The diagnosis:
- It runs hot simply because the CPU cooling fan is so filthy it barely moves. A thorough cleaning, lube, and a good application of thermal grease to the heat sink, and it overheats no more.
- It forgets the user profile because it has a registry hive that is being locked by an unterminated process. Microsoft, forgive their faults, makes a utility for such an occasion, called UPHCleaner (User Profile Hive Cleaner). It installs a service that forces the profile to close.
- Boot? It boots every time. Could use some RAM though, since it has 256. I just happen to have a spare SIMM or two...
Whats really appalling here is that the client had consulted a big box IT service *cough*perro al fruego*cough* and they were dead, dead wrong in diagnosis. They recommended an OS re-install, new heat sink and fan assembly. Ummm, no, nuclear option is the last resort, not first.
Clue: Event viewer. All your answers are either there or in Win\minidump. HTH
So I'll finish this one presently, and move on to the newly-slowed one I mentioned yesterday. Hey, when I fix a thing, it stays fixed or I make it right.
1 comment:
Ahhh the ole' CPU fan. It can cause a lot of problems. Gave me the blue screen of death on my server last year. Funny, I ran tests on the memory, tests on the hard drive, etc. Even took it to a shop to have them look at it. When they said it would be 3 days before they would even open it up, I went and got it. Brought it home and opened it up and just stared inside. I had no idea what I was looking for. Then I saw the gunk in it. I cleaned the fan and the heat sink and no more blue screens. For a week anyway. Then I ended up having to replace the fan.
Good job on the profile. Did you learn that while studying for the MCP test? If so, maybe you should drop RR a line and thank him. ;) He probably won't answer tho. I sent him an email yesterday wondering where my final paycheck is. He didn't answer. Hmmm. Imagine that.
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