Three Problems - Anybody have a clue?

[WDCentral]

1) Completely randomly, seemingly unrepresentative of anything at all, internet explorer crashes with the message "the memory could not be written". I've found no information on MSDN and it is extremely annoying. Here is a screenshot of the error:

http://www.benhughes.ws/files/ieerror.gif

I'm running Windows XP with IE 6.0 Service Pack 1 - All Windows Updates have been done.

2) When connected with SSH to my server, I get errors ever so often "Bad Packet Length" then a number, also explaining that this is usually a bug in either the SSH applicatino or server. It happens so frequently that I'm sure that cannot be the case... Has anyone else experience with this error?

3) The one thing I've always completely hated about computer hardware is how frustrating, annoying, and unreliable it is. Mainly, I hate how diagnosing things like what I am about to describe can take so long for a stupid little problem. I got 512MB of SDR PC133 Crucial RAM memory for Christmas to add with my other 256MB stick (unknown origin). Lately, a couple times a day the system will just completely lock up without any warning. I don't even have to be doing a thing, even when I'm watching people IM me it locks up. By "lock up" I mean the the mouse doesn't move, computer doesn't respond to a thing. Also, if there is sound playing, it goes into a one second constant loop and it *seems* as if it increases volume.. I don't know why it would do that. I'm fairly sure that this is a hardware problem but I'm not about ready to every four days swap out computer parts one by one (most of which I don't have doubles of anyways) just to diagnose this stupid problem. Please - someone, anyone, tell me there is an easier way to diagnose this...

Thanks for listing to my rambling. Any response whatsoever is most appreciated.

Ben Hughes

 

[Abzstrak]

try one stick of ram at a time, they might not like each other or one may be defective. Also, make sure your memory timings arent too high in the BIOS

 

[skyking]

Go to memtest86.com, download memtest3.0 precompiled for dos. unzip it, follow the directions, install it on a floppy.
Set your bios to boot from floppy ( it probably already is). Pull out one of the sticks of memory, put in the floppy, boot into memtest, and go away for a while. If you get no errors, switch to the other ram and repeat.
This sounds like a bad ram problem.

 

[WDCentral]

Thank you very much - I'll give that a try.

Anyone have any ideas for problems 1 and 2?

 

[Poontos]

Originally posted by: WDCentral
Thank you very much - I'll give that a try.

Anyone have any ideas for problems 1 and 2?

1.) Your URL did not work. Are you running XP SP1? Is this a retail or OEM copy of XP? What motherboard are you using? Does your event log (C-Panel -> Admin Tools) present any errors?

2.) What SSH application do you use? Try downloading the latest version of Putty or SSH.com's (I prefer it on my personal system) client. Go here.

Or, have you ever modify the registry, specifically network related settings?

Good luck.

 

[skyking]

Any random bizzare lockups can be caused by bad memory. I throw memtest86 at a box overnight, and see what shakes out.
It is soo easy, once you have a boot floppy made up, that I just don't waste time guessing about other causes of random flakiness until I get a clean bill of health on the ram itself. I have "fixed" 4 computers in the last few months that way
About 1 and 2: wait and see about memtest results, number 1 could be flakey ram also

 

[WDCentral]

It turns out my processor was overheating for the lockup problem. I reapplied some thermal grease and its back down to normal temps and no lockups. However, the IE crashes still occur VERY frequently. the memory checker tested out fine...

Any more ideas?

Thanks,
Ben

 

[Poontos]

See my suggestions for #1 if you have missed them, above.

 

[Muse]

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling IE?

 

[Muse]

Concerning your lockups since getting your new RAM, it appears to me that you have some unmatched RAM in your machine. This might be OK, but it might not. It depends on the RAM and more than that even it depends on your motherboard. Some motherboards that have 3 RAM slots do fine with 2 slots used but are apt to lockup when you use all 3! I'd try removing your original RAM and just running your new 512 MB and see if the lockups disappear.