ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

[neumannu47]

After rebuilding my daughter's computer with an ECS ECS P4VXASD2+ motherboard, I thought that her problems with this unit would be history. The fresh install of XP seemed to be the ticket. However, after performing all of the updates, I installed antivirus software, Symantec 10 Corporate Edition for which I have multiple licenses. On both occasions when I scanned a data drive for viruses (it is the original drive for her computer), the computer locked up. Since I wanted to make sure that the drive was virus-free before doing any more work on the system, I uninstalled SAV and installed Avast. It is running fine, and the computer is not locking up.

As I posted elsewhere, there is one OST capacitor that is clearly bulging and has brown stuff oozing out of it. So I'm sure that the board has at least one bad cap. What I am wondering is whether a bad cap problem can cause the motherboard to lock up with one software application but not with another? The unit ran for hours without locking up. It locks up every time with SAV. I'm guess that there is something about the system that SAV doesn't like, but since caps can cause so many different problems, I thought I would ask.

It turns out that this board is not worth recapping. It has a 1GB memory limit. TigerDirect has a Biostar P4M900-M4 478 motherboard for $59 that I'm going to pick up tomorrow and install.

[Fatal0E]

Re: ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

The virus scan is probably taxing the system more than anything else your doing. Especially the southbridge.

[kc8adu]

Re: ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

symantec is bloated buggy junk too.
i just recapped an ecs like that for a friend.
all the ost were bad.
he got it from newegg last year.

[gonzo0815]

Re: ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

I absolutely agree with KC8, SAV is a POS nothing else. Any way, a bulging capacitor is always a sure sign of problems.
So i would fix or replace it in any way.

[neumannu47]

Re: ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

Regarding SAV, I absolutely agree that Norton/Symantec consumer products are worse than junk. However, my experience with the corporate edition in a corporate and in a non-corporate environment is different. I have done extensive testing with Symantec Corporate AV, Avast, AVG, Avira, eTrust, McAfee, and probably a few more that I don't remember at the moment. My experience has been that the Corporate edition is not the bloatware that the consumer Symantec products are. YMMV

[shadow]

Re: ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

I agree with neumannu47. The corporate edition isn't bloatware like most of their other products. However my question is, what about the new product that has replaced Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition. I am talking about Symantec Endpoint Protection. Is that bloatware?

[Paul S]

Re: ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

Did you also install WinXP Service Pack 3? If so, that may be the cause of the trouble.

Usually it is drivers that will cause problems after a major upgrade, but you never know! Symantic may not yet be compatable with SP3.

[neumannu47]

Re: ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

Yes, I installed SP3, and it could be the problem that you suggest. I've been running it for the last few hours with Avast while doing some intenstive archiving with WinRAR, and so far, no lock ups.

A friend went by Tiger Direct's local store to pick up a new motherboard after they told me on the phone that they had two in stock. When he got there, not only could he not find the one that had supposedly been put aside for me, they did not have one in stock. That's TD for you.

[berniedd]

Re: ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

What were your findings re the AVG, Avast and Avira? I'm looking to use one of these.

Regarding SAV, I absolutely agree that Norton/Symantec consumer products are worse than junk. However, my experience with the corporate edition in a corporate and in a non-corporate environment is different. I have done extensive testing with Symantec Corporate AV, Avast, AVG, Avira, eTrust, McAfee, and probably a few more that I don't remember at the moment. My experience has been that the Corporate edition is not the bloatware that the consumer Symantec products are. YMMV

[Paul S]

Re: ECS P4VXASD2+ Locking Up

I was recently given a PC by my neighbor. I installed Avast on it, and selected it to run after reboot (before WinXP starts). It found all kinds of viruses and trojans. I told it to delete everything that it found, and afterwards WinXP started. I have run Avast again, even at boot, and it doesn't find anything anymore.

Using Avast and Spybot Search and Destroy (with the Tea Timer active) will keep your PC clean.

By the way, the PC had a bad hard drive, giving S.M.A.R.T. errors at boot. I got a new drive and imaged the old one to the new one. My neighbor wants the old drive back, in case it contains sensitive data. When I give it to him, I'm not gonna mention the cloned drive I made.

I cleared off everything relating to the original owner anyway. Even deleted the user and the files.