[SOLVED] Client's workstation - keeps rebooting at random

[BadBoy House]

This one's been giving us a few problems today.

Client workstation. Dropped off to us this morning with the problem of it randomly freezing/rebooting shortly after logging on.

We powered up the machine and sure enough a few minutes after logging on it either restarts, freezes, or freezes with an odd graphics glitch.

It only exhibits the problem in Normal mode - in Safe Mode and Safe Mode with Networking it runs fine.

It's a Windows 7 Pro system. 2GB RAM. AMD Processor. On-board NVIDIA GeForce 6150LE graphics.

We've tried the following:
- different RAM
- different graphics card and VGA mode
- Microsoft memory tester
- All non-Microsoft services disabled
- Different user profile
- Malware Bytes, super anti-spyware checks - nothing found
- Panda Anti Virus scan - nothing found
- No minidump files are created - the option is set to create them. No blue screen.

Just wondered if anyone can suggest anything else?

Here's a photo of the graphics glitch:

 

[alluseridsrejected]

Do the capacitors all look ok?

 

[nlinecomputers]

Any thing in the event log at all?

No mention of the power supply. That and the caps mentioned above is the first things I would be looking at.

 

[buzzcut]

As mentioned above and I've seen this often, not so much OS issue more of a hardware issue. Bulging or leaking caps, and of course the power supply spiking.

 

[coffee]

If you do not find anything amiss in the hardware then uninstall the driver for the graphics card and force windows to use a generic driver. See if the problem is still there.

If you think its graphic hardware issue then I would pop in a test video card and see how it runs with that.

coffee

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Think he already tried new vga card. Take a flashlight and check to see if there are any bulging capacitors or anything as suggested. If you don't see any, I would try a known food power supply as suggested. With everything else if you still get lockups, I think I'd test the hard drive using gsmart control. If it tests good, I'd probably suggest motherboard.

 

[alluseridsrejected]

I would try a known food power supply

I don't like the food power supplies. They are tough and hard to chew!

 

[phaZed]

I don't like the food power supplies. They are tough and hard to chew!

There's nothing wrong with using a food power supply. (Yeah, I took the time this afternoon to snap it )

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Ha. Lol. Yes sometimes I mess up with predictive text on my android. Fairly ingenious that someone took time to put the red bull cans in for the power supply lol. What next mountain dew cans?

 

[nlinecomputers]

My kind of power.

 

[AndyM]

There's nothing wrong with using a food power supply. (Yeah, I took the time this afternoon to snap it )

Ah man, that things got the Quad Can option! Must fly!

Andy

 

[phaZed]

Ah man, that things got the Quad Can option! Must fly!

Andy

Ehem. That's a six banger

 

[AndyM]

Ehem. That's a six banger

Definitely prefer the quad option....

Andy

 

[EvolutionElectronics]

the 6100 series was prone to failure, you either have to reflow the chipset or replace the board with the chance of getting another failed chipset

 

[phaZed]

Definitely prefer the quad option....

Andy

I was going to go with that, but I couldn't get the screw-holes to line up.

 

[BadBoy House]

Does look like it's the capacitors.

Thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated.

 

[cypress]

Dang they are about to explode lol. Glad to know that the problem was solved.