Resolved Hardware interruptions- possible fixes?

quirky observation

You know... Second to this one, my post for Broni letting him know about the scans may actually be the shortest I've ever posted. HAHA I dooo tend to be over-exertingly verbose, aren't I . hehe, just a quirky observation. Sorry about that hehe. I'll try to keep it tighter.

And I'm sooo flyin' right now: I just figured out how to solve the Rubik's cube . It's still hard, but I got the gist of it. Did it in my off time, or waiting for the computer. It took me a month, but I'm happy. haha

So MATT, you and I still friends?

 

The biggest module available is 4Gb. So if your motherboard supports 4Gb modules and has 4 slots, it will support 16Gb. Some motherboards have 6 slots and a few have 8. On the flip side, some motherboards only have 3 slots, or just 2. And many only support up to 2Gb modules - less with older boards. But again, it is all up to what the motherboard supports.

Liquid cooling is NOT worth it, IMO - unless like me, you charge users to fix the computers after they messed it up. Liquid cooling costs more. It takes a lot more work to implement. It has a great deal more risks. All too often implementors fail to understand or account for the fact that a CPU fan cools more than just the CPU. Engineers surround the CPU socket with heat sensitive devices so they can take advantage of the air flow from the CPU's fan. Too often ignorant users fail to do their homework and implement liquid cooling for their CPU then fail to provide adequate cooling for the RAM, drives, graphics card, chipset or the rest of the motherboard.

Also, you cannot set and forget with liquid cooling. Heavy footfalls, drive and fan motor vibrations, and other kicks and knocks can cause hose connections to work loose so you must constantly be on the lookout for leaks. You have to deal with mold and bacterial growth. Too many times I have seen users implement water cooling, then regret it a year or two down the road when the novelty wears off and preventative maintenance chores become a real PITA.

No! You are right, you don't want any viruses, but your goal is to prevent getting any - not to have the horsepower to disinfect after infestation. If a computer ever gets a virus, it is ALWAYS because the user failed to keep the system updated, patched, scanned and blocked, or the user participated in risky behavior like illegal filesharing via torrents or P2P sites, or visiting illegal pornography or gambling sites - it is NEVER the computer's fault. And once infected, the horsepower has nothing to do with the capability to clean itself up.

 

No dramas about friends.

Re-reading I see you are having trouble with the browser, so I shouldn't expect you do be able to do a lot of websearching. Just a comment on the browser. Internet Explorer 8 will be a very large program compared to IE 5 back in Windows ME, I hesitate to install it on computers with less than 1GB of RAM. Try the browser Opera, I think they still claim it is the smallest.

The programs for computers back in 2001 were very much smaller than they are today. We have spoken about the size of the RAM. You will need to keep the number of programs down to a bare minimum and only have the essential ones running at startup. You can get a startup control system, try Startup Control Panel
http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml
Be ruthless and pretty much only have your antimalware running.

You mentioned 100% CPU usage. Go to Task Manager (right-click on the Task Bar). Under the Processes tab, click the heading of column CPU to sort it desending (you might have to click twice). Start watching for which program/s might be hogging the CPU.

Your HDD will be on the Primary channel. Here is the information about DMA and PIO mode
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/ide-dma.mspx

You have got me confused, because you say you don't know if the HDD is running at PIO mode, yet you say that the secondary channel is running at DMA mode 2. Is the primary channel on PIO mode? If you cannot get to select "DMA mode if available" (or you reboot and it has gone back to PIO mode), you need to uninstall the Primary, Secondary and main (Intel) IDE controllers in Device Manager.

Have a look through their upgrade instructions that it all seems right.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...en&dlc=en&cc=us&os=228&product=61152&sw_lang=
but as I suspected, they don't supply a full set of Windows XP drivers (only the graphics). If you install again, get any Windows ME driver updates before you run the upgrade.

I just hope you have the correct IDE controller drivers.

Matt

 

Overall...

HAHAHA! I found iiiit! I'm so proud. Here I am combing the set up manuals in the links MATTMAN gave me for looking for jumper settings readings it was at the very back of Device manager the whole time under the DETAILS tab. It had a scroll menu-*DUH*, I just had to find the right heading: BUS RELATIONS! It told me which was connected to what. Woo-hoo! But it still wouldn't tell me which was master-and-commander on the farside of the board. (lol) So I booted into BIOS, aaaand YEP! There IT WAS! I copied down all my BIOS settings so I wouldn't have to go back, in case you throw anymore curveball questions. hehe. OKAY, The Primary Master IS the Maxtor HDD on the Primary channel. The CD-writer is the Secondary Channel-Master, and the DVD-ROM is the Secondary Slave.

