CompuServe Messages

>> still bombs out… It sounds like it might be time to get down to some real nitty-gritty hardware debugging. If you are not comfortable working inside your PC, (or if doing so will void your warranty,) please ignore this post. I can make no guarantees that this will help, but it may help isolate your problem. From your posts, I see that you have tried several "clean boot" scenarios. If you are still getting lock-ups or crashes, then it is likely not driver related. You should probably take some time to confirm that your master disks are not damaged. (ie Try installing on some other computer or have your dealer check and possibly replace them.) On to the hardware: I don't remember whether you posted your hardware specifics or not, but reposting them may help. Let me give you a rather vague description of the possible problems (as I see them). 1. Bad hardware… Faulty memory chips (sometimes very difficult to find) -or- bad Controller card (caching controllers are notoriously suspicious) -or- gremlins <g>! 2. Conflicting hardware… conflicting base addresses, IRQ's or DMA settings are the most common problems. Hopefully, you have other systems at your facility with which you can swap parts to find the problem -OR- you have a good dealer who will work through it with you. Determine the BARE MINIMUM configuration required to run your system. For instance, you don't NEED a cd-rom drive, sound card, tape drive, frame buffer, etc. If possible, temporarily remove those adapters. Check your results. Digging further, try a different brand controller card and check your results. Also, see if you can swap your SIMMS. If not, try to rearrange them and see if your system crashes at a different point in the rendering. Still further, try a different video card. Hopefully, you will find a situation that works correctly. Begin adding cards and drivers back one-by-one until you find the culprit. Try some voodoo rituals and magic dust, too… that always helps. – Dave