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blue screen

post #1 of 11
12/13/02 at 6:48pm
Thread Starter 
Anyone here experience blue screen crashes on 5650P? Especially running Battlefield 1942 with default settings. I've also had blue screen crashes on other programs. Various device drivers in the messages, but mostly ATI3D1ag.dll address BFA4F33E base at BF9EF000 when going into BF1942 multi-player maps.

This is on XP pro sp1 - tried clean install, etc. I've sent it back 2 times to Sager - this time they said they replace the MB but I can't try running BF1942 because they didn't return my CD's (which they said they never recieved from me....grrrrrrrr)

I've always figured a blue screen crash is a definite hardware problem, especially on Win2k and XP. I run the same programs on my home built desktop with el cheapo ASUS mb & video, AMD 800 duron, etc. and I never have blue screen crashes.

Maybe I could "work around" the blue screen by lowering settings, etc. - but it seems that on a high-end piece of equipment, it's kind of silly to have to do this. Especially since I ran this game for 2 months and NEVER got a blue screen until about a month ago. Then they were pretty much occurring daily in random programs. Just surfing, running j2re based programs, etc.

Anyway, once I get BF1942 on here again (I'm bidding on ebay to replace my cd's - grrrrrr again...) I'll post if I get the blue screen again. I'm tired of sending the machine back. Just curious if anyone else experiencing the same.

I wish I had discovered these boards earlier!!! I've found lots of cool posts so far....
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post #2 of 11
12/13/02 at 7:02pm
I actually don't have any help for you at all, just thought it was cool that we both run Duron 800's in our desktops. It's hard to find anyone who has one, but mine's still chugging along nicely.

With the clean install, did you install the drivers from the disk, or others? If it was the ones from the disk, I can't see how it could be a software problem. But, then again, is BF1942 the only program that you encounter these problems with?
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post #3 of 11
12/13/02 at 7:14pm
It could be a driver problem. What I would try to do is get back to the basics... reset default settings int he bios, format, load XP with the SP1, install only the drivers you need to play the game. See if it still does it then. If it does, I would go as far to try WIN2K, if it doesn't, I would install one thing (SP1, chipset drivers...) at a time to see if you can find where the trouble starts.
If you have 2 sticks of RAM in it, try pulling out one at a time to see if the problem goes away. That is, if you start to have the problem again.

Also, never send your CDs in with the laptop to be worked on. They don't need them and the CDs are the least of a technician's worries.
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post #4 of 11
12/13/02 at 7:16pm
Thread Starter 
Yes, reinstalled drivers from disk - even used a new set of updated drivers that Sager sent me after the first trip to techsupport land. Completely wiped the machine, formatted and followed the install procedures for my OS that are in the notebook manual. Even tried updating bios per their suggestion.

No, BF1942 is not the only place it has happened, just the easiest way to reproduce very easily. It has happened during various tasks running. I even came back from getting a cup of coffee - just had the browser open - nothing really "running" - and there was a blue screen staring at me when I got back. Since the first time I sent it back I really haven't had time to stress test it. I sent it right back as soon as BF1942 blue screened again (per tech supports request to look at it again)

It hasn't really taken them long to turn it around, which is nice - but it's still a hassle sending it back only to continue having the same problem - by sending them my CD's I was trying my best to help them see what I am seeing - but to date, they have not tried re-producing the problem - they just replace parts (or so they say) and ship it back.

Again, I don't consider a fatal crash like a blue screen a software problem - it should never happen, esp. under Win2k and XP. I have a PIII 650 (Gateway) at work running win2k - NEVER blue screened. I run SQL Server, Visual Foxpro, .NET, Office 2k, etc., etc. plus a few games once in a while (but not a lot, this is my "work" computer) .

If this had happened from day 1 running bf1942 and that was the only place it happened, I would probably not be too concerned about it being hardware being defective. I've read a lot of posts about heat - I always have run this with plenty of ventilation avail. as it is the desktop P4 I believe. But if it is heat related or caused by running too hot over time, then I would say that is the fault of the engineers who designed the laptop - not the fault of software that happens to be demanding of resources.

Again, I'm not saying the problem is still there - I'm just a little frustrated that I can't install and run the program I know will tell me if the problem still exists. Plus, who knows if the problem will surface again in 5 or 6 months if it is an engineering defect of some type.
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post #5 of 11
12/13/02 at 7:39pm
I was building a computer for my cousin about a week and a half ago, and I was encountering all sorts of problems including BSOD's. I finally discovered a memory testing diagnostic while surfing for help. Here is where you can find it. It turned out that the memory was catastrophically defective (some 8500 errors were discovered by the program before it gave up the ghost). I only had one stick of RAM at the time, so I had no other way to test. Give it a shot, it boots from a floppy so it is OS independent, and you should be able to tell pretty quick if your RAM is the problem. Keep in mind that a malfunctioning motherboard can also cause RAM errors, so it would be a good idea to test one stick at a time, since it is unlikely that you got two bad sticks of RAM.

Oh, and definitely try PCTORQUE's advice if this turns out not to work, but just trying to save you the trouble of a reinstall if it's a hardware problem.
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post #6 of 11
12/13/02 at 7:48pm
Thread Starter 

memtest

Ran the latest memtest before sending it last time - it all checked out.

As for PCtorques suggestion - i did everything he suggested already except for installing win2k which I will not even mess with at this point because I'm sure it's not an OS issue, otherwise, my AMD desktop with xp pro would be having the same problem with bf1942.

and/or removing a stick of ram - I'm usually willing to do this type of stuff on a pc that I built that has no warranty, but don't you think the "support" would do some level of diagnostics and testing? Maybe they just don't have the time. I was told by someone there they just use the 3d screen savers to test suspected video problems - what!?!?!? -

I really am not comfortable working on or opening a laptop that is still under warranty - I'm not a hardware technician. Maybe I should have bought a dell, but I really wanted something heavier {G}


I wouldn't have sent the cd's except for the fact that techsupport@sagernotebook.com (whoever that is) assured me everything would be returned. Live and learn.
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post #7 of 11
12/13/02 at 8:31pm
Removing and installing the RAM will not void your warranty unless you're playing football with it while you have it out and they can prove it =). It's even in the manual how to upgrade it. It's sometimes really hard to diagnose bad RAM with testing. We have learned with the desktops we built to just swap the RAM if there's an intermittent problem that RAM could cause, or we may have think we fixed it to have it sent in again a week later.
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post #8 of 11
12/13/02 at 10:11pm
Thread Starter 

memory problems

Yea, I hear what you're saying. I know the hardware guys I work with have only been able to find out about bad ram sticks through process of elimination. {s}

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions. I'll definitely post (good or bad) news when I have something conclusive.

- Randy
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post #9 of 11
12/13/02 at 11:03pm

RAMMMMM

RJEAN I too have had problems with ram in my desktop that i built a while ago after many hours of hell it hit me in the head i changed one stick and my problems went away..
so for peace of mind i would so that
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post #10 of 11
1/11/03 at 12:26am
Thread Starter 

Fixed!

Just thought I'd update everyone here. (by the way, this is a great forum - nice to have access to Sager community)

I finally received my BF1942 cd's from Thailand (I ordered off Ebay. I wasn't going to pay full price again!!!) - anyway, played for about 3 hours straight tonight and no blue screen!! So, it appears it was a motherboard problem and the warranty repair Sager performed seemed to do the trick. I feel much better now and overall am a satisfied customer again. I'll just know not to send original CD's anywhere ever again!!!

Rjean
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post #11 of 11
1/11/03 at 12:39am
Great to hear!
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