I tried the Latency checker first, but the instructions required me to know what was where, so I needed to go on the hunt for the device hookups. The instructions told me to check certain devices, while leaving the necessary important ones untouched. When I first opened it and began reading exactly what this scanner does, I honestly didn't think I really needed it. I was going to try it anyway - don't knock before you try, Can't afford leave an avenue unexplored in unknown territory, you know? But It was talking about Deferred Procedure calls, which according to Proc-Exp. there's not really an issue with! It never gets above 5 if any activity at all under DPC. But I tried it ..and BAM! On first glance- NOTHING BUT VERY TALL RED BARS...ALL across the board! oooooooooh craaaapp. So clearly, I'm not exempt for that. But it was also explaining Buffering.

My audio doesn't sound like normal buffering, where it's solid sound, and then freezes silent completely before reactivating, right? Cut completely in, Cut completely out? Mine sounds very...Staticky? Not like White snow noise, but more like a bold solid sound being interrupted, as if the speaker was being scratched or interfered with. There's no volume fade or fluctuation, but more like: a solid bold sound, but sctrachy and velcro-like. Kinda like a bad tuner almost or wires being messed with. But not the way white noise/snow sounds. My video just freezes while the audio continues though, sometimes. Not always freezing together. I'm not talking about audio/visual synchronicity- because that deals with the video file itself. When the video cuts back in, it jumps to where the video should be along the progressor beadline.

So latency checker appreciated. It's taking a while narrowing down the trouble-maker. I also downloaded the MS RATT scanner. try that next, then see what the MAXTOR disk diagnostic scanner comes up with. yikes, this is quite a bit. I wasn't having very much luck, so I just went ahead and did BRONI's requested scans. BTW, Broni, they're posted. =)

 

To BILL:

@ BILL: No, you're absolutely right. A computer's attributes in no way lessens the user's responsibility or culpability on how to handle their machine, NOR does it change the design and destructiveness of a virus (make it any less sticky, stubborn, rooted, or just down-right a piece of c--r--a--_p). I'm right there with you. Unfortunately, with all the different hackers and schemers out to rake in a few bucks by selling private information and spying on anybody they can scam, you can be as responsible as can be and still get hit. Viruses on simple websites even, "drive-by" hit-and-runs, script manipulators, and hacker tool installers. Unless you stay with strictly encrypted and verified official business pages...there's no avoiding getting dirty. Even then, there could be complications. Some websites require you change browsing settings-activating, and deactivating certain attributes in order for compatibility to peruse their site, that may NOT be wise for further web-surfing correct? AND protection is only as good as the configuration. It's one thing to say WHAT to download, it's another to know what combination of set-ups makes it effectively proactive. But yes handler responsibility stills makes WAR General in proactive defense. =) My CSIS professor was hilarious. He said there was really no good moral or logical reason to design viruses...they needed to be taken out back and "THOOMP" - have one blasted through the ear. (You had to be there, he said it funnier!)

Thank you, I was SOOO ready to install that sucker, but I wasn't quite certain on how a LIQUID cooling device would be compatible in an ELECTORNIC machine. What I was taught...water and electricity don't generally mix. I just assumed if it was already made for computer systems, that geniuses knew what they were doing when they put it together. AAARGH!! haha.

I've heard of some machines that carry something like 64 GB of RAM. I'm all drooling over that. lol. But at least 6-8 gigs would suffice. Now a days they're building more and more machines to carry heavy-duty upgrades like that, aren't they? As much as programs have grown with all the updates, loophole closures, backdoor sealers, and added attributes, it's expected for higher CPU demand and room necessary, correct? Which brings me to this: If you have the necessary standard paging file on C:\-drive, is it really prudent to HAVE a seperate swap partition dedicated to just that? Does it help? I read a lot of people that have their computers set up that way in different forums I run across. But I never knew if it was useful enough to waste space for. ARIE told me it was just better to have the 2 standard partitions: OS and data. But some have paging, TEMP files (which confuses me even more, as every application it seems has its own temp folder-impossible to track them all down, and then relocate and concentrate them into one partition?? =/ ), and various other complicated set-ups. I ask because speaking of RAM, paging is supposed to be 1-1/2 times the RAM=plenty of maneuvering room. =) I have mine currently set up w/ a swap file partition. Can't really tell if it works. lol.

