Onboard video vs. Safe Mode

markaz

markaz

Power User
I know I need a new motherboard, but want to learn something about the mechanics of the motherboard.
I posted here a couple of months ago about a video problem (http://www.vistax64.com/crashes-debugging/296976-random-system-freezing.html). Bottom line is that when I run Vista normally the system will freeze and a series of lines appear on the monitor. Same thing occurs if I use a graphics card. However, if I start Vista in Safe Mode with Networking, the system never crashes. I'm posting this while in Safe Mode, but if I were to restart and run Vista normally, the system would freeze within a matter of minutes.
So the reason for this post is to learn "Why?". Why no problems with freezing in Safe Mode vs. running normally?
Thank you in advance for any information. Just trying to learn something about the mechanics of the mobo and the OS.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion s3700y (PC)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+
    Motherboard
    Pegatron Acacia
    Memory
    3GB Micron Technology (PC2-6400)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDEA GeForce 8400GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Def Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Compaq WF1907
    Screen Resolution
    1360x768
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital 320GB
    Case
    Slimline
    Cooling
    A little fan
    Keyboard
    eMachines Enhanced Multimedia
    Mouse
    Logitech M305
    Internet Speed
    2703 kbps
Hi,
Safe Mode loads a minimum of Drivers to start Windows in that Safe Mode.
Compare it to a racehorse galloping, to a quarterhorse plodding along, but getrting some work done
Windows loads the basic Graphics Drivers to allow it to run, not the Onboard Graphics or Graphics Card Drivers that would run in Normal Mode and which you obtain from the Manufacturer.

To fix your problem:
go to either your Computer or Graphics Card Manufacturer's website > look for a Drivers and Download Section > look for your Computer or Graphics Card Model Number > your Operating System > Drivers for it: either Video / Graphics / Chipset (depending on wording there) > download and install the Drivers.

If that does not fix it, it would then appear to be a Graphics Hardware problem.
If a Desktop, either swap your Graphics Card with a good one.
Or if Onboard Graphics , you will have to install a Graphics Card in a slot in the Motherboard to see if that fixes the problem.

If a Laptop; if under Warranty, contact the Manufacturer.
If not under Warranty, contact a good, local Repair Shop.
 

My Computer

System One

The problem is as you know hardware. Either you pci-e slot or gpu. Did you try your gpu in another system?

Anyway, as said above, without drivers the card stays in 2d mode and thus doesnt tax your system,so its happy.

Next questiuon.. You state "on-board" but your profile says an 8600gs, which is a stand alone... Which you got?
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Dual L5639 // i7 950 @ 4.0Ghz
    Motherboard
    Evga SR-2 // Gigabyte x58a-ud3r
    Memory
    12Gig Corsair XMS3 // 6Gig OCZ Gold
    Graphics Card(s)
    gtx 560 ti // gtx 260-216
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual 22" // Headless
    Hard Drives
    OCZ aGILITY 3, 120Gig + Seagate 500Gig x 2
    PSU
    Silverstone da700 // Corsair 520hx
    Case
    Rosewill BlackHawk Ultra // Antec 900v1
    Cooling
    Twin CM Hyper 212+ // Noctua NH-u12
    Other Info
    Acer 8930 laptop with x9100...
There may be a conflict with the startup programs. Disable all startups and try then in normal mode.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Q6600
    Memory
    4GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2207h
    Hard Drives
    2x250GB HDDs
    1x60GB OCZ SSD
    6 external disks 60 to 640GBs
    Other Info
    Also 1xHP desktop, 1xHP laptop, 1xGateway laptop
Thanks to all for the replies. I appreciate the info and recommendations:

@whs - About 3 weeks ago I disabled all the startups and the problem still occurred. Went so far as to format the drive because a SysRestore didn't help.

@patonb - "You state "on-board" but your profile says an 8600gs, which is a stand alone... Which you got". Made the same error in my original post months ago and never updated my profile here.The GPU is a Sparkle GeForce 8400GS which is a low profile PCIex card. I don't have another PC to see if it is faulty.

@Rebpiz - This is what I was wanting to know primarily.

I updated the nVidea drivers for the onboard video and it's been 12 hours now without a system freeze. I updated them before and I still had to do a sysrestore/format because the problem remained. Getting ready to install graphics software and really put it to the test. I have temp monitoring software installed and I'll watch that closely as I know these HP Slimlines are susceptible to high temps and graphics failures.

