dell dimension dying; asking advice re affording replacement

ChiefGrasscutter

Careful....Some Dell Dimensions use special Power supply units - they are non standard units.
No, I've no idea which ones do and which ones do not

catalina66

Toxteth_OGrady wrote: »

The fact that you have done this with a 250W psu is probably why your pc is struggling. A new 300W may also be conservative - what graphics card did you add?

Hi Toxteth_OGrady ... you're right ... I'd wondered at the time I upgraded graphics card, but was busy and didn't think to post ... it's Nvidia GeForce 8400GS.
Many thanks, Cat

catalina66

ChiefGrasscutter wrote: »

Careful....Some Dell Dimensions use special Power supply units - they are non standard units.
No, I've no idea which ones do and which ones do not

Thanks ChiefGrasscutter ... you're right ... I'd googled a bit and read various posts on forums etc that led to bookmarking the ebuyer one, but definitely wanted to ask in this thread, to be sure which is the correct one to buy!
Thanks, Cat

closed

A stick of ram isn't going to overload the psu, post the hijackthis log

catalina66

closed wrote: »

A stick of ram isn't going to overload the psu, post the hijackthis log

Thanks closed ... just run hijack ... most of normal software isn't installed; minimum because did a format and not wanting to reinstall stuff as yet. Ongoing errors are that cannot use DVDRAM drive; won't read disks; says Dell disk in there and forgot to say there's another drive appeared that also looks as if it's Dell files, that I can't shift either. Can't deleter upper/lower filters, and DVDRAM drive not showing up in device manager (Pioneer drive and quite new). And explorer crashing all the time, seizes up if got pictures folder open and browsing down, or if copy and paste stuff over to other folder. Also, just, chkdsk ran the first part of it's program twice, without actually running the test. Screen still flickering a bit. Mouse and sound fine though now.

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 23:46:57, on 26/06/2011
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.6001.18702)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\ccSvcHst.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\tcpsvcs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2011\TuneUpUtilitiesService32.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\ccSvcHst.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\Core\smax4pnp.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2011\TuneUpUtilitiesApp32.exe
C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugin-container.exe
\TEST AND FIX PC\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = "C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe"
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyServer = http=
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: Symantec NCO BHO - {602ADB0E-4AFF-4217-8AA1-95DAC4DFA408} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\coIEPlg.dll
O2 - BHO: Symantec Intrusion Prevention - {6D53EC84-6AAE-4787-AEEE-F4628F01010C} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\IPSBHO.DLL
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton Toolbar - {7FEBEFE3-6B19-4349-98D2-FFB09D4B49CA} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\coIEPlg.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMAXPnP] C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\Core\smax4pnp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\nView\nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: Apple Mobile Device - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
O23 - Service: Bonjour Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
O23 - Service: Norton Internet Security (NIS) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (nvsvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: TuneUp Utilities Service (TuneUp.UtilitiesSvc) - TuneUp Software - C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2011\TuneUpUtilitiesService32.exe

--
End of file - 5229 bytes


Many thanks, Cat

closed

try uninstalling tune up utilities, and make sure all the device drivers are loaded in device manager.

did the dvd ram drive come with some software, is it visible in the bios, did it work before you loaded itunes

the proxy server entry looks unusual

delete all thumbs.db

catalina66

closed wrote: »

try uninstalling tune up utilities, and make sure all the device drivers are loaded in device manager.

did the dvd ram drive come with some software, is it visible in the bios, did it work before you loaded itunes

the proxy server entry looks unusual

delete all thumbs.db

Hi again closed ... have uninstalled tuneup and iTunes fully. Have checked through device drivers best can ... to the best of my knowledge, which isn't much about drivers etc, looks okay from main ones I looked at. The DVDRAM is visible in the bios. Haven't got any software for DVDRAM. Can't find any thumbs.db through search, although ironically when backing up pictures, just before searching, error came up about can't copy over thumbs.db!
Wouldn't recognise a proxy entry myself, not used proxies ... but guessing it could be maybe to do with another error? ... every time boot up, system finds router as new network. Never had that happen before, same as never had a machine create it's own virtual drive ... files on this phantom F-drive refer to mouse, srclient, folders labelled SRC1 thru to SRC5, IMG/BIN/BAT are the other folders.
'Secondary drive not found' error is still there, that was happening every time booted up ... secondary IDE channel now showing in device manager though. And now the DVDRAM drive is fine too ... running disks fine.

Many thanks, Cat

PS sorry, I'm wrong ... there is the D-drive (DVDRAM), which is working fine now, and then two phantom drives with first the invisible Dell disk showing, then second the SRC folders.

catalina66

Hiya, just bumping it up. Could anyone advise which power supply, as I don't know what else to try. Really appreciate. Thanks, Cat

Running 512 RAM and the graphics card, extra to original system.

Toxteth_OGrady

Run your system details through this calculator and post the results;

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

macman

i wouldn't usually say this, but in this case there must be a case to be made for a clean install (after backing up the data of course)?
That will at least reveal if any or all of the issues are system-related.
If the issues are still present, then various hardware items can be eliminated one by one.
Just please don't waste £600 on a £300 PC! You could get a second user Dell of a better spec for around £100.
Slightly puzzled as to why you've uprated the graphics card, but not invested in a full 1GB of RAM?