I'm sorry, I just keep throwing more and more questions at you. You have a life too. haha. Thank you for everything, BILL. This really helps.

 

To matt:

@ MATT: ULTRA ULTRA LIGHT! YEAH! I'm telling ya, DIVA! Normally I'd use Firefox, but....freaking TFC keeps screwing everything up! >_< still can't understand why, nor can I ever get a log out of it. It shuts down too fast, and the "reboot?" box won't let me scroll through the results. I hear it's a really effective cleaner. Too effective- it keeps taking out my programs: "FIREFOX ALREADY HAS A PROCESS RUNNING, PLEASE STOP ALL RUNNING PROCESSES BEFORE REOPENING" and Revo uninstaller only opens in Administrator mode, but I can't firgure out how to write a script to run as Administrator in windows XP inside a non-administrative account. And various other computer settings get blown off. My printer gets deactivated. oy vey! But yes, FIREFOX is my normal Browser, I just haven't reinstalled it since the last clean out. Don't know too much about either Opera or Safari... "moh bweefing" (Elmer to Daffy). Again, one problem at a time, and TFC's a simple fix- don't use it, lol.

A lot of the time, if a program has a Portable app, I'll take it since it's usually lighter for just such a use, but still carries the same punch, albeit less functions though. Depends on what I need.

as for the start-up progs: I have CCleaner = start-up manager, normal MSCONFIG = start-up manager, Sysinternals Auto-Runs = start-up manager, Sysinternals Process Monitor = start-up manager (I think), Winpatrol = start-up manager, Revo Uninstaller = start-up manager. THAT'S CRAZY! (Downloaded MS Sysinternals Suite-came with Proc-Mon and Auto-runs, CCleaner for cleaning, MSCONFIG-pre-installed *lol*, Winpatrol for HIPS (another thing I don't get but told it's needed), and Revo uninstaller for full clean prog wipes.)

I'm wondering, if you choose to work with one...IE: Revo uninstaller, will it effect the rest of the programs, or will it conflict? Because there are some programs that I disable, and they STILL come back online as a start-up prog automatically w/o consent. No idea how to block them. Do I have to go around to each program installed and verify everyone disabled before it'll take effect, or is there a way to block a nagging process...if I can find which is responsible for it. Maybe in Threatfire and Comodo firewall. If something is disabled, it SHOULD register in the other managers shouldn't it? Because I don't know where to select/uncheck the start-up box: program auto-updaters, or CTF MON or Windows Messenger, or various other small bg progs. I don't know how to block these in winpatrol and I'm not too experienced with Autoruns, but it was recommended EVERYWHERE since it's an MS official software. And I don't know how to disable a start-up process if it could be related to a virus on reboot. I'm learning the tricky ways to get around self-restarting multi-layered virus processes that are tough to unroot. But the first thing I do every day is fire up PROC-EXP and kill off anything and EVERYTHING unnecessary. Unfortunately the progs AREN't the problem. High CPU usage is the bare basic function + THE **** HARDWARE INTERRUPTS ALONE!!! They **** up the majority of it, as high as 99% sometimes, mostly averaging in the 60-'s 80's. But I can kill everything, and it STILL wouldn't be enough. I reiterate, I'm well acquainted with Proc-Exp and Device Man. It's a pain.

The HDD is located on the Primary channel, I discovered and is stuck on PIO Mode. I selected the "DMA Mode if aavailable" and it reboots...eeeeverytime on PIO Mode. The secondary channel is the one that has anything higher (DMA 2). I only ever tried uninstalling the 2ndary, not the others yet. That didn't help, and neither did the suggested reg-fix I told you about.

Man you've got me running hard on all this reading, but I still appreciate all this info you're throwing at me. It's been helpful so far. Let's see what magic we can work on this monster I've created.

 

Very well done finding the information.

You are only treading water if you cannot get the primary controller out of PIO mode. All your other tests and checks will be meaningless because your hard disk drive is working at a similar speed to a floppy disk drive!

As I said, you need to uninstall all the controllers

Apart from the primary and secondary controller, does it list the "main" Intel controller? You could try right-clicking on that controller and use "Update Driver" first.

Did you back up the registry items before modifying them?

I think we are in the age-old battle of trying to upgrade an old Hewlitt-Packard machine. I have had little or no success. I usually point people to the HP forums. All I am doing at the moment is repeating myself, so I don't know if I can help any further.

Matt

 

Delay...

Hey Guys!

