jamesowens356
Active member
Where can I check the SMART data?
Pre-built PC constant crashes
- Thread starter jamesowens356
- Start date
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
When doing drivers in windows 10, it’s always best to let windows update install them initially and only if it can’t find them should you manually install them.
As you say, let’s see how you get on without the rift installed, but try some other usb devices in that usb card. I have a boggling suspicion that card may be faulty.
jamesowens356
Active member
Good idea. I'll plug the mouse and keyboard into it instead of the standard USB ports.
EDIT: Plugged them into the card and everything still looks fine in device manager, the mouse and keyboard work fine, and Windows detected them specifically as what they are. Will keep them plugged into it and see how it goes for a few days.
I'll reply here if I see any more errors in my reliability history.
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
I thought crystaldisk gave a smart status? Have you checked the menus? Or maybe it requires a specific version.
jamesowens356
Active member
I think that list of attributes all showing as "Good" is the SMART status. There is a setting to hide SMART data and when enabled that section is hidden.
ubuysa
The BSOD Doctor
That IS the SMART data. Sadly it seems that SSD is using non-standard SMART counters, hence the 'Vendor specific' label that doesn't help us at all. I've never seen that on a drive before however, has anyone else?
I think I'd be tempted to phone PCS and ask whether there is any specific software that can test that SSD (apart from chkdsk which you've already tried). SSDs from major vendors generally have some sort of toolbox software that you can use to run diagnostics on the drive.
It does look as though you may have solved the original problems so I would perhaps park the SSD questions. If you continue to get issues I would phone PCS and point them to this thread.
jamesowens356
Active member
@ubuysa @SpyderTracks @Nursemorph
Bad news - I had just clicked shut down on my PC to turn it off for the night and it blue screened.
Attached is the log.
Bad news - I had just clicked shut down on my PC to turn it off for the night and it blue screened.
Attached is the log.
ubuysa
The BSOD Doctor
That's another PFN_LIST_CORRUPT, a memory management error.
Download Memtest86, make a bootable USB and boot that. Let Memtest run overnight, the free version only does 4 iterations of the various tests but that should be good enough to show any RAM errors.
I'm still concerned about whether your SSD may be flaky too. If Memtest finds no errors I would call PCS and ask them whether they have diagnostic software you can run to test your SSD.
jamesowens356
Active member
So, I had run memtest86 for an hour or two a few weeks ago when diagnosing this myself and it didn't error at all, however unfortunately after under 10 minutes tonight this has happened:
12 errors!
Does anyone know what exactly this means and how I should proceed? I will update first thing in the morning with the overnight results.
If I was to guess what to do next, it would be to test just one stick of RAM overnight tomorrow night, and the other stick of RAM the following night, to see if one of the sticks is the culprit? And if so, do I send the entire PC back to PCSpecialist or just the stick of RAM?
12 errors!
Does anyone know what exactly this means and how I should proceed? I will update first thing in the morning with the overnight results.
If I was to guess what to do next, it would be to test just one stick of RAM overnight tomorrow night, and the other stick of RAM the following night, to see if one of the sticks is the culprit? And if so, do I send the entire PC back to PCSpecialist or just the stick of RAM?
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
If you remove both sticks of RAM and try the test with just one stick, we need to find the faulty stick and then PCS can ship you a replacement next day delivery.
jamesowens356
Active member
Do you think it is worth letting this test run overnight now with 2 sticks or just end it now and re-start with just one stick?
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
Once it's found errors that's all you need to know. I would end it and try with one stick.
Also, when you're removing the current sticks, make sure before removing them that they're properly inserted, it's possible ones just come loose in transit and if that's the case, inserting it properly may fix the issue.
jamesowens356
Active member
Both sticks were to my eyes inserted properly. I've taken out the 2nd stick and am now running memtest on the 1st stick only. If it doesn't error by the time I wake up I'll switch them, if it does, I'll still switch them in case they are both faulty I guess. Either way, I'll post in here with an update.
Also, thank you all for your continuous help guys, it's so so helpful and appreciated.
ubuysa
The BSOD Doctor
I'm in complete agreement with SpyderTracks. Find out which stick is giving those errors, or phone PCS and try and persuade them to swap both sticks.
That's going to be your problem though. Glad we got to the bottom of it in the end.
BTW. RAM often does this. It will work fine for a while and then throw errors. That's why we all recommend Memtest86, its 13 tests (I think it's 13?) stress your RAM in every way possible. The 4 iterations of the free version isn't 100% guaranteed to find all RAM issues however, just around 98% of them. The paid for version (it's not expensive) will run up to 15 iterations which really hammers RAM.
That's going to be your problem though. Glad we got to the bottom of it in the end.
BTW. RAM often does this. It will work fine for a while and then throw errors. That's why we all recommend Memtest86, its 13 tests (I think it's 13?) stress your RAM in every way possible. The 4 iterations of the free version isn't 100% guaranteed to find all RAM issues however, just around 98% of them. The paid for version (it's not expensive) will run up to 15 iterations which really hammers RAM.
jamesowens356
Active member
I'm in complete agreement with SpyderTracks. Find out which stick is giving those errors, or phone PCS and try and persuade them to swap both sticks.
That's going to be your problem though. Glad we got to the bottom of it in the end.
BTW. RAM often does this. It will work fine for a while and then throw errors. That's why we all recommend Memtest86, its 13 tests (I think it's 13?) stress your RAM in every way possible. The 4 iterations of the free version isn't 100% guaranteed to find all RAM issues however, just around 98% of them. The paid for version (it's not expensive) will run up to 15 iterations which really hammers RAM.
I hope this is the problem but I must admit I am a bit skeptical as when I was having these issues and attempting to diagnose them myself I ran memtest86 and found no errors at all so it did surprise me to see so many last night.
The tests I ran on one stick finished last night and resulted in no errors, and I have now swapped the sticks and as of yet there are no errors in the second stick - and memtest is past the point where it found all of the errors when both sticks were in - this worries me.
Is there a chance that the issue may not be specifically down to one stick, but with the RAM slots? Or that the memtest errors were just random in that one run?
Anyway - I'll report back once this test finishes on the second stick. Hopefully it errors and I can call PCS and put these problems to bed.
jamesowens356
Active member
Just out of curiosity - what would the cause be if that was the case? Is this a known thing that RAM sticks can be faulty in pairs but not singly?
ubuysa
The BSOD Doctor
RAM failures typically affect only one stick but that you had any errors at all indicates that your RAM is flaky at best. I don't work for PCS but I'd be amazed if they didn't change both sticks based on that one Memetest result. Your RAM is clearly not 100% reliable.
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jamesowens356
Active member
Thankfully, I've just hit a load of errors on the second stick. I'll get on the phone to PCS first thing tomorrow morning.
jamesowens356
Active member
I have to say...don't think I've ever seen anyone quite so happy to find something is very broken
Hahaha honestly. There is nothing worse than having problems and not knowing why it's happening. At least now I know and can begin the process of getting it fixed. Hope has been restored!
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