Windows 7 acting screwy since parts upgrade

Hey guys, I've used the same Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit disk for a few years, on several laptops and my desktop with no issues what so ever, until I upgraded my motherboard and processor.

I was using an Intel Pentium D on an Asrock board of some sort with a 5770, and everything was fine with Windows.

Then the motherboard died so I got a kit with an AMD FX4100, 8GB of ram on an Asus M5A 78L-M LX motherboard and the same 5770, and yes I know the board is terrible.

But of course I used the same Windows 7 disk that I'd always used, and I get slight anomalies that I've never had before.

It's mostly browser based things, and I've tried it on several browsers, which is the confusing part. Downloaded installers often fail to launch due to corruption from a bad download, same with zip files etc. Pictures, whether they be on Facebook or elsewhere often fail to load, and on the Windows side of things I ocassionally get minor graphical errors such as the system tray opening up massive when I click the arrow or the start menu having some misplaced lines etc.

It's also not quite as fast as it should be, it seemed quicker on my old setup and things sometimes work quicker on my laptop and that thing's terrible!

All drivers are definitely correct and fully working, but this doesn't happen on any other machine, I've used the disc on friend's laptops, desktops, and it's on my own laptop right now with no issues at all, does anyone know what's going on?


Edit: I'm also very familiar with Linux and I've tried several distros to see if problems around but they all work flawlessly and lightning quick too.

I gather your version of Windows is not genuine... This is perhaps why you didn't get answers.

Let's say, because they're new, that we leave the board + CPU out of this. Although it would be interesting to know HOW your former mobo died...

What PSU? Is it the same that you had in your former system? If so, did you ever stop to think one second that your former mobo dying could very well indicate a failing PSU? If you have the tools and knowledge to test it, do so. If not, try and get your hand on a new or known reliable unit, and install it in your system. If it is indeed new, then we'll assume it's working correctly for now.

You didn't mention any SSD/HDD... Is it new? Before you actually do any test, just go back into BIOS and make sure that in SATA configuration you're running in AHCI mode (not IDE, not RAID). If it's in AHCI, then you're ready for some troubleshooting. If it's not you can still change it, but if the OS was installed using IDE mode I would probably just reinstall anew. Now as for basic troubleshooting, if it's a HDD, can you download CrystalDiskInfo and HDTUne, check S.M.A.R.T monitoring with the first, then run all the basic tests with the other? If it's a SSD, download AS SSD Benchmark, run the program, and look at the top left, aside "Read :" and "Write :", and make sure the drive is properly aligned - it will be written in green if it's correct, with the mention "ok" beside the number (1024, 4096, whatever multiple of 4...). If everything looks okay, you're ready to move on.

That 8GB RAM, is it two or four sticks kit? If so, first thing you could do regarding this component is try removing one stick at the time, always making sure you're using the recommended slot for a single stick, should be A1 Dimm. Then if the glitches reoccur both times, you can push that farther, and try moving one, then the other, into each of the other slots available - still one by one. If you only have one stick, you can still try moving it to another slot, but it could be less of a hassle and more of a certitude just running memtest (or a better software still) for a whole night or while you're away, at least for 3-4 hours, or until you have at least four passes completed with no error. I'm saying this because, if it's hard to believe that in a two or more sticks kit, ALL sticks are failing (so just running them one by one is usually enough troubleshooting), only one stick on the other hand you can't assume anything until you stress it fully. If all passes return no error (1 stick), or if the aforementioned tests don't correct the glitches (2+ sticks), then you're ready to move on.

If all this doesn't highlight or get rid of the problem, you're up for deep troubleshooting, including OS troubleshooting. Probably better reinstalling anew, unless the system was stable to begin with for some time before the problems started happening, in which case you're probably facing OS/software related problems.

Mod-R said:

I gather your version of Windows is not genuine...

Click to expand...

I wouldn't see any evidence for that here.

My suspect would be the HDD/SSD or corrupt windows installation. Did you perform a clean reinstall of windows? So I'd reinstall, then follow mod-r's guide for HDD trouble shooting if the problem persists.

I'd recommend looking into reinstalling the OS and checking the HDD. If linux distros are working just fine, then that limits the possible rooms for error to the OS or the HDD.

Could be the PCI-E clock being too high.

Hi guys, first off yes I'm not using a legit Windows disk.