Sorry it's taking me a couple days to update. I'm sorry for making you repeat, but all advice that you've given me IS greatly noted. I needed to take a couple days away from this headache to tend to other stuff that's piled up....and try to relief some of this head pressure. SSSSoooooo....

Let me exhaust EVERYTHING that you all generous connoisseurs have put down on this whole thread. Give me a couple days to work this thing over, and I'll get back with you on all results and situations-as so far the only thing that I've managed to do...is ***** up my plug-n'-play printer configurations...brilliant. lol

Mattman, HP forum is duely noted. I'll check back with them and see what they have to offer. Are they as interactive as this site is? (meaning will I actually get a response from these people? Do you know?) My luck, it'll probably take a week for one answer. Oh well. If it's really a lost cause, it's a goner- there's nothing more I can do. At least I can use it for spare parts, like eSATA ports... (Who knew port variation would be removed from standard production!)

I went to Bestbuy and found a really knowledgeable technician who FOR ONCE actually knew what he was talking about, and echoed a lot of what you all have already told me. Gave me a bit more info on the new systems so I'm shopping around for the inevitable. lol. Won't be the monster I would like, but I'll make it last as long as I can.

Ok. THANK YOU, you all so much for your time and effort, I really appreciate it.
Man for all of this nuisance- that sentence is understatedly cold and bland. This may be the end of the line for this case, but I will still honor the forum code and post results and findings. If this is lost, whatever the outcome, maybe it can give someone else the info needed to fix whatever's wrong with theirs.

Oh Broni! Sorry, I have the MBR results you wanted posted. =)

MATTMAN, ARIE, RSINFO, BILL, BRONI, CANEMAN - THANK YOU ALL.

(I'll hopefully think of something more appropriate to say later)

 

what the hell?

uuumm, hehe. I'm highly questioning this site censor configuration... -_J-

 

It seems you are improving your experience level, even if you aren't getting very far. That is probably very much more important.

Review this thread. You can't make a 2001 computer work like a cutting-edge 2010 one. I run older computers, but I only make them do tasks they were designed for.

You have enthusiasm, I expect you can make that computer work well AND I expect you can make very good plan for your next computer (my tip: don't skimp on the motherboard).

Have fun, don't get stuck on one problem. Look at how you can go back and bypass the problem if you can't see a solution.

Matt

 

The odds are extremely rare against that. Again, if you keep your system fully updated, and you use a current anti-malware solution, and most importantly, you avoid risky practices, then you will be protected from known exploits, and most importantly, not be exposed to new exploits. On the other hand, even if you keep your system fully updated and secured, if you participate in P2P or torrent filesharing of copyrighted materials, for example, then, because these are activities badguys are known to use to release their new malicious code, then indeed you risk infestation. But by that token, participating in those activities is not being as responsible as you can be.

 

OMG, did it really work???

Oh wow.

I think I did it. :|

WWOOOOWW, maybe it was just that. It seems like it at least. Nothing's showing right now on the latency radar... Success?

Well Mattman, you're suggestion of uninstalling the IDE/Atapi devices and letting them reinstall reversed it. The UDMA mode 5 is back on for primary, and mode 2 for secondary channels. Nothing else is showing. The printer had to be reinstalled since it was the first thing I disabled and ******* up...no idea how THAT worked. I was going in order according to the latency checker directions. So all that got redone. Then I re-read your post- well, there it was. HAHA. How 2 disk drives slow the entire system to a screeching halt is beyond me. Lots to learn. I haven't done the hard disk checks though, I'm still working with BRONI on malware cleansing. I'm still going to run the disk diagnostics just in case, and post results, but I think that's the end. WOO-HOO! I know you all HAVE to be relieved to finally get rid of me. This was a headache.

PROBLEM: Hardware interruptions sending CPU usage to the ceiling and threw the roof = stop and wait computer.

SOLUTION: IDE/ATAPI devices in PIO mode from constant errors. REINSTALL all devices. Simple.

who knew...at least I hope that was the only problem. Now I have to read up and figure out what's causing them, and how to stop or avoid these errors. I'll post on that as well. Make this a thorough report.

YAAAAY! problem solved thanks to you guuys!

 

Very well done!

If this thread seems to have a resolution, please mark it Resolved (it is in the Thread Tools). At least when you have done the HDD tests.

Keep an eye on the DMA mode, it could possibly happen again. If the HDD tests say it is OK, it might be because the main Intel IDE controller driver does not seem to be installed. Check another computer that has a good set of drivers installed and you will see what I mean.