[GLLUG] Desktop Freezing Still - sigh

STeve Andre' andres at msu.edu
Thu Dec 13 17:13:25 EST 2007


Sadly, you are experiencing one of those next-to-impossible things
to debug.  Forunately, the solution is simple, which is to replace
the motherboard.  If you had spare memory it would be interesting
to see what that did, even though you tested it.

Sometimes, electronics is flakey in bizarre ways.  I have seen Dell's
that ran  Windows get weird and then relagted to Linux where they
worked.  Also the other way around.   One of my standard tests now
is to compile the world in OpenBSD overnight on a "new" machine
I've gotten, to see if its stable.  It's shown up several errors for me
and I now use that as a test before I put something into service or
give it to someone.

So it isn't so much that Windows works better on your pc as the
fact that Windows doesn't touch that magic whatever in the right
(ie, wrong) way.

One last thought, if you are wondering about your video card, and
wondering if the video driver could be doing something: run Linux
with a generic vga driver.  Don't use anything special on the card.
I suppose that might make a difference, and of course if you had
another video card lying around it wouldn't hurt to try that. 

--STeve Andre'

On Thursday 13 December 2007 11:53:23 Benjamin Cathey wrote:
> Okay - So I have a new power supply right, and that seemed like the
> solution.  Then I closed the case and it was overheating (I thought) - So I
> turned my variable speed case fans all the way to high (loud and ridiculous
> considering that it's an AMD 1.2 GHz).
>
> I opened the case back up this week just as a test and it is still freezing
> in linux - NOT WINDOWS though.  I am lost/confused.  The last few times
> I've seen lockup is in a screen saver that is 3D.  I am assuming it is a
> video card issue?  It's an AGP Nvidia with 512 and I have Gutsy with the
> desktop effects turned on (but only level one, not FULLY on.)  I thought it
> should be able to handle that - maybe it's the driver?  I enabled the
> restricted driver for the card.
>
> I guess, at this point, being that I can't really COME to a meeting any
> time soon I am left with installing the AMD 64 Motherboard I have from my
> old work PC.
>
> HOPEFULLY everything will be copacetic and it won't freak (linux OR
> windows) - who knows?  I imagine windows will need new drivers for the
> bios, board, on board sound, etc.  Maybe linux will find it all.
>
> I am getting sick of it - it worked fine with Feisty.  I don't really know
> what to do here.  The video card has it's own power supply connection which
> is hooked up and the powersupply is a 400W (the old one was I think a 250
> or 300)
>
> I can't believe windows is out performing linux here - the only reason I
> HAVE windows on my home PC is for work, if needed and I HARDLY EVER use it.
>  I always just leave it booted in linux.  I hate to say that Windows seems
> to work better on this PC dammit - I hate it!


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