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Mid last year I purchased a new computer with the following components: Intel P4 530 3.0 GHz, Kingmax 1 GB RAM, ASUS P5P800 Motherboard, 160 GB HDD, Radeon ATI 9550 256 MB Graphics Card, and LG DVD-RW. Early this year this system started to exhibit problems with random freezing and shutting down, making it almost impossible to use the computer. Reformatting and reinstalling Windows did not resolve the issue, so we determined the root cause was a hardware fault. After following up with the place of purchase, the motherboard and power supply were replaced. This temporarily fixed the issue, but it then started again a week later. Replacing the graphics card and CPU did not resolve the issue either. I will be returning the computer to the vendor to see if the problem can be identified and resolved. However, I am unwilling to spend more money on the computer unless there is a reasonable chance it can be fixed. Have you seen this problem before, and could you advise on the most common causes of this issue? I am not at all certain that the vendor will be able to come up with a fix and am worried that he will offer to start selling me components until the problem is fixed, if that is the case I may as well buy a new system and start over. Where do you recommend I purchase a new computer from – a no-name or a brand computer (e.g. Dell)?

The computer was working fine until I installed a new Lexmark print/scanner/copier machine. Now, the Logitech Web Cam connected to the computer will not work. Each time I try to use the camera, a message appears informing me that the camera is either unplugged or in use by another program. Upgrading and reinstalling the software does not fix the problem, nor does unplugging the Lexmark. Both devices run through a USB connection.

After attaching a Microsoft Intellimouse to a Swann USB Multihub the computer speakers stop functioning properly and emit a droning noise. However, the mouse and speakers work fine with the mouse connected to the PS/2 port (with adapter). A printer and joystick are connected via the hub with no problems. The computer is a Pentium 1.6 GHz running Windows Me.

Recently I upgraded my 486DX4/100 PC with a secondhand Pentium 166 CPU and a TX motherboard with a 586 BIOS chip. The only other change to the system was the change to a Legend PCI video card with a TV tuner in it. Strange things have been happening since the upgrade.

After installation of the motherboard, just about every device had a conflict. These were fixed but other problems with hardware such as floppy drives, the CDROM, etc were loaded twice. Under advice, because of so many problems, which once solved seemed to produce different ones, I reformatted my hard disk and re-installed Win95 and other software.

The problems I now get are: Every time new software is installed and the system reboots, it hangs. The joystick on my AWE64 sound card no longer works - the Control Panel Settings indicates it is not connected but is working properly without any hardware conflicts. (The on-board joystick connector has been disabled.) Some DOS-based software which previously worked, no longer does. The CDROM drive regularly disappears and only returns after a reboot. And my computer has 32mb of RAM but in Windows it only registers it as 16mb (there are two 16mb chips but they are different brands).

I think the cause is probably related to a message I get just after the PC does the memory check- before anything is loaded - "UPDATING ESCD - Fail".

I have spoken to at least 10 technicians around town and at work re this message without any satisfactory answer. One told me it was a CDROM-related message which it isn't; some said it sounded familar but didn't know what it meant; and one said he thought it was to do with the BIOS but couldn't elaborate.

Even though the motherboard is to be replaced, I would like to understand what is happening and what the cause(s) are. Probably the closest to a reasonable answer I've received is that the BIOS is stuffed and needs replacing (although one technician told me it is probably close to impossible to dig up the BIOS which is compatible with the motherboard).

I would like to understand what is happening - can you enlighten me?

When I try to run a email program (Eudora) on my computer I get an error message stating that the memory block that my modem needs to use is in use and therefore I cannot download my email. How can I reassign the memory block to fix this error?