Hi,

My computer keeps having random crashes where it's like the power has just been shut off. When I start it back up I get an "overclocking failed" error that gives me the option of starting with my defaults or going into set up. I know nothing about overclocking and haven't touched anything to do with it, and I'm wondering if the manufacturer did something when they put it together that could be causing this? I had problems when I first got the machine where it kept shutting itself down and had to take it to the computer doctor so maybe they did something with overclocking...

Also just as a note it's definitely not near anything that's generating extra heat like a radiator. It's freezing in this room, there's no heating at all.

Another note, this isn't a failure that I can reproduce, it just happens every once in a while.

I'm running Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.40GHz
3.40 GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM
And my video card is I believe a Radeon X800

Can you tell me what's up with this?

Thanks

Hi there deadpirate fluffy (nice nick you've got :-))
The problem seems to be caused by incorrect bios settings. Probably the manufacturer/reseller didn't configure the bios properly so now we have to do it. Have you tried entering the bios and loading default or fail-safe settings? Afterwards, save the bios and restart your computer.
The error is caused by incorrect speed/frequency settings for either your ram or the processor. Picking default or fail-safe settings should prevent getting this error.
After loading these settings you may need to reconfigure certain things in the bios since all defaults are loaded.
Good luck, Bram

Hee..um...could you tell me how to do this?

Also as a further note I've noticed that the overclockin failed crash has happened twice now while I've been trying to play the Sims 2, which is a very 3d graphic intensive game.

Thanks!

Allright, during booting you see a black screen with white letters on it, the screen where also the text'overclocking failed' is shown.
Usually at the bottom of the screen, or the right side, a text is shown similar to this 'press key to enter bios/setup)
Press this key and you'll enter the bios. Depending on your bioschip you get a menu with one of the options being 'load default settings'/'load fail-safe settings' or you can read (at the bottom) 'press key to load default settings'. This way you can load these settings, loading the default settings should suffice, but if you keep getting errors, load the fail-safe settings. After loading them choose save settings and exit.
Now your computer will reboot and the error will not show up. If you experience problems configuring the bios please post which motherboard you have, manufacturer and/or type. When you don't know you can download everest home which will tell you which motherboard you have.
good luck

I went in and told it to load the default settings in the bios and then saved and exited, but after running the game again for a while the computer did the same thing. And once it had shut itself down it wouldn't turn back on until I let it sit for a while, and still gave me the message "Overclocking failed". :-/ I went in and told it to use the default again, but I don't think it will react any differently than it did the first time.

I noticed in the bios pages it showed me the temperature of things? Is there something that I should pay attention to there, or any other options I can take?

THanks!

Yes, you can take a look at the temperatures, but not in the bios, try running a game for a few minutes, exit and start everest home. There goto sensors and report the temperatures. It can be a temperature problem but I doubt it.
Have you changed anything/placed new ram or other hardware? Is this a pre-built computer or was it assembled for you