try and look over the hardware.

I'll keep you posted to see if I can spot any immediate "red flags" or things to be concerned over. I may ask as well for more information, if needbe.

Edited to ask: I hope you don't mind my asking this, but where did this list exactly come from or how was it generated?

[Lily]

I got it from the Fujitsu-Siemens website, when I entered the serial number. I'm just a little bit worried that I'll do something wrong since I'm not super technical!

[CharlieChomper]

I'm actually still going through that list, but the source partly explains things (at least in the sense of why I was seeing references to things like licenses, manuals, cables, etc. as well as technical stats) to see if anything might "stand out".

In the meantime, you shouldn't worry about doing anything "wrong". If you need a walk-through with one of the things I suggested earlier to try, let me know and please don't hesitate to, at least, consider them as they may provide a better idea as to whether this might definitely be hardware-related or not.