Again, thanks for the posts and I'll update after about 24 more hours.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion s3700y (PC)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+
    Motherboard
    Pegatron Acacia
    Memory
    3GB Micron Technology (PC2-6400)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDEA GeForce 8400GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Def Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Compaq WF1907
    Screen Resolution
    1360x768
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital 320GB
    Case
    Slimline
    Cooling
    A little fan
    Keyboard
    eMachines Enhanced Multimedia
    Mouse
    Logitech M305
    Internet Speed
    2703 kbps
Update...it was fun while it lasted. System just froze with the graphics card removed. No doubt it's hardware that only getting an identical, although used, mobo will solve.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion s3700y (PC)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+
    Motherboard
    Pegatron Acacia
    Memory
    3GB Micron Technology (PC2-6400)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDEA GeForce 8400GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Def Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Compaq WF1907
    Screen Resolution
    1360x768
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital 320GB
    Case
    Slimline
    Cooling
    A little fan
    Keyboard
    eMachines Enhanced Multimedia
    Mouse
    Logitech M305
    Internet Speed
    2703 kbps
Onboard Graphics is different to a Graphics Card.
Onboard Graphics is built in to the Motherboard.
With a Graphics Card it fits in a slot in the Motherboard and can be removed.
And if you change from Onboard to Card, you may have to change the option in BIOS.
 

My Computer

System One

I understand that and only threw that in as the card has been cited by some as the source of the problem along with the bios settings. I could have made it clearer that the onboard video was the only source available.
I couldn't believe the system didn't freeze after updating the drivers for about 14 hours. Normally the freeze takes place within minutes of launching an app.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion s3700y (PC)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+
    Motherboard
    Pegatron Acacia
    Memory
    3GB Micron Technology (PC2-6400)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDEA GeForce 8400GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Def Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Compaq WF1907
    Screen Resolution
    1360x768
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital 320GB
    Case
    Slimline
    Cooling
    A little fan
    Keyboard
    eMachines Enhanced Multimedia
    Mouse
    Logitech M305
    Internet Speed
    2703 kbps
What is the ambient temperature of the room in question?
Has the dust ever been blown out of the machine itself?
Are all the fans inside the machine working as expected?
 

My Computer

System One

70 deg F
Replaced PSU after problem began so a clean fan there and cleaned the CPU fan at the time I replaced the PSU.
The case cover has been off for 3 weeks to ensure no heat buildup.

Prior to all this I rarely cleaned the fans.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion s3700y (PC)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+
    Motherboard
    Pegatron Acacia
    Memory
    3GB Micron Technology (PC2-6400)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDEA GeForce 8400GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Def Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Compaq WF1907
    Screen Resolution
    1360x768
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital 320GB
    Case
    Slimline
    Cooling
    A little fan
    Keyboard
    eMachines Enhanced Multimedia
    Mouse
    Logitech M305
    Internet Speed
    2703 kbps
Interesting and has me wondering if the physical damage was already done.

If I understand correctly (please correct me if I am mistaken in my understanding) this problem started just over three weeks ago - and you replaced the power supply thinking that could be the problem and you cleaned out all the dust in the system. Since that time you have had the cover removed - which may or may not actually help the system cooling (a well-designed case dissipates more heat when closed and sealed properly than when left wide open.)

What led you to replacing the power supply first?

The only thing that changed between it never lasting more than a few minutes before freezing and lasting longer ("about 14 hours") was you installing a newer driver?
 

My Computer

System One

Started 3 months ago. In the order of things happening, and excuse the brevity"
System froze a couple of times > PSU dead approx 3 days after and replaced > System froze after two days of use > Added PCIex graphics card and manually changed BIOS settings > System froze after 1 day. Since that point I've done diagnostic tests for all the hardware and all negative. Nothing in the Event viewer.

The cover has been off for approx 2 weeks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion s3700y (PC)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+
    Motherboard
    Pegatron Acacia
    Memory
    3GB Micron Technology (PC2-6400)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDEA GeForce 8400GS
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Def Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Compaq WF1907
    Screen Resolution
    1360x768
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital 320GB
    Case
    Slimline
    Cooling
    A little fan
    Keyboard
    eMachines Enhanced Multimedia
    Mouse
    Logitech M305
    Internet Speed
    2703 kbps
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