But, to back up my suspicion that it is hardware based, when I fresh installed upon getting the new parts, I didn't have a SATA disk drive, so I used a different ISO that I booted from USB to install Windows, and I thought that might have been the root of the problems, a slightly dodgy ISO maybe. But I fresh installed using a borrowed disk drive with the trusty Windows disk that I've used for a couple of years that I mentioned in my first post the other day, AND on a different newer hard drive so I also know it's not hard drive based.

I know I should have mentioned this in my first post, but better late than never.

And last night I ran memtest from a Linux disk for several passes with no errors so as far as I can see it's not hard drive or RAM based.


RJARRRPCGP, I'm clued but not that clued, I'm guessing you mean it's some sort of communication issue with my graphics card, but for things like downloads sometimes being corrupt and browser based image loading, how does it tie in with that?

Biggles_me said:

Hi guys, first off yes I'm not using a legit Windows disk.

But, to back up my suspicion that it is hardware based, when I fresh installed upon getting the new parts, I didn't have a SATA disk drive, so I used a different ISO that I booted from USB to install Windows, and I thought that might have been the root of the problems, a slightly dodgy ISO maybe. But I fresh installed using a borrowed disk drive with the trusty Windows disk that I've used for a couple of years that I mentioned in my first post the other day, AND on a different newer hard drive so I also know it's not hard drive based.

I know I should have mentioned this in my first post, but better late than never.

And last night I ran memtest from a Linux disk for several passes with no errors so as far as I can see it's not hard drive or RAM based.


RJARRRPCGP, I'm clued but not that clued, I'm guessing you mean it's some sort of communication issue with my graphics card, but for things like downloads sometimes being corrupt and browser based image loading, how does it tie in with that?

Click to expand...

idkfa said:

I wouldn't see any evidence for that here.

My suspect would be the HDD/SSD or corrupt windows installation. Did you perform a clean reinstall of windows? So I'd reinstall, then follow mod-r's guide for HDD trouble shooting if the problem persists.

Click to expand...

That says a lot of things about what I can read between the lines, and what you can... And you don't do HDD troubleshooting AFTER reinstalling anew... think about it. Now is the time to do it.

To the OP : there's no correlation between some of your problems and the GPU, as for others there could be. With what you just said we're probably looking at a corrupted OS. Still, your former mobo died, and you're having weird glitches here, there could definitely be a defective component somewhere. Please let me hear about that PSU...?

Mod-R said:

That says a lot of things about what I can read between the lines, and what you can...

Click to expand...

Although I never owned a pirated OS, I know one or two things. However Chapeau! Wouldn't have come to my mind that the OS is not genuine.

Mod-R said:

And you don't do HDD troubleshooting AFTER reinstalling anew... think about it. Now is the time to do it.

Click to expand...

Of course not, but since Linux seemed to run fine and a reinstall is (given you have backups) is faster than testing the HDD I would have done that first

idkfa said:

Although I never owned a pirated OS, I know one or two things. However Chapeau! Wouldn't have come to my mind that the OS is not genuine.

Of course not, but since Linux seemed to run fine and a reinstall is (given you have backups) is faster than testing the HDD I would have done that first

Click to expand...

There was nothing to know about pirated OS, just this "using the same disk" on a lot of different machines, plus a couple other details...

The way I understand the OP, problems started right away or pretty much so, any backup of this is probably useless, and as he just changed hardware he can't really have an older, stable backup for this. I think the HDD is to be taken out of the equation anyway, seeing the second post from the OP. My question about the PSU is more out of curiosity than diagnostic driven... Given the lack of response of the OP on his post, I'm thinking he's in the process of reinstalling that OS again... no hassle, no expense, just good old pirated Windows.

Nah I'm just a busy guy! haha

Yeah the HDD is out cause I tried two different drives that I know are in good order (i defragment and check them every 6 months or so), and memtest showed the RAM is fine.

And yes slowness and download issues were straightaway when I fresh installed the other day, which is what led me to start this thread.

As for the PSU, it appears to be a Tagan TG500-U25 500W affair, I admit I didn't really know what it was, I bought the tower from a friend who knows his stuff, hence looked after it, with the old Pentium setup in it.

Biggles_me said:

Hi guys, first off yes I'm not using a legit Windows disk.

Click to expand...

You should probably re-read the rules you agreed to when signing up for membership here, specifically Ground Rules--> Item #6...

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/announcement.php?f=78&a=65

In the meantime this thread is closed.