Anybody have a test program that will stress a computer?

[csziggy]

I posted before about my husband's Acer laptop that had been throwing BSODs constantly even with fresh installs of Windows 7 Home and nothing extra installed. I took one of the suggestions and got information from the BSOD which indicated it was a problem with ntfs.sys. Searching that got to pages that said that was caused when a driver forced dumps and one source said to turn off write caching. So I've done that.

Now I want to stress the thing and see if that fixed the problem. I don't have time or inclination to mess with the damned thing myself. I already got my husband a new laptop - nice Toshiba on sale the week before July 4. But if I can get this one to be reliable I can use it for email and browsing when we're on vacation and not have to take turns with the husband using his laptop.

Any test programs you can suggest that I can just start and run for a while?

[PoliticAverse]

1. The standard for PC test programs is "BurnInTest" (free trial)...

http://www.passmark.com/products/bit.htm

[csziggy]

2. Thanks! I'll try it n/t

[PoliticAverse]

3. I also use memtest86+ which you install on a USB drive which you them boot from...

http://www.memtest.org/

USB drive installer program:
http://www.memtest.org/download/5.01/memtest86+-5.01.usb.installer.zip

[csziggy]

5. Well, just got a BSOD with BurnInTest

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT. Now I'm checking that error out. And I'm downloading the USB memtest installer on this computer.

[csziggy]

7. Memtest is showing a LOT of errors

Over 77000 so far and it's not done!

I'm not sure it is the memory or the mobo that might be bad. I hate to buy new memory and find out it's a bad mobo.

Does memtest check the actual hardware?

[PoliticAverse]

9. It's pretty much a general hardware test, even though it's called 'memtest'.

Do you know anything about what memory is installed in the computer?

Is the memory on one or more removable boards?

The first thing to do in a case like this is to remove and put back in any memory
boards in the computer (following the manufacturer's instructions on how to do that
safely). Memory sometimes gets unseated especially in a computer that is moved
around a lot.

If there are still errors and more than one memory board is installed remove the one
in the second position and then rerun the test. If there are still errors switch the removed
board with the installed board and retest.

[csziggy]

10. There are 8 GBs - 4 original, 4 added immediately after purchase

The computer shop pulled all the sticks out and re-inserted 4 GBs for their second installation of Windows. The tech had a theory that Windows 7 didn't like installing with too much memory. He put the other 4 GBs back in before returning the computer to us. After all of his shuffling RAM around and reinstalling Windows 7 fresh for the fourth time, he told us to buy a new computer.

I think it's a bad mobo. The symptoms are very similar to those I got on a mobo with bad capacitors. With that computer, I replaced the mobo, CPU and RAM. Not practical for a 4-5 year old laptop.

The other thing I thought about trying was putting Linux on it, but I haven't messed with Linux for 15 years and as I said I don't have time to mess with it.

My husband wants to give it to our nephew that is a computer geek. He might be able to fix it and he might learn something from even if he can't. Either way it will be gone and I will quit wasting my time on it.

[jtuck004]

4. The best test program would be for you to run it and do exactly what you want to do with it.

There are a number of tests, any one of which may not issue the commands that cause the error, so you could run them all successfully and still error out the first time you try it.

For a fresh install someone should have deleted the hard drive - it is possible to re-install over the top and still leave pieces depending on how it was done, which could leave problems, obviously.

If that is done, just load it up and see if it will do what you want a few dozen times.

[csziggy]

6. I zeroed out the hard drive and did a fresh installation of Windows 7

Using some program recommended here - can't think of the name right now.

When it was still acting buggy my husband took it to the local computer shop we use and they re-wiped the drive, did another fresh installation of Windows 7 with a different source for the drivers. It still throws up BSODs on a regular basis.

The shop told us to get a new computer, which I did. But I hate to give up on a computer without being sure it is the hardware.

I don't have time to mess with this computer - the only time I would need it would be for trips and not very much then. My husband is busy with his new laptop. So a stress test seems to be the best way to see if it might be a hardware problem.

Memtest is throwing a lot of errors. I suspected it was a memory problem but the Windows memory test didn't show any problems. Maybe I'll invest a little in new memory for the thing and see if that fixes it.

[jtuck004]

8. " new memory " < sure, that's easy and cheap enough. Could also be the hard drive.

You could also find a used hard drive at a tech store, perhaps, and do another install.

After that, not too much else that's easy on some of them.

[csziggy]

11. I think we're going to send it down the road

To a nephew who is a computer geek. I'm tired of messing with it, frankly.

I've got another huge batch of antique negatives and a few hundred slides to scan - and the laptop is sitting where my scanner should be.

[jtuck004]

12. I sure know that one. <G> n/t

[Egnever]

13. This sounds like a bad HDD

Have you checked the drive for errors?

[csziggy]

14. No - I tried to use the Seagate test program

But since it is the Acer OEM drive from Seagate the test program will not work on it. Such BS!

My husband is ready to give the laptop to our nephew who is Microsoft certified and sure he knows everything about computers. We'll let him mess with it. I have no more time for it and now that my husband has a new Toshiba we really don't need it anymore.

While it would be convenient to have a second laptop for trips, it's not a necessity.

[Egnever]

15. Try this if you still care

http://www.hdtune.com/

You can download a trial for free that lasts at least a couple of weeks. Use it to test the drive for errors.

NTFS.SYS deals with the file structure of the drive and can be triggered by many things but I would be willing to bet this is a bad drive.