[ropinirole]

I've got a really strange problem with my computer and I'm not sure of the exact cause.

Every now and then it just freezes up, for anywhere between 10 and 30 seconds but not like a usual freeze, for example: Firefox might suddenly stop responding, so I alt-tab to a windows folder that I have open, that might work for one or two clicks and then that will stop responding. Then I open the task manager to kill the processes and that stops responding after I try and scroll through the running tasks.... Then about 10 seconds later it all comes back to life again. Or sometimes it'll take 10 seconds or so to display all the folders on a drive when its usually instant.

On top of that, sometimes windows media player will refuse to play files coming up with a "server execution failed" message, while other times windows refuses to shut down and sticks at the "logging off" screen forever and other times it comes up "Disk Read Error" when I turn it on.

OK, with me.... Well it has been doing this ever since I moved to my new flat. I originally thought it was the hard drive dying as it was about 4 years old. So I reinstalled on my new-ish 2TB WD drive. Unfortunately, after a few weeks it started doing the same thing. It always seemed to be OK after a restart so I ignored it as I didn't have time.

I had noticed a few tiny sparks before as I plugged the multiplug in but ignored it as I'm sure I've seen that happen in my old place. However, there was sometimes a buzzing noise coming from the plug socket as well... but pressing the plug always seemed to make it go away. Anyway, when I went home for Xmas I unplugged the multiplug from the wall and noticed a scorch mark on the socket round the bottom right pin-hole (Live wire) and the prong on the plug was slightly warped. I thought "woah, thats not good" but because I was in a rush to get home I ignored it and just made a mental note to tell the landlord when I got back.

Now, the whole time I was back home, (using a different multiplug) my computer was fine. No crashes, no slowdowns, nothing.... and it was on pretty much 24/7. I've brought it back to the flat and have been back 2 or 3 days and it's still the same problems as before. Except now theres really odd things going on. It NEVER shuts down now - always stays at the logging off screen, Windows media player doesn't play anything - just says "server execution failed" (Plus it fails to uninstall if I try to do that from the programmes menu in control panel), "System" has disappeared from my control panel, the wireless strength indicator constantly shows the "identifying" status despite the fact it's working fine and various other weird crap.

Now, my question is - clearly, it's a problem with the power as it was totally fine while I was at home but was doing these things before I left and after I came back (although it appears to have screwed my windows install up now) Is it likely to be the electrical supply underpowering (My multi-plug has surge protection, but AFAIK theres nothing that can be done about underpowering) Or based on the scorch mark on the wall is there some messed up wiring either in the socket or my multiplug? - which might it be?

The computer has never spontaneously turned itself off or anything which is what I'd imagine it would do if the supply was dropping too low.

[ropinirole]

Woah, thats longer than I expected!

TLR Version

• Move into new flat, computer starts doing weird crap in windows
• Reinstalled Windows on new hard drive, still doing it
• Take Computer home for Xmas, notice scorch mark on socket around live prong socket when I unplug multiplug
• Computer works flawlessly for about 3 weeks 24/7 while I'm at my parents. Using different multiplug.
• Come back to flat, same problems as before. Windows now borked
• Problem with multiplug? Wall Socket? or whole electricity supply underpowering?

[katetomson]

Use some software to graph out your voltages over a long period. I'd normally expect HDD ceasing now and then to cause freezing; though you'd notice the sound.

Could be really old wiring not providing enough power; how much you got plugged into one socket?

[Imiweevierm]

Buy a UPS?

[ropinirole]

I shouldn't need a UPS, power should be constant.

I've got hardly anything plugged into it, just the main computer (450w PSU) a 24" Dell monitor, an external hard drive & a little Ipod speaker dock, it's all going into the one multiplug which in turn goes into the one socket in my room.

I'll run a voltage monitor tomorrow to see what happens, but like I said, if it was the voltage physically dropping shouldn't my whole computer turn off at some point?