Comp Prob...Running Vista

[kintekke]

Hi Peeps
I have a Medion puter bought from Aldi bout 14mths ago and have never had a prob...
The M/C is running vista .....A intel dual core 430 1.8GHZ ...with 2gb ddr2 PC5300 ram ..A 300gig h/d (Partitioned) Nvidia gforce 8300gs graphics card ...MSI Ms 7255 motherboard.

I am running Bullguard anti-virus/firewall and am connected to internet via ethernet (20meg BB)....Now i have not had any problems with operating and i must admit i have give it some hammer...downloading and such...

It's just in the last few days the system has been locking up when using internet explorer and when i CTL-ALT-DEL the puter hangs then the screen goes 'black' and i get a Violation warning and have to crash the computer to reboot.

I have started the puter up in safe mode as well as normal and even done a restore to a month back but keep getting the same problem.....I always keep deleting my temp files and cookies/History ...Have done a virus scan and a cleanout ...and bar finding a couple of trojans (Keygens i have i think ) all was clear....

I am starting to think it may be a hardware issue so i have stripped the side off and give the tower a good clean out....reseated graphics/memory sticks and all the sata and ide cables.....I restarted and at the time of writing this note all seems well?? (Fingers crossed)

Any of you peeps had anything similar??? ...so if this does not solve the prob i can look elsewhere??? .....Like wise this may help others....I will get back to you all and report as to the outcome......but any tips from you all would be greatly recieved...

Nah no joy with this ....Thought everything was tickety boo but same thing happened again after a while???
Have done a ram test and the memory sticks are ok...likewise the processor is not over stressed or hot.....me is now thinkin i do have a virus....or its a windows update (defender) problem....Don't think it's a connection problem with my modem as the pages will not shut down....just hang and both my laptops work fine (One vista and the other XP)....does vista have a repair option like xp??

[techquest]

Interesting problem. Have you been trying or have you updated the OS?

Does the same problem occur if you were to use Mozilla Firefox?

[caveman_nige]

I know it sounds a bit daft mate but are all the cooling fans clear of dust and other shite, stick your vacuum cleaner around the inside and get all dust off your chips, fans and heatsinks. Sometimes certain models just clog up and the fan slows down enough for the machine to overheat, after a reaching a certain temp the machine should automatically shutdown (more of a crash really, kinda like you are experiencing). However it could be the case that the chipset etc has already been cooked, try it though, you have nothing to loose and will help save it from cooking itself in the future.

However if it is a software issue it could be a million and one things as well. You say you have Vista installed, have you tried SP1 yet etc?

[kintekke]

Yeah give the puter a clean...not that it needed it..The processor is not overheating and did a memory check and that was all ok..but then would you believe it but my laptop running vista started doing exactly the same thing?? (Both Medion's)....Have looked a a fair few threads as regards this and there doesn't seem to be a absolute out and out solution..
So i got thinking (Yeah i do that sometimes ) and thought it was too much of a cooincidence that both systems started with the same problems even though i hardly us the laptop (But it installed updates when i connected today and the probs started) .....Tried the Microsoft website but they want a arm and a leg to help so bit the bullet and rang the medion help line.....they too seemed puzzled but i suggested downloading Firefox as my browser and was told that was what they all used as Explorer 7 has some known issues with vista...and if wondering if the latest updates or the new malicious software removal tool was causing the prob.....so downloaded and installed...so will get back to see if that has sorted the prob.

[caveman_nige]

I run i.e7 on few Vista machines here at work (most are XP thank god) without many issues so far, however as a prefered browser I have tended to use Opera (for quite a few years now) and do not get any issues on any of my windows boxes.

Of course and I am sure you know, the only definitive way of discounting it being a hardware fault it reload the whole thing from scratch, but that is way to much of a pain in the arse but it depends on how bad this freeze/crash situation is.

Normally a factory build has loads of crap that is with it like Symantec or AOL, bits and bobs that give you 30 days trial etc.. delete all that crap. Start stripping out anything you don't actually need and see how it runs for a while, I don't wanna be teaching you to suck eggs here and a I sure you have already considered this if not already done it. Go to Add /Remove progs and strip out the MS updates from the last 3 months.

Next get hold of dome diags software, if you haven't got any come back and I will send you some or point you in the right direction where they are safe and gratis..

[kintekke]

Have loaded firefox and as yet don't seem to be getting any problems...although i am still getting used to the browser....I was wondering if it is something to do with windows malicious software tool because the only thing that both systems have in common (Laptop and desktop) is they both are running office blue edition LOL

Will keep in touch and let you all know....cheers for the tips

[techquest]

Have loaded firefox and as yet don't seem to be getting any problems...although i am still getting used to the browser....I was wondering if it is something to do with windows malicious software tool because the only thing that both systems have in common (Laptop and desktop) is they both are running office blue edition LOL

Will keep in touch and let you all know....cheers for the tips

I suspect it is something to do with either that or an update from windows. What version of IE are/ were you using.

Firefox does take some getting used to at first but it is a sound product and seems to be less hassle than IE. Though not all sites are able to be viewed using Firefox.

[berley]

normally if you buy a medion pc from aldi it comes with a 3 year warranty

you need to call medion after the 1st year for all warranty repairs, i had a medion and it started taking forever to load up, i eventually managed to get medion to come out and look at it, they repaired it and it developed the same fault a few weeks later, so i took the pc back to aldi and got my money back

according to http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ you do not need to allow a 2nd repair of the same thing, and can ask for your money back

so with a bit of luck call medion let them repair it then hope that it develops the same fault

aldi were brilliant once i told them i had accepted a repair from medion and refunded no probs

[techquest]

normally if you buy a medion pc from aldi it comes with a 3 year warranty

you need to call medion after the 1st year for all warranty repairs, i had a medion and it started taking forever to load up, i eventually managed to get medion to come out and look at it, they repaired it and it developed the same fault a few weeks later, so i took the pc back to aldi and got my money back

according to http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ you do not need to allow a 2nd repair of the same thing, and can ask for your money back

so with a bit of luck call medion let them repair it then hope that it develops the same fault

aldi were brilliant once i told them i had accepted a repair from medion and refunded no probs

Thats a good point to remember.

But from what is now being said re firefox doesn't have the same issue. I tend to think it is a windows update probelm with IE. Unless the problem has now shown up with firefox?

Hopefully we will find out.