$1500+ wasted...

[Evolved]

It appears that my ONLY problem is ERRORS!

Windows is booting fine, there are no artifacts when I play games.
Games are booting fine and running fine. Performance is INCREDIBLE! (very happy with it; better than expected! and crossfire is awesome!)

There are just a few errors and application crashes, here and there. Catalyst Control Center won't open (keeps crashing when I try).
It's some kind of "APPCRASH". However, CCC icon remains in my system tray.

I had some steam errors, but I just uninstalled, and reinstalled - back to normal now.

CPU is perfect; been running Prime 95. Motherboard must be FINE as well if that's the case.
I guess all I need to do is run some RAM tests (and I am confident it will pass).

It's obvious that this is an HDD issue - my gut tells me I will need a new HDD.
Although, I have been running many applications thus far, and there has been no freezes, BSOD, or anything.

Seems if I just stick what to what I got and not touch anything or modify anything, all will be well!
I guess only time will tell. I'll let it be for now.

 

[Derek12]

Check if HDTune reports errors on the HD scan & SMART also did you tried another cable & SATA port

 

[erixx]

you say you have been "contantly reformatting" for years..... Wow! Don't let de Appele fanboys read that!

You could do HDD test with that HDD on another computer or laptop (connecting with a SATA to USB kit)

Test RAM with any memtest...

The PSU is harder to test but is high end. Start with HDD and RAM tests for now.

If you can enter BIOS for sure you can watch 'the easy way' voltages... And your mobo will have on board leds if.

But if Windows boots, it seems like random inestability coming from RAM (could be just a incompatibility, is your RAM certified by Asus list?) or dieing HDD...

 

[caleb]

Sounds like a virus to me. (or something Asus board/controller/driver related)

 

[NdMk2o1o]

Well you definately have the right kind of answers in here to troubleshoot and hopefully find what the issue is, one thing I haven't seen is reinstall Windows, sometimes (though not very often) when I do a clean install of Windows for some unknown reason from the get go it behaves like you described and I get random errors, crashes, programs not opening etc etc, I feel that there must have been a small write issue or something during installation that plays havoc with the clean install, a reinstall has helped me in this scenario though it may not be your problem but worthy of consideration none the less.

 

[qubit]

Well you definately have the right kind of answers in here to troubleshoot and hopefully find what the issue is, one thing I haven't seen is reinstall Windows, sometimes (though not very often) when I do a clean install of Windows for some unknown reason from the get go it behaves like you described and I get random errors, crashes, programs not opening etc etc, I feel that there must have been a small write issue or something during installation that plays havoc with the clean install, a reinstall has helped me in this scenario though it may not be your problem but worthy of consideration none the less.

Yeah, I've had dodgy Windows installs like that too. I put Windows XP 32-biy on a friend's PC a while back and now every time you stick in a USB memory stick that it hasn't seen before or one it has seen, but in a different slot, it wants to install drivers for it. On top of that, they're unsigned! Allowing it to proceed does allow the USB stick to function though. Everything is patched as well. I've never seen this behaviour from XP before. Normally, you insert the stick and after a brief initialization, it just works.

However, in the OP's case, I do believe that he has hardware errors, most likely the RAM. Can't say for sure though and I wouldn't rule out that OS reinstall.

 

[Evolved]

I think I have concluded that it is, in fact, my HDD.
Computer has been doing a lot of HDD scans and Windows repairs.

Through these scans, my computer is telling me that there are several bad sectors,
and some files of windows and parts of the HDD are corrupted.

There is nothing to hint that this is a RAM issue, as I managed to play some very high-end games for a couple hours, with no problems.

Oddly enough, just when I thought my PC was fine last night, I kept it on over night to download some steam games.
I wake up and see that it had crashed and was on the "Windows Repair" screen.

It would NOT boot to windows at all after that, as it would get a "half-a-second" BSOD during POST.

I'm beginning to believe a simple HDD replacement will solve ALL my problems.
However, it doesn't hurt to test the RAM in any way.

In any case, my build is quite perfect! One WEAK LINK is what's causing all this fuss!

 

[Breathless]

I think I have concluded that it is, in fact, my HDD.
Computer has been doing a lot of HDD scans and Windows repairs.

Through these scans, my computer is telling me that there are several bad sectors,
and some files of windows and parts of the HDD are corrupted.

There is nothing to hint that this is a RAM issue, as I managed to play some very high-end games for a couple hours, with no problems.

I'm beginning to believe a simple HDD replacement will solve ALL my problems.
However, it doesn't hurt to test the RAM in any way.

Run HDD Regenerator. It will repair the bad sectors if they are repairable, not just skip over them. It has saved my bacon more than once.

 

[Evolved]

Run HDD Regenerator. It will repair the bad sectors if they are repairable, not just skip over them. It has saved my bacon more than once.

I can't even get into windows. It BSOD before anything happens.

 

[DannibusX]

Time to replace the HDD, then. You gonna go for an SSD or even set up a RAID?

 

[Breathless]

I can't even get into windows. It BSOD before anything happens.

Use a different computer to install HDD Regenerator and make a boot cd out of it. Then you can boot from the disc and do it that way assuming the drive is in AHCI or IDE mode. Hopefully the HDD Regenerator free trial allows you to make a disc. As long as your bios can recognize the hard drive, it can be repaired in this manner if it is at all possible.

 

[Evolved]

screw it... NEW HDD!

it's the only OLD part in my system.

can't mixed BRAND NEW HIGH END components with a 3 year old HDD!

 

[TheMailMan78]

Ok just incase no one has covered this you sound like you have a corrupt install of windows. Now what caused that could be ANYTHING. However the usual culprits are a bum HD or RAM. The fact your RAM is reading the incorrect frequency makes me lean toward that. However you say the HD is three years old? Thats not a bad thing. Look up the "Bath tub effect". Basically with a HD the chance of it crashing is very high in the first few months. After that the chance drops MASSIVELY until about 5 years in then it skyrockets again.

The graph looks like a bath tub My point is if your HD was ok for three years chances are its still good today unless something happen to it (you drop it?).

I call RAM on this one for now. But I didnt read the whole thread ether lol.

 

[Frick]

Did you even run Memtest evolved?

 

[johnnyfiive]

Sounds like a bad hard drive and or a need for a fresh install of the OS.

 

[casual swift]

its very common to get ram thats DOA it happens

How To Diagnose Bad Ram

 

[Evolved]

If RAM is the culprit, then why was I able to play my PC games for several hours?

If the HDD WAS NOT the problem, then my PC shouldn't be scanning Windows for repairs or constantly doing CHKDSK scans for bad sectors and corrupted files.

Are these symptoms of BAD RAM?!

I say, BAD HDD and/or BAD Windows Install!

EDIT:

Ah nvm! just read that article on how to diagnose bad ram.

i've experienced many of those symptoms, unfortunately.

looks like i'll have to try a fresh install of windows first, and see what happens from there.

 

[TheMailMan78]

If RAM is the culprit, then why was I able to play my PC games for several hours?

If the HDD WAS NOT the problem, then my PC shouldn't be scanning Windows for repairs or constantly doing CHKDSK scans for bad sectors and corrupted files.

Are these symptoms of BAD RAM?!

I say, BAD HDD and/or BAD Windows Install!

Have you deleted all partitions and done a low level format yet?

 

[Frick]

If RAM is the culprit, then why was I able to play my PC games for several hours?

If the HDD WAS NOT the problem, then my PC shouldn't be scanning Windows for repairs or constantly doing CHKDSK scans for bad sectors and corrupted files.

Are these symptoms of BAD RAM?!

I say, BAD HDD and/or BAD Windows Install!

EDIT:

Ah nvm! just read that article on how to diagnose bad ram.

i've experienced many of those symptoms, unfortunately.

looks like i'll have to try a fresh install of windows first, and see what happens from there.

Just put memtest86 on a USB stick and run the test. Bad memory tend to show up early so it'll not take much of your time.

 

[Evolved]

Have you deleted all partitions and done a low level format yet?

during my last windows install, i actually deleted all partitions, reformatted, etc.
basically, the HDD was completely BLANK!

however, it took me several tries to install windows because the disc would stop spinning half way during "Expanding Windows Files".

which leads me to believe a bad windows install and/or bad HDD.

 

[qubit]

If RAM is the culprit, then why was I able to play my PC games for several hours?

If the HDD WAS NOT the problem, then my PC shouldn't be scanning Windows for repairs or constantly doing CHKDSK scans for bad sectors and corrupted files.

Are these symptoms of BAD RAM?!

I say, BAD HDD and/or BAD Windows Install!

EDIT:

Ah nvm! just read that article on how to diagnose bad ram.

i've experienced many of those symptoms, unfortunately.

looks like i'll have to try a fresh install of windows first, and see what happens from there.

during my last windows install, i actually deleted all partitions, reformatted, etc.
basically, the HDD was completely BLANK!

however, it took me several tries to install windows because the disc would stop spinning half way during "Expanding Windows Files".

which leads me to believe a bad windows install and/or bad HDD.

Unfortunately, it could be a bad disc or bad RAM. Bad RAM cause weirdness like that, just like a bad HD could. Obvious thing to try is to throw in another HD in there and see if it all works properly.

Note that a memetest pass does not guarantee that you don't have RAM problems. Only when it finds problems can you guarantee that it does.

 

[Frick]

Note that a memetest pass does not guarantee that you don't have RAM problems. Only when it finds problems can you guarantee that it does.

And what if it find problems? Seriously, it will take just a couple of minutes.

 

[Evolved]

If this helps at all...

the reason why i haven't just run memtest yet is, i haven't gotten the chance yet.
im at work at the moment...

but i noticed on CPU-Z, that 3 out of 4 of my modules DO NOT have a "Serial Number".

Slot #2, 3, and 4 do not have a serial number, but Slot #1 has one. Does this mean anything?

Also, the fact that it runs at 1333Mhz and not 1600Mhz.

I just don't want to believe it's my RAM that's causing the problems.

 

[qubit]

And what if it find problems? Seriously, it will take just a couple of minutes.

Oh of course, I wasn't saying not to use it (he should) just advising how to interpret the results.

I've had direct experience of this phenomenon recently, which I related in another thread. I wanted to post it here to help our OP, but frantically searching through my previous posts doesn't find it. Perhaps I made the post further back than I thought?

If this helps at all...

the reason why i haven't just run memtest yet is, i haven't gotten the chance yet.
im at work at the moment...

but i noticed on CPU-Z, that 3 out of 4 of my modules DO NOT have a "Serial Number".

Slot #2, 3, and 4 do not have a serial number, but Slot #1 has one. Does this mean anything?

Also, the fact that it runs at 1333Mhz and not 1600Mhz.

I just don't want to believe it's my RAM that's causing the problems.

RAM with no serial number sounds dodgy. Try running with the one stick that does show a serial number and see how it goes.

 

[twicksisted]

Looks like my only upgrade left would be to get an SSD (possibly a Corsair Force 3 120GB).

Absolutely terrible idea... dont go near any SSD drive with the new sandforce controller onboard!
Specially seeing as you have a sandybridge pc... nothing but trouble... (google for the corsair forums and look at the long list of issues from people on sandybridge... apparently the problem is sandforces so the SSD manufacturers will have us sit and wait for yet another firmware update that dosent work).

I have the Corsair Force 3 GT and cant use it in SATA III without continuous freezes, BSOD's and corrupted data.

EDIT: apparently its not only corsair but any SSD using the latest sandforce controller (OCZ